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Quantrell, the famous partisan leader in
Missouri, was at one time a leader in the raids of the
Kansas Jayhawkers, to which body he belonged for a year.
The story runs thus.
Quantrell, together with his brother and a party of companions, determined to visit
California, and purchasing an outfit, they started across the plains.
Hardly had they passed the limits of
Kansas, when they were set upon by
Jenison's and
Montgomery's band of Jayhawkers, who took
Quantrell prisoner, murdered his brother, and robbed the party of their equipments. --Revenge became seen rooted in
Quantrell, and he determined to join the Jayhawkers for the purpose of learning their haunts and associations, and await the proper time for a bloody retribution.
He became a favorite and was elected a Lieutenant, holding a great share of the Jayhawkers' confidence.
At last, the time for active revenge was at hand.
He disclosed his history and plan to the Confederate forces in
Missouri, stating that he knew every haunt and hiding place of the Jayhawkers, and was willing and ready to lead them.
He returned to the Jayhawkers, induced a party of thirty to follow him into an ambuscade, where they were all killed and taken prisoners by our guerillas.
From that moment, he has led our men upon the track of this band of abolition desperadoes, until they have been nearly wiped out, and still
Quantrell cries ‘ "revenge,"’ and lets loose the dogs of war, creating terror in the enemy's ranks, and gaining repeated victories, such as are echoed even to our ears a thousand miles away.