Quantrill, William Clarke

Quantrill, William Clarke (kwon'tril) [key], 1837–65, Confederate guerrilla leader, b. Canal Dover (now Dover), Ohio. In the Civil War his band of guerrillas was active in Missouri and Kansas. He was given the rank of captain in the Confederate army. On Aug. 21, 1863, Quantrill, with about 450 men, pillaged Lawrence, Kans., and wantonly killed some 150 citizens. He was mortally wounded by federal troops in May, 1865.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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