Born on July 31, 1837, in Ohio, to Thomas Henry and Caroline Cornelia (Clarke) Quantrill, the boy displayed his cruel tendencies even as a child. Purportedly, this bad seed would shoot pigs through the ears just to hear them squeal, nail snakes to trees, and tie cats’ tails together for the pure joy of watching them claw each other to death. C. S. A. guerrilla. After a year, he moved to Lawrence, Kansas,
where he was again a schoolteacher from 1859 to 1860. It appears that after being a schoolteacher for several years, he travelled to Utah in 1858 with an army wagon train and there made his living as a gambler, using the alias of Charles Hart. But his past and predisposition soon caught up with him and, wanted for murder and horse theft, Quantrill fled to Missouri in late 1860.The gang stayed around Carroll Parish, off and on for several years because of it's isolation and it's vast swamp lands, and because the Younger Brothers hung out sometimes with their relatives that lived in the Delhi area.
The climax of Quantrill's guerilla career came on August 21, 1863, when he led a force of 450 raiders into Lawrence, Kansas, killing 183 men and boys, dragging some from their homes to murder them in front of their families, and set the torch to much of the city.
Quantrill eventually ended up in Kentucky where he was killed in a Union ambush in 1865 at the age of 27.
YOUNGER BROTHERS: Cole, James, Robert, and John
Younger Brothers
The Youngers visited their sister on the Eddins place south of the Bayou Macon Church. Their sister, Mary Josephine "Josie" Younger was married Captain Jarrettte, on May 8, 1860, in MO., [John Jarrette (or Jarrett or Jarett) born ~1836 in Kentucky] Jarrette's pre-war occupation was a carpenter.
THOMAS COLEMAN YOUNGER
"I left Missouri soon after Judy's raid for Louisiana, spending three months with
Capt. J. C. Lea on what was known as the Widow Amos' farm on Fortune fork, Tensas parish. We then rented the Bass farm on Lake Providence, in Carroll parish, where I stayed until 1867, when chills and fever drove me north to Missouri. . At the time of the Richmond and Savannah, Mo., bank robberies, in which, according to newspapers and sensationalists, I was largely concerned, I was living on the Bass plantation, three miles below Lake Providence, in Louisiana. Capt. J. C. and Frank Lea, of Roswell, N. M., and Tom Lea, of Independence, Mo., were living in the same house with me, any one of whom will vouch for the truth of my statement that I was not anywhere near either of these towns at the time of the robberies in question, but was with them at the plantation referred to above." (Below is some exerpts from Cole Younger's book, concerning the Carroll Parish area)
"About the last of December, 1873, I arrived in Carroll parish, Louisiana. I stayed there until the 8th of February, 1874. Brother and I stayed at Wm. Dickerson's, near Floyd. During the time the Shreveport stage and the Hot Springs stage were robbed; also the Gad's Hill robbery."(From Cole Younger's book)
At the time of the Richmond and Savannah, Mo., bank robberies, in which, according to newspapers and sensationalists, I was largely concerned, I was living on the Bass plantation, three miles below Lake Providence, in Louisiana. Capt. J. C. and Frank Lea, of Roswell, N. M., and Tom Lea, of Independence, Mo., were living in the same house with me, any one of whom will vouch for the truth of my statement that I was not anywhere near either of these towns at the time of the robberies in question, but was with them at the plantation referred to above. Furthermore, right here I want to state, and I will take my oath solemnly that what I say is the truth, and nothing but the truth, notwithstanding all the accusations that have been made against me, I never, in all my life, had anything whatever to do with robbing any bank in the state of Missouri. I could prove that I was not in the towns where banks were robbed in Missouri, at the time that the raids took place, and in many instances that I was thousands of miles away.
After the war the Quantrell Gang stayed around for several years. Carroll Parish citizen Bill Griffin accompanied Cole Younger to Oak Ridge one day in the early 1870's. The hitched their horses to the hitching post a short distance from a general merchandise store, and as he approaced the store, one of the four men sitting on the porch said, "That is a fine hore you have there." Cole answered , "None better anywhere, if so, I would have it." Another man said, "I will challenge that. I have a horse thay can outrun your horse any day!" Cole accepted the challenge and a bet was made in the amount of $200, all Cole Younger had. Judges were found and the race took place; Cole's horse won by a small margin." (story out of "Between the Rivers", McKoin)
ROBERT EWING YOUNGER
Born December 1853 in Missouri. Too young to have been an active war participant. Sentenced to life in prison for the Northfield robbery and murders. Died of consumption in prison in Stillwater, Minnesota September 16, 1889.
JAMES HARDIN YOUNGER
James was born January 15, 1848 in Missouri, joined Quantrill's guerrillas late in the war, captured with Quantrill in Kentucky and sent to Alton prison as a POW, paroled from there. Was deputy sheriff of Dallas Co., Texas 1870-71. Sentenced to life in prison for the Northfield robbery and murders. The 1900 census listed him as "farmer". James killed himself in St. Paul, Minnesota October 19, 1902, not long after being paroled from prison.
JOHN YOUNGER
Born 1851 in Missouri. At age 15 killed a man in January 1866 in self-defense. Early in 1870 lynched and badly hurt by a posse seeking information about Cole. Indicted for murder in Texas in January 1871 for killing a deputy sheriff who was attempting to arrest him. Killed by Pinkerton agents March 16, 1874.
Frank & Jesse James
They became fugitives from the law at an early age before the Civil War. Their mother's farm had been mortgaged to the local bank and the family was having a difficult time in meeting payments. An agent wanted the right-of-way across the farm and was trying to get Mrs. James and the boys to agree. They refused, and the bank foreclosed, but the boys trying to defend they property when Frank was shot in the leg. The family being infuriated by the invasion of their rights, swore revenge on everyone involved, and in one way or another their oath was carried out.
Floyd, La. believes that much credit goes to the guerrillas and the Home Guard. It seems that the James Brothers & Younger Brothers had a stake in the territory, Jesse owning a home in Floyd, and the brothers are said to have a sister that lived near Delhi, La..
ALEXANDER FRANKLIN JAMES
was born January 10, 1843 in Missouri. He was a step-son
of a doctor turned farmer by the name of Reuben Samuel. "Frank was a shy man but very talented in telling children stories about bank and train robbers. There were those who believed he was telling of his experiences in disguise." (from "Between the Rivers", by McKoin) Frank James was treated by Dr. Vinson once for a gunshot would and both brothers for malaria. Frank was one of of Quantill's guerillas. He married Annie Ralston in June 1874. (Buel says Sept. 1875 in Jackson County). One son, Robert Franklin James born February 6, 1878. Frank, Sr., died on February 18, 1915.
JESSE WOODSON JAMES was born on September 27, 1847. "Jesse was a good dancer and very popular amoung the ladies. He was courteous and had good
manners at all times around the ladies: but, always danced with his pistols on his person." (from "Between the Rivers", by McKoin)Jesse joined Quantrill late in 1863 (after the Lawrence raid). Badly wounded in the right chest in 1865 while attempting to surrender to the Federals (the injury played a factor in both his potential participation in some robberies, as well as identifying him later). He was living under the name of Howard in Missouri. He married Zee Mimms April 24, 1874. Two surviving children, Jesse Edwards James and Mary (Zee and Jesse had twins who did not survive infancy, ~1878). Killed in his home by a member of the family, Robert Ford, to receive the $5,000 reward, dead or alive, on April 3, 1882.
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