The March/April issue of Archaeology magazine has an interesting article on the "Scorched Earth"
of western Missouri. I had heard about Quantrill's Raiders but never knew their story.
Quantrill, a Confedederate officer, led 450 heavily armed men into Lawrence, Kansas in 1863 and
shot every male citizen capable of carrying a gun. They plundered the town and set fire to many of
the towns finest homes and buildings.
The commanding officer of the Union forces in the area, and stationed in Kansas City,
was General Thomas Ewing, Jr.
When he got word of the raid, in order to deprive Quantrill's Raiders food and shelter, he ordered
mass deportation of all Confederate sympathizers from the better part of four Missouri counties along
the Kansas border.
Several of his men were from Kansas and were burning for revenge for the Quantrill raid.
They interpreted the order as a scorched earth policy and expelled Union and Confederate supporters
from the region. They shot male resisters, and reportedly burned all houses, shops and farm buildings
to the ground. When they were finished, Bates County (the center of the action)
had become, according to one historian, "a tenantless wildnerness".
Over 20,000 people were forced off their farms and out of their homes.
If anyone has access to areas in this region, it seems logical that many caches would have been
left behind as the people were forced out. I would start by asking local farmers about old
foundations in the area.
of western Missouri. I had heard about Quantrill's Raiders but never knew their story.
Quantrill, a Confedederate officer, led 450 heavily armed men into Lawrence, Kansas in 1863 and
shot every male citizen capable of carrying a gun. They plundered the town and set fire to many of
the towns finest homes and buildings.
The commanding officer of the Union forces in the area, and stationed in Kansas City,
was General Thomas Ewing, Jr.
When he got word of the raid, in order to deprive Quantrill's Raiders food and shelter, he ordered
mass deportation of all Confederate sympathizers from the better part of four Missouri counties along
the Kansas border.
Several of his men were from Kansas and were burning for revenge for the Quantrill raid.
They interpreted the order as a scorched earth policy and expelled Union and Confederate supporters
from the region. They shot male resisters, and reportedly burned all houses, shops and farm buildings
to the ground. When they were finished, Bates County (the center of the action)
had become, according to one historian, "a tenantless wildnerness".
Over 20,000 people were forced off their farms and out of their homes.
If anyone has access to areas in this region, it seems logical that many caches would have been
left behind as the people were forced out. I would start by asking local farmers about old
foundations in the area.
