Centralia Massacre (Missouri)

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The Centralia Massacre was an ambush by pro-Confederacy bushwhackers under Bloody Bill Anderson during the American Civil War in which twenty-two Union soldiers were executed at the Centralia, Missouri, train station on September 27, 1864. Future outlaw Jesse James was among the bushwhackers.

In the ensuing Battle of Centralia, when Union soldiers attempted to capture Anderson, another 123 Federals were killed.

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[edit] Background

In the fall of 1864, the Confederates, faced with a rapidly deteriorating position, launched an invasion of northern Missouri led by Sterling Price and his Missouri State Guard in hopes of influencing the 1864 presidential election by capturing St. Louis, and the state capital in Jefferson City. As part of the strategy, Price called for guerrilla warfare and disruptions, particularly to the railroads. Bill Anderson and his band of followers were among those partisans who responded to the call to arms.

Anderson's first skirmish occurred in Boone County, Missouri, on September 23, 1864, seven miles east of Rocheport, when they killed eleven Federal soldiers and three African-American civilian teamsters. The Federals responded on September 24 by shooting six of Anderson's men at a home in Rocheport. Anderson was told the Federals had scalped them, further enraging him.

On the same day, Anderson ill-advisedly attacked the pro-Union town of Fayette, and, in the process, lost thirteen killed and more than thirty wounded (against only one Union man killed and two wounded). Anderson, after regrouping outside of town, was later informed that the Union soldiers had dragged Anderson's dead men through the streets of Fayette where they ran rough-shod horses back and forth over them.

[edit] The Centralia Massacre

At 9:00 a.m. on September 27, Anderson took 80 men, some dressed in stolen Union uniforms, into Centralia to meet the North Missouri Railroad. In the process, the band looted the town and drank whiskey from boots stolen from the town. They quickly blocked the rail line, with the train engineer not recognizing trouble until it was too late, since the attackers wore Union uniforms. The 125 passengers were rounded up and divided between civilians and 23 Union soldiers on leave following the Battle of Atlanta who were headed to northwest Missouri and southwest Iowa.

The Union soldiers were ordered at gunpoint to remove their uniforms. Anderson asked for the sergeant of the group. Thomas Goodman stepped forward and was taken away. Anderson's men then fired on the Union group. Among the various stories was one in which said Anderson tested a new rifle on the group, allegedly lining them up and wanting to see how many bodies a single bullet could pass through. Those who were not killed immediately were subsequently bashed with rifle butts. The bodies were maimed and scalped. Ironically, Sergeant Goodman was to either escape or formally be released.

Anderson's vengeful men then set the train on fire and sent it down the tracks toward Sturgeon, Missouri. After setting the depot on fire, Anderson's band left town to return to their camp.

[edit] Battle of Centralia

About 3:00 p.m. Union Major A.V.E. Johnston, with roughly 155 men of the 39th Missouri Infantry, rode into Centralia. Townspeople warned Johnston that Anderson had more than 80 men but he ignored their warnings and started in pursuit. Johnston blindly rode into a trap and was soon ambushed. According to Frank James, his brother Jesse was the one who killed Johnston.

123 Union soldiers were killed, while Anderson only lost 2 men.

[edit] Anderson's death

Following the Centralia massacre, Union militia Colonel Samuel P. Cox took command of a detachment of Missouri troops, with orders to find and destroy Anderson. On October 26, 1864, he located Anderson's men near Albany, Missouri. Cox used one of Anderson's favorite tactics against him. He sent out a mounted detachment to lure the guerrillas into a trap. The trick worked. Anderson led his men on a headlong charge after the retreating Union cavalrymen, straight into a firing line. He was shot twice in the head, and toppled from his horse behind the Union line. Found on Anderson's body after his death was a silken cord with fifty-three knots. It was believed that this was his way of keeping a record of his killings. Human scalps were also found on the bridle. His body was put on public display and photographed. Bushwhacking would continue throughout Missouri, but Anderson's death removed one of the leading antagonists.

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