Sue Munday
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Sue Munday was a fictional character created by the editor of the Louisville Courier, George Prentice during the American Civil War.
Union Major General Stephen G. Burbridge was given command over the Commonwealth of Kentucky in June 1864. Martial law was declared and Burbridge disenfranchised some voters in an attempt to guarantee a victory for Abraham Lincoln in the presidential electon. Prentice created the "Sue Munday" persona to show Burbridge as an incompetent commander, unable to protect Kentucky citizens. Adding to the hype, there were many guerilla groups operating in Kentucky late in 1864 and in 1865, and they often claimed to be part of Sue Munday's gang because of the notorious image. The gang terrorism was often published in the Louisville Courier, where Prentice would report on the activities of Sue Munday, so the incompetence of Burbridge would be perpetuated.
One particular guerilla, Marcellus Jerome Clarke, wore his hair long and had smooth-faced features. When caught in Meade County on March 12, 1865, by Federal soldiers, he was brought to justice in Louisville and hanged a few days later.
By some accounts, Henry McGruder, another guerilla soldier, was the original Sue Munday. It is probable that McGruder and Clark rode together. In the account "Three Years in the Saddle," when the guerillas were finally arrested, Clark was executed by hanging soon after capture in March 1865 and McGruder, having been shot in the lungs, was allowed to heal in jail before being hanged.
