"Jack Linthicum" wrote in message
...

I wonder. No one will admit that they commissioned Quantrill at the
time, everything seems to be made up. Even a pay voucher can lie, God
knows they did for a lot of Mosby's antics and he was one of the
"good" rangers. With the abolishment of the partisan rangers I would
assume Quantrill would lose his commission whatever it was. By the
way we seem to have had this same discussion in February (which year
isn't made clear). Do a "search this group" for Quantrell/Quantrill.
"Don't be parochial"

----------------------------

OK, two issues.

First of all we'll settle Anderson.

When he was killed his orders were found on him. In them he is referred to
as 'Major Anderson's by General Sterling Price, a man who was authorised to
raise troops and issue commissions.

Anderson was undoubtedly a commissioned officer in the forces of the
confederacy at the time of his death.

Now Quantrill.

There are certainly accounts of him swanning about in Richmond flashing a
commission he claimed was signed by Jefferson Davis himself.

He is referred to in many contemporary official confederate documents as an
officer, usually a captain.

The evidence seems to indicate that he held some sort of commission at some
point in the war but no papers have ever been found.

If he did have a commission signed by Jefferson Davis then it was in an
awful lot of people's interests that the document, and any references to
it, disappeared before the people who fancied hanging Davis got hold of it.

Sterling Price fled the country with the remnants of his army and returned
under rather odd circumstances to die in 1867. He wasn't available to be
dragged in front of a court for commissioning Anderson and legitimising his
murderous bunch.

--
William Black


I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
Barbeques on fire by the chalets past the castle headland
I watched the gift shops glitter in the darkness off the Newborough gate
All these moments will be lost in time, like icecream on the beach
Time for tea.