Thursday, December 20, 2018
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Cole Younger saw to proper funeral for Bloody Bill
By Linda Emley
Ray County History Museum & Research Library
https://raycountyhistory.webs.com/
There are many people who come to Ray County to visit the graves of famous people who are buried here. The number-one spot for out-of-towners is the Mormon Cemetery because they want to pay their respects to the early members of the church who are buried there.
Many people think the second most visited grave is Bob Ford, the man who shot Jesse James. But after being employed at Ray County Museum for several years, I believe Capt. Bill Anderson attracts more visitors than Bob Ford.
As you probably know by now, Anderson was known as Bloody Bill and was a Partisan Ranger who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. Bob Ford was originally buried in Colorado, but was later moved to Richmond. Ford didn’t get much of a funeral, but he got more than Anderson did when he died.
Capt. Anderson was laid to rest in an unmarked grave in 1864 after he was killed during the Civil War battle at Albany in southern Ray County. It would be another 43 years and eight months before he finally got a funeral.
It was reported by the Richmond Missourian Thursday June 11, 1908:
“YOUNGER HERE. Cole Younger And Jim Cummins Meet Here – The Cole Younger Carnival In Full Blast! Shows to Run All Of The Week. Under Auspicies Of The Red Men. The Cole Younger Shows, under the personal charge of Col. Lew Nichols and Cole Younger, arrived here Sunday afternoon. The seven or eight cars were loaded with tents and paraphernalia and crowded with show mysteries. Three private sleeping cars housed the show folks.
“Early Monday the tents began to “go up” around the Square and in the Stone lot. Monday night the attractions were in full blast. On Monday afternoon however, the first event of the week occurred. When the cars of the Greater Nichols Amusement Company rolled into town, and Cole Younger knew that he had reached Richmond, he helped to put into execution a resolve that he had doubtless formulated long ago – to help decorate the grave of his friend and loyal companion in arms – Capt. Bill Anderson. A remarkable coincidence was the fact that Jim Cummins, another old comrade and soldier was here. Jim Cummins was better acquainted here and managed the details of the joint tribute of respect for other days.
“Monday afternoon, the band of the amusement company struck up a funeral march and with the solemn tread bowed heads, Cole Younger, Jim Cummins, representatives of the amusement company and others made their way to the old cemetery north of town. The grave had already been beautifully decorated with flowers.
“Arriving at the old cemetery, the crowd gathered around Cole Younger while he, in a reminiscent yet with a reverent way, addressed them in a few short sentences. He said that as a soldier, prior to 1863, he had known and served with Capt. Bill Anderson as a solider, that he was a fearless man, standing back for nothing in the performance of his duty as he conceived it. As such, Mr. Younger said he knew and loved him. He (Mr. Younger), knew personally nothing of his work in 1864 north of the river – but that up to that time he was a conscientious man and a brave soldier.
“Mr. Younger was followed by Honorable James L. Farris, son of the late Captain J.L. Farris of the Confederate Army. He spoke for some 20 minutes, paying high tribute to the power of endurance, courage and daring of the dead soldier. In a masterly way, he drew attention to the fact that the war had not been in vain; that the conditions and circumstances of the time of Capt. Bill Anderson demanded just such a man as he; that if he went to extremes, it was because it was the inevitable and necessary result of war – which Sherman properly and aptly called ‘Hell.’
“He saw it that it was time to cover the dust of the hero with the flowers of affection and honor. To conclude, Cole Younger cleared up a misunderstanding. He made it plain that at the time of his death Capt. Bill Anderson was acting under orders direct from General Sterling Price. That he had heard for some years before he knew it. In 1866 he said that he stayed all night at the home of Governor King here in Ray County. Governor King told Mr. Younger that he recognized the handwriting of General McClain in the order found in Captain Bill Anderson’s pockets. General McClain was an Adjutant of General Price.
“In the calm light of history, the deeds done by Anderson do not meet the same sort of condemnation that the hasty judgment of a strenuous and perilous time accorded him. At the conclusion of the exercises, ‘taps’ was sounded and the company withdrew.”
“Capt. Bill Anderson was killed in October 1864 and his body brought to Richmond for burial. He was killed at a crossroads fight near Albany, about a mile and a half north of Orrick, this county.”
The rest of the article tells about the acts that were part of the carnival show. It was called “the cleanest street fair” that was ever seen in Richmond. The balloon ascension was thrilling in the extreme as Lucy May Colton, the “aeronautess” had nerve to burn when she jumped from the clouds and came down head first in a way that thrilled and chilled the old timers. The Great Colton did a 85-foot jump from the top of a ladder in the courthouse yard and landed in a net.
The final paragraph summed it up as follows: “The Red Man managed the shows well and deserves more money than they got out of it. The wet weather and the flooded river kept business away. But the Red Man made friends with their politeness and square dealing. The Missourian expects crowds here for the remainder of the shows, which close on Saturday night.”
Bill Anderson didn’t get a tombstone until 1967. Donald Hale from Independence obtained a grave marker from the United States government and placed it on the grave 103 years after Anderson died.
I never walked in Anderson’s shoes, so I can’t judge his life or his death, but I’m happy that Capt. William T. Anderson finally got a tombstone and a proper funeral. ~
So are we, Ms. Emley. RIP
- BBA
Ray County History Museum & Research Library
https://raycountyhistory.webs.com/
There are many people who come to Ray County to visit the graves of famous people who are buried here. The number-one spot for out-of-towners is the Mormon Cemetery because they want to pay their respects to the early members of the church who are buried there.
Many people think the second most visited grave is Bob Ford, the man who shot Jesse James. But after being employed at Ray County Museum for several years, I believe Capt. Bill Anderson attracts more visitors than Bob Ford.
As you probably know by now, Anderson was known as Bloody Bill and was a Partisan Ranger who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. Bob Ford was originally buried in Colorado, but was later moved to Richmond. Ford didn’t get much of a funeral, but he got more than Anderson did when he died.
Capt. Anderson was laid to rest in an unmarked grave in 1864 after he was killed during the Civil War battle at Albany in southern Ray County. It would be another 43 years and eight months before he finally got a funeral.
It was reported by the Richmond Missourian Thursday June 11, 1908:
“YOUNGER HERE. Cole Younger And Jim Cummins Meet Here – The Cole Younger Carnival In Full Blast! Shows to Run All Of The Week. Under Auspicies Of The Red Men. The Cole Younger Shows, under the personal charge of Col. Lew Nichols and Cole Younger, arrived here Sunday afternoon. The seven or eight cars were loaded with tents and paraphernalia and crowded with show mysteries. Three private sleeping cars housed the show folks.
“Early Monday the tents began to “go up” around the Square and in the Stone lot. Monday night the attractions were in full blast. On Monday afternoon however, the first event of the week occurred. When the cars of the Greater Nichols Amusement Company rolled into town, and Cole Younger knew that he had reached Richmond, he helped to put into execution a resolve that he had doubtless formulated long ago – to help decorate the grave of his friend and loyal companion in arms – Capt. Bill Anderson. A remarkable coincidence was the fact that Jim Cummins, another old comrade and soldier was here. Jim Cummins was better acquainted here and managed the details of the joint tribute of respect for other days.
“Monday afternoon, the band of the amusement company struck up a funeral march and with the solemn tread bowed heads, Cole Younger, Jim Cummins, representatives of the amusement company and others made their way to the old cemetery north of town. The grave had already been beautifully decorated with flowers.
“Arriving at the old cemetery, the crowd gathered around Cole Younger while he, in a reminiscent yet with a reverent way, addressed them in a few short sentences. He said that as a soldier, prior to 1863, he had known and served with Capt. Bill Anderson as a solider, that he was a fearless man, standing back for nothing in the performance of his duty as he conceived it. As such, Mr. Younger said he knew and loved him. He (Mr. Younger), knew personally nothing of his work in 1864 north of the river – but that up to that time he was a conscientious man and a brave soldier.
“Mr. Younger was followed by Honorable James L. Farris, son of the late Captain J.L. Farris of the Confederate Army. He spoke for some 20 minutes, paying high tribute to the power of endurance, courage and daring of the dead soldier. In a masterly way, he drew attention to the fact that the war had not been in vain; that the conditions and circumstances of the time of Capt. Bill Anderson demanded just such a man as he; that if he went to extremes, it was because it was the inevitable and necessary result of war – which Sherman properly and aptly called ‘Hell.’
“He saw it that it was time to cover the dust of the hero with the flowers of affection and honor. To conclude, Cole Younger cleared up a misunderstanding. He made it plain that at the time of his death Capt. Bill Anderson was acting under orders direct from General Sterling Price. That he had heard for some years before he knew it. In 1866 he said that he stayed all night at the home of Governor King here in Ray County. Governor King told Mr. Younger that he recognized the handwriting of General McClain in the order found in Captain Bill Anderson’s pockets. General McClain was an Adjutant of General Price.
“In the calm light of history, the deeds done by Anderson do not meet the same sort of condemnation that the hasty judgment of a strenuous and perilous time accorded him. At the conclusion of the exercises, ‘taps’ was sounded and the company withdrew.”
“Capt. Bill Anderson was killed in October 1864 and his body brought to Richmond for burial. He was killed at a crossroads fight near Albany, about a mile and a half north of Orrick, this county.”
The rest of the article tells about the acts that were part of the carnival show. It was called “the cleanest street fair” that was ever seen in Richmond. The balloon ascension was thrilling in the extreme as Lucy May Colton, the “aeronautess” had nerve to burn when she jumped from the clouds and came down head first in a way that thrilled and chilled the old timers. The Great Colton did a 85-foot jump from the top of a ladder in the courthouse yard and landed in a net.
The final paragraph summed it up as follows: “The Red Man managed the shows well and deserves more money than they got out of it. The wet weather and the flooded river kept business away. But the Red Man made friends with their politeness and square dealing. The Missourian expects crowds here for the remainder of the shows, which close on Saturday night.”
Bill Anderson didn’t get a tombstone until 1967. Donald Hale from Independence obtained a grave marker from the United States government and placed it on the grave 103 years after Anderson died.
I never walked in Anderson’s shoes, so I can’t judge his life or his death, but I’m happy that Capt. William T. Anderson finally got a tombstone and a proper funeral. ~
. . .
- BBA
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
The Brownwood Bloody Bill Myth
 |
| Bloody Bill Impostor William C. Anderson |
The Myth that Bloody Bill Anderson had survived the war and was living in Brownwood Texas originated in 1924, after a young Brownwood reporter named Henry Clay Fuller spent several hours talking with an 84 year old William C. Anderson in his home on Salt Creek.
Fuller's resulting news article in the Brownwood Bulletin described Anderson's claim to be the notorious Civil War Guerrilla, William "Bloody Bill" Anderson of Quantrill fame, and his fictitious escape from the Ray County ambush near Orrick, Missouri where history maintains Bloody Bill Anderson was killed in 1864. Variations of the article were sold by Fuller and published in newspapers throughout Texas, instantly becoming controversial.
A review of the various Fuller articles reveals that Anderson's account frequently changed, and a comparison with credible documented records show the young reporter's colorful imagination at work. Yet, based solely on an old man's tale and a young man's imagination, a Conspiracy was born.
The old man's 'revelation' raised eyebrows all across Texas and was the talk of Brownwood. The young reporter, enjoying the attention and notoriety he was receiving, then sold articles to several other newspapers including Collier Magazine.
Meanwhile, behind the scene, at the insistence of Brownwood Bulletin Editor (and former attorney) Will Mayes, Fuller sent a letter and photograph of Anderson to Jewell Mayes, then Secretary of the Missouri State Board of Agriculture (and a cousin of Will's) for verification if possible. Not one to miss an opportunity, Fuller also had it published in Missouri newspapers.
The letter asked Jewell Mayes to show the accompanying photo of William C. Anderson around the Confederate Veterans Home there, where a number of Bloody Bill's known confederates still resided; indicating that he had his own doubts regarding the tale and hoped to gain either confirmation or denial of Anderson's claim.
There is no record of anyone ever recognising the photo or confirming it as Quantrill's Lieutenant, Bloody Bill Anderson.
. . .
For the next couple of years Fuller continued to milk the article by publishing various versions whenever and wherever he could, but eventually the wild story died down with nothing to substantiate it and faded into obscurity. Anderson died quietly a few years later and the story with him.
Fast forward to 2006, when a treasure hunting Great-Nephew-by-marriage appears on the scene some 80 years later; reviving the claim that William C. Anderson was the real Bloody Bill, and shortly thereafter forming a Yahoo Internet Group where he began a conflated campaign to "change the history books". Related story here
The Conspiracy was reborn with a vengeance.
The Truth, however, reveals it was a stillbirth. Brownwood William C. Anderson was not the Bloody Bill Anderson of Quantrill fame, but he did have a bloody episode in his past to hide.
Grand Jury Murder charge indictment in Stone County, Missouri for the case of the murder of John Cox and Clemuel Davis by William Anderson and William Shook.
. . .
Stone County, Missouri - The Murders and William's Banishment To Texas
William Columbus Anderson was born in Cole County, Missouri on February 7, 1840 to William M. and Jane Scruggs Anderson. The youngest son of his parents' nine children: John Henry, Mary Ann, Francis Marion, David Q., Parsedda, Martha Ann, James Noble, William Columbus and Elizabeth Anderson; with much Family History and a clearly documented paper trail of his life and movements, before, during, and after these events.
In 1846, The Anderson's moved to Stone County, Missouri along Crane Creek near Galena. History tells us of the troubling times of this region as William grew to adulthood. His family found themselves torn by the Civil War with brother and sisters on each side of the conflict. John Henry Anderson, William's eldest sibling, and, sister Martha Ann's husband, Hiram Leath, fought for the Union. His brother David Q. Anderson had sold his property in Missouri and left for Brown County, Texas with his own family by 1858. This family, like so many others in Missouri, was truly torn apart by the war and its aftermath.
Anderson Family Descendant and Historian on the bloody incident that led to William C.'s banishment to Brownwood, Texas ~
" When William C. Anderson was a young man, he was a member of a small group of Bushwackers; the likes of Bill Manning and Alf Bolen, who terrorized Stone and Taney Counties in Missouri. William C. along with other "citizens", as they were called, took neighbors John Cox, Clem Davis, and others from the local Home Guard into custody, and was supposedly taking them to be imprisoned. Not far from Stone County this group instead decided to execute them.
After the community found out about this act of terror and his involvement, William C.'s father, William M. Anderson, sent young William to Brown County, TX to live with his brother, Moses G., and son David Q., to prevent William from being shot or hung there in Stone County. " ~
This proved to be a wise move, as one of his accomplices in the murders was later shot and killed by a surviving family member of the murdered men.
Description of the murder of John Cox and Clemuel Davis from the Biographical Diary of John's son, William B. Cox ~
" I then bought a claim on Crane Creek and moved on it and wintered. In the Spring of '58, my father (John Cox) concluded to move to Kansas, so I sold my claim and took charge of his farm and made a splendid crop. He returned in the fall and bought a farm joining Galena, Stone Co., Missouri and moved on it. I remained on the old farm.
We lived there a quiet and agreeable life, till the Spring of '61 when I began to see trouble rising in our land, but contented myself the best I could and went on with my work. I lost some time out of my crop, but with the aid of two small boys I cultivated 50 acres of corn and made a good crop. I got my oats, wheat and hay nicely stored by the 15th of July.
By this time things were getting very numberous and threatening my life. So the battle of Wilson's Creek came off, the 10th of August. I was still at home, but I was compelled to run my stock off and sometimes myself. One Company of Rebels, assisted by the Citizens, made a raid into Galena on the 28th of August and took Clemuel Davis and his son, my father and (my) brother James and marched them eight miles to George Birdes (Burgess) on Crane Creek.
About one hour in the night, I had just returned from concealing my horses and settled myself in the door when four men sprang to the gate and called for me to surrender. I arose and handed them my old pen knife. Then they swore at me again and searched my house but found no arms. By this time some of my old neighbors who had searched for my horses came up, but they did not find them. They then swore, swore that I had them hid and drew their pistols and swore they would shoot me if I did not tell them where they were, but I told them to shoot, that I would not tell. Then they took my saddle and marched me afoot to S. D. Nelson's and made a search but found nothing.
They then turned and marched me 5 miles to the remainder of the command, where I found the above named prisoners. We were closely guarded around a small brush fire until daylight. We were then put under march, with breakfast, and marched 5 miles to McCullah's Spring where we halted for one hour. On looking around I saw several of our old Neighbors. The Capitan then gave us up to the Citizens and ordered them to take us up to Springfield.
There were eight of them under the command of William Shook. They started but turned me and my brother, James, loose and told us to go home. They then went on a half a mile and turned to the left up a small narrow hollow in the woods. Shook then ordered them in a line fronting him. The prisoners seeing that they were going to be shot: Father placing his hands over his face and crying for mercy. He was then shot dead by the notorious rebel William Anderson, a citizen of the County. Davis and son breaking into a run. Clemuel Davis was shot and wounded and beat over the head with stones until he was dead. Samuel Davis, his son, was wounded but made his escape." ~
Samuel Davis' description of the event - as told to his children and grandchildren ~
"When all of a sudden the door flew open, in rushed about five Confederates, with more outside, along with some of the towns people that belonged to the band called Bushwhackers, there was Nancy's paw, Bill Manning, they ordered all of us outside, as I got near the steps I was hit from behind, I fell and my Pa was helping me up, when he got hit in the back of the head, we were ordered to the front of the horses, we were marched in twos for miles, some of the people that was at the meeting was gone, they were sent home, there were six of us now, we were put by a small brush fire, the light from it would keep all of us under close guard, the blood had dried on the back of my head and arm, I think that was my pa's blood on my arm, your other granddad was with the Reb's, they were all laughing and having a good time, the other Cox kid was put over by us, my back and head was killing me, on the walk Anderson hit me with the butt of his rifle a lot, if we got to slow they would butt you with the rifle or the horse. My pa was very beaten, we tried to sleep but the loud talk and laughing would keep us awake.
Pa told me the next morning that we were in for it, and if I had a chance run for it, John Cox had been hit around a lot too. They yelled for us to stand up, we did and they had us in twos again in front of the horses, the blood from the hits we were taking the day before was still running on my pa's head, he sure looked bad. We had gone up the road a way when Manning told the two Cox boys to go home. "RUN!", He yelled at them. We went up a little further and they ordered us up this hallow, I thought maybe Manning was going to turn us loose too.
When Anderson ordered what was left of us to line up in front of him, my Pa shoved me so hard I rolled, Cox was screaming and my pa was a yelling for me to run, all this time there was shooting, the screaming had stopped, I was in the thicket.
I had been hit in the side, I was crawling like a snake, staying low, the shooting was still going on, I looked back in time to see my Pa's head leave his body, I couldn't see anything after that. I was now into the thicket further, I could hear them yelling to find the little B-----, I was where I could stand without them seeing me, but when I did my boots started filling with blood.
I was almost two miles from the house when John my brother found me, he looked like he had been through hell, and I guess he had. He said he couldn't take me home, that Mom had already heard what happened, " and for me to find your bodies and hide them until they could bury both of you, we were told both of you were shot by the rebels off old wire road, I couldn't find either of you any place.
John helped me to hide in a cave, then he went for Mom, I was almost dead by the time she got there with help she could trust, They patched me up, the bullet is still in me ". ~
* Postscript to Sam's story, by Davis Family Descendent
" Some time later, after recovering from his wounds, Sam Davis called at the home of Bill Manning, who lived south of Galena a few miles and stated in no uncertain terms...
" I've come to kill you Manning ".
" Won't you give me time to pray? ", Manning begged.
Retorted Sam, " When the devil comes, its too late to pray ".
And sure enough that was the end of Bill Manning."
. . .
Anderson Family Descendant ~
" Clem (Clemuel) Davis was the man in this community you went to when you needed to borrow money. Lots of folks were in his debt. One of Bill's sisters had married an older man named Hosea Allee (Alley). When Hosea got sick and was near death, he sold his land to Davis for about $50. By killing Davis, lots of folks didn't have a debt hanging over them and it may have been revenge for taking advantage of Bill's brother-in-law. " ~
If indeed it was an act of revenge, it was a costly one for young William. For not only was he was forced to flee for his life - in the intervening years he lost his land and property there in Missouri through a Civil Lawsuit filed by the widow, then remarried, of one of the men he had killed.
A Civil Suit brought by the widow of John Cox against William Anderson, which also named his brothers James N. Anderson, John H. Anderson and several others, as holders of his property. The suit was for $5,000.00 and costs, quite a sum of money in those days. His eldest brother, John H. Anderson, was named in the civil suit because he had control of the land in William Anderson's name after he fled, which was to be sold by the sheriff to satisfy the award to the widow of John Cox.
In the end, William lost everything.
. . .
Brownwood, Texas
That William Columbus Anderson fled to Texas after the murders there is no doubt. "The Promised Land, a History of Brown County, Texas" reveals that William M. Anderson and his 4 sons, Francis M., David Q., James N., and William C. arrived there from Missouri before 1863.
" A Reminiscent History of the Ozark Region " identifies the family group of William M. and Jane Scruggs Anderson as past residents of Stone County. Francis M., David Q., James N., and William C. Anderson left Stone County for Texas, and James N. and William C. Anderson were identified as residents of Brown County when the book was published in 1894.
Census records prior to William C.'s banishment to Brownwood, clearly show him living with his parents, William M. and Jane Anderson, in Stone County, Missouri.
He next appears in Brownwood, Texas on the 1863 Government Land Office map living on property in Salt Creek, Brown County, Texas adjacent to the property of his Uncle and new Father-in-law, Moses G., and his brother, David Q. Anderson.
In the 1863 Brown County, Texas Tax List from Henry Ford’s “Cotton Calculator” are listed the three Anderson brothers; W. Anderson, J.N. Anderson and D.Q. Anderson
There are even records of his military service during this period. William C. and brother, David Q., both enlisted and were mustered into the 2nd Frontier District, Texas State Troops, Feb. 5, 1864, served 10 days thru June 1, 1864, and was paid $20.
We could continue for hours, as there is much more documentation that confirms William C. Anderson of Brown County Texas is one and the same as William C. Anderson of Stone County, Missouri; but the point is moot in any case as William C. Anderson, himself, confirmed his identity when he stated in his account to Fuller ( repeated in Fuller's letter to Jewell Mayes ) that he was " born on Feb. 7, 1840, in Cole County, Missouri ". Thus confirming his own birth date and place to be the same as that of the Stone County William C. Anderson.
. . .
As for William T. Anderson, Quantrill's Infamous Guerrilla Captain who became known as "Bloody Bill", records document his early years miles away in Randolph County, MO., and confirm he was living near Agnes City, Kansas at the time of the Stone County murders.
Busy running his own 320 acre farm after the family's move to Kansas in 1857 and helping his father run a freighting business on the old Sante Fe Trail, as well as his rumored horse stealing on the side; it's well documented that he did not venture back into Missouri until after the murder of his Father by a local Judge (and former friend) in May of 1862. After he and his brother's deadly act of retaliation for that murder and becoming a wanted man, he then joined a raiding party led by a man named Bill Reed and began raiding back and forth across the border. He did not join Quantrill's band until early 1863.
There is a clearly documented paper trail of William T.'s life and movements as well.
Two different census' covering the same time period for each man, clearly proving that these were two different William Andersons; each well documented in his own right, living miles apart - even different states - and leading entirely separate lives.
At this point any reasonable person would conclude ... End of Story.
But this is where reason leaps out the window.
From here Brownwood William C. Anderson's 'confession' becomes mired in contradictions, inconsistencies, and pure fantasy. Add the Great-Nephew-in-law's proclivity towards conspiracy theories and a tendency to quote dime novels and pulp fiction websites, and it all leads directly to the Land of Make Believe... and Tumblebugs.
Join us as we review the various Fuller articles and Anderson's conflicting fictional accounts of his life as a "Quantrill Guerrilla". In addition we will examine the claims made by the Conspiracy Theorist Great Nephew-in-law, taking a closer look at the 'man behind the curtain' of the Bloody Bill Anderson Mystery Group, all when we return with Part II of The Brownwood Bloody Bill Myth.
Tobe Oneal at Medium.com
Tobe Oneal at Medium.com
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Outlaw Impostors and Historical Research
Throughout history there have been individuals who chose to impersonate those of infamy, for whatever personal reasons they may have had. Most were solely to draw attention to themselves, in some peculiar way gaining a sort of infamy by osmosis. Not true infamy, but stolen notoriety. I can only shake my head and wonder how any real satisfaction could have been gained by the theft of another's identity.
Then there are those who feed on such individuals and the ensuing confusion they cause, by capitalizing on the "conspiracy" side of the equation. It never fails that the issue of a "conspiracy" presents itself .... after all, how could two people be the same person without it? Of course, one of those two people has to die before the conspiracy can be accommodated, otherwise the impersonator would be immediately refuted by the real person whose identity was being assumed/stolen. Obviously, these Impostors only make their appearance after the famous person has died. Dead Men Tell No Tales.
To complete the triangle, there are those poor souls who buy into the whole Impostor/Conspiracy/Cover Up story. The gullible ones who are easily swayed by snake oil and promises of revelation and enlightenment, and either too lazy or trusting to do their own due diligence. Perhaps they are family members who badly want to believe they are related to someone famous. Or scandal mongers who smell a new story to fire their need for controversy. It might even be someone doing research on the net who mistakes it for fact without checking the source. A whole host of apples ripe for the picking.
It's a triangle of deceit that is self propagating and self sustaining. I liken it to the lowly Dung Beetle. Even Tumblebugs have a natural order and their own hierarchy. Not all dung beetles roll balls of manure. Some species live in tunnels dug beneath piles of poop, and are called tunnelers. Others simply live in the poop, and are called dwellers.
The Impostors are the dung rollers, lies building on lies as the ball of poop grows bigger and bigger. Busy little fellows, constantly seeking and gathering more and more poop to build their ball. Those that profit from creating the conspiracies surrounding the Impostors are the Tunnelers. They mine the lies, the poop, and turn it into fertilizer which they sell, and the conspiracies spread. And the poor gullible masses are the Dwellers. They just accept the poop as their natural habitat. So they buy the fertilizer, and the poop grows, and the Rollers now have a self sustaining supply. A closed system.
In forensic investigations there is a very important process known as Chain of Custody. The sequence of custody, control, transfer, analysis, and disposition of physical evidence. It is an integral part of any forensic investigation as it prevents tampering and contamination. When presented with contaminated evidence, it is the Chain of Custody that allows the Investigator to trace back through the various dispositions of the evidence and see at what point it may have become contaminated.
A Qualified History Researcher uses much the same process when presented with flawed research. They trace the various sources and disposition of information back to the original source. In that process they can identify where and when and how the information became contaminated. Historians are frequently faced with this onerous chore. They must first break down the "ball" into it's various constituents. Then each part must be examined to determine its source. Once a source can be identified for each component then those sources can be researched for authenticity and the source(s) of contamination identified. It's not an easy task, but it can be done.
The use of forensic methods in History Research is the only way to determine Factual Accounts. Researchers who are operating from a position of Confirmation Bias do not perform this very important process. They merely search for information that confirms their Preconceived Notions, with no regard for the source or accuracy, and in doing so only perpetuate the contamination.
Tumblebugs.
I invite all seekers of True History to examine their own methods, and to incorporate forensic techniques into their research. Truth cannot enter a closed mind.
Don't be a Tumblebug.
Thank you to all the True Historians out there, for your valuable time and contributions. We look forward to working with you soon!
Sincerely,
BBA
Friday, February 9, 2018
Sunday, February 4, 2018
Sticks and Stones
" Three things cannot long stay hidden:
the sun, the moon and the Truth. "
~ Buddha
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Saturday, January 20, 2018
William C. Anderson
There are a handful of individuals on Yahoo who call themselves the Bloody Bill Anderson Mystery Group. They are led by an individual who, through seriously flawed and poorly documented research garnered from dime novels and pulp fiction websites, falsely claims that William Columbus Anderson of Brown County, Texas was the real Bloody Bill and faked his own death. This has time and again been proven, through Serious Research by Reputable Historians and Genealogists, to be patently false.
Beginning in 2006, this Treasure Hunting Conspiracy Theorist has maintained the claim that William C. Anderson of Brownwood, Tx. was truly Bloody Bill, who had escaped death by allowing another to ride his horse the day of the ambush near Orrick, MO. He has based his claims on the 1924 Fuller article and on research garnered from dime novels and pulp fiction websites, street sweeping the internet for any mention of "Bill Anderson", then stripping excerpts and arranging them to fit his theory, regardless of how out of context, fictional, or unrelated they may be. He has created a conspiracy out of whole cloth, mixing in claims of "KGC activity" and "treasure vaults holding millions meant for a New Confederacy". He has attempted to add validity to his claims by fabricating friendships between William C. and famous former guerrillas such as Cole Younger and Jesse & Frank James. Other past Brownwood residents became pawns in his KGC imagination as well, Henry Ford a prime example.
On and on his conspiracy grew, finally garnering him enough attention for an appearance on an episode of America Unearthed about the assassination of Lincoln, where he tried to connect it to his imaginary KGC tunnels beneath Brownwood (and William C. Anderson by osmosis). His premise....
Realizing their mistake, the Producers ended up editing his appearance down to about a minute of meaningless filler in the episode, prompting him to then complain on the internet that he was misrepresented and cheated.....
http://www.jasoncolavito.com/blog/america-unearthed-guest-producers-misrepresented-me-lied-to-audience-about-facts
Jason: " Jay Longley appeared in S02E12 “Lincoln’s Secret Assassins,” about the Knights of the Golden Circle, where he seemed to suggest that a man named Henry Ford in his hometown of Brownwood was actually the outlaw Jesse James. It almost goes without saying that Longley claims to be another victim of the show’s slippery relationship with the truth. Here he is in his own words, posted last Sunday on his website. I have broken it into paragraphs for easier reading, but the original spelling and punctuation remain: "
Longley: " I was with the crew in Downtown Brownwood for 11 hours in September 2013. Much of it was while being recorded as I gave as much information about the subjects as I could. They promised that they would return to Brownwood to do a much more detailed account but when the show aired in February, I was truly disappointed in the results.
They made it look like I believed that our Henry Ford was Jesse James, which I don't believe and which I told them I didn't believe. I also told them that I believed "J. Frank Dalton" was and why. We spent a lot of time as I detailed the circular route of the KGC Tunnel Network under Downtown Brownwood too but when the show was edited, they took out the top half of the route which included me saying that one tunnel went from the Old County Jail (Museum) across Main Street to the old Ford School. My tunnel route was confirmed when Scott Wolter and I took a trip during a break in the filming to visit the Courthouse and the Old Jail. Nick, the Museum manager, took us under the old jail and showed us exactly where the tunnel was and it clearly led precisely to where I had told Scott it did. I didn't have my camera with me but Scott took some photos of it with his.
After the show aired, I wrote to one of the contact people with the film production company that makes America Unearthed for the History Channel and asked for Scott Wolter's email address because I wanted him to send me some copies of the photos he took of the tunnel entrance. I never heard back from them again.
Also, in the program, Scott says that they left the ground penetrating radar operator and equipment with me. That is simply not true. I met the gpr operator when he arrived from Ft. Worth about lunchtime as Scott, the sound and film crew and I were about to take a lunch break and he began scanning some of the areas while we were at lunch and when we were filming in other locations downtown so I never got to see him actually using the machine. Scott and the crew continued filming me until an hour or so after the gpr man had left to return to Ft. Worth late that afternoon. Their filming of the descendent of Gen. Joseph Shelby didn't happen until a day or two after they had shot the Brownwood part of the episode.
Scott Wolter made several inaccurate statements during the episode. Many of them were done after the filming during the "editing" process. I made one very clear and non-negotiable stipulation when I finally agreed to meet with Committee Films for the show. That was that I would not say anything that I didn't believe was true or accurate and they assured me that they didn't want me to and that they would portray my statements accurately. Well, that's not the way it turned out… […] Needless to say, I won't be doing any more tv shows based on our work here in the foreseeable future."
( Note* I found the comments section at the bottom of Jason's article quite revealing. )
. . .
This individual has even manufactured a sinister group he calls the "Smokescreen Gang" ( a label he assigns anyone who disagrees with him ), who are purportedly in the Employ of " rich historians out to save their livlihood and prevent us from Changing History ". His claims of tracking devices put on his car, phone taps, mail being rifled through, being buzzed by helicoptors, etc., are legendary. He has even claimed Google was in on the plot, trying to bury his ranking for his blogs and websites in the dungeon of their search engines. ( When in fact there is only one website left out there, other than his own, that still allows him to paste his links all over their forum ). His paranoia runs rampant, and vicious.
True Anderson blood descendants have been verbally attacked, threatened, demeaned by having their likenesses photoshopped onto alternative pornographic websites that he also operates (where he published their private phone numbers and addresses, encouraging members of the pornographic website to harass them as well), those Descendants having to seek legal action to stop the madness. These vicious attacks were launched after their attempts to speak the truth about their real Anderson family history, and their public denouncement of his "Theory" as the farce it is.
Bloody Bill Anderson: The Real Story intends to provide others with Irrefutable Proof in Documents, Verified historical accounts, Personal testimony by William C. Anderson's True Descendants, Genealogical records, DNA testing and Forensic Investigation, that show this individual's claims are all fabrication. You will also find documentation showing that this individual has been banned from genealogical, historical society, outlaw & old west, and treasure hunting websites far and wide. A treasure hunting conspiracy theorist seeking his own 15 seconds of fame and notoriety by sewing his fabrications onto the coat tail of the real Bloody Bill Anderson.
There are a handful of individuals on Yahoo who call themselves the Bloody Bill Anderson Mystery Group. They are led by an individual who, through seriously flawed and poorly documented research garnered from dime novels and pulp fiction websites, falsely claims that William Columbus Anderson of Brown County, Texas was the real Bloody Bill and faked his own death. This has time and again been proven, through Serious Research by Reputable Historians and Genealogists, to be patently false.
Beginning in 2006, this Treasure Hunting Conspiracy Theorist has maintained the claim that William C. Anderson of Brownwood, Tx. was truly Bloody Bill, who had escaped death by allowing another to ride his horse the day of the ambush near Orrick, MO. He has based his claims on the 1924 Fuller article and on research garnered from dime novels and pulp fiction websites, street sweeping the internet for any mention of "Bill Anderson", then stripping excerpts and arranging them to fit his theory, regardless of how out of context, fictional, or unrelated they may be. He has created a conspiracy out of whole cloth, mixing in claims of "KGC activity" and "treasure vaults holding millions meant for a New Confederacy". He has attempted to add validity to his claims by fabricating friendships between William C. and famous former guerrillas such as Cole Younger and Jesse & Frank James. Other past Brownwood residents became pawns in his KGC imagination as well, Henry Ford a prime example.
On and on his conspiracy grew, finally garnering him enough attention for an appearance on an episode of America Unearthed about the assassination of Lincoln, where he tried to connect it to his imaginary KGC tunnels beneath Brownwood (and William C. Anderson by osmosis). His premise....
Realizing their mistake, the Producers ended up editing his appearance down to about a minute of meaningless filler in the episode, prompting him to then complain on the internet that he was misrepresented and cheated.....
http://www.jasoncolavito.com/blog/america-unearthed-guest-producers-misrepresented-me-lied-to-audience-about-facts
Jason: " Jay Longley appeared in S02E12 “Lincoln’s Secret Assassins,” about the Knights of the Golden Circle, where he seemed to suggest that a man named Henry Ford in his hometown of Brownwood was actually the outlaw Jesse James. It almost goes without saying that Longley claims to be another victim of the show’s slippery relationship with the truth. Here he is in his own words, posted last Sunday on his website. I have broken it into paragraphs for easier reading, but the original spelling and punctuation remain: "
Longley: " I was with the crew in Downtown Brownwood for 11 hours in September 2013. Much of it was while being recorded as I gave as much information about the subjects as I could. They promised that they would return to Brownwood to do a much more detailed account but when the show aired in February, I was truly disappointed in the results.
They made it look like I believed that our Henry Ford was Jesse James, which I don't believe and which I told them I didn't believe. I also told them that I believed "J. Frank Dalton" was and why. We spent a lot of time as I detailed the circular route of the KGC Tunnel Network under Downtown Brownwood too but when the show was edited, they took out the top half of the route which included me saying that one tunnel went from the Old County Jail (Museum) across Main Street to the old Ford School. My tunnel route was confirmed when Scott Wolter and I took a trip during a break in the filming to visit the Courthouse and the Old Jail. Nick, the Museum manager, took us under the old jail and showed us exactly where the tunnel was and it clearly led precisely to where I had told Scott it did. I didn't have my camera with me but Scott took some photos of it with his.
After the show aired, I wrote to one of the contact people with the film production company that makes America Unearthed for the History Channel and asked for Scott Wolter's email address because I wanted him to send me some copies of the photos he took of the tunnel entrance. I never heard back from them again.
Also, in the program, Scott says that they left the ground penetrating radar operator and equipment with me. That is simply not true. I met the gpr operator when he arrived from Ft. Worth about lunchtime as Scott, the sound and film crew and I were about to take a lunch break and he began scanning some of the areas while we were at lunch and when we were filming in other locations downtown so I never got to see him actually using the machine. Scott and the crew continued filming me until an hour or so after the gpr man had left to return to Ft. Worth late that afternoon. Their filming of the descendent of Gen. Joseph Shelby didn't happen until a day or two after they had shot the Brownwood part of the episode.
Scott Wolter made several inaccurate statements during the episode. Many of them were done after the filming during the "editing" process. I made one very clear and non-negotiable stipulation when I finally agreed to meet with Committee Films for the show. That was that I would not say anything that I didn't believe was true or accurate and they assured me that they didn't want me to and that they would portray my statements accurately. Well, that's not the way it turned out… […] Needless to say, I won't be doing any more tv shows based on our work here in the foreseeable future."
( Note* I found the comments section at the bottom of Jason's article quite revealing. )
. . .
This individual has even manufactured a sinister group he calls the "Smokescreen Gang" ( a label he assigns anyone who disagrees with him ), who are purportedly in the Employ of " rich historians out to save their livlihood and prevent us from Changing History ". His claims of tracking devices put on his car, phone taps, mail being rifled through, being buzzed by helicoptors, etc., are legendary. He has even claimed Google was in on the plot, trying to bury his ranking for his blogs and websites in the dungeon of their search engines. ( When in fact there is only one website left out there, other than his own, that still allows him to paste his links all over their forum ). His paranoia runs rampant, and vicious.
True Anderson blood descendants have been verbally attacked, threatened, demeaned by having their likenesses photoshopped onto alternative pornographic websites that he also operates (where he published their private phone numbers and addresses, encouraging members of the pornographic website to harass them as well), those Descendants having to seek legal action to stop the madness. These vicious attacks were launched after their attempts to speak the truth about their real Anderson family history, and their public denouncement of his "Theory" as the farce it is.
Bloody Bill Anderson: The Real Story intends to provide others with Irrefutable Proof in Documents, Verified historical accounts, Personal testimony by William C. Anderson's True Descendants, Genealogical records, DNA testing and Forensic Investigation, that show this individual's claims are all fabrication. You will also find documentation showing that this individual has been banned from genealogical, historical society, outlaw & old west, and treasure hunting websites far and wide. A treasure hunting conspiracy theorist seeking his own 15 seconds of fame and notoriety by sewing his fabrications onto the coat tail of the real Bloody Bill Anderson.
Through exhaustive Professional Research we will provide an Accurate Account of William T. Anderson, the Real Bloody Bill of Quantrill's Partisan Rangers, which will show beyond a shadow of a doubt there is no relationship to William Columbus Anderson; a man whose own distinguished history as an early settler of Brown County, Tx. has been and continues to be diminished by these claims of notoriety
Credibility rests on a Foundation of Verifiable Documentation and Demonstrable Facts.
Welcome to Bloody Bill Anderson: The Real Story.
Through exhaustive Professional Research we will provide an Accurate Account of William T. Anderson, the Real Bloody Bill of Quantrill's Partisan Rangers, which will show beyond a shadow of a doubt there is no relationship to William Columbus Anderson; a man whose own distinguished history as an early settler of Brown County, Tx. has been and continues to be diminished by these claims of notoriety
Credibility rests on a Foundation of Verifiable Documentation and Demonstrable Facts.
Welcome to Bloody Bill Anderson: The Real Story.
William T. (Bloody Bill) Anderson
William T. Anderson (1840 - October 27, 1864), known by the nickname "Bloody Bill" Anderson, was one of the deadliest and most notorious pro-Confederate guerrilla leaders in the American Civil War. Anderson led a band of volunteer partisan rangers that targeted Union loyalists and federal soldiers in the states of Missouri and Kansas.
Raised by a family of southerners in Kansas, Anderson began supporting himself by stealing and selling horses in 1862. After his father was killed by a Union loyalist judge, Anderson fled to Missouri. There he robbed travelers and killed several Union soldiers. In early 1863 he joined Quantrills's Raiders, a group of pro-Confederate guerrillas which operated along the Kansas–Missouri border. He became a skilled bushwhacker, earning the trust of the group's leaders, William Quantrill and George M. Todd. Anderson's bushwhacking marked him as a dangerous man and eventually led the Union to imprison his sisters. When one of them died in custody, Anderson devoted himself to revenge. He took a leading role in the Lawrence Massacre and later participated in the Battle of Baxter Springs, both of which occurred in 1863.
In late 1863, while Quantrill's Raiders spent the winter in Texas, animosity developed between Anderson and Quantrill. Anderson, perhaps falsely, implicated Quantrill in a murder, leading to the latter's arrest by Confederate authorities. Anderson subsequently returned to Missouri as the leader of his own group of raiders and became the most feared guerrilla in the state, killing and robbing dozens of Union soldiers and civilian sympathizers. Although Union supporters viewed him as incorrigibly evil, Confederate supporters in Missouri saw his actions as justified, possibly owing to their mistreatment by Union forces. In September 1864, Anderson led a raid on the town of Centralia, Missouri. Unexpectedly, his men were able to capture a passenger train, the first time Confederate guerrillas had done so. In what became known as the Centralia Massacre, Anderson's bushwhackers executed 24 unarmed Union soldiers on the train and set an ambush later that day that killed more than 100 Union militiamen. Anderson himself was killed in battle a month later.
Historians have made disparate appraisals of Anderson: some see him as a sadistic, psychopathic killer, but for others his actions cannot be separated from the general desperation and lawlessness of the time. But there is one thing about which they ALL agree.....
William T. (Bloody Bill) Anderson died on October 27, 1864.
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