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