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Destruction of the city of Lawrence and massacre of its inhabitants by so-called rebel guerrillas - Page

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Destruction of the city of Lawrence and massacre of its inhabitants by so-called rebel guerrillas

This is an illustration of the August 21, 1863, raid led by William Clarke Quantrill, 1837-1865, on Lawrence, Kansas. Quantrill and a group of 300 Confederate guerrillas attacked Lawrence at dawn. They shot down every man they saw and fired into the windows as they rode by, killing nearly 200 people. Banks, stores, and saloons were all looted, along with dozens of houses. Much of what could not be carried off was burned and the town was covered with smoke. By nine o'clock in the morning, it was all over and Quantrill escaped into the Missouri hills. The illustration was copied from the September 5, 1863, issue of Harper's Weekly.

Creator: Harpers Weekly
Date: September 5, 1863

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Curriculum Notes

This illustration provides middle-school students with a glimpse of the intense and close-quarters fighting that was typical during Quantrill's raid on Lawrence. In addition, the illustration helps students understand and appreciate the level of the violence that rocked Kansas and Missouri throughout the Civil War.

KS: 7th:2.6: important events in Kansas during the Civil War (2005).

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About this item

Item Number: 208418
Call Number: FK2.D4 L.8 *15
KSHS Identifier: DaRT ID: 208418

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