Men of Quantrill
Written by: Col Jesse W. James aka Col. J. Frank Dalton
When the civil war was over,
and the south laid down her arms,
They came back to their wives and sweethearts,
To their villages and farms.
Quantrill’s men were classed as criminals,
They had not been mustered in.
To the Regular Southern Armies,
A known band of outlawed men.
Hunted down and shot like Wild Things,
Like Coyote, Wolf or Bear.
Chased from one state to another,
Hunted, hounded everywhere.
Not a crime so dark or fiendish,
Not an act so mean or low,
But t’was charged to men of Quantrill,
Yes, it must be them you know.
And when the war was over,
And they scattered o’er the land,
Here and there arose a rumor of men who did lay low,
Careful what you speak, he’s was a Quantrill man you know.
Some were chased and killed or captured,
Others ran and hid away,
But it’s time the truth was spoken,
They are feeble, old, and gray.
Let us tell a simple story,
How they fought to shield their home,
From the thugs and border ruffians,
They had to fight alone.
Some made good while other didn’t
Some gained wealth and honor too.
Others took the Hoot Owl trail,
There was little else to do.
But no matter what their station,
Or how well they became renown.
The cloud of “65” was present,
And their names were not their own.
But the secret was well guarded,
By the men who knew them well.
Quantrill’s oath took care of that,
“WHAT YOU KNOW DON’T EVER TELL.”
A Poem
An account from a History of Honor
From the records of the Knights of the Golden Circle
