Hi, Jim!

I welcome the idea of a message board for discussion of "Irregulars and irregular activities" (of which there were a fair number in the Indian Territory during the Late Unpleasantness).

Col. Quantrill's activities spread beyond Missouri's borders and the destruction of civilian lives and homes was not limited to that state.

The following is not about an "irregular" group but rather a specific Federal unit under Col. W. A. Philips; but it's what I use in talks to describe the effects of the war in the Indian Territories (after the "take it to the people" orders of late-64 and early-65).

Sally Vann, daughter of a Confederate major, reported to the WPA "Indian-Pioneer History" interviewer the following:

"The soldiers came to our house and the colonel told the men to burn our fields and our barns. Then he told the men to stack our furniture in the yard. My mother said to him, 'Oh, sir! Cannot I at least keep my bed and my dining table?' And he replied, 'Oh, no madam! They're much too fine to spare!' Then he told the men to light the fire . . ."

During the war in the Indian Territories, both sides carried on actions of this sort against "the enemy".

Since this site is created for the purpose of discussing "irregulars and irregular activities" researchers shouldn't confuse it with an ancestor research site.

Keep up the good work!

Ralph Jones