I read the link and I must say it doesn't sound right that Lawrence, Kan was fortified. If it was they should of been mentioned in contemporary accounts ,plus they would of warned the residents and should of killed some Bushwackers. There are accounts of unarmed recruits being killed but not major forts. I don't see how killing young boys can ever be justified nor did it do Quantrills raiders any good to the CSA cause. They lost somewhere north of 40 killed plus now many of there familes were gravely effected by order #11. The Bushwackers were valuable to the CSA by tying down approx 60k men that the Union could of used elsewhere. Wasting their lives to kill little boys does seem a bit counterproductive.

Yes the jayhawkers did not fight per official US Army standards of adhering to the duty of US military personnel to respect the rights of US citizens. Perhaps other Union forces such has the 2nd Colo and 1st Ark Cav USV were ?

Leonard