BILL ANDERSON
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Statement by an Eye Witness-Horrible Details.
From an eye witness, a gentleman from Indiana, we learn the horrible details of the Centralia slaughter. The engineer of the Northward bound train said the steam in the boiler was quite low and after he discovered the character of the troops at Centralia, it was an utter impossibility to back the train out of danger. This may be true, but many people will ask why that train was suffered to run into a band of bushwhackers, when the conductor and passengers saw them a mile distant, and it was well known that Bill Anderson’s gang had that morning been at that station.
As soon as the train stopped, Anderson walked to the platform and ordered the passengers to march out. Our informant said Anderson appeared to be a man of about five feet, ten inches high, rather slim, black beard, long black hair inclined to curl, and altogether a promising looking man of about 32 years of age. He was dressed in a Federal soldier’s coat, black pants, and cavalry hat. He ordered the citizens — men, women and children — to march in one direction where they were formed in lines two deep, and those dressed in soldiers’ clothes were marched in an opposite direction. In getting off the platform, two of the soldier, hung back, and talked against obeying orders. They were shot by Anderson and tumbled off between the cars. This had the effect of causing a stampede of passengers who rushed off the cars in great confusion. There were 24 soldiers aboard the train, belonging to the 23d, 24th, and the old 25th Mo. Infantry. Some were wounded and sick, returning home on furlough, and some were discharged. One was wounded in the leg, and hobbled on crutches. All the soldiers were formed into line, and Anderson walked up to them und thus addressed them:
“You Federals have just killed six of my soldiers, scalped them, and left them on the prairie. I am too honorable a man to permit any man to be scalped, but I will show you that I can kill men with as much skill and rapidity as anybody. From this time forward I ask no quarter, and give none. — Every Federal soldier on whom I put my finger shall die like a dog. If I get into your clutches I expect death. That is the way every d—d soldier shall be served who falls into my hands.”
Some of the soldiers remonstrated, and declared that they were just from Sherman’s army, and had nothing whatever to do with killing and scalping any of his men.
Anderson replied: “I treat you all as one. You are Federals, and the Federals scalped my men, and carry their scalps at their saddle-bows.”
A line of bushwhackers with revolvers were then drawn up before the soldiers, who cried and begged for their lives, but every man was shot. All fell but one, who was shot through the shoulder. He dashed through the guerrillas, ran through the line of citizens, chased and fired at by the fiends, crawled under the cars, and from thence under the depot building. The building was fired, and he was soon forced to come out. He emerged from the smoke and flame, and with a club knocked down two of Anderson’s men before they killed him. He fell pierced with twenty bullets. The passengers were then robbed of their watches, jewelry, and money. One young man was on his way to St. Joseph with his mother. He slipped a hundred dollars in greenbacks in his boot-leg, and on demand handed over the balance. A guerrilla asked him if he had secreted any money and he denied that he had. He was told that he would be searched, and if any funds were found about him he would be killed. He then acknowledged that he bad secreted one hundred dollars in his boot, which was drawn off by the guerrilla, the money obtained, and the young man shot dead. A gold watch was found in to boot of a Germen, and he was instantly killed.
Our informant thinks at least 75 of Major Johnson’s men were butchered, who came in after the train was burned.
Such are the proceedings of the outlaw Anderson. He and his men deserve death. Are there not soldiers enough in Missouri to rid the State of those fiends?
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Gallatin North Missourian, October 6, 1864, Page 1. via Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/gallatin-north-missourian-civil-war-ac/199245391/ : accessed June 9, 2026), clip page for Civil War – Account 1 on Anderson by user darryl_gpc54
