William Clarke Quantrill

Quantrill, William Clarke (1837–65), Confederate guerrilla leader in the U.S. Civil War. A criminal before the war, Quantrill was made a Confederate captain in 1862. In 1863, with a force of 450 men he attacked the town of Lawrence, Kans., and slaughtered 150 civilians. He was killed by Union troops while on a raid in Kentucky.

See also: Civil War, U.S.