A Brief History
On May 10, 1865, Union troops ambushed, shot and captured infamous Confederate raider William Quantrill. Quantrill had terrorized the Union and Union sympathizers during the Civil War (not so “civil!”) and was perhaps the most famous of the “Bushwhackers” as these guerilla raiders were known. Quantrill died 4 weeks later at a Union prison camp, paralyzed from the chest down. He was only 27 years old.
Digging Deeper
Throughout history, men and women have conducted raids, and some have become famous or infamous for their raids. Here we list 10 of the most notorious. (Note: The order listed does not denote a ranking order.) Feel free to nominate any raiders you think deserve mention here.
10. William Quantrill.
As described above, Quantrill was a living terror as he conducted his unconventional war of murder and pillage against the Union. In 1863 he led a raid on Lawrenceville, Kansas, a center of abolitionist sentiment (anti-slavery), and he scorched the history books by murdering over 180 men and boys, some of whom he personally shot in cold blood, execution style. The town was also burned, the entire murderous raid perhaps in retaliation for the Union forces having seized many of the women and girls related to known or suspected raiders, some of which died when a building they were being held in collapsed.
9. “Bloody Bill” Anderson.
Personally suffering the loss and crippling of female relatives in the above mentioned building collapse, Anderson was an ally of Quantrill and rode with him on many raids, including the Lawrenceville Massacre. Anderson later operated on his own, earning a description as “The Devil.” Anderson fell to Union bullets in 1864. Anderson is thought by many historians to be the worst of the murderous raiders of the US Civil War, perhaps “The bloodiest man of the bloodiest war.” He is also described as a sadistic psychopath, not just mean but crazy, too.
8. US Marine Raiders.
An elite unit of World War II Marines, these amphibious raiders included the famous “Carlson’s Raiders” who fought behind enemy (Japanese) lines and inflicted tremendous casualties and chaos. (Evans Carlson is given credit for coining the Marine Corps phrase, “gung-ho.”) Many military units have distinguished themselves throughout history by operating as raiders, such as US Navy Seals and British SAS commandos, but it is the Marine Raiders that are actually named “raiders,” hence their inclusion here.
7. Paul Revere and the Raiders.
An Idaho based rock and roll band from the 1960’s and 1970’s, these Raiders produced such hits as “Kicks,” “Hungry,” “Arizona,” “Him or Me,” “Just Like Me,“ “Good Thing,“ and their biggest smash, “Indian Reservation.” (They also recorded the 1962 anthem “Louie Louie” around the same time as the Kingsmen, but of course it was the Kingsmen that had the giant hit.) The founder of the band really was named Paul Revere, although Revere was his middle name (his last name was Dick).
6. Indiana Jones.
Leader of the Raiders of the Lost Ark, the iconic 1981 major motion picture (5 Academy Awards), the character portrayed by Harrison Ford has become one of the greatest movie characters of all time, with 3 sequels to the original movie and another planned. Not only that, a television series based on the Jones character also ran from 1992 to 1993 (The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles) and 4 made for television films based on the TV show were also made. (These are top quality shows, and the DVD’s have great historical background stories.) Of course, books, comic books, action figures and clothing, toys, and video games have all been based on Raiders.
5. Geronimo.
From 1850 to 1886 the Apache legend, Geronimo (which means “the one who yawns!”) became the embodiment of the “Indian” (Native American) raider, conducting countless raids against European settlers of the Old West, darting in and out and avoiding strenuous attempts by the US government to capture him. The Apache and associated tribes had been fighting the Mexicans (Spanish) for centuries, resisting white incursion in native lands, and picked right up against American settlers as well. Normally accompanied by only 30-50 warriors at a time, Geronimo and his men would swoop in and out then disappear like ghosts. Geronimo cleverly used the US-Mexican border to foil attempts by American forces to pursue him. The raids conducted by Geronimo often included the killing of entire white families or groups, lending an air of terror to his long campaign. Geronimo was finally captured by US Army troops in 1886, perhaps tricked into surrendering. He died in 1909 after a long second career selling his celebrity by appearing in fairs and the like!
4. Ragnar Lothbrok, Viking.
Perhaps the most famous of the notorious Viking raiders, Ragnar (last name also spelled Lodbrok) was a 9th Century legendary raider who led raids on Great Britain and France. A Viking King and hero, it is not certain if he is even a single real person or a mythologized compilation of a few people. Regardless, his fame is such that he has been portrayed prominently in movies, books and in the History Channel series, Vikings. Vikings are perhaps the most famous of History’s raiders, at least in Europe.
3. Carl Celian Icahn.
Perhaps the most famous of the “Corporate Raiders,” this business mogul was born in New York in 1936 and has since amassed a fortune of over $18 billion, largely due to his ruthless “raiding” of other companies. His hostile takeover of TWA (Trans World Airlines) in 1985 marked him as a giant among corporate raiders. The threat of Icahn taking over a company and selling off its assets for his own profit has terrorized many large American firms, and Icahn is known as much for his attempts at hostile takeovers as he is for his successes. Icahn has announced his support of Donald Trump in the 2016 US Presidential election, a somewhat fitting development.
2. Ken Stabler/Oakland Raiders.
The aptly named Oakland Raiders were considered the “Bad Boys” of the NFL, and played football with reckless abandon, none more so than quarterback Kenny Stabler (1970-1979) who earned the nickname “The Snake” for his lighting strikes on the field. Stabler led the Raiders to 100 wins faster than any pro quarterback up to that time (besting the legendary Johnny Unitas, and since exceeded by Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana and Tom Brady). Stabler was also famous for his off the field hard partying exploits and was married 3 times. Although he played for other teams after his time with the Raiders, it is as a Raider he is remembered. He died in 2015 at the age of 69, but had won a Super Bowl, been the NFL MVP and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2016. A total of 24 Oakland Raiders are in the NFL Hall of Fame.
1. Doolittle’s Raiders.
As the United States reeled from the attack on Pearl Harbor and the early defeats at the hands of the Japanese at the start of World War II, in a desperate attempt to give the American people some sort of good news a virtual suicide mission was conceived where a force of 16 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers would be launched from the deck of the USS Hornet (aircraft carrier) to bomb Japan. Renowned aviator Lt. Col. James Doolittle was tapped to lead the raid, and all 16 bombers successfully bombed Japanese cities, including the capital city, Tokyo, stunning Japan and the world. None of the planes were shot down, but all were lost due to failing to reach friendly Chinese airfields. All but 3 of the 80 raiders survived, although another 4 died in captivity, with 69 of the aviators eventually reaching home. Doolittle received the Medal of Honor and a promotion to Brigadier General.
Honorable mention to all the sea raiders throughout history, both military and pirate, often undertaking dangerous and near suicidal missions. These sea raiders deserve a list of their own and will get one from us in the near future.
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Who is your favorite raider?
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Charles River Editors. William Quantrill and Quantrill’s Raiders: The Confederacy’s Most Notorious Bushwhackers. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014.
Leslie, Edward E. The Devil Knows How To Ride: The True Story Of William Clarke Quantril And His Confederate Raiders. Da Capo Press, 1998.
