news
friday, august 22, 2003
Residents remember Quantrill's Raid at vigil
By Amanda Kim Stairrett
astairrett@kansan.com
kansan staff writer
Ghosts of Lawrence's past seemed to come alive last night among the gravestones of Oak Hill Cemetery.
Although it was 140 years after Quantill's Raid, more than 60 Lawrence residents gathered by candlelight on a summit at the cemetery, 1605 Oak Hill Ave., to hold a vigil for the victims.
"We heard the raiders before we saw them," said Harold Riehm, Lawrence resident who portrayed the Rev. Richard Cordley when he gave his funeral sermon in memory of the victims.
At dawn on Aug. 21, 1863, the crack of gunfire blasted through Lawrence. A young Missourian named William Clarke Quantrill led more than 300 followers down Massachusetts Street, looting and setting buildings on fire. After the
mayhem, close to 200 men and boys lay dead, and nearly 100 homes and businesses were destroyed.
Steven King, a junior at Bishop Seabury Academy, attended the vigil as part of this United States history class. His assignment was to write a paper about an important person in American history.
Amidst the sounds of train whistles, barking dogs and sirens, Riehm recited the original sermon given by Cordley in 1863.
Women in hoop skirts and men in uniform were accompanied by a violin as they read the names of victims.
Rebecca Phipps, Watkins Community Museum director, said it was important to observe the raid on Lawrence because it had affected the city's character.
"The Civil War really shaped our relationship and culture between Eastern Kansas and Western Missouri," she said.
rivalries between the University of Kansas and the University of Missouri and "Muck Fizzou" T-shirts sold throughout Lawrence.
The echoes of that legendary feud lives on with
The candlelight vigil was held in conjunction with the Watkins Community Museum's 8th Annual Civil War on the Western Frontier. Activities in the past week included lectures on Kansas historical figures; old-fashioned photography sessions, with sepia tones and authentic costumes; and museum exhibits such as Civil War money and medicine, and classic children's games. There were also demonstrations of classic spinning and weaving.
An ongoing computer exhibit entitled "Lawrence, Kansas, 1863" is available at the museum, 1047 Massachusetts St.
For more information on the events, call the Watkins Community Museum of History at 841-4109.
—Edited by Andy Marso
Men and women portraying city leaders from the 1860s hold a candlelight vigil in honor of the victims of Quantrill's Raid. Citizens from around Lawrence came and paid their respects at Oak Hill Cemetery yesterday. Sean Smith/Kansan