Follow the William Clark Quantrill Trail, just minutes from downtown Lebanon, site of one of the most vicious renegades of all time. Posing as a Union soldier at times, Quantrill murdered and pillaged along with the James Brothers.

Quantrill displayed his cruel tendencies even as a child. Purportedly, this bad seed would shoot pigs through the ears just to hear them squeal, nail snakes to trees and tie cats’ tails together for the pure joy of watching them claw each other to death.

When the Civil War broke out in April, 1861, Quantrill joined the Confederate side. By late in the year, he became unhappy with the Confederates’ reluctance to aggressively prosecute the Union troops.  As a result, he took it upon himself to take a more antagonistic course with his own guerilla warfare, becoming the leader of Quantrill’s Raiders. Starting with a small force of no more than a dozen men, the pro-slavery guerrilla band began to make independent attacks upon Union camps, patrols and settlements.

His band of marauders grew to more than one hundred in 1862 and he became the most powerful leader of the many bands that pillaged the area. Several famous would-be outlaws joined him, including Frank and Jesse James and the Younger Brothers.  Quantrill's nature as anoutlaw, murderer and thief made him a prime candidate for the vicious attacks, where he took advantage of the pandemonium for his own use in profitable hit-and-run attacks on pro-Union sympathizers and Federal Troops alike.

Quantrill was eventually killed during a raid into Kentucky in 1865. He raided the hamlet of Bradfordsville twice in 1865 and once burned the community for revenge.

Directions...

• From Centre Square, drive one block south on KY 55/Spalding Ave. to light (Main St.).
• Turn right onto U.S. 68/Main St. and continue to next light.
• Turn left onto KY 49/Proctor Knott Ave. and drive 9 miles to downtown Bradfordsville.

For more information, call 270.337.3796.