This painting is inspired from the oral history that has been passed down in my family of my ancestor's eyewitness account of Quantrill's Raid on Lawrence, Kansas during the American Civil War. I have endeavored to be as geographically and historically accurate as possible, while still taking the necessary artistic license to tell the story.
In 2013 this painting was included in the city of Lawrence's public exhibition hosted by Watkins Historical Museum.
At dawn on August 21, 1863, 12 year old David Anderson's life and world changed forever when war came to his home, just outside of Lawrence, Kansas. Although too young to fight in the guerrilla war that became known as "Bleeding Kansas", David was drafted by the local freight man to take over his delivery route, so that the driver could fight in this war of neighbor against neighbor.
Leaving his childhood behind, David climbed into the freight wagon and in an actual 'rites of passage' successfully delivered his cargo to Salt Lake City, Utah. This triumphant arrival occurred just as the local Methodists minister's daughter was crossing the street and young David was immediately smitten. Her name was Rose and David called her his "Rose of the Valley". One thing leads to another and the former Irish Catholic boy returned home a man, with a new career (freight driver), a new bride and a new religion, changing forever not only his life but the lives of all his descendants including myself.
War changes all of us forever but rarely in the way we expect. Ideological differences that you assume war will settle still exist today and are even compounded by the scars of events like this raid. But inevitably in war boyhoods are lost, and futures are changed forever.
--Mary Ellen Anderson
WIP fb gallery on this painting: http://tinyurl.com/lve3pwa
WIP blog on this painting: http://tinyurl.com/l9plgkx
Other Notes:
Lawrence is the future site for the University in Kansas. Although the grounds for the university weren't dedicated until months after the raid, KU's first hall is depicted with scaffolding to represent this.
KU is also famous for it's school chant, of "Rock Chalk, Jayhawk. Go KU". The originals of this are in the rare deposit of 'Rock Chalk' that is depicted as a quarry and used as building material of KU.
The Confederate flag that is most associated with the Civil War and depicted, is actually historically incorrect. The Confederacy, and in particular guerrilla raiders were mostly self-equipped, including uniforms and insignia. The X flag was the battle flag for a KY regiment. The actual Confederate flag was probably rare. However, due to the accepted association with the Confederacy I've used it here.
Wikepedia:
Between three and four hundred riders arrived at the summit of Mount Oread, then descended on Lawrence in a fury. Over four hours, the raiders pillaged and set fire to the town and killed most of its male population. Quantrill's men burned to the ground a quarter of the buildings in Lawrence, including all but two businesses. They looted most of the banks and stores and killed between 185 and 200 men and boys. According to an 1897 account, among the dead were 18 of 23 unmustered army recruits.[19] By 9 a.m., the raiders were on their way out of town, evading the few units that came in pursuit, and splitting up so as to avoid Union pursuit of a unified column.
The city seal of Lawrence commemorates Quantrill's attack with its depiction of a Phoenix rising from the ashes of the burnt city.
For his part, Quantrill led his men south to Texas for the winter. By the next year, the raiders had disintegrated as a unified force, so were unable to achieve similar successes. William Clarke Quantrill died of wounds received in Kentucky in 1865, with only a few staunch supporters left. Among these appear to have been Frank James and his younger brother, Jesse James.[36]
-- mary ellen anderson
