Stilwell - William A.
Source: H. W. Beckwith (Chicago: HH Hill) History of Montgomery
County, 1880 p 186
William A. Stilwell, deceased, was born Jan 19, 1828, in
Montgomery Co, near Brown's Valley, where his father had come
from Ky. in a very early day, entered land, and settled, with
wife and one child. His father still lives with his children, at
the age of 84, and owns the land he entered. William was one of 9
children, all but one born in Montgomery Co. William was raised
on a farm and educated in the schools of the day. He was married
June 12, 1851, to Mary J. GOTT, and the same year began
merchandising in Waveland, and then to Annapolis, and in 1856 to
Crawfordsville. Here he remained one year, and in April 1857,
went to Linn Co, KS and the following July his wife and two
children, Wallace A. and Josie, joined him. Mr. Stilwell was a
man loyal to the Union and opposed Southern Slavery/ About one
o'clock in the morning,May 22, a party of pro-slavery murderers
form Mo.entered the "Trading Post," situated on the military road
leading from Ft. Scott to Ft. Leavenworth, where it crosses the
Osage river about 3 mi. from the state line. They emerged unseen,
rode up to the store and took GW Andrews & John Campbell
prisoners. They then started on the road toward Kansas City,
overtaking William A. Stilwell from Sugar Mound, who was going up
the river for a load of provisions; they took him prisoner and
ordered the other two men to get in his wagon and ride. They
continued their maraudings until they had 12 men in custody. On
arriving at a deep ravine in a skirt of timber, the commander,
the notorious Capt Hamilton, called a halt. The prisoners were
formed in line, about 5 yeads in advance of the horsemen. The
command was given to "Present arms! Fire!" every man dropped and
all were killed or severly wounded but one man, who fell for
purposes of effect. Four were instantly killed, among whom was
brave Stilwell, who, when he found he must die, cried to the
villains: "If you are going to murder us, for God's sake, take
good aim." He fell, having received a charge of buckshot in his
left breast. The ruffians then ransacked the pockets of their
victims, and one poor fellow, who seemed little hurt, received a
shot from a revolver, through the head, while one escaped
observation and as soon as opportunity offered conveyed the news
to the post. For further information of this human slaughter the
reader must search the records of those times. John G. Whittier
has immortalized the massacre in one of his vigorous and true
penpictures, printed in the Atlantic Monthly soon after the
tragedy occurred, entitled "Le Marais Du Cygne" (this too is
enclosed, but for lack of space, it is not included on this web
site), William A. STILWELL was a Mason, and he thought this would
save him, but, so inhuman were the villains that it was said a
Freemason (Dr. Hamilton) killed him. He left a wife and two
children, who soon returned to Indiana. They lived with his
father till 1861, when Mrs. Stilwell removed to Crawfordsville
and supported her children with the profits of her needle. She
did not neglect their education. Wallace A. Stilwell was born Sept
19, 1854 in Alamo, Montgomery Co Indiana. He attended the public
school, and from 1869 to 1873 was a student at Wabash College.
Leaving school, he learned rosewood graining in oil and worked at
the coffin factory for some time; but invention depriving him of
his trade, he applied himself to sign painting, in which he has
excelled. He now has a shop in the basement at the corner of Main
& Green Streets.