The grave of Archie Clements at Arnold Cemetery in Wellington, Missouri.
“Archie Clements (January 1, 1846 - December 13, 1866), also known as "Little Arch" or "Little Archie", was a pro-Confederate guerrilla leader during the American Civil War, known for his brutality towards Union soldiers and pro-Union civilians in the state of Missouri.”
LITTLE ARCHIE THE BUSHWHACKER
“Clement was born in Stokes County, North Carolina and brought to Missouri with his family as a toddler. By the beginning of the Civil War, he and his family were recorded as living in Big Creek Township, Cass County, Missouri. A Confederate "bushwhacker" or guerrilla during the Civil War, Clement rose to notoriety in 1864 as a lieutenant of William "Bloody Bill" Anderson. Clement soon became known as Bloody Bill's most trusted follower-or, in the words of an enemy, "Bill Anderson's scalper and head devil." Standing just over five feet tall and weighing about 130 pounds, Clement's youth and slight stature belied his ferocity. Anderson (or one of his men) left this note on the body of a dead Unionist after a particularly vicious skirmish: "You come to hunt bush whackers. Now you are skelpt. Clemyent skelpt you. Wm. Anderson."
Clement took a prominent role in all of the major operations of Anderson's organization in 1864, including the Centralia Massacre, in which the guerrillas blocked the tracks of the Northern Missouri Railroad and forced a train to stop. They then robbed the civilian passengers and killed 22 unarmed Union soldiers found on board, who had been returning home on furlough from the Atlanta campaign. Anderson left one Union sergeant alive for a possible prisoner exchange. The guerrillas shot the rest, and scalped and otherwise mutilated the corpses.
Following Anderson's death in an ambush by Union militia on October 27, 1864, Clement took command, continuing to fight into the next year. Following the surrender of General Robert E. Lee's army in Virginia, Clement's band of guerrillas persisted, even demanding the surrender of the Missouri town of Lexington. Though some comrades, including Dave Poole, surrendered, Clement and Jesse James remained under arms. On May 15, 1865, Clement and James encountered a Union cavalry patrol; a skirmish ensued in which James was severely wounded.”
CLEMENTS, THE OUTLAW LEADER
“Beginning in 1866, Clement led his supporters into a new profession: bank robbery, especially of banks associated with Missouri Unionists. On February 13, a group of gunmen carried out the first daylight, peacetime, armed bank robbery in U.S. history when they held up the Clay County Savings Association in Liberty, Missouri, stealing more than $58,000 in cash and bonds. The bank was owned and operated by former Union militia officers, who recently had conducted the first Republican Party rally in Clay County's history. The state authorities suspected Archie Clement of leading the raid and offered a reward for his capture. In later years, the list of suspects would grow to include Frank James, Cole Younger, John Jarrette, Oliver Shepard, Bud and Donny Pence, Frank Gregg, Bill and James Wilkerson, Joab Perry, Ben Cooper, Red Mankus and Allen Parmer (who later married Susan James, Frank and Jesse's sister). During the escape through the streets of Liberty, one of the gang shot dead an innocent bystander named George Wymore. A string of robberies followed, many linked to Clement's gang. The hold-up most clearly linked to them was of Alexander Mitchell and Company in Lexington, Missouri, on October 30, 1866, in which they stole $2,000.”
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Music: Bring Me Your Sorrows by Dan Lebowitz