Manson Sherrill (Manse) Jolly (died 1869) was the fifth son of Joseph Moorhead Jolly and Anna Cole Sherrill. He had six brothers and four sisters, one of whom died in infancy. Jolly was known for his brutal revenge against the Union soldiers stationed in

Anderson, South Carolina Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 28,106 at the 2020 census, making it the 16th-most populous city in South Carolina. It is one of the principal cities in the Gree ...

after the close of the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. Jolly's furlough papers describe him at 20 years of age as "six feet four inches high, ruddy complexion, blue eyes, red hair, and by profession a farmer, born in Anderson district in the state of S.C." Five of Jolly's brothers were killed during the war, and the sixth committed suicide, possibly from the effects of the war. Upon returning home to find his town taken over by the men he had been fighting, Jolly swore an oath to kill five "Yankee" soldiers for every brother he lost during the war. Jolly more than made good on his oath. He reportedly hid out in the forests surrounding Anderson, and preyed upon the Union soldiers stationed nearby. Jolly used

guerrilla warfare Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include recruited children, use ambushes, sabotage, terrori ...

tactics, with which he would have been familiar from his experience as a

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom ** Scouts BSA, sect ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. When staying in Anderson became too dangerous for him, Jolly fled to

Cameron, Texas Cameron is a city in Milam County, Texas, United States. Its population was 5,306 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Milam County. Geography Cameron is located at (30.854544, –96.978716). It is situated at the junction of U.S. H ...

, to his Sherrill relatives in 1867, where he died by drowning two years later while attempting to cross a swollen stream.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jolly, Manse 1869 deaths People from American folklore 19th-century American murderers Confederate States Army soldiers Deaths by drowning in Texas People from Anderson, South Carolina People from Cameron, Texas People of South Carolina in the American Civil War Neo-Confederates Serial killers from South Carolina