Marshall Cleveland seated and holding two revolvers with a bowie knife

Marshall Cleveland (c. 1832 May 11, 1862) was a

guerrilla fighter Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, Partisan (military), partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include Children in the military, recruite ...

and criminal active 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 ...

. Ostensibly a

Jayhawker Jayhawker and red leg are terms that came to prominence in Kansas Territory during the Bleeding Kansas period of the 1850s; they were adopted by militant bands affiliated with the free-state cause during the American Civil War. These gangs were ...

fighting for the Union, Cleveland indiscriminately plundered the Kansas-Missouri border until he was killed by members of the 6th Kansas Cavalry Regiment in 1862.

Early life and Civil War

A native of New York, Cleveland had settled for a time in both Ohio and Missouri. After being arrested in the latter state, he fled to Kansas just as the Civil War was breaking out. In October 1861, Cleveland was chosen as a captain in Charles "Doc" Jennison's 7th Kansas Cavalry Regiment. In November of 1861, only a few weeks after officially joining Jennison's regiment, Cleveland resigned his formal commission, in part because he was rebuked by Daniel Read Anthony for wearing improper attire during a dress parade. After leaving the 7th Cavalry, Cleveland began to ostensibly operate as an independent

under the aegis of the Union; in actuality, he "brazenly worked both sides of the ansas-Missouriborder, robbing and murdering Unionist and rebel alike". Cleveland and his gang were based out of a saloon in

Atchison, Kansas Atchison is a city in, and the county seat of, Atchison County, Kansas, United States, along the Missouri River. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 10,885. The city is named in honor of US Senator ...

, as the city had less of a military presence than either Ft. Leavenworth and St. Joseph. From this base, Cleveland self-declared himself "Marshal of Kansas".Ingalls (1902), p. 154. Cleveland was initially tolerated. However, his decision to indiscriminately freeboot under the cover of Unionism quickly earned him the ire of the Union military, and they stationed troops at

Winthrop, Missouri Winthrop is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community in southwest Buchanan County, Missouri, Buchanan County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. The community is just east of the Missouri River and Atchison, Kansas on US Route 59 ...

in a vain attempt to capture him. Eventually, Major General

David Hunter David Hunter (July 21, 1802 – February 2, 1886) was an American military officer. He served as a Union general during the American Civil War. He achieved notability for his unauthorized 1862 order (immediately rescinded) emancipating slaves ...

sent members of the 6th Kansas Cavalry Regiment to arrest Cleveland. They located him in

Osawatomie, Kansas Osawatomie is a city in Miami County, Kansas, Miami County, Kansas, United States, southwest of Kansas City, Kansas, Kansas City. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 4,255. It derives its name as a ...

. After being surrounded, Cleverland surrendered to Lt. Anson J. Walker before attempting to escape on horseback. He was subsequently shot and killed by members of the 6th.

References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cleveland, Marshall 1830s births 1862 deaths People of Kansas in the American Civil War Irregular forces of the American Civil War