December 11, 2024
From a historic Missouri tragedy to the birth of an iconic mascot.
September 27, 1864, was a pivotal day in Missouri’s history marked by triumph and tragedy. It also became a defining moment in the state’s sports history.
A month earlier, General Sterling “Ol’ Pap” Price and his army of 18,000 Confederate soldiers invaded Missouri. Their objectives were ambitious: to sack the city of St. Louis, overthrow the Unionist government in Jefferson City, and invade Kansas to destroy it. On September 27, Price’s forces met a crushing defeat at the Battle of Pilot Knob, forcing them to abandon their plans for St. Louis. Reluctantly, Price ordered his army to march west toward Jefferson City.
Price faced little resistance on his way to Jefferson City, largely because Confederate guerrillas, or “bushwhackers,” had wreaked havoc across Missouri during the summer of 1864. By destroying train tracks and telegraph lines, they impeded the Union's ability to coordinate troop movements and communications.
One of the most infamous bushwhackers was Captain William T. “Bloody Bill” Anderson, notorious for his brutal atrocities against Unionists. Anderson’s actions were driven partly by personal grievances against the Union and a desire to instill terror and suppress resistance to Price’s invasion.
On the same day that Price attacked Pilot Knob, Anderson and his men rode into the town of Centralia to destroy a train line and gather supplies. While waiting for a train to arrive, they intercepted a carriage carrying several passengers planning to board it.
Among the passengers was James Rollins, a congressman and staunch Unionist, despite being an enslaver himself. Fearing for his life, Rollins lied to the guerrillas about his identity. Suspicious, the bushwhackers searched his belongings and were on the verge of discovering papers that would have revealed his true identity when the whistle of the incoming train diverted their attention. Rollins narrowly escaped.
Anderson and his men went on to massacre the Federal troops aboard the train in what became known as the Centralia Massacre. Later, the 39th Missouri Mounted Infantry Regiment, led by Major Andrew Johnston, pursued Anderson’s group. Tragically, Anderson and his men ambushed the Union soldiers, killing all of them.
Upon learning of Anderson’s atrocities, Rollins returned to his hometown of Columbia and began organizing and training a militia from the local population. His efforts paid off: when Price and Anderson attempted to attack Columbia, Rollins and his militia successfully repelled them.
James Rollins later founded the University of Missouri in Columbia. Today, the university’s mascot honors Rollins’ militia—the Columbia Tigers.
Nathaniel H.
Midwest Genealogy Center
