Thursday, April 21, 2011

A Rock Island Rebel

Yesterday morning, after the arrival of the morning train from Chicago, John A. Quinlan was discovered airing himself by promenading in Rock Island.  Being recognized, he was at once nabbed.  John had the misfortune to be taken prisoner at Fort Donelson, and was brought to Camp Douglas, whence he escaped and came to Rock Island yesterday morning.  There was where John ‘put his foot in it.’  It appears he is suspected of having forged a large quantity of county orders in Rock Island a year or two ago, and this is considered a fine opportunity to ‘haul him over the coals’ for it.  Quinlan was formerly a deputy sheriff in Rock Island county.  Subsequent to joining the secession army, he wrote our sister city, and expressed a desire to see some of its soldiers down South, so that he could scalp them.  John will be cured of his blood-thirstiness by the time the people of Rock Island get through with him.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Thursday Morning, February 27, 1862, p. 1

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