Henry Clay "Billy" Magruder (1843 – October 20, 1865) was a Confederate soldier and guerrilla fighter during the American Civil War.Queer Places:
Magruder Cemetery, Preston Hwy, Lebanon Junction, KY 40150, United States
Henry Clay "Billy" Magruder (1843 – October 20, 1865) was a Confederate soldier and guerrilla fighter during the American Civil War.
Born near Lebanon, Kentucky, Magruder was the illegitimate son of Amy Magruder, grandson of Ezekiel Magruder and great grandson of Archibald Magruder, a Revolutionary War Veteran. At the age of 17 he enlisted in the Confederate States Army. His military service included:
He served under General Simon Bolivar Buckner at the Battle of Fort Donelson and later joined the personal bodyguard of General Albert Sidney Johnston, serving under him at the Battle of Shiloh.
Following the death of General Johnston, Magruder transferred to General John Hunt Morgan's Kentucky Cavalry, participating in Morgan's raid into Ohio and Indiana.
After returning to Kentucky, Magruder became a guerrilla leader. He and his band were involved in raids against U.S. military targets, including the 1865 ambush of Black soldiers from the 5th United States Colored Cavalry Regiment near Simpsonville, Kentucky.
Magruder was captured in March 1865 in Meade County, Kentucky, after being seriously wounded in a skirmish. He was held in jail to recover from his wounds before being tried by a military tribunal, found guilty as a war criminal, and hanged on October 20, 1865.
Historical records sometimes note that the exploits of the guerrilla figure "Sue Munday" (Marcellus Jerome Clarke) mirrored those of Magruder, and in some instances, Magruder is suggested as a possible inspiration for that fictionalized local folk hero.
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