John Noland

Who is John Noland?

John Noland was a black man who fought for the Confederate States of America with William Quantrill, and helped scout Lawrence, Kansas, before the raid by Quantrill's men in 1863. Noland may have claimed the Lawrence raid began before he returned from scouting the town.

Post-war pictures show him sitting with his comrades at reunions of the Raiders. Noland tried to attend most of the reunions and was popular among other Quantrill veterans, who described him as "a man among men."

In the 1999 movie Ride with the Devil, depicting a group of fictionalized Missouri bushwhackers similar to those of Quantrill's Raiders, the character of Daniel Holt was representative of Quantrill's John Noland. The film depicted the black Confederate even though his awkwardness in fighting for the Southern Cause is also evident. The film also shows the fictional Holt participating in Quantrill's raid on Lawrence, Kansas.