John Sharp arrived in Quatsino in 1902, and found employment as the caretaker of an empty mining camp in Coal Harbour.
When sober, he was a quiet man, but when he began to drink he became loud and agressive, making drunken claims about his role in battles and cavalry raids.
Local people thought he was a bit crazy, and he was arrested on at least once occasion for selling alcohol to the First Nations (which was illegal at the time).
After a newspaper reporter visited Northern Vancouver Island in 1907, a syndicated newspaper article ran across the United States, stating that the notorious William Clarke Quantrill was alive and living in Coal Harbour, BC, under the alias John Sharp.
William Clarke Quantrill was a notorious and viscous outlaw who had wreaked havoc during the American Civil War. Quantrill was originally a school teacher in Illinois. In 1858 he joined a wagon train and traveled to Utah, becoming a gambler under the alias Charles Hart.
He went on to become a petty thief and con artist. By 1860 he was wanted for horse theft and left the state.
When the American Civil War broke out, Quantrill was made a captain by the Confederate Army, and led a group known as "Quantrill's Raiders." This gang, which included Dick Yaegar, Jesse and Frank James, and the Younger brothers, harassed Union soldiers and staged raids.
Quantrill's most notorious action occurred in 1863 when he led between 300 and 450 Confederate recruits in a raid on Lawrence, Kansas. where over 180 people were killed.
Some believed the gang was guilty of pillaging for their own gain and for the cold-blooded murder of innocent men, women, and children.
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| William Clark Quantrill |
Many believed, however, that he had actually escaped to live in hiding in South America. Quantrill and his raiders were not forgotten in the United States, and many people continued to believe he was alive, and would not give up the hunt for him.
He was believed to have returned to North America in the 1880s, eventually making his way to Northern Vancouver Island. A newspaper article, claiming John Sharp in Quatsino was the infamous William Quantrill, appeared in August 1907 and was picked up by syndicated newspapers across America, including the New York Times.
Some sources state that in late September two men arrived in Victoria and booked passage on the steamer Tees to Hardy Bay.
When they arrived they hired a local guide to take them over the trail to Coal Harbour. The guide left the men with John Sharp.
John Sharp was found the next day by Ilstad from Quatsino, suffering from the effects of a serious beating, but he would not identify his attackers. The local constable had him swear an affidavit that he did not want to press charges for the injuries he had sustained.
The next day Sharp died of his injuries.
Local lore tells that when Shrp's body was examined by the local coroner it was found to be covered with wounds from bullets, swords, and bayonets. Sharp was buried in Coal Harbour, but that was not the end of his tale.
His gravesite was reportedly disturbed during the construction of the ramp for the RCAP seaplane base in Coal Harbour, and his remains were moved to Port Hardy. Sharp worked a trapline in the area of San Josef, and a tributary of the San Josef River is named Sharp Creek in his memory.
The North Island will likely never know if he was really just John Sharp, or the infamous William Clark Quantrill.
The following obituary was published in the Colonist October 2007:
GERTAINLY DEAD John Sharp, Who Claimed to Be Guerilla Chief, Passes Away John Sharp, can-taker of tho coal property of the West Vancouver Coal company at Quatsino, who claimed to be no less a personage thtin Bill Quan- trell, leader of Quantrell's guerillas, notorious for their raids in Kansas following the civil war, in which war included a massacre at Laurence, Kan- sas, is dead. News to tills effect was received yesterday morning from Quat- sino by way of Hardy bay. Report has it that his death was due to injuries received during a drunken brawl with an Indian, but no confirmation of this could be obtained last evening. Sharp lias been for many years in British Columbia, working as logger, trapper, and lor the past few years being located at Quatsino sound. Some months ago a visitor from the southern States met Sharp at Quatsino, and looking at liim sharply, said: "You old rascal, it's you, Quantrell, is it?" Sharp stated then tilat be was the notorious leader of guerillas and that instead of having been left dead on tho tii-hl after tin! cuctlng up of his troop, he had mounted a horse and ridden away, going to South America, | where he remained until the hue and cry following t.,^ misdeeds of Quan- trell's guerillas hud subsided, when ho came to the middle west, afterward working as a cattleman In Oregon, from whore he worked north into Brit- ish Columbia, being ft logger for some years at camps on ti e east, coast of Vancouver Island. Then ho became a t nipper, and It was while he was trap- ping that he moved to Quatsino sound whore he was appulnted caretaker of tlie coal mines. When In his cups Sharp had a habit of gripping his guests at tho cabin near the Narrows where he lived for some years by the arm, and, us though to impress them, he would say, "You don't know who I am. I'm Bill Quan- trell." Many accepted his statement, some did not.
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