jesse james
... com/gangsters_outlaws/outlaws/james/11. ... sect=17 Jesse Woodson James "Out of the frontier West the American character was formed. ... Such a landmark is Jesse Woodson James. Of James, crime historian Jay Robert Nash asserts, "Millions of words would be written about this handsome, dashing and utterly ruthless bank and train robber. ... " Jesse James at the height of his career, 1876 (Nash) In that short span of life he moved unprincipled yet talented, unschooled yet successful in a changing world. ... But, Jesse James outrode the changes taking place around him, thumbing his nose at others who said this was a modernized world, and continued to be the Templar knight of things that were; tradition his saddle mate. ... Jesse detested what represented the Industrial North and what it did to the glory of the Old Dominion; not one to forgive and forget, he continued to fight the fathers of the Union decades after the conflict ended – to the point that he raided a bank in far off Minnesota because of a Union Army connection. ... "Jesse James (partly) turned to crime as a means of exacting revenge on all things Yankee," says Time-Life Books The Wild West. But, was the Civil War the only motivating factor that turned Jesse, the son of a Baptist minister, into a Colt-packing, six-chambered desperado? ... Whatever caused him to lay the plow for the highwaymans tools, Jesse James relished being an outlaw. ... What makes Jesse a totally fascinating character is the human trait he brought to outlawry, akin only to Robin Hood. "Like his famous predecessor in folklore (although in fact James was a real person), Jesse James robbed from the rich and was kind to the poor," explains Encyclopaedia Britannicas Annals of America series. ... " Like anyone who has made an incredible dent in his/her own texture of time, Jesse rose above the realm of mortal fame by playing his own life on a human level. ... " --Abraham Lincoln Sixteen-year-old Jesse Woodson James, scythe overhead, poised to swing at the harvesting wheat, froze in that gesture. ... But, when they neared the far edges of the open field, past where the James rail fence bordered the pond, Jesses smile faded. ... Theyre not our boys, Jesse sputtered to the scarecrow watching the same scene sardonically. ... Future outlaw Jesse James (Nash) "Mama! ... " His eyes searched for and found the ancient squirrel-hunting flintlock musket his stepfather had given to him; Jesse had used it earlier that morning to hunt wild turkey in the backwoods; had forgotten where he left it. ... "Git in the house, Jesse! ... " Jesse nodded to each of the slaves as he uttered their name. ... " Against an inner urge to stand his ground, Jesse James retreated into his house. ... – Jesse gnawed at himself hiding like a so-and-so cur from these Yankee piglets. ... ***** Jesse James, whom a special A&E Television program calls, "far and away the most infamous and best-known outlaw in our history," had begun life under slow-drifting clouds on a simple farm in a simple and verdant farmland in Clay County, Missouri. Bullet-gray cumuli shadowed the James cabin the afternoon of September 5, 1847, when the squeals of the babe were first heard. ... Only hours after the boy whom shed name Jesse was born, she wanted to escape the coventry of her bed quilt and get back to the farm chores that shed let go during her last weeks of pregnancy. ... Mother of the James boys (Nash) "The parents of the James boys were hardy pioneers," writes Jay Robert Nash in his excellent and concise chapters on the James family in Western Lawmen & Outlaws. "Robert James married Zerelda Cole Mimms when she was seventeen. ... " Alexander was born on January 10, 1843, with Jesse to arrive four years later. ... Jesse and Susan, no more than toddlers, crafted the art of cow-milking while Frank, not much older, followed his mother through the lanes in the wheat fields, sowing and trimming late under the twilight skies. ... Zee married James Simms soon after Roberts death, but this second marriage was short lived. ... Frank James ca. 1863 (Nash) Jesse and his brother (who hated the sissy-sounding Alexander and preferred to be called Frank) grew smart and grew quick and grew tough under Zees care. They inherited her aggressiveness and her strong will; very little of their book-reading papa rubbed off on them, although both boys did take on some of his dreaming qualities: Jesse was given to flights of imagination at times and Frank possessed a thirst for reading, pouring over the pages of any book he could get his hands on in the wilderness country. The familys fortunes happily increased in 1855 when Zee met and married wealthy bachelor Reuben Samuels, who was a successful county doctor and owner of a large piece of property adjacent to the James farm. It was an ideal matrimony, for the doctor and the James lads became instant best friends; he was, in effect, the father they never knew. ... Of the later, Jesse and Frank protected their half-brother with care and lest any of the community bullies taunt his handicap the perpetrator would earn a set of black eyes and a rump swelled to twice its size. ... An A&E Television Networks presentation called In Search of Jesse James explains the era of the upheaval: "(It was) the most desperate period this nation has known. ... President Abraham Lincoln declared war against the insurrectionist Confederate principles, Frank James, then 18 years old, marched off to fight for the South. ... Jesse, only fourteen at the time, yearned for his chance for manhood. ... ***** The James/Samuels home, Kearney Missouri (Nash) Zerelda remained in the open doorway watching steely-eyed as the Union detachment dismounted. ... Jesse, at the window, cried, "Theyre going to burn us down! ... " "Well, hes not here," Jesse explained, "hes tending to the sick, so somebodys gotta fight back! ... Zee wrenched his shirtsleeve, begging, "Please, Jesse, no! ... " Jesse had never heard anything so ridiculous; he was surprised to hear such nonsense coming from his usually sensible mother. ... "You Frank James little brother? ... " Jesse answered, proudly. ... And that means—" he glanced at a scroll of names in his hands "—the Samuels family, or James, or whatever the hell your name is! ... " Jesse saw sparks in his head. ... Too many Yankees upon Jesse, they dragged the Tartar off their leader and, in almost orderly fashion, proceeded to hold him spread eagle onto the ground while various boot toes kicked and various boot heels crushed him under. ... " Jesse started, but, damn, it hurt to talk. ... " Jesse relaxed, closed his eyes, and shut up for the rest of the night. ... " -- Aristotle As soon as he was back on his feet after the beating by Yankee soldiers, Jesse James saddled up to find his brother Frank and to join the regiment he rode with, William Quantrills Raiders. ... Jesse was able to locate them only through an underground communications system operated by families whose fathers, brothers and sons rode with Quantrill. ... Frank James, already a respected member of the Raiders, introduced his brother to Quantrill and prominent members of the organization. ... Riding apart from the rest of Quantrills column, Andersons detachment (including the James boys and Cole Younger) swooped down on the sleepy little hamlet in late September, 1864. ... Jesse, who legend claims abhorred any form of abuse practiced on women, is believed to have been innocent of this latter charge but not so of the destruction of the village itself. ... Alongside him, quickly making a name for himself was young Jesse James. ... In one skirmish with the enemy, reports Nash, "Jesse James was seen riding pell-mell into the Union ranks, the reins of his horse held by his teeth, firing two pistols. ... " Jesse was, naturally, well liked by his peers, for both his bravery and his easy-going manner (that is, when not enraged at the sight of a blue tunic). ... Because of the reputation earned by Frank and "Dingus" James, the Yankee cavalry once again singled out their family farm near Kearney, chasing the Samuels out of the territory and destroying their property. ... Jesse and brother Frank arrived back at the ruined farm to hear from neighbors of their familys plight, but had no time to seek them out. ... Tired of being hunted – and knowing if they didnt surrender they would never see their mother again – the James boys lit out for Liberty. ... Jesse James as a member of Quantrills raiders, 1864. ... Jesse took a . ... Jesse, figuring he was dying, begged his mother not to let him breathe his last on Northern soil. ... First cousin Zerelda Mimms, who was named after her Aunt Zee, was most responsible for nursing Jesse back to health. ... When he recovered, Jesse realized her tender care had pulled him through and, although a close blood relative, fell in love with the 19-year-old dark-haired beauty. ... But, first, Jesse had some reckoning to attend to. ... The James boys had tasted battle and blood, adventure, and danger," author Robert Jay Nash explains. ... " On Valentines Day, 1866, Jesse James was not in a romantic mood. ... Liberty was the town to which the same men had been traveling to amicably surrender after the war when a Yankee nearly killed Jesse. And Jesse, especially Jesse, recalled Liberty with disdain. ... Several of the men remained out front to watch-dog; Jesse was one of them. ... The spoils from Lexington and Savannah had been sparse, and Jesse blamed it on the gangs own nervousness. ... "Dingus," he told Jesse, "theyre responsible and wont complain." Jesse and Frank both liked the prospect, especially since the Youngers were cousins; they would be loyal. The James-Younger Gang grew. Bob Younger (Nash) Riding into the town whooping like wild savages to disperse all curiosity seekers before them, Jesse, Frank and the three Youngers burst into the bank. ... In a flash, Jesse and his crew reappeared under the sunlight to join the look-outs, bobbing a heavy sack around like a ball. ... " Jesse hallooed. ... One of the many posses that pursued the James-Younger gang (Minnesota Historical Society) As the vigilantes encircled them, the gunslingers decided to quit the scene. ... Jesse, Frank and the Youngers escaped. "The James-Younger Gang assaulting robbing banks despite the threat of Union soldiers, lawmen and vigilantes," says Nash in his Western Lawmen & Outlaws. ... The James and the Youngers were the professionals and kept most of the loot. ... " Nash contends that between the James and the Youngers there was no particular leader, despite later assumptions that Jesse (who was to eventually rise to prominence in his own right) served as chieftain. The James-Younger enterprise acted democratically, asserts Nash, opting as a whole what banks to rob and divvying up the "take" from each job evenly. It is true that the Youngers saw Jesse as the most reckless and daring, and respected his verve, but they preferred a unanimous vote over orders. ... " Jesse and Frank, the Brothers James, didn’t always get along. ... During the hold-up, manager Nimrod Long, a towering man as wide as he was tall, wrestled Jesse to the floor and would have easily broken Jesses neck if it werent for Franks intervention. ... It had been rumored that one John Sheets, a cashier at the bank, had been the commander of the group who shot Jesse on his way to sign the oath of loyalty in Liberty at the end of the Civil War. The grapevine was enough to send the James-Younger Gang whirling towards Gallatin. ... Jesse spotted Sheets movements and fired two bullets into him, killing him instantly. (One might have been enough, but Jesse had noticed the placard on his desk that identified him as their man. ... Jesse scooted beside him, pistol still smoking. ... When Jesse attempted to mount, the nag bolted, twisting him sideways, boot caught in the stirrup, and sped higgledy-piggledy down the street, dragging Jesse along the ground. ... Revolvers blazing, Frank charged the vigilantes, brushed through their midst, unloosened the bruised Jesse from the knot, helped him onto his own horse, then tore off towards the edge of town. ... Jesse grabbed another horse hitched to a post across the street and, with a posse inches behind, returned Franks favor by this time rescuing him. ... Even detracting lawmen admitted that the James were the most daring duo they had ever encountered. Their reputation, the James soon learned, preceded them. ... Jesse and Frank, flanked by the Youngers, rushed the bank, guns drawn; outside three hire-ons, Clell Miller, Bill Chadwell and Charley Pitts, stood defensive and ready. ... A clerk, affable despite Jesses Colt tapping his chin, uttered, "Youre Jesse James, arent ya? ... " Jesse asked. ... I aint gonna sass back to no Jesse James. ... " Jesse James grinned. ... " -- Virgil County lawmen occasionally showed up at the Samuels farm in Kearney, hoping – but not expecting -- to catch Jesse and Frank there. ... Samuels son, Jesse. ... They abetted Jesse and Frank and the Youngers when on the lam. ... If the sage brushers needed a fast steed for a getaway, it was "Help yourself there, Jesse, Old Nelly is yours!" And when Jesse visited his love Zerelda Mimms in Harlem, Missouri, the locals kept watch that some badge-wearing interloper didnt disturb their cause damour. Rare photo of bearded Jesse (left) with unidentified gunslingers, Maramec Caverns (Stevens) The name Jesse James was providing pulp to the popular dime novel genre. More than Frank, more than the Youngers, Jesse stood out to captivate the hearts of even those he robbed. ... If a dramatic exit from town was not provided by shooting lawmen or pitch-forked vigilantes, Jesse would do what he could to make a showy curtain call. ... That he may have just shot one of the towns own – an intervening bank guard or a teller who tried to fight back -- didnt matter at the moment; the attraction here was that now the town could boast they had been robbed by the greatest bandit of the west, Jesse James. ... The governor of Missouri was heard to exclaim, "Get me Jesse James!" but Jesse James was not to be gotten. ... When gossip buzzed that the James-Younger Gang oft concealed itself in the foothills of the Ozarks, posses covered every inch of the landscape, but found no one. ... In the caves, deep and dank and forever, Jesse and his professionals sometimes lived for months; here they stored food, powder and armaments. ... Jesse, Frank and the Coles unanimously agreed to lay low on bank activity for a while, at least until the civic prudence wore thin – which they knew would eventually happen. ... Frank James decided to do a little research before he and his partners-in-crime invested time and money – and possibly the peril of death – into the new venture. Pens author Jay Robert Nash, "Frank James had taken several trains west, as far as Omaha, Nebraska, riding the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Express (while reading Pilgrims Progress). ... There, the James, the Youngers, Clell Miller, Bob Moore and the colorfully-named Comanche Tony broke into an unguarded handcar house and stole track tools. ... At a signal from Jesse, the ambushers tugged at their ends of the hemp, splitting the stretch of track apart. ... Simultaneously, Jesse led the charge on the baggage car for the real prize, the $100,000. ... " Jesse asked, no time for subtlety. ... Angered but not discouraged by their failure on the rails, Jesse and company tried their hand on them once more. ... James ordered. ... The web page continues: "As Jesse James got off the train, he tossed the conductor his gold watch, saying, Youll need this. A posse was organized in Piedmont to go after the gang, but by the time it was organized the James Gang was over sixty miles away. ... If the rumor was true, the James–Younger Gang could not have picked a worse train to rob. The legend may indeed have some basis in fact, for immediately after that hold-up, the National Pinkerton Detective Agency, the dread of all outlawry, singled out Jesse and Frank James as its top public enemies. ... agents pursued some of the most desperate gunslingers of the day, including the James Gang and Butch Cassidys Wild Bunch. ... " Missouri professionals ongoing cries for relief from the James-Younger Gang were given some hope when Pinkerton detectives joined the search for the criminals. As if sensing the dangerous presence of Pinkerton, the James-Younger Gang operated outside of Missouri for some time after the Iron Mountain episode; they were suspected of knocking over a stagecoach line in Texas, and banks in Kansas and reputedly as far away as Mississippi. ... The motto of the national detective agency was "We Never Sleep," and that boast seemed fact when they turned their gumshoe steps toward the James boys. ... Like the state-based authorities had done on many occasions, Pinkerton agents began loitering in the foothills around Kearney, Missouri, maintaining surveillance on the Samuels farmstead; they interviewed townsmen and those who were known to acquaint the members of Americas most notorious gunslingers; they rapped on neighbors doors asking if they had seen the James recently. ... While investigators tried to unearth revelations of any kind that might lead to the present whereabouts of Jesse James, they may have, ironically, ridden within a mile or two of the very man they hunted; they may have passed him on the road; they may have stopped him for directions; they may have tapped on his front door to ask him what he knew about Jesse James!