Wyozark - Posted - 04/26/2019:  07:26:04

I've been given the privilege of presenting this week's TOTW. I have acquired so much material and I felt that I had to break everything down into two main parts: The song and The man. This is about The life, legend and legacy of Jesse W. James (the man.)

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"The only thing you take with you when you're gone is what you leave behind." ~ John Allston

There have been many books written about Jesse James. The one that seems to me to be a very good, well documented and up-to-date history is Frank and Jesse James: The Story Behind the Legend by Ted P. Yeatman. Many articles have been written and can be found online, along with a number of documentaries on YouTube.

I found that in researching Jesse James that it is easy to get sucked into a bottomless pit. There is so much information out there (and misinformation, depending on your point of view!). However, if I may and at the risk of boring you, I’ll share some bullet points that I think are interesting.

• Jesse James’ father Robert was a very educated Baptist minister who helped found William Jewell College in Liberty Missouri. (my nephew graduated from there) He died in the gold fields of California. It is speculative on my part, but perhaps if he had stayed home there would be no “legend.” Before the war, a young teenaged Jesse was considered to be quiet and religious. After a couple of years spent with the most bloodthirsty group of men west of the Mississippi Dr. W.H. Price said of the nineteen year old “Jesse joined the Baptist church in this place (Kearny, MO), after he came out of the army, in 1866. I think he was baptized, and for a year or two acted as if he was a sincere and true Christian. In his early years, and after he came out to the army he was quiet, affable, and gentle in his actions. He was liked by everyone who knew him.” Later, when it is probable he participated in some robberies, Jesse approached the Mt. Olive church and asked that they remove his name from the rolls because he felt “unworthy.”


• Born in 1847, Jesse was only 16 when he joined William C. Quantrill’s guerillas. And then he rode with one of the most deadly leaders – Bloody Bill Anderson, infamous for the massacre at Centralia, MO. While there were quite a few battles involving regular troops, it was the guerilla warfare that made Missouri especially dangerous. A young teen being thrown into this had to be affected, and not for the good. Jesse was shot in the chest late in the war and so was incapacitated for quite some time. The bullet was never removed and was found more than 100 years later when his body was exhumed and examined. Jesse was only 34 years old when he was killed.


• When Jesse was killed, the St. Joseph city marshal was notified by telephone. St. Joseph had an extensive telephone network in 1882. I don’t normally think of Festus calling Doc on the phone to get over to Matt’s office when watching westerns.


• Before he died there were stage plays and dime novels about Jesse James. To the chagrin, I am sure, of his victim’s families and the law he was portrayed as a hero like Robin Hood. There are at least 40 movies about him, the first filmed in 1908. I thought the most unusual movie was the one in which Jesse’s son Jesse Edwards James played the part of his father. I thought at first that this was a hoax, that some actor took the name of Jesse   James to add notoriety to his career. But it was true. It actually is Jesse James’ son. It is said that he fainted when it was time to film the scene of his father’s murder. At seven years of age, he was in the house when his father was killed; until that time he really thought his name was Tim Howard.


• There was a television series about Jesse James. In this episode the real bad guy is one of my very favorite bad guys, Jack Elam. Legend of Jesse James television series.


• There have been a lot of people impersonating Jesse or other members of the James gang (i.e. Cole Younger). The imposters were eventually found out, but some were so persistent and earnest that they fooled a lot of people. The reasons for doing this I suppose was either for the attention or make money. I talked to the chief of the Missouri State Capitol Museum. She said they have three James Gang related items: a Colt revolver said to have belonged to and taken from Charlie Pitts by Cole Younger; a cartridge/money belt that is said to have belonged to Frank James; and a handkerchief said to have been carried by Jesse when he was killed. She said that though they were given the items in 1948 with a written declaration, none of the items have the provenance that is necessary to absolutely prove that the items are what they are purported to be. As she said, she discovered that after Jesse’s murder that the family made money by selling items represented to have belonged to Jesse. It is known that Jesse’s mother sold stones that were on Jesse’s grave for 25 cents each to the visitors that came to see her and the farm. The stones were regularly replenished from a nearby creek. Today there are many direct descendants of Jesse James, but none have the James surname.


• Jesse James was actually buried three times. The first time was at the family farm to discourage grave robbers. In 1902 his remains were reburied in Mt. Olivet Cemetery next to his wife. He was exhumed in 1996 and DNA tests were done. He was then buried for a third time. The late Kathy Barton-Para and David Para played at the funeral. As you might expect, the funeral had controversial issues.


• One of the James Gang train robberies occurred not far from where my ancestors lived and I was raised. On July 6, 1876 the gang went west from California, Missouri to a place called Rocky Cut, near Otterville. About $20,000 was stolen. Two months later the gang made their fateful trip to Northfield, Minnesota


• My Great Great Grandfather Josiah Howard was a private in the Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union). I’ve only started the research and it’s hard to tell what guerilla bands, if any, he chased. Another GG Grandfather was said to be a part of a Confederate militia, also from central Missouri. Very dangerous times, the Civil War in Missouri. Unfortunately, the militias on either side sometimes were as dangerous to civilians as the guerillas, or bushwackers, as they were often referred.


• I had discussed with Mrs. Wyozark the possibility to driving up to the James’ farm and St. Joe. Maybe not to actually record myself playing a singing Jesse James on the farm (I bet it’s been done before – maybe even a lot!), and maybe have a picture taken of me with my banjo in front of the house. But it would be a two day trip and we just can’t be gone right now because we have baby ducks to take care of and gardening and mowing and other obligations. (note to self: Stop Whining.)


• For all the controversy he generated, Frank James really stirred it up late in life when he declared he was switching from the Democratic party to Republican and supported Teddy Roosevelt. There is a last scene in the 2010 movie True Grit where Mattie visits Cole Younger and Frank James who are performing a “Wild West Show.” Younger and James actually did have such a show at the turn of the century. Mattie called Frank James trash! because he remained seated in her presence.


• One of my favorite westerns is the 2007 movie The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. I remember reading that one of the movie property staff was so intent on details of realism that the actors wore only pocket watches that were made concurrent with the time in the film – even if the watches were never seen!

Thanks for reading!

~ Wyozark

Nancy - Posted - 04/26/2019:  09:54:52

Thank you. thank you for this terrific post. It won my heart. I loved it.
Jesse has been one of my heroes all my life. I love the Ballad...love it.
This post is a true treasure.
You have my gratitude.
Nancy
I think this is the best post ever put on the Hangout.

Frisco Fred - Posted - 04/26/2019:  10:31:29

Free Movie playing on YouTube now...

It's the story of the Missouri Boarder Wars between the Union Jayhawkers and Cantrell's irregulars.  This where Jesse and Frank James, the Younger Brothers had their fights.  Directed by Academy Award winning director Ag Lee.   youtube.com/watch?v=bN0W1I_vIF4

Wyozark - Posted - 04/26/2019:  10:37:37

Thank you for your kind comments Nancy. I am humbled.

Nancy - Posted - 04/26/2019:  10:52:14

Nope. You have put together a fantastic post. Be proud. I am proud of you.

You done good!

I am now playing that ballad about Jesse. Love it. Got a sock in the back of the banjo not to bother his tv. This is a labor of love for me. Great song. Fine tune.

I owe this to you for your post. Having fun...It's MY banjo..play it anyway I want.

I have a theory about everything...yeah, I do. I think you are one fine man.

Bill Rogers - Posted - 04/26/2019:  11:13:26

Some books on JJ listed, with comments are herw:  tjstiles.net/bio.htm

A fine book on the nasty and protracted guerrilla conflict that was Missouri’s Civil War:

amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/01...tion=used 

Tommy5 - Posted - 04/26/2019:  12:39:32

I don’t get the James adoration. He was just a thief and a murderer , he is no more honorable or heroic then a gangster disciple selling crack on the streets of Chicago.
Cole Younger was a more interesting rogue, but he should have been hung after he was captured after the Northfield bank robbery.

chuckv97 - Posted - 04/26/2019:  12:45:46

LOL..... somehow ,Tommy, you always come up with a hard-hitting dose of reality.

Rawhide Creek - Posted - 04/26/2019:  18:25:23

quote:

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Originally posted by Frisco Fred

Free Movie playing on YouTube now...

It's the story of the Missouri Boarder Wars between the Union Jayhawkers and Cantrell's irregulars.  This where Jesse and Frank James, the Younger Brothers had their fights.  Directed by Academy Award winning director Ag Lee.   youtube.com/watch?v=bN0W1I_vIF4

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Boarder wars?  I’ll bet roomers were flying . . .

bluegrassbanjopicker - Posted - 04/26/2019:  19:50:17

quote:

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Originally posted by Rawhide Creek

quote:

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Originally posted by Frisco Fred

Free Movie playing on YouTube now...

It's the story of the Missouri Boarder Wars between the Union Jayhawkers and Cantrell's irregulars.  This where Jesse and Frank James, the Younger Brothers had their fights.  Directed by Academy Award winning director Ag Lee.   youtube.com/watch?v=bN0W1I_vIF4

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Boarder wars?  I’ll bet roomers were flying . . .

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A little bit of history on the Missouri Boarder Wars:

The Union Jayhawkers and Quantrill's Irregulars would have races to see who could take over the single microwave in the room, the fastest. Jesse and Frank James and the Younger Brothers had huge pillow fights of unheard-of proportions, not to mention the outrageous and almost-always surprise attacks by Quantrill's Irregulars on the restrooms when it was time to wash up after a bloody battle. Once, Quantrill himself ran smack bang into Frank James. Frank proceeded to lock Quantrill in the restroom and turn the hot water on full blast. One could hear the desperate screams of Quantrill for a half mile.

Edited by - bluegrassbanjopicker on 04/26/2019 19:54:44

Frisco Fred - Posted - 04/26/2019:  20:13:01

quote:

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Originally posted by Rawhide Creek

quote:

---

Originally posted by Frisco Fred

Free Movie playing on YouTube now...

It's the story of the Missouri Boarder Wars between the Union Jayhawkers and Cantrell's irregulars.  This where Jesse and Frank James, the Younger Brothers had their fights.  Directed by Academy Award winning director Ag Lee.   youtube.com/watch?v=bN0W1I_vIF4

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Boarder wars?  I’ll bet roomers were flying . . .

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Ya got me partner,

Yup, them spellin errors is embarssin ... but not as bad as a high school drop out correcting a BSEE in geometry

R.D. Lunceford - Posted - 04/28/2019:  21:34:29

quote:

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Originally posted by Tommy5

I don’t get the James adoration. He was just a thief and a murderer...

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From an earlier thread:

I guess it all depends on which side you were on as to who was a saint and who wasn't.  Red-Legs, Jayhawkers, Union Militia, John Brown, the Pinkertons, the railroads.  You can't really separate Jesse from his time and place.  The Union Militia hung his step-father (repeatedly), he was nearly fatally shot trying to surrender, Pinkertons threw a bomb into his mother's house, blowing off her arm and killing his half-brother.  A military order forced the depopulation of four Missouri counties during the war.  A large segment of the populace saw Jesse as an avenging angel.  Two sides to every story, but then that's the point- there are two sides to the story. 

My grandmother (b. 1886) grew up in a part of Missouri that was rife with guerilla warfare during the war.  She had lots of stories about that from the generation before her, and the Federals gave as well as they got.  A lot of family trees had supporters of both sides.  Her grandfather was a Union Soldier from Illinois who was killed in Tennessee.  It was complicated.

In post-Civil War Missouri ex-Confederates were given amnesty, the guerillas were not.  That fairly assured that those men would become outlaws.  Without digressing I can assure you that J.J. was not all that unique for his time and locale.  There were plenty of others that were just as bad and just as many of those wore blue.  A couple of things that made Jesse and Frank standout was that they were successful at what they did.  Another factor was the publicity they received.  James Newman Edwards was Missouri cavalry leader Jo Shelby's adjutant who became a newspaperman after the war.  He basically became the James Gang's PR man.  In fact, Jesse's son's middle name was "Edwards".

Read up on General Ewing's (USA) General Order #11 ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_...r_No._11_(1863) ) to get an idea of why so many Missourians  supported the Jame Bros. and other outlaw bands after the war.  The counties affected by the order, which called for the forced removal of much of the population felt it's effects for decades thereafter.  The area to this day is known as "The Burnt District".

Frisco Fred - Posted - 04/29/2019:  00:44:24

Related reading: Charles Robinson, James Lane and the "Bleeding Kansas" Border Wars

Before Bleeding Kansas, there were the Sacramento Riots of 1850.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_L._Robinson

mike gregory - Posted - 04/29/2019:  05:34:36

MUSICAL hijack: One fine day, just singing in the kitchen, Dong Jessie James, it came time to hand a break to my birther.

I said TAKE IT! and he took it to  "Dominique" by the Singing Nun!

Seamlessly.

Brush up on the both, and give it a try!

Links: youtube.com/watch?v=GwxQx80lq_o

and youtu.be/EO7cD6qmydo

prooftheory - Posted - 04/29/2019:  08:05:00

When I was an undergrad I took a course from John Searle, who is a fairly famous philosopher of language. He was talking something about names and how people can have more than one name and in the middle of the lecture he burst out into a full chorus of "Jesse James" just to make the point that "Mr. Howard" and "Jesse James" both refer to the same person.

It's an interesting song because it actually refers to the songwriter: "This song was made by Billy Gashade/ as soon as the news did arrive."