Jesse James - Folklore Hero or Cold Blooded Killer?

Jesse James

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The Lawrence, Kansas Raid as illustrated in

Harper's Weekly, September, 1863.

In this carefully orchestrated early morning raid he and his band, in four terrible hours, turned the town into a bloody and blazing inferno unparallel in its brutality. Quantrill and his bushwhacker mob of raiders began their reign of terror at 5:00 a.m., looting and burning as they went, bent on total destruction of the town, then less than 3,000 residents.

By the time it was over, they had killed approximately 180 men, and left Lawrence nothing more than smoldering ruins. Frank James and Cole Younger were with Quantrill during the raid. Though there is no evidence that Jesse was with the murderous party, he was said to have bragged about it later.

Just three months after the Lawrence raid, a party if Union soldiers invaded the Samuel farm looking for information about the location of Quantrill's camp. Jesse, who was just fifteen at the time, was questioned, then horse-whipped when he refused to answer the soldiers’ questions. Dr. Samuel, who also denied knowing where the raiders' camp was located, was dragged from his house and was repeatedly hanged from a tree in the yard. Somehow, the doctor managed to survive the interrogation.

No doubt out of hatred and anger over this event, Jesse joined “Bloody” Bill Anderson’s guerilla forces at the age of sixteen. “Bloody Bill” was a Quantrill lieutenant who led a raid on Centralia, Missouri on September 20, 1864. More than 100 armed guerillas descended upon Centralia, a community of less than 100 people, intent upon robbing the train. While waiting for the train, they terrorized local civilians, robbing and burning stores and killing a civilian who had attempted to defend a young woman. The stage from Columbia came in to the community and they robbed the passengers.

When the train finally arrived, twenty-four unarmed and wounded Union soldiers were dragged from the train by the frenzied ruffians and were murdered in front of the horrified citizens of the town. The guerrillas then set fire to the Centralia depot, sacked and set fire to the train and then sent it on its way, west, with no crew aboard, to later crash and be destroyed.

The band of guerrillas was followed by an experienced Federal Infantry. About three miles south of Centralia, the Union forces were bushwhacked by the band and were nearly annihilated. Over 120 federal troops were killed. Only three of the guerrilla forces were reported to have been killed in the battle.

Both Frank and Jesse were part of this murderous raid. Jesse is said to have killed Union Major A.V. Johnson, who was one of the soldiers on the train and is “credited” with taking the lives of seven other men on that tragic day.

In late the spring of 1865, Jesse rode into Lexington, Missouri carrying a white flag. He was shot in the chest when he attempted to surrender by occupying Union Troops. Afterwards, he went to Rulo, Nebraska to recuperate from his wound before returning to Missouri.

The vicious violence of the Civil War had taken its toll upon Missouri. A total of 1,162 battles and skirmishes were fought in the state during the official years of the Civil War, a total exceeded only by Virginia and Tennessee.

Though the James family were slave owners, they were said to have been kind to their slaves, often allowing the children to sleep in the main house. When the war was over, the former slaves remained at the farm long after they were set free.

Jesse was living in Kansas City, Missouri with his aunt in 1865, when he fell in love with his cousin, Zerelda Mimms. Zerelda's mother was the sister of Robert James, Jesse James' father, making them first cousins. Zee, as she was more familiarly called, was actually named for Jesse's mother. This; however , did not stop the pair from beginning to court.

William "Bloody Bill" Anderson

This image available for photographic prints

and downloads HERE!

Jesse married Zerelda "Zee" Mimms, his first cousin.

This image available for photographic prints and downloads HERE!

He was known as a very liable young man, always dressing well, reading his bible and regularly attending church. He never swore or took the Lord’s name in vain, preferring when he was angry to make up his own swear words. His favorite was "Dingus" which became his brother Frank quickly nicknamed him.

With the bloody war finally over, Frank and Jesse turned to outlawry. Claiming to have been forced into a life of crime because the family had been persecuted during the war, Frank and Jesse became the leaders of a band of outlaws which included the Younger Brothers, Jim Reed, and other ex-Confederates

Continued Next Page

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The old slave house at the James Family Farm,

February, 2004, Kathy Weiser

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