Part of the Outlaw Series

Jesse James John Davis Howard Henry Ford?? James Lafayette Coutney?? J. Frank Dalton?? 1847-1882 Died age 34 Timeline   Jesse Woodson James was the son of a Baptist minister. He never never fought in the Civil War, but he rode with William Quantrill's Guerillas, also known as Quantrill's Raiders. The Quantrill bunch, having more in common with the Confederacy, but not Confederate soldiers, raided Northern towns mostly for profit. Some believed that both Jesse and Frank were present during the bloody raid, 150 men, women and children dead, on Lawrence, Kansas in August 21, 1863. However, there are others who say that Frank participated, while Jesse didn't until the following year. In 1864, Jesse joined the "Bloody Bill" Anderson gang. This bunch, along with Jesse, raided the town of Centralia, Kansas in September. Jesse's participation was apparently limited to lighting all the buildings on fire. Others, however, raped women and shot men. On February 13, 1866, the James gang was credited with robbing $62,000 from the Clay County Savings Association of Liberty, Missouri. This was considered to be the first James gang robbery and the first daytime robbery of a bank during peacetime. It was thought by some that Jesse was probably not with them at the time as he was probably recuperating from wounds at the end of the war. There were other folks who noted that there was one man who appeared to be ill and was having trouble staying on his horse. Could have been Jesse? No one was ever convicted of this robbery. In 1873 Jesse held up his first train, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, near Adair, Iowa. His first bank was held up at Liberty, Missouri. Jesse married Zerelda (Zee) Amanda Mimms on April 24, 1874. Susan Lavenia James was born to Jesse and Zee on November 5, 1879, but died when she was only 9 on March 3, 1889. On June 17, 1879, Mary Susan James was born. Jesse was shot and killed by Robert Ford at his home in St. Joseph, Missouri, on April 3, 1882 at the age of 34. But the legend doesn't end there. There have been at least two or three individuals about whom some claim lived much longer after faking his death in 1882. It has been suggested that the man buried as Jesse James was actually Charlie Bigelow, who looked very much like him. One such was J. Frank Dalton, who died in Granbury, Texas in 1951. DNA tests were made of both as near as I can tell. The body buried in Missouri was tested in 1993 and the one in Granbury, Texas in 2000. DNA experts claim that the original body in Missouri was probably Jesse James. But, to this day, others still argue the case. Another such claim is that James Lafayette Coutney of Blevins, Texas was Jesse. Documentation was supplied in a book along with pictures of both families showing resemblance of the two. Coutney died in 1943 at the age of 96. And still another option has been the rumors that Henry Ford, a banker from Brownwood, Texas who died in 1910 was actually Jesse James. Jesse did hang his hat in Texas at various times. His gang is credited with robbing a stagecoach in Austin, Texas, April 1874. The community of Macey, Texas, 20 miles north of Bryan, was named for William Macy of Indiana, who in 1869 bought land in the Thomas James Mexican land grant. Macy was reportedly the uncle of Frank and Jesse James who were rumored to have stayed there when hiding from Missouri authorities. Jesse James, Cole, Jim , Bob and John Younger hid out at Belle Starr's home in the Scyene, Texas (near Dallas) vicinity in July 1866 According to legend, Frank and Jesse James hid out on Sterling Creek, Sterling County, Texas, southeast of Midland, in the 1870s to raise horses and hunt buffalo.. Frank James was even an early salesmen for Sanger Brothers in Dallas, as was and Herbert Marcus, the founder of Neiman-Marcus.   Born September 5, 1847 Kearney, Clay County, Missouri   August 21, 1863 Possibly Jesse and Frank rode with Quantrill's Raiders in raid on Lawrence, Kansas 150 men, women and children died. age 15 September 1864 Jesse joined the gang of "Bloody Bill" Anderson in a raid on Centralia, Kansas Women were raped and men shot. age 17   February 13, 1866 James gang [12 riders] credited with robbing $62,000 from the Clay County Savings Association of Liberty, Missouri. This was considered to be the first James gang robbery and the first daytime robbery of a bank during peacetime. One boy died. age 18   October 30, 1866 James gang [5 riders] credited with a $2,000 robbery - The Alexander Mitchell and Co. Bank of Lexington, Missouri. No one injured. age 19   March 2, 1867 James gang [5 riders] credited with robbing the Judge John McClain Banking House of Savannah, Missouri age 19   May 22, 1867 James gang [12 riders] credited with a $4,000 robbery - The Hughes and Wasson Bank of Richmond, Missouri Three shot and killed. age 19   March 20, 1868 James gang [5 riders] credited with a $14,000? robbery - The Nimrod Long Banking Co. of Russellville, Kentucky One person was nicked. age 20   December 7, 1869 James gang [2 riders] credited with a $700 robbery - The Daviess County Savings Bank of Gallatin, Missouri Two were wounded. age 22   June 3, 1871 James gang [4 riders] credited with a $6,000 robbery - The Ocobock Brothers' Bank of Corydon, Iowa No one was injured. age 23   April 29, 1872 James gang [5 riders] credited with a $600 robbery - The Bank of Columbia of Columbia, Kentucky One shot and killed. age 24   September 26, 1872 James gang [3 riders] credited with robbing $10,000 from the Kansas City Exposition Ticket Office of Kansas City One girl was shot. age 25   May 27, 1873 James gang [4 riders] credited with robbing the Ste. Genevieve Savings Bank of St. Genevieve, Missouri - $4,100 There were no injuries. age 25   July 21, 1873 James gang - First train (Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad) $6,000 robbery near Adair, Iowa. The engineer died from being crushed by the overturned engine. age 25   January 15, 1874 Stagecoach - Hot Springs, Arkansas - 5 riders - $3,000 No one was injured. age 26   January 31, 1874 Iron Mountain Railroad - Gad's Hill, Missouri - 5-7 riders $12,000 No one injured. age 26   April 1874 Jesse married first cousin Zerelda Amanda Mimms in Kansas City - They honeymooned in Galveston, Texas age 26   April 1874 Stagecoach - Austin, Texas - 5 riders - $3,000 No one injured. age 26 August 30, 1874 Waverly - Lexington Omnibus Stagecoach - Waverly-Lexington, Missouri - No one was injured - Whether it was the James gang or not is questionable. age 26   December 7, 1874 Tishomingo Savings Bank - Cornith, Mississippi - 4 riders - $10,000 No one was injured. It is believed that it was impossible for this to have been the James gang because of the robbery the next day. age 27   December 8, 1874 Kansas Pacific Railroad - Muncie, Kansas - $55,000 No one was injured. age 27   January 26, 1875 Six Pinkerton agents surrounded the house of Jesse's mother. They exploded a bomb which killed Jesse's brother and blew off the arm of his mother. age 27 September 5, 1875 Bank - Huntington, West Virginia - 4 riders - $10,000 One gang member shot and killed. age 28 Jesse's birthday   July 7, 1876 Missouri Pacific Railroad - Rockey Cut, Missouri - $15,000 No one was injured age 28   September 7, 1876 First National Bank - Northfield, Minnesota - The citizens were ready - 5 were shot - 4 were killed including gang members. The James gang escaped. age 29   October 8, 1879 Chicago and Alton Railroad - Glendale, Missouri - 15-30 riders - $6,000 One inured but not shot. age 32   September 3, 1880 Stagecoach - Mammoth Cave, Kentucky - $1,800 No one injured A watch was taken which was later found on Jesse's body after he was killed?? age 32   March 11, 1881 Government Paymaster - Muscle Shoals, Alabama - 3 men - $5,000 No one was injured. age 33 July 15, 1881 Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad - Winston, Missouri - 5-7 riders - $2,000 Two died from shootings. age 33   September 7, 1881 Chicago and Alton Railroad - Glendale, Missouri - $15,000 age 34   April 3, 1882 Jesse was shot in his home in St. Joseph, Missouri by Robert Ford and died the same day. age 34       Buy The Book Fugitives From Justice Books about Jesse James Frank and Jesse James: The Story behind the Legend Ralph P. Ganis, a James Gang Historian and Author, July 25, 2000, HISTORY AT IT'S BEST Here's a toast to Historian Ted Yeatman who has given America the finest history of the James Gang to date. This book is a must for any student or enthusiast of America's outlaw brothers. The book reads well and the facts are presented in an excellent manner. My library on James Gang books includes more than 50 titles and Mr. Yeatman's book would be my #1 choice for accuracy. As a James Gang historian and recipient of the Perry Award, I strongly recommend Frank and Jesse James: The Story Behind the Legend. Jesse James: The Man and the Myth From the Publisher Confederate guerrilla. Bank robber. Cold-blooded killer. Jesse James was all of these, but still, most of his life remains a mystery. Now Marley Brant, author of the acclaimed biography The Outlaw Youngers, sets the record straight, painting a portrait of a man obsessed with rebellion, loyalty, and an irrepressible need to be known. He loved as intensely as he hated. And in his eyes, the war between the states would never be over. From his obscure childhood to his explosive career during the Civil War to his earning the reputation as the country's most notorious bandit, Jesse James brings you the facts and dispels the fiction. Once and for all, we can finally know the man and the myth. Includes rare photos from the James family archives There are many myths and misconceptions about Jesse James-this book sets the record straight and is the most up-to-date book on the subject. The author's first book, The Outlaw Youngers, drew rave reviews from the Los Angeles Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and others. Jesse and Frank James: The Family History From the Publisher Were these brothers outlaws or heroes? For more than a century, the daring exploits of Frank and Jesse James have fascinated America. The debate continues. The Life, Times, & Treacherous Death of Jesse James The Jesse James Northfield Raid : Confessions of the Ninth Man Mamaw: A Novel of an Outlaw Mother From the Publisher Mamaw is the story of Zerelda James, the fearless mother of Frank and Jesse James. Zerelda James watched her husband hanged and then rescued him herself, only to be defeated by the insanity that eventually overtook him. Accused of being a Confederate spy during the Civil War, she was arrested and thrown into prison with her two youngest children. Her home was even firebombed by Pinkerton agents. All of these amazing things happened while her two eldest boys became the country's most wanted, despised, yet idolized men. In this engrossing novel based on historical fact, Susan Dodd has created a new legend-and her name is Mamaw. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford From the Publisher Hansen re-creates the real West with his imaginative telling of the life of the most famous outlaw of them all, Jesse James, and of his death at the hands of the upstart Robert Ford. James, a charismatic, superstitious, and moody man, holds sway over a ragged gang who fear his temper and quick shooting. Robert Ford, a young gang member torn between worshipping Jesse and taking his place, guns him down in cold blood and lives out his days tormented by the killing. The Chivalry of Crime From Library Journal Here, first novelist Barry, a Welshman long interested in the American West, tells the story of the life and times of the outlaw Jesse James and the man who shot him, Robert Ford. Presented largely from the perspective of a boy named Joshua Benyon, a friend of Ford, this novel is a well-crafted and thoroughly researched tale of the gunslinger period and Joshua's desire to pack a pistol. Filled with vivid action and graphic violence, it is rich in colorful characters whose dialog rings true. Alas, Barry frequently uses a single dash instead of quotation marks to denote this dialog, an annoying literary affectation that will distract readers and that hampers the excitement. For larger collections. Robert Conroy, Warren, MI Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information. Jesse James was My Neighbor From the Publisher Born in 1883, the year after Jesse James was killed by Bob Ford and buried in his mother's backyard, Homer Croy grew up near the James farm in northwest Missouri. He talked with many old-timers who knew Jesse and Frank James and their remarkable mother, Zerelda. Eyewitness accounts (sometimes humorous) and Croy's familiarity with the milieu that produced the outlaw brothers enrich Jesse James Was My Neighbor. Jesse read the Bible before he went out to rob a bank or train (Frank preferred Shakespeare), and he was honest except for those raids, according to Croy. The author follows the James boys, documenting their criminal activities and their human side while sorting out the growing legend. He adds a necrology of the twenty-eight bandits who rode with the James gang at one time or another. Jesse James Was His Name: Or, Fact and Fiction Concerning the Careers of the Notorious James Brothers of Missouri From the Publisher "Of the multitudes of volumes (not to mention the hundreds of pulps and celluloid monuments) devoted to the James brothers, Settle's is the first which is scholarly throughout."-Journal of American Jesse James-Lived and Died in Texas The Legend of Jesse James The Many Faces of Jesse James From the Publisher A fascinating study of James' life using his many portraits as a frame of reference. Since the possibility of more actual portraits and photographs of James exist, Steele explains the process George Warfel has devised to accurately identify Jesse James, even including a group of "false photos" of James to illustrate his point. Jesse James From School Library Journal Gr 6-12-A gripping portrait of one of the most notorious and vicious criminals in U.S. history. At 18, James was to most a feared and hated outlaw, but to others he was a folk hero in the image of Robin Hood. Along with his brother Frank and other renegade soldiers, he formed the ``James Gang,'' which sought to avenge the lost cause of the Confederacy. This man has fascinated readers for a century, and Stiles brings him to life with his poignant style and use of vivid period photographs. While his tone is highly sympathetic to James and the cruel and iniquitous treatment he received at the hands of Union soldiers, he in no way romanticizes or justifies the killer's actions. The legend lives on in this readable biography.- Julie Halverstadt, Douglas Public Library District, Castle Rock, CO Jesse James: Legendary Outlaw From the Publisher Gr 4-8 - Robbing banks and stagecoaches in the early years of the American West, Jesse James became a legendary figure. From his childhood in Missouri, through his years as a Confederate guerrilla fighter, to his notorious career as an outlaw, this book traces the development of the myths that surround Jesse James and his gang to this day. We are adding books on other Outlaws, so check each one for list.

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