“Killing Jesse James… don’t make you Jesse James”. – Mike Ehrmantraut talking to Walter White (Breaking Bad).
Jesse Woodson James was born to Zeralda (Cole) and Robert James. He had a brother Alexander Franklin (Frank) and a sister Susan. Another brother Robert died at age one month.
The 1850 census shows the James family living in a farming community in Platte, Missouri. It is a community of large families, as there are only seven families listed with 46 people in those families. Robert James is listed as a Baptist preacher. He was also a farmer and slave owner. This census is dated September 1850, but records regarding Robert James state that he went to California to preach the gospel to gold miners and died there of cholera on August 18, 1850. It’s possible the family wasn’t yet aware of his death when speaking to the census taker. Zeralda James later had her right arm blown off by the Pinkerton Agency when they raided her house looking for Jesse. She made her living after Jesse’s death giving tours of the raided house and selling Jesse memorabilia. Frank James rode with Jesse during his criminal career and died in 1915, having taken over the James house tour business after his mother died.
Later life
For full information, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_James
Items of interest:
- He was descended from an early Jamestown Virginia settler.
- Joined a local guerrilla-style Confederate fighting group during the Civil War.
- as “bushwhackers“, he and Frank participated in the Centralia Massacre, killing, wounding, and scalping unarmed Union troops captured while returning home on a train.
- Suffered a serious chest wound in a battle.
- Participated in the slaughter of Union troops who were trying to surrender.
- Suffered a second serious chest wound when he was shot while trying to surrender.
- Killed a civilian, a bank teller, and a jailer, among others during bank robberies and jailbreaks.
- Considered by some a “Robin Hood,” there is no evidence he gave any of his loot away.
- Had a series of letters published in the Kansas City Times attacking Republicans and praising the Confederacy. The Times published glowing editorials about him.
- With the James-Younger gang, robbed banks, stagecoaches, and trains from Texas to West Virginia.
- The James-Younger gang was attacked in Northfield, Minnesota, when the townsfolk fought back killing two gang members.
On April 3, 1882, James was shot in the back of the head while adjusting a picture on the wall of his home. The shooter, Robert Ford, wired the Governor to claim the reward that had been placed on James’ head. Robert and his brother Charley, who was present at the shooting, surrendered to authorities. Within a period of one day, they were indicted for first-degree murder, pleaded guilty, were sentenced to death, and pardoned by the governor.
Many books were written and films made about Jesse James. There are museums and yearly events, including:
The Defeat of Jesse James Days in Northfield, Minnesota.
Other happenings on September 5, 1847 – Nothing that I can find.
Tomorrow – The Opposite of Jesse James
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Sources
- Wikipedia.org
- Ancestry.com
- Onthisday.com
- Picryl.com
- Youtube.com
Famous People and Their First Census 