Jesse James

American outlaw, confederate guerrilla, and train robber

Photo by: Photographer unknown. Scan by LoC. · Public Domain · Wikimedia Commons

Born:September 5, 1847

Died:April 3, 1882

Age at death:34

Manner of death:Homicide

Cause of death:Gunshot Wound

Zodiac Sign:Virgo

Born in:Kearney, United States

Residence:Jesse James Home Museum, United States

Buried in:United States

Languages:English

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Jesse James

American outlaw, confederate guerrilla, and train robber

Biography

Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847 – April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised a Southern sympathizer in the "Little Dixie" area of Missouri, James and his brother Frank joined pro-Confederate guerrillas known as "bushwhackers" operating in Missouri and Kansas during the American Civil War. As followers of William Quantrill and "Bloody Bill" Anderson, they were accused of committing atrocities against Union soldiers and civilian abolitionists, including the Centralia Massacre in 1864. After the war, as members of various gangs of outlaws, the James brothers robbed banks, stagecoaches and trains across the Midwest, gaining national fame and often popular sympathy despite the brutality of their crimes. The brothers were most active as members of their own gang from about 1866 until 1876, when as a result of their attempted robbery of a bank in Northfield, Minnesota, several members of the gang were captured or killed. They continued in crime for several years afterward, recruiting new members, but came under increasing pressure from law enforcement seeking to bring them to justice. On April 3, 1882, Jesse James was shot and killed by Robert Ford, a new recruit to the gang who hoped to collect a reward on James' head and a promised amnesty for his previous crimes. Already a celebrity in life, James became a legendary figure of the Wild West after his death. Popular portrayals of James as an embodiment of Robin Hood, robbing from the rich and giving to the poor, are a case of romantic revisionism as there is no evidence his gang shared any loot from their robberies with anyone outside their network. Scholars and historians have characterized James as one of many criminals inspired by the regional insurgencies of ex-Confederates following the Civil War, rather than as a manifestation of alleged economic justice or of frontier lawlessness. James continues to be one of the most famous figures from the era, and his life has been dramatized and memorialized numerous times in media.

This biography uses content from the Wikipedia article “Jesse James”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License.

Photos

A portrait of Jesse James. The photograph is from the Library of Congress, reproduction number LC-USZ62-3854. According to the LoC, it was taken May 22, 1882, although it has been claimed that this photo is actually from 1876.

Title: Jesse James, half-length portrait, facing front, holding handgun in left hand at his waist Abstract/medium: 1 photographic print.

Jesse James

Title: Jesse W. James in 1864 at age 17, as a young guerilla fighter.

The festival is an annual heritage event that began in 1948 as the "Fall Festival," with Saturday’s theme being "Jesse James Day." At about 2 pm on September 7, 1876, eight men rode into Northfield to rob the First National Bank. Three entered the bank and ordered employees to open the safe, but were told it could not be opened. Outside, townspeople quickly realized what was happening and armed themselves. Gunfire broke out, and a Swedish immigrant, Nicholas Gustafson, was killed after failing to understand warnings to leave. The fight lasted seven minutes. Two robbers died, two were badly wounded, and six fled. The Younger brothers were later captured, while Jesse and Frank James escaped. Bank clerk Joseph Lee Heywood refused to open the vault and was killed. Each year, Northfield honors this bravery during Defeat of Jesse James Days. Photographer: Lorie Shaull

Title: Jesse James; last gun used, a 45 Schofield Abstract/medium: 1 photographic print.

Jesse James, celebrated 1860s-1882 Missouri outlaw, used to visit in Archer City in house built by Stone Land and Cattle Company for its manager, Allen H. Parmer (1848-1927), his Confederate comrade of the Civil War and husband of his sister Susan (1849-89). With Frank James, his brother and aide, the outlaw chief hid at the Parmers' when hunted for train and bank robberies or on other occasions. Jesse James was killed in 1882; Frank and his wife continued to visit at Parmer's house, which was later moved from original site. Parmer brought up a family of respected, upright citizens. Erected by Archer County Historical Survey Committee. House is shown only by appointment, 1972