The 1869 killing of a bank cashier in gallatin, missouri, has long been considered the first in a long line of robberies by jesse and frank james. Jesse woodson james was born on september 5, 1847, in clay county, missouri, near the site of presentday kearney. The myth of jesse james as a benevolent outlaw persists today but is challenged by the violent and dangerous culture of the civil war era that forged a young jesse james into a thief, and a thoughtless murderer that stole from the rich, but did. It becomes glorified, and the stereotype is reinforced through. The trials of frank and jesse james westholme publishing, llc, 20 255 pp. The lost cause and shot all to hell the new york times. Or, fact and fiction concerning the careers of the notorious james brothers of missouri a bison book. The first and only true story of his adventures ever written. Although he has often been portrayed as a robin hood of the old west, in this groundbreaking work stiles places james within the context of the bloody conflicts of the civil war to reveal a much more complicated and significant figure. An unapologetic champion of the lost cause and a close friend of jesse james, he largely shaped the outlaws public image and political strategy, spearheading the former confederates rise to political and cultural notoriety in the 1870s. It would have been easy enough for orvus lee to make up the true history of dalton as he saw fit. Taking a scholarly approach why another book about jesse james. A brilliant biography of jesse james, and a stunning reinterpretation of an american icon. The author begins the book with a prolog where he expounds on the myth of the lost cause.
Jesse james and the lost cause and jesse james was one of his names were both written over 20 years after j. Jesses son wrote a book about him, and some 40 years after his death, jesses children even appeared in a movie about him called jesse james under the black flag. Jesse james and the lost cause 97812584549 by james, jesse lee and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. The new york times bestselling selfportrait of a flawed but determined jesse james. The results of his publicity campaign show that his efforts were perhaps the most successful in american history.
What follows is the text of a book published in 1899 by jesse edwards james, son of jesse james and zee mimms james. Jesse james, the young confederate guerrilla turned outlaw, rose to fame and descended into infamy in less than two decades from the mid1860s to his death in 1882 in the crucible of a. Frank dalton explains, the easy way out of trouble in our day, if trouble dogged our trail too closely, was to have our closest friends conduct a funeral for. John koblas author of faithful unto death among other jesse james books stated, mr. Jesse james, the outlaw, had parents of strong vintage, yet with troubles in their own lives. The oklahoma newspaper devoted extensive coverage to their breaking scoop. This is portrayed through different outlets in media. Stripped of the familiar myths surrounding him, james emerges a far more significant figure. Jesse james books list of books by author jesse james. At the age of 15 he joined the confederate guerrilla band led by william quantrill and participated in the brutal and bloody civil warfare in kansas and missouri.
Jesse james, the young confederate guerrilla turned outlaw, rose to fame and descended into infamy in less than two decades from the mid1860s to his. However, most professional historians believe that dalton was merely a jesse james impostor, and that the real jesse james was killed by robert bob ford on april 3, 1882, in a house jesse was renting located at 18. With one notable exception, however, these have been nonscholarly works, dedicated to getting the details rightto. There have been many books about his life, some very recent, some wellresearched both in the case of ted yeatmans frank and jesse james. Attorney muehlberger takes exception to this myth and sets out to show that james was anything but noble. In one of several reports that day, the newspaper explained how the death of legendary bandit jesse james had been an historic ruse. The trials of frank and jesse james, muehlberger argues that it wasnt a robbery attempt at all. Most jesse james movies neglects the time he and his brother served under william quantrill in missouri during the american civil war, where they served, in the words of one historian, as a death squad against the local population of union sympathizers and. Stiles has produced a new volume destined to stand beside those of ted yeatman, marley brant, and dr. These were the men who brought 16yearold jesse james to manhood. Jesse james and the lost cause reportedly agrees that the wily bandit of wild west train robbing days faked his death in 1882 to fool the lawmen hot on his trail. Instead of detailing their train and bank robberies, author muehlberger, a kansas city attorney, concentrates on the prosecutions of frank and jesse and their gang members. Scourge is a collection of essays by mcpherson on the civil war ranging from grant to the lost cause to the wars historiography.
Since his death in 1882, outlaw jesse james has been immortalized in books and films as the noble robber who committed crimes in the name of protecting the former confederate states from northern exploitation. He is the owner of west coast choppers in long beach, california and a host of the discovery channels hit monster garage. How one minnesota town took up arms against robber jesse james. The best new audiobooks for your thanksgiving drive the. See more ideas about jesse james, old west and old west outlaws. The death of jesse james american experience official. Stiles awardwinning biography of one of americas most notorious outlaws has at. I wasnt sure id be interested in frank and jesse james, but the author did a good job at telling the story and weaving it in the context of what was going on in the civil war and particularly in kansas and missouri. For some reason, it is prevalent in this culture to have a positive view of violence in an adventurous sort of way. Muehlberger explores the trial of jesse and frank james for a horse theft that occurred during a deadly bank robbery in gallatin, missouri in 1869.
The true story of abraham lincolns lost guard, is scheduled to be published dec 7, 2015. But james often seems to get lost in a narrative crowded with outsize figures and events. The following is a list of the best books about jesse james. The first half of this book is very engaging, and in fact, id rate the first half a 4. Yet the ride of jesse james through the history books. In lawton, proclaimed the banner headline of the lawton constitution newspaper, on may 19, 1948. The trials of frank and jesse james is a thoroughly researched, thrilling account of the rise, pursuit, and prosecution of the legendary outlaw gang. Myths of jesse james, the outlaw myths of the american west. The life, times and treacherous death of jesse james by triplett, frank and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The lost cause the true story behind the legendary outlaw gang, a civil war vendetta, and the forgotten court documents that helped seal their fate on a dreary december 7, 1869, two strangers entered the daviess county savings and loan in gallatin, missouri. Rather, as documents that muehlberger discovered show, it was a carefully planned execution meant to avenge the death of. Muehlberger, 20, westholme publishing, yardley, pa. Eric hameister is a photographer specializing in automotive, motorcycle, and lifestyle photography.
The myth of jesse james myths of the american west. Beginning with the newfound evidence of the gallatin bank teller murder, the author explains how jesse james attempted to avenge the death of his confederate partisan leader. Jesse james and the lost cause paperback october 15, 2011 by jesse lee james author see all 3 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. In 1866, jesse and his brother frank became the leaders of a band of outlaws whose trail of robberies and murders led through most of the central states. The life times and treacherous death of jesse james abebooks. Jesse james builds some of the most soughtafter motorcycles in the world.
This area of missouri was largely settled by people from the upper south, especially kentucky and tennessee, and became known as little dixie for this reason. People thrilled to recount his outrageous actions and fervent dedication to his longlost cause. Stiles makes no attempt to make jesse james a sympathetic character, but he assesses him carefully and comes to the conclusion that, aside from being a ruthless, unrepentant killer, he was both politicssavvy and attentionhungry, combining his crimes with the rhetoric of the lost cause to make himself. Stiles offers a new understanding of the legendary outlaw jesse james. John frank dalton march 8, 1848 august 15, 1951 was a man who, in the last few years 19481951 of his long life, publicly claimed to be the famous outlaw jesse james. This is because unlike billy jesse james benefited from the lost cause hagiography. But in a discussion of his new book, lawyer and author james p. The myth of jesse james society craves the outlaw image. Vintage old west books collection of 9 outlaws bandidos california goldrush ghost towns modoc indians book. Beginning with the newfound evidence of the gallatin bank teller murder, the author explains how. Relying on rigorous research into missouri court archives, kansas city, mo. Jesse james is everything you imagined him to beand more than you ever expected. The kansas city star named it one of the top 100 books of 20. The man and the myth by marley brant books by marley brant.