Outlaws, Veterans, Villains, and Folk Heroes: The Legacy of Jesse James and the James-Younger Gang
Heroes to some, cold-blooded killers to others, the James-Younger Gang emerged from the ashes of the Civil War and became some of the most famous and infamous figures in Wild West history
Background
They were some of the most notorious and feared outlaws of the post-Civil War era. Their crimes were publicized worldwide for their reckless and brutal nature. Despite this, the James-Younger gang was often lauded by public support and sympathy.
Two groups of brothers began with a common desire to support the Confederacy and fight for their beloved state of Missouri. They would find themselves both folk heroes and villains, depending on who you ask.
The War that Shaped a Gang
The James brothers – Frank and Jesse, and the Younger brothers – Cole, Jim, John, and Bob, were born into the turbulent era before the Civil War. As brothers, they shared an unbreakable bond with their siblings and their brothers-in-arms.
Fate would place them in a time and place where loyalty to the Southern cause shaped their lives and destinies.
Long before the formation of the James-Younger Gang, many future members would find themselves caught up in the bloody conflict.
At the beginning of the Civil War, the border state of Missouri hoped to stay neutral. They refused to support either side of the conflict – Union or Confederacy. This didn’t stop loyal Missourians from taking sides and sympathizing with their cause.
Men, such as Frank and Jesse James and three of the Younger brothers, Cole, Jim, and Bob, used their guns and skills in guerilla warfare throughout Missouri as Southern sympathizers.
Quantrill’s Raiders
Jesse and older brother Frank joined an ex-Confederate soldier, William Quantrill, and his feared group of bushwhackers known as Quantrill’s Raiders. They despised the Union and were fanatically pro-Confederacy.
The Raiders murdered innocent citizens and plundered and burned anything or anyone pro-Union. One of their most infamous raids was the massacre in Lawrence, Kansas, where they murdered 150 unarmed men and boys.
Frank James later admitted to his involvement in the raid.
Despite their cruel and murderous ways, Quantrill’s Raiders gained praise and sympathy from some Southern sympathizers. Jesse would later write to newspaper editors and spin the narrative, lauding their Robin Hood-like behavior in “support of the South.”
The James brothers remained active for the duration of the war. When the war ended in 1865, the battle-hardened brothers returned to the family farm.
Soldiers without a War
The war ended with a Union victory. Quantrill had been killed during a raid, and the remaining Raiders split up. Like Frank and Jesse James, many returned to their homes and a grim reality. The South was no longer the home they remembered. Trying to live a normal life was harder than they expected it to be.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Tales From the Underworld — Authentic True Crime to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.