Jesse
Woodson
"J.D."
James
aka
Howard
Born
in
Kearney, Clay, Missouri, United States
Ancestors
Descendants
Died
at age 34
in
St Joseph, Buchanan, Missouri, United States
Profile last modified
| Created 22 Apr 2011
This page has been accessed 46,561 times.
Biography
Jesse James was one of the most notorious outlaws in the American West, robbing trains and leading the James-Younger Gang.
[1]
Jesse Woodson James was born September 5th, 1847 in Kearney, Clay, Missouri, United States to Rev. Robert Sallee James, a Baptist minister, and Zerelda Cole.
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]
Jesse was only three when his father died while on a trip to gold fields in California. Jesse's mother remarried twice. As a young man, Jesse was known to be a kind, religious fellow.
[2]
Jesse Woodson James
married
Zerelda Amanda Mimms
, a cousin, April 24, 1874 in Kearney, Clay, Missouri.
[13]
[14]
[13]
Jesse's surviving children with Zerelda were
Jesse Edward James
and
Mary Susan James
.
[13]
They also had twins who died in infancy, Gould and Montgomery.
[15]
Zee, as Zerelda was sometimes referred to, also miscarried one child.
[15]
Jesse may have been married to a Sioux woman before Zerelda and had a
son
with her. There has been no definite evidence to back up the family's claims, though.
[16]
Jesse served in
Captain William Quantrill
's Partisan Rangers under Lieutenant "Bloody Bill" Anderson and Lieutenant Archie Clement after the Centralia Massacre, from 1864-5. He was wounded during the surrender at end of the US Civil War.
[17]
[7]
He and his brother Frank were part of a group called "bushwhackers", Confederate guerillas in the states of Missouri and Kansas during the US Civil War.
[1]
Jesse was known as being the "keenest and cleanest" fighter in Anderson's group.
[2]
Following the war, the James brothers started their spree of robberies, hitting up banks, stagecoaches, and trains across the Midwestern states.
[1]
Their crimes were especially brutal and gained them notoriety across the country.
[1]
Despite a large portion of their gang being captured during a robbery in Minnesota, the James brothers continued to find new members. They experienced increased trouble, though, as law enforcement cranked up their efforts to capture the group.
[1]
The brothers moved their families to Tennessee for a time, Frank James living under the name Woodson and Jesse under the name of Howard.
[18]
A collection of his known exploits:
- 14 Feb1866
Clay Co Savings Bank: $60,000.00
- Oct 1866
Alexander Mitchell Bank
- March 1867
McLain Banking House
- 4 Mar 1867
Richmond, MO: $4,000.00
- 1868
Southern Banking Co, Russellville, Logan Co KY (his father's home) $14,000.00
- 1868
Daviess Co Savings Bank: $7,000.00
- 1868
Missouri State General Bank
- 3 June 1871
Corydon, Wayne Co Iowa
- 21 July 1873
Pacific Express train: $2,000.00
- 31 Jan 1874
Iron Mountain Express train: $10,000.00 from passengers.
- 1874
Texas stage coach
- 1874
Kansas Bank
- 1874
Tishimingo Brothers Bank, Corinth MS
- 6 Sep 1876
Northfield, Minnesota: 1st National Bank. Almost died, the Younger brothers caught and prisoned.
- Oct 1879
Chicago and Alton Train: $40,000.00
- Sept 1880
Wells Fargo Stage in Mammoth Cave, KY: $11,400.00
- 1880
Muscle Shoals Alabama: Paymasters office: $3,000.00
- 1880
Sexton Bank, Riverton, Iowa: $5,000.00
- 17 Jul 1881
- 1881
Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad: $500.00
- 1881
Chicago and Alton Rail Road: $1,500.00
Jesse James was killed by Robert Ford April 3rd, 1882 at 1318 Lafayette in St Joseph, Buchanan, Missouri.
[1]
[12]
[19]
[20]
[13]
Ford and his brother Charley were new recruits to the gang who arranged to use their status within the gang to apprehend Jesse and gather the reward money, as part of an agreement with the local sheriff.
[1]
[13]
Governor Thomas Crittenden had offered $10,000 for the capture of Jesse, dead or alive. Jesse was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Kearney, Clay, Missouri.
[19]
The epitaph on Jesse's headstone in the family cemetery reads that Jesse was "Murdered by a traitor and a coward whose name is not worthy to appear here."
[2]
Some people believe Jesse James faked his death.
[21]
[22]
Jesse's fame in life became only larger once he died, making him a legendary Wild West figure who was portrayed in stories and entertainment the world round.
[1]
Sources
- ↑
1.0
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
Jesse James
on Wikipedia.org
- ↑
2.0
2.1
2.2
2.3
JESSE AND FRANK JAMES, Reprinted from Dorsey Dreams The Dorsey Family Newsletter, January - March 1984, Vol. II, No. 2, Page 70 - 74, Lois Colette Dorsey Bennington, editor
- ↑
"United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDZ7-1JK
: 12 April 2016), Jesse R James in household of Robert James, Platte, Clay, Missouri, United States; citing family 732, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). Year: 1850; Census Place: Platte, Clay, Missouri; Roll: M432_396; Page: 351B
- ↑
"United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH8S-K3G
: 14 December 2017), Jesse W James in entry for Reuben Samuel, 1860. Year: 1860; Census Place: Washington, Clay, Missouri; Roll: ; Page: 969; Image: 425. Note: Note: Data: Text: Birth date: abt 1848 Birth place: Missouri Residence date: 1860 Residence place: Washington, Clay, Missouri, United States
- ↑
Burlington Weekly Hawkeye
, The (Burlington, Iowa) Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Note: Note: APID: 1,6738::462701579
- ↑
Daily Miner, The (Butte, Montana) Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006. Note:
First Article
Note: APID: 1,6661::463240193;
Second Article
Note: APID: 1,6661::462562308
- ↑
7.0
7.1
National Archives and Records Administration. U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Record Group Title: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 1773 - 2007; Record Group Number: 15; Series Title: U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934; Series Number: T288
Ancestry Record 4654 #1027825
- ↑
Dalby, John. Minnesota Newspaper Headline Index [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.
Ancestry Record 3786 #19193
- ↑
American Civil War Soldiers Author: Historical Data Systems, comp. Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.
- ↑
Historical Data Systems, comp. U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009.
Ancestry Record 1555 #2435842
- ↑
National Park Service. U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.
Ancestry Record 1138 #1056583
- ↑
12.0
12.1
Ancestry.com. Library of Congress Photo Collection, 1840-2000 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.
Ancestry Record 1028 #421535
- ↑
13.0
13.1
13.2
13.3
13.4
"Jesse James is Dead"
, County paper Friday, Dec 29, 1882 Oregon, MO Vol: 18 Page: 6
- ↑
"Utah, Obituaries from Utah Newspapers, 1850-2005," database, FamilySearch (
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVSF-Y9CV
: 17 March 2018), Jesse James in entry for Mrs Zeralda Mimms James, 14 Nov 1900; citing Salt Lake Herald 7, The University of Utah. J. Willard Marriott Library, Salt Lake City.
- ↑
15.0
15.1
Official James Family Genealogy
, ericjames.org
- ↑
Genealogy Forum
post discussing what sources are available to support the theory about Jesse and Frank's possible Sioux families
- ↑
Cited in the family tree "JUSTIN CLAN COLONIAL AMERICA to MICHIGAN" created by "RogueSailor" Note:
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/9395574/person/6010976123
Note: Data: Text:
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/31373338/family
- ↑
"Frank James"
, Butler weekly times Wednesday, Aug 29, 1883 Butler, MO Vol: 5 Page: 5
- ↑
19.0
19.1
Find A Grave, database and images (
https://www.findagrave.com
: accessed 01 April 2019), memorial page for Jesse James (5 Sep 1847?3 Apr 1882), Find A Grave:
Memorial #539
, citing Mount Olivet Cemetery, Kearney, Clay County, Missouri, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave .
- ↑
Weant, Kenneth. Missouri, Newspaper Death Index, 1822-1994 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1997-1998.
Ancestry Record 3074 #21372
- ↑
1930 United States Federal Census
Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. Page: Year: 1930; Census Place: Liberty, Clay, Missouri; Roll: 1183; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 20; Image: 467.0. Note: Note: Data: Text: Birth date: abt 1844 Birth place: Missouri Residence date: 1930 Residence place: Liberty, Clay, Missouri APID: 1,6224::6432270
- ↑
1920 United States Federal Census
Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census Page: Year: 1920; Census Place: Higginsville, Lafayette, Missouri; Roll: T625_931; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 107; Image: . Note: Note: Data: Text: Birth date: abt 1856 Birth place: Missouri Residence date: 1920 Residence place: Higginsville, Lafayette, Missouri APID: 1,6061::65811148
See Also :
Memories: 9
Enter a personal reminiscence or story.
This week's featured connections are
World War II Heroes
:
Jesse is
14 degrees from Sarah Baring, 18 degrees from Virginia Goillot, 22 degrees from Christina Granville, 16 degrees from Bill Halsey, 15 degrees from Hedy Lamarr, 12 degrees from George Marshall, 20 degrees from Ron Middleton, 13 degrees from Frank Pickersgill, 22 degrees from Mary Reid, 20 degrees from Charles Upham, 26 degrees from Bram Vanderstok and 33 degrees from Waverly Woodson
on our
single family tree
.
Login
to see how you relate to 33 million family members.