Jesse James, My Father: The First and Only True Story of His Adventures Ever Written

Jesse James Jr. (1875 1951) was the only surviving son of American outlaw Jesse Woodson James. He was born in Nashville, Tennessee during the height of Jesse James' career as an outlaw and later moved to Kansas City as a child.

After his father's death, James and his family lived in Kansas City and were taken under the wing of Thomas T. Crittenden Jr., the son of Governor Thomas Theodore Crittenden, who had signed what would become the death warrant of the outlaw Jesse James.

In 1898 James Jr. was falsely accused, arrested, and stood trial in 1899, for the robbery of a Missouri Pacific train, but was acquitted due in part to the help of Crittenden who procured legal counsel for Jesse Jr.

In introducing his book, Jesse notes:

HUNDREDS of different books have been written and published about Jesse James, and what is commonly known as "The James Band." Many of these books were false from cover to cover. A few had in them a grain or two of truth upon which were strung whole chapters of untruths. I have read them all, and there is not one of them that did not do cruel injustice to the memory of my father and to his family. In none of these books, and in none of the thousands of newspaper articles that have been written about him, have I seen him credited with having in his nature any of the human attributes of kindness, charity or honesty of purpose. In all of these writings his true character is entirely lost sight of and distorted into that of a veritable Frankenstein who slew mercilessly and robbed for the mere love of adventure.

This is because these writings were done by those who never knew my father. I defy the world to show that he ever slew a human being except in the protection of his own life, or as a soldier in honorable warfare. His only brother, whose name was linked with his in all the years of his life, is a free man to-day, acquitted of all crime.

There were lovable and noble traits in the character of my father, else why was it that for 16 long years, when there was a price on his head that would have made his betrayer rich, not one could be found who would betray him. Did ever a man live who had such staunch friends, many of whom were persecuted and made to suffer because of the steadfastness of their loyalty to him? Is it possible that an ignoble character could win and hold such friendships?

My object in writing this book is twofold. Thousands have asked me why I did not write such a book, and promised to buy one if I did write it. If all of these keep that promise it will have been a good business venture for me. One of my objects, then, in writing this book, is in the hope that it will bring some money for the support of my mother. My other object in writing it is to do something to correct the false impressions that the public have about the character of my father. Others may differ from me on this point, but I believe it my duty to the memory of my father that the truth about him be told.

In noting the border warfare years Jesse Jr. notes:

" DURING the war my grandmother, Mrs. Zerelda Samuels, was banished from her home in Clay County by the Home Guards. These Home Guards were Northern sympathizers whose chief business it was to harass and torment people living in the same neighborhood who were Southerners."

In concluding his book, Jesse Jr. notes:

"I bear no ill will or feelings of malice toward anyone. Some of my best friends are men who were Federal soldiers and who fought my father and were fought by him in honorable warfare. I am sure if my father were living to-day he would be the friend of these old enemies and they would be friends of him. I have had an uphill fight.

Dettagli