Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War
By: TJ Stiles
2002 Alfred A. Knopf

Review by: The Man Behind the Mask

Try this one on for size-What do you get with a book about Jesse James that says little about the man for the first 100 or so pages?

In the case of TJ Stiles' Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War, you get a new and important view of America's most famous outlaw, one that goes a long way toward explaining him and his actions through the prism of time and place.

The time, of course, is the mid-1840s through the early 1880s. The place: northwest Missouri, an area long familiar with violent disagreement. But the slavery issue had a particular resonance for folks on both sides of the issue, ultimately creating the very definition of neighbor versus neighbor. And in this time and this place, people often expressed their opinions via the barrell of a gun or the point of a knife.

Jesse James and his people were active participants in that "debate." Prior to 1865, the family owned slaves. Even Jesse's father, Pastor Robert James, believed that God had not created all men equal. Blacks were supposed to be subserviant, providing virtually free labor for the economic and social good of the community.

Stiles argues that Frank and Jesse took that belief to its extreme. During the Civil War, each of them in turn joined the bushwhacker troops of Quantrill, Bloody Bill Anderson, George Shepherd and Arch Clement. They engaged in senseless slaughters of combatants and civilians alike, but killing was not the end unto itself. These Rebel guerrillas set out to terrorize the populace by word and deed. The 1863 massacre and burning of Lawrence, Kansas was designed to strike fear into the hearts of Unionists throughout Missouri and Kansas. And on other occasions, the marauders put a macabre exclamation point on their actions: they often mutilated victims-taking scalps and carrying the trophies on their saddles as a reminder of their deeds.

But the primary thesis of Last Rebel is that even after the bushwhacker leaders met their ends, even after the War had officially ended, Jesse, Frank and some of their comrades continued their terrorist ways. The targets almost always had Union ties. In the early robberies, victims described the gang as wearing Ku Klux Klan robes and hoods. Stiles says the James-Younger outfit was not the typical outlaw enterprise, although they certainly enjoyed stealing money. Instead, they were intent on wreaking havoc on their once and forever enemies, including freedmen and Reconstructionists. And the author makes a strong case, using contemporary documents and writings as support.

Two other figures gain even greater prominence in this telling of the story. John Newman Edwards, the Confederate vet who never surrendered but took the fight into the newspaper forum, is seen as a partner in creating the Jesse James myth/legend. He not only wrote editorials sympathetic to the outlaws but he also helped Jesse gain his own public voice via letters to the editor. Together, they manufactured the story that Jesse had been shot down while carrying a white flag of surrender, and that his wound required a three-year period of convalescence. They painted the picture of Jesse as victim and covered over the reality of Jesse the terrorist.

The other imposing figure is that of Zerelda James Samuel, the James boys' mother-all six feet of her. She was an intelligent, well-read and articulate despot who fueled her sons' anger, supported their every action, and harrangued anyone who dared to challenge them. Zerelda herself put some fear into people, usually through her sharp tongue. But locals also believed that she was capable of taking stronger action if needed. A Pinkerton detective who proposed to go undercover in Clay County was told by a former sheriff, "The old woman would kill you if the boys don't." The boys got him first.

The 1876 Northfield Raid changed things, of course. Jesse lost the services of men he'd known for more than a decade, men who had also ridden with Quantrill and Bloody Bill and who had continued to fight for the Lost Cause. The Youngers, Clell Miller, Bill Stiles, Charlie Pitts-all gone. His brother Frank grew weary of the crusade and began easing out of the outlaw business. Their replacements lacked the experience and the burning hatred. They wanted the money-and two of them, Bob Ford and his brother, decided the easiest way to wealth was through killing Jesse and collecting the reward on his head.

So why do people, even today, consider Jesse James to be a classic example of the "social outlaw," an American version of Robin Hood who was engaged in a battle against the barons of industry and finance? Stiles replies that he lived too long. By the time of the Northfield Raid, Reconstructionists had lost control of Missouri. Former Confederates regained political and economic power. In a sense, Jesse had reached his goal of driving the Yankees out of Missouri. But instead of quitting while was ahead, Jesse continued the fight. And as John Edwards and others kept telling the story of poor Jesse, victim of powerful forces, the real intent and nature of his crimes was buried. Later writers accepted that view and added their own weight to it.

And that's what makes TJ Stiles work different. Now if you're looking for a Jesse James book that has all the nuts and bolts of his outlaw career, this probably isn't the book for you. TJ Stiles himself will tell you that there are other biographies that are much more detailed in that fashion. But if you want a good sense of the times and places and people that molded Jesse, that made him what he was, told in an interesting and evocative fashion, look no further than Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War.

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