Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-02-09
THE JAMES BOYS.
One Of Them Formerly a Resident Of
Nashville.
Exciting Incidents From Their DeS.
peTate Career.

It is perhaps known but TO few Of ON
| readers that Frank James, the eldes. Of the
| two notorious Missouri outlaws who beaI
that name, was for two yeaIs after the war,
a resident Of Nashville, and a patient Of
! Paul Z. Eve. About the close Of the war,
| Frank James, then scarcely pas his tYen-
tieth year, in COMPANY with a small rem
naut Of QuantrilIs old command, went to
Lexington. No, for the purpose Of sur
rendering themselves 10 the United States
authorities at that place. They had been
promised full protection and pardon,
upon condition that they would come for
ward, lay down their arms and
AXE the oath Of allegiance. It was
further agreed that they should retain their
horses and side arms. After doing al that
was required Of them, they left Lexington,
and now comes the tragic occurrence that
rendered Frank James an invalid for life,
and laid the foundation for all his subse-
guent crimes. They had proceeded but a
short distance from Lexington when they
were fired upon by a party OF FederaIs IN
ambush, and all killed with the exception
Of James and two or three others. Having
hadEis left lung almost completely torn
away in the first fire, young James fell
from his horse, and with some exertiOn
managed TO crawl through a fence
which skirted the lane in which
the ambush was laid. Lying here upon
his face, he killed three Of the Federal
bushwhackeIs with his revolver, and then,
by almost superhuman effort, rose to his
feet and made his way to the woods, some
Two hundred yards distant. Unable to pro-
coed further, be concealed himself in the
underbTush until nightfall, when he crawl
ed upon his hands and knees a distance Of
half a mile to the cabin Of an old negro
who had formerly belonged to his father.
This old negro, assisted by his wife, con-
structed a rude litter, upon whichthey bore
the mangled form Of James to a temporary
place Of safety.
Il was MANY months before he recovered
sufficiently TO leave his bed, and On being
guaranteed protection from the United
States Government, he came to Nashville
and placed himself under the care and
treatment Of DR.. Eve.
Alter leaving Nashville and having trav-
eled throughout many of the Northern
States, vainly seeking the means Of recOY-
cry, he returned 10 Missouri and joined
his sOrrowing family. There be remained
uadisturbed until March, 1868, when his
and JeSse's names became linked with the
LOGAN county. Ky., bank robbery. Right
on the heels of this came the robbery Of
other Kentucky banks, and in June, 1871,
the C0rydOn, Iowa, bank was plundered.
Strange 10 saw. the James boys were said to
have been engaged in all Of these daring
robberies. In consequence Of these charges,
and owing to the unsettled times, they
were compelled TO leave home and seek
safety abroad. It was in the latter
part Of 1871 that our informant met
them at Decatur, in Wise county, Texas,
and about the end Of the same year or the
beginning Of 1872 saw them again in
Southwest Missouri. IL was during this
latter meeting that he had aprivate CONVEX
sati0n with them in reference to the Iowa
bank robbery. They both bitterly denied
any connection with that affair, or with
any other robbery. Jesse said, with fire
flashing from his ewes, Had the Democrats
been in power, these false and malicious
charges would never have been made; it
was the work of some designing, villainOus
Radicals who wanted 20 break up and de-
srOy cur peaceful home, because we we're
so bitter against them during the war;"
1t is probably owing to the ~treacherOus
shooting of Frank James and his comrades
at Lexington, and the charges brought
against them since, which have made them
such desperate men and c~ausedtleir names
10 become such a terror 20 their enemies.
The late attack upon their mothers house
is a wrong they will never forgive and I'M
less We are greatly mistaken, those who
we're implicated in that shameful and cow
ardly assault will yet Tuethe day that they
heard the names of Frank and Jesse
James. 1t is now war to the death between
the James boys and PiDkerton's assassins.