The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1878-12-21

THEIR DARING EXPLOITS

The exploits of Quantrel and his famous band
of freeboOters are so familiar to the Western
public that they need no repetition, but some Of
their daring deeds have only recently come to
light, and even at this day make rare and inter.
esting reading. Long before the war ended
these men became the most desperate lot CT
freeboOters known to this country, They learn,
ed to live on plumber. and when peace came the
worst of them, headed BY the celebrated James
brothers and Younger brothers, kept up the
business of numbering and stealing. What
they did was done with high hand in broad
daylight They rode into towns. shot down citi-
7ens, broke open banks, carried off thousands
of dollars. They stopped railroad trains,
stripped the passengers of their valuables and
robbed the express. They rode the teetest
horses, had no fear, were dead shots, and for
ten years escaped capture in time of profound
peace. They were in Texas to-day in Missouri
Tomorrow Their lives appeared to be charmed,
and they seemed to travel on the wings Of the
wind. a sort of mystic romance grew up
around them. There were those who declared
| that the Jameses and the YOungers were not
connected with these Incredible fcats of devil
try, but the best informed knew that no mex.
perienced man could ride as they rode, shoot as
they shot, and fight as they fought There was
a holiness sud a rapidity Of execution about
these robberies that could not be attributed to
fresh hands. The detectives could do nothing.
They followed the phantom riders by day and
hy night, and from State to State, yet were
| they always batfled.
| More than one detective bit the dust in his
zeal to capture the noted land pirates Where
they lived, and who were their friends and abct
tors, was a mystery. Yet it was known they
had some place for kind of headquarters. and
that they must have those to whom they con,
tided their secrets. Those mysteries remained
to he unsolvcd till the great Northf-id Rank
robbery in Minnesota. The end had come at
last and the truth revealed 1t was dcmonstra.
ted that the Younger brothers were part of
the desperate gang, and but little doubt left
| that the two escaping ones were the James
brothers Here ended the operations of these
men. The YOuDgers were put in prison for life,
and the Jameses have conclude to run no fur.
Their risks. Where they ire and what they are
doing must, for the present at least, remain a
secret. Some say they are raising cattle, while
others say they are in Colorado trying to make
an honest living in the mining districts 1t was
| reported lately that Frank James was in Mis-.
souri,, and that he was all broken down in health
| may, they are still being hunted by the detec
| tives, and there hangs over them shadow in
| whatever land they may be. The two brothers
| are the last of that famous band of highwaymen
who grew up out of the remains of what was
known as "Quantrell's Command the bravest
| and most successful body of men that took a
part in the late civil war. They were nurtured
In the troubles Of 1885, the border feuls between
Missouri and Kansas. No other circ unstaucc
could have produced such class of men, They
| delightedin blood and pillase but they had
show OF honor after all. Their bravery was a
virtue if they had no other, and it was this that
made them friends ont of people who ought TO
have been their enemies This much in the
way of an Introduction of .Om, of those TO
whom this article relates
In the fall OF 1868 Quantrel left Missouri with
accompany of 100 men, passed through Arkansas
aid attempted to go into Louisiana. They were
notified by Kirby Smith, then commanding the
rebel army In that country, that they could not
join his army, nor would they be allowed to re.
main in louisiana 1t appears that he did not
want them on account Of the bad name that had
preceded them, and as he believed they would do
his army more harm than good in the way of de.
strOying its discipline. The Headquarters of the
Louisiana State Government were then at
Shreveport, aud Henry w. Allen was the Chief
Executive. by some means he heard of Kirby
Smiths refusal to allow the men of Quantrells
command to become soldiers in the regular
army, or remain in the State, and he sent for
them himself, and told them he would like them
to join tile State Scouting Service and be under
his immediate control. Qnantrell himself de-
clined the invitation, but a number of his fol.
lowers, among them the James and Younger
brothers, accepted the offer of Governor Allen.
These elected as their commander one of their
number named Joe Lee, who had came from
near Independence, Missouri. Since that a lit.
tie town has grown up some miles this side of
lndepenfence, known as Lees Summit, given
in honor of Joe Lees father. Lee was yOnng
man and as desperate as any He knew nothing
OF fear, and had been in many close encounter
on the Kansas border. He was six feet high |
built from the ground up, had wild, dasfing |
air that always distinguished him in any com.
pany, and had face that was altogether more |
pleasing than disagreeable The place of rem. |
devious for this company of State scouts was !
Carroil parish, now West Carroll parish, about |
Twenty-Five miles from the Mississippi river,
directly across from yicksburg. Previous to |
the war this county had been in high state Of !
cultivation, but the neglect of the river levees
had made 1t subject to inundations. For many
miles IN every direction much OF the land was
covered with water great portion Of the year. A
good class OF people lived there Many Of them
had been wealthy planters and the owners of
large number Of slaves It was one Of the rich.
est PORTIONS Of the State, being in the center of
the great cotton belt Of the South. Joe Lee and
his followers had no trouble in finding friends
and abettOrs, aud that too, among the most re-
people Of the community. There were
two little towns IN the parish-Floyd and Delhi
Ithese two hamlets, and in their vicinity, the
wsSilas made their homes. They came and
full q athout let or hindrance, and were always
aud Joi,2ney. Joe Lee, Frank and Jesse James
Dickson. sMgett, stopped with planter named
He, above ali Dickson lives there at this time
fidential frienI kcs of the parish, was the con.
active. well.bnilt Ne guerrillas They were all
air that captures ths OF that dashing, reckless
kept the community in seTts Of women. They
element and enthusiasm, tste Of perpetual ex-
ongwives and maidens. made sad havoc
revelry from week in to week ollss one m round OF
there wasa party Or ball at the hGEvery night
planter. The guerrillas were tho III. OF some
these occasions. They sported the mos,s, on all
dress, fourished the finest pistols and rofssllily
best horses: They were the only heroes ne
people could have with them. To the necrneat
they were a terror. Intact ttey were sIin,ame i
10 the mastery pf Carroll parish. Now and chem |
they wonM go away on forays, and would "a. 4
urn I with various amounts and kinds of plumber.
They would waylay some small detacbmenttof
EeQ0ral ha