Frank James facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexander Franklin James
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James in 1898
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| Born |
Alexander Franklin James
January 10, 1843 Kearney, Missouri, U.S.
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| Died | February 18, 1915 (aged 72) Kearney, Missouri, U.S.
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| Spouse(s) | Annie Ralston James |
| Children | 1 |
Alexander Franklin James (born January 10, 1843 – died February 18, 1915) was an American figure known for his role in the American Civil War and later as an outlaw. He was the older brother of the famous outlaw Jesse James. Frank James was also a member of the well-known James–Younger Gang.
Contents
Early Life
Frank James was born in Kearney, Missouri. His parents were Reverend Robert Sallee James, a Baptist minister, and Zerelda (Cole) James. His family came from Kentucky. Frank was the oldest of three children.
His father passed away in 1851. His mother remarried Benjamin Simms in 1852. After Simms' death, she married Dr. Reuben Samuel in 1855, when Frank was 13 years old. As a child, Frank enjoyed reading books from his late father's large library. He especially liked the plays of William Shakespeare. Records show that Frank went to school regularly. He even wanted to become a teacher when he grew up.
The Civil War Years
The American Civil War started in 1861. Frank James was eighteen years old at that time. In Missouri, some people wanted to leave the Union. They tried to remove the Union army from the state. Frank James joined the Missouri State Guard as a private. On September 13, 1861, his group surrounded Lexington, Missouri.
Frank became sick during this time. He was left behind when the Confederate forces left. He then gave up to the Union troops. He was allowed to go home after promising not to fight anymore. However, when he got home, a local pro-Union group arrested him. They made him sign an oath to support the Union.
After regular Confederate troops left in late 1861, a tough guerrilla fight began. This was between pro-Confederate fighters, called bushwhackers, and Union homeguards. By early 1863, Frank joined a guerrilla group led by Fernando Scott. He did this even though he had promised not to fight. Soon after, he joined a more active group led by William Clarke Quantrill.
Union soldiers looking for Fernando Scott raided Frank's family farm. They hurt his stepfather, Dr. Reuben Samuel. This forced his stepfather to tell them where the guerrillas were. Frank later took part in a violent event with Quantrill's group. This was the August 21, 1863 Lawrence Massacre, where many people died.
Frank James was released from fighting on July 27, 1865, in Nelson County, Kentucky. After this, there are reports that he was involved in a gunfight in Brandenburg, Kentucky. Another story says that in late 1865, Frank was suspected of stealing horses in Ohio. He reportedly shot two people from a group chasing him and got away.
Life as an Outlaw
During his years as an outlaw, Frank James was involved in several robberies. These events sometimes led to the deaths of bank workers or other people. One of the most well-known events was the difficult Northfield, Minnesota, raid on September 7, 1876. Most of the gang members were killed or captured during this raid.
Five months after his brother Jesse was killed in 1882, Frank James took a train to Jefferson City, Missouri. He had a meeting with the governor there. Stories say that James gave himself up. He did so with the understanding that he would not be sent to Northfield, Minnesota, for trial.
He was put on trial for only two robberies. One was in Gallatin, Missouri, for a train robbery on July 15, 1881. The other was in Huntsville, Alabama, for robbing a United States Army payroll on March 11, 1881. Former Confederate General Joseph Orville Shelby spoke in Frank's defense in the Missouri trial. Frank was found not guilty in both Missouri and Alabama. Missouri took legal control over him for other possible charges, but these never went to trial. He was never sent to Minnesota for his part in the Northfield Raid.
Later Life and Retirement
In the last thirty years of his life, Frank James worked many different jobs. He was a shoe salesman in Nevada, Missouri. He also worked as a ticket taker at a theater in St. Louis. The theater even used his name to attract customers, saying "Come get your ticket punched by the legendary Frank James." He also worked as a telegraph operator for AT&T in St. Joseph, Missouri.
James also gave lectures, living in Sherman, Texas. In 1902, a horse trainer named Sam Hildreth hired James. He worked as the betting commissioner at the Fair Grounds Race Track in New Orleans. He later returned to North Texas and worked as a shoe salesman in Dallas. In July 1914, a newspaper reported he was picking berries in Washington state. He planned to buy a farm nearby. He was also part of a group that bought a Wild West Show. This show was the third largest after the Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill shows.
In his final years, James went back to the James Farm. He gave tours of the farm for 25 cents. He passed away there at age 72 on February 18, 1915. He left behind his wife, Annie Ralston James, and one son. He is buried in Hill Park Cemetery, in Independence, Missouri.
Frank James in Movies and Books
- 1939, Henry Fonda played him in the film Jesse James. He also appeared in the 1940 movie The Return of Frank James.
- 1941, Al Taylor in Jesse James at Bay.
- 1946, Tom Tyler in the film Badman's Territory.
- 1949, Tom Tyler in I Shot Jesse James.
- 1950, Richard Long in Kansas Raiders, about his time with Quantrill's Raiders.
- 1954, Richard Travis in Stories of the Century.
- 1957, Jeffrey Hunter in The True Story of Jesse James.
- 1959, Jim Davis in Alias Jesse James.
- 1960, Robert Dix in Young Jesse James.
- 1965–66, Allen Case in The Legend of Jesse James.
- 1972, John Pierce in The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid.
- 1977, John Bennett Perry in an episode of Little House on the Prairie.
- 1980, Stacy Keach in The Long Riders. This movie had four sets of real brothers playing brothers in the gang.
- 1980, country singer Johnny Cash in the album, The Legend of Jesse James.
- 1984, Nick Benedict in an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard.
- 1986, country singer Johnny Cash in The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James.
- 1992, Jamie Walters in the TV show, The Young Riders.
- 1994, Bill Paxton in Frank & Jesse.
- 1995, Leonard Nimoy in the TV movie Bonanza: Under Attack.
- 2001, Gabriel Macht in American Outlaws.
- 2007, Sam Shepard in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.
- 2010, James Brolin in True Grit.
- 2018, Robert Carradine in Bill Tilghman and the Outlaws.
See also
In Spanish: Frank James para niños
