In 2017, I had the privilege of serving on a panel discussion with Kent Masterson Brown of KET documentaries, James Prichard research archivist for the Kentucky State Archives, Dr. Tom Sabetta, retired professor from U of K, and Eric James, author of “Jesse James Soul Liberty.” Eric and I became acquainted at the Louisville Genealogical Society when our first books were released. We met and conversed about the Confederate Guerrillas and the James Younger gang. Frank, Jesse, and the Youngers, were Kentucky Confederate Guerrillas.

Eric James is an interesting person, not only is he an author, but he also acted in a movie starring Kevin Costner, “300 miles to Graceland,” two other movies and a day-time-soap-opera. I took a leap of faith and told him I had stumbled on some information suggesting Jesse James was addicted to drugs, overdosing in a suicide attempt. Was I ever surprised! He told me that due to Jesse suffering a lung wound, when he was shot waving a white flag of surrender. He was in great pain, and had been prescribed opiates, leading to his addiction. Eric then asked if I would serve on a panel at the James/Younger Family Reunion, that year in Georgetown, Kentucky. I accepted as did my friend and fellow guerrilla hunter, Dr. Thomas Sabetta.

At the reunion, Eric moderated the panel, and asked questions, submitted to him by family members and visitors attending. Some were about Jesse and Frank’s Uncle George Hite who had a large family, and Robert Woodson “Wood,” Hite his fifth child, second son, and Jesse’s favorite Cousin. Jesse and Frank when traveling in Kentucky, sometimes stayed with his Uncle George, a former Confederate Major. Robert and another son of George, Clarence Woodson Hite were members of the James Younger gang. Robert was killed when shot by Robert Newton Ford in 1881, another gang member. Jesse about a year later was also killed by a bullet in the back of the head from the same Robert Newton Ford, the revolver of which was ironically, gifted to Robert Ford, by his cousin Jesse Woodson James.

Jesse, Frank and gang, depended on the same Kentucky families and safe houses that supported the Confederate irregulars, during the war. The gang would repay their friends and family for their help, after they robbed the bank, train or stagecoach. And, by this time many of the irregulars had set up residences in Kentucky and were well ingrained in their respective communities. Some became elected officials, such as Bud and Donnie Pence.

The Pence farm in Clay County Missouri lay across the road from the James Farm. Frank and Bud were each about four years older than their brothers, Donnie and Jesse, making them childhood friends, who became the proverbial band of brothers under the trials of war. Alexander Franklin James, Edward Pence, “Bud,” and Doniphan Pence, “Donnie” fought under the Black Flag of Captain William Clarke Quantrill while in Kentucky, from January 1st 1865 until Quantrill died at the hands of Independent Union Scout, “Bad Ed” Terrell, in June of 1865. Jesse fought in Missouri under the tutelage of William, “Bloody Bill,” Anderson.

After the war, there was no going home for Quantrill’s Raiders. These men were a human contradiction. They were soldiers, and though regular soldiers kill they do not murder. Soldiers readily take prisoners, and I think prefer this over killing them, after all, the end result is the same. The soldiers captured, are out of the war as much as those killed. With the guerrilla fighters, taking prisoners was just not practicable or often possible. Guerrilla bands ranged between five or six men, up to an average of 20 or 25 men. Their address was their saddle, and they had no base of operation. They were always on the run, seldom to anyplace, always from everyplace they were. Their goal was to secure a secret hideout to bind their wounds, rest, reprovision, gather intelligence and go on running. When captured by these men, if there was any doubt about your loyalty, you were simply shot to death, unless unluckily for you, the sound would alert an enemy. If so, you were quietly hanged or worse. Who then could elect these people after the war, as lawmen? The answer is Kentuckians! Rural Kentuckians favored the Confederacy while the towns and cities preferred the Union. Quantrill’s raiders were “Freedom Fighters” to the farmers, and terrorists to the city folk.

When Quantrill was fighting in Kentucky, in the beginning he had forty-seven Confederate Guerrillas with him, seven months later, only sixteen. On July 12th, 1865, all remaining Quantrill Raiders took the oath and mustered out at Samuels Depot. Lt. Masten Campbell and Captain Young with the 37th Mounted Infantry met these men for the last and only time without battling. The respect they demonstrated to one another was earned by each of the other’s, conduct in battle. These victors and vanquished had met and fought many times. Frank, Jesse, Donnie, Bud, and others went back to Clay County Missouri, only to be hounded out of their homes by lynch mobs, posses-comitatus, and bounty hunters. It became apparent that Missouri was too hot for them, but before they left, they reorganized and robbed the Liberty Missouri, bank. Bud and Donnie as well as Frank, Jesse, Bill Chadwell, McClellen Miller, Robert Hite, Jim, Bob, and Coleman Younger, George Shepherd, Bill Ryan, Dick Liddle and others comprised the gang robbing in Kentucky. While there, Bud and Donnie each married one of the two daughters of Nelson County Judge Samuels, and both became lawmen. Donnie, became chief Deputy of Nelson County and/or sheriff for nearly 30 years. Bud, was elected Town Marshal of Taylorsville. That they were under indictment for the Liberty Bank Robbery made no difference to the ladies, their father or the voters.

There is likely no way to know exactly how many Kentucky robberies were made by the James Gang, but there are three different stories about them in Brandenburg. Only one of which has been verified by Frank James, but there could be as few as three or four Kentucky robberies. March 20th, 1868 is the date of the Russellville, Kentucky bank robbery. August 29th, 1869 is probably a correct date for the shootout in the hotel restaurant at Brandenburg. April 29th, 1872, is the date for the Columbia Bank Robbery. On September 3rd, 1880, the Mammoth Cave Stagecoach “Florida,” was robbed by Frank and maybe Jesse James. Suffice it to say the gang operated here at least four times and possibly more. Many crimes were assigned to them they did not commit. It is also true that many crimes of robbery never solved and could have been committed by the gang. It is known that Frank and Jesse stayed with the Pence brothers when they were robbing in Kentucky or used their houses to “hole-up,” while robbing elsewhere. Although the work they did was a little unusual by today’s standards, the James and Pence may have invented the working vacation. Sometimes their wives and children traveled with them, and while the men were out making a living, the ladies would visit. The Mammoth Cave, Florence and Sheffield, Alabama, stage coaches, including the Huntington, West Virginia, Gallatin, Tennessee, Columbia and Russelville, Kentucky banks, may all have been robbed on a working vacation. Once Louisville’s Chief Detective, Delos “Yankee” Bligh came to a hotel in Chaplin to arrest Frank and Jesse who were staying with Donnie, and likely George Shepherd, a gang member who liked Kentucky so much he bought a farm near Chaplin. Bligh brought two uniformed Louisville Police Officers, but there were Frank and Jesse, Donnie, Bud, and Chief Deputy Hunter, five serious men against three. When the police entered all the men locked eyes on each other, and seconds later, the three Louisville Police backed out and left. When a reporter asked why he didn’t start shooting, Bligh simply stated, “We didn’t know which way Hunter would jump.” Incidentally, George Shepherd, was captured by Delos “Yankee,” Bligh and sent to prison for his part in the Russellville bank robbery.

Once, Donnie Pence was running for another term as sheriff. He and his opponent appeared together so the voters could compare them. Donnie’s opponent said, “Folks, you cannot vote for Sheriff Pence! “He harbors outlaws, train and bank robbers, Federal fugitives. You must vote for me!” Then Donnie spoke, saying, “He’s right. I was raised with those boys. I went through the war with them. One saved my life! They’re welcome in my house, but I’ll tell you one thing. In Nelson County, they don’t break a law!” The Voter’s concluded, they didn’t care whose banks were robbed, if theirs were left alone. Using Kentucky logic, they reelected Donnie. I love Kentucky, Kentuckians, and most of all, I’m proud of my and their Kentucky logic.