We often see jesse james is the apolitical. To just also taken a span and enable us to see a man who we should know is that who was during the civil war, deeply political. I is my pleasure to bring back to the stage tj stiles. [applause] question two very much. My grandfather to public speaking onetime summoned him up to him and said he wanted to go to the ballgame. A few times i find rather disappointing. I hope i dont jesse james is my first subject. I wrote about him to him because i want to write about the civil war and reconstruction is one story. I didnt want to write a boring story. s personal best through Popular Culture had a significant role in american history. Him thehan debunking way that scholars often do with popular figures, i found that he probably played a much more Important Role in recruiting people have previously realized. Very closely tied to the civil war. The reason why we know his name is because of the civil war. Im going to be talking book civil war a little bit before getting even into jesse james. The reason, during much of this history, he was quite young. The guerrilla warfare civil war heres a couple effects i have upon screen, telling you why this was such a dramatic event. , and 1864, the state conducted a census and found that it was missing one third of the 1860 population. A lot of them had fled or had been driven out or just simply unavailable. 42 were in the state of missouri. Thats more soldiers than an occupied areas of all 11 confederate combined. That gives you an idea of how savage this war was. Missouri was the northwest frontier of slavery. Union course it came to a is part of the missouri compromise in 1820. If you look at this map, missouris syria is this area you notice the Missouri River, flows west. Population density slavery follows the rivers. These counties were not only where the white people or dentist but also enslaved africanamericans. So those counties, even the missouri itself was not one of was mosts slavery pronounced. It was 12 of the population enslaved. Thats in 1850. Less than 10 in 1860. The population was concentrated in slaveholding counties. Many leaders were slaveholders especially from the Missouri River county. We have to the fact that slaves were the secondmost valuable form of property, human beings held in bondage. It was central to the state economy. In 1864, his doubleclick. To the kansasarrest act. Remember, at this point by 1850, missouri is not frontier state. Its on the frontier settlement, but its especially in the missouri where territories, it is very much a settled establish an area with commercial agriculture connected to national markets. Jesse james is on fire, a baptist preacher didnt pay baptists didnt pay their printers back then he was a slave owner and also a commercial farmer. This is not some selfsustaining frontier person. This is a person in the commercial agricultural economy. In 1964, the state is in , by opening up kansas to the idea of sovereignty, that the settlers of kansas will vote on whether there will be slavery there. And the very strongly proslavery we, in 1854 meaning the slope proslavery forces if we win we carry slavery to the pacific ocean. The slaveryizing portions based in new england, their organization we will be compelled to shoot, burn, and this is the risk to settle kansas, between free of spoilers from the northeast and missourians theres already a willingness to use force. There are many reasons we could spend all day talking about it. Basically theres a real sense of threat these people establish conclusively every state missouri will have free territory and three stocks. They are worried but abolitionist that they will be actively stealing slaves that they were called offering slaves. Also there was a great struggle to export their labor system, slavery and to the west, or whether it could be closed off to slavery. Even people who were anti who did not want to deliver an africanamerican stash were fighting for defending slavery, even people who were not slave owners themselves 1 wanted to spread slavery. Was wrapped up in several different political issues in cultural issues. What happens is, in the state of missouri, the state mobilized and spread of slavery into kansas. Can 54 in june mass readings across the western part of the state the james family, his father died gold this was in clay county muche Missouri River a denser slaveowning part of the state, very close to the western frontier. So this is happening in their territory, their home county. There were men who joined 1000 joined this Association Later game private militia organizations to going to kansas. By november 55 fighting broke out in kansas. The border inside missouri breaking money, organizing we have in clay county proslavery aid association. December 5 1865, a group of people captured the federal arsenal in liberty, the county seat of clay county. Thank you an idea for the fighting in kansas known as bleeding kansas, and is making people noticed they are seizing a federal arsenal in missouri. Now happens, this mobilization divides people within missouri. So this is an under reported, under discussed aspect of the bleeding kansas fight, were 200 people are killed in the civil war in kansas 1950. But within missouri, there is a real polarization that is created. For example, i mentioned on the screen, july 29, 1854 a creature who is antislavery put on trial in his own church. The man who organized this is a ideologue proslavery who argues that slavery is sorry for white people to be free. He says everyman who works for a living is a slave in the rp white working woman is a whore. He says we have to have slavery so we can be free and not engage in menial work. As of all caps called dutch those who are opposed not opposed to slavery, but those who simply dont think there should be warfare in kansas. That was drawn out of the county in 1855. Destroyed a55 newspaper critical of the warfare going on in kansas or globalization for. Communityy denounced traders and july 12 a proslavery convention in lexington, Missouri Town tongue close to western border, actually endorses secession six years before the outbreak of the civil war. No course, the war arrived in may 2 one, but by that time, missouri is notified and firmly into camps, prounion and prosecession. Thats not it to being proand antislavery, the sure if you abolitionist in missouri, but most are found in the german population very strong especially great lakes. Are many people who are moderately proslavery dont need in this union was, the border states very strong in missouri. Theres also slaveowners you say if society, they are going to fugitive slave act. We will have an International Boundary of these sides, then it really was our slaves. Its not a simple proantislavery for say again, its polarizing because of the intolerance of four to 7 and what becomes the secessionist movement. Is a strong this goes against secession very strongly. The government very much in favor of secession organizes estate car. Theres a class with general nathaniel the sticker treats to the southwest, line tax and local greek dishes the second i think he is killed. Price leaks take lexington. And then finally, general fremont believes in new force which forces the price of a state carry by the end of 1861, you have for the next three years, basically an end to conventional warfare missouri. Instead, a massive Guerrilla Campaign breaks out. We have to ask the question of why. Since he is from western missouri but is that the antislavery j hawking fighting alongside john brown, in kansas, because the proslavery border into that they want revenge now. In march and, they terrorize her intimate and pillage western missouri. Those missourians rise up to defend us. There is an element of truth to this street there in fact were raids by troops from kansas to western missouri. That absolutely good to you. However, the problem is, notice i illustrated when raids took place. Fighting breaks out across the state, especially along missouri and Mississippi River valleys. I will add is im focusing on jesse james unfortunately, i will add this mixed impression that this is a border war. Jesse can design western order. The guerrilla warfare takes seek across in fact, we the initial frustrations there and therefore union of refugees being driven into major towns by conventional union forces. Thats in it and 61. 1861. The secessionists did not need the impotence of his union forces marching and terrorizing them. A study published after my book came out shows that the prosecessionist missourians in the Missouri River valley, who were again, the leading figures in the debates, they carried out a check story from the mobilization of secessionist states guard regiment. So the Secession Movement failed, they get reimbursed by the confederate government. Unionists took over. Come back later on. So what happens in this emerging guerrilla warfare . I will get to jesse james in a minute its important to think about, what exactly we are talking about. First, as i mentioned, its concentrated in the slaveowning areas leaders of these groups tend to be from the wealthier more established families. Not only, but especially from slaveholding families. Again, they have been leaders in their counties initially. It is of the people who read the organization of the secessionist groups. Withoutre small groups central direction. Now talking about who has a direct time to the confederate chain of command. These groups strongly associate if the confederacy coming up they are not responding to orders or decentralized strategy. That means two things. One arrow most impossible to crush out. Coachella onslaught, theres another one modified and they will keep operating. The killed on the guerrilla leader, malone will show a three there is no sense in which you can simply crush it out. Never and thing, it real threat on its own and control geographically of missouri. So its a constant running source of communion and then that they are never in danger of losing anything. That has important facts. For another thing about this warfare, the tactics used. These are very close range questions. As a lot of emotions, heroin abuse of close range weapons. Caliber is cap and ball. The confederates were known to carry all as many as half of the homers. Drop a very there was very intense close rate fighting the more you begin to use decoy ambushes or they would send up somebody to lower union forces into a lure her union forces into a trap. Increasingly as the war went on youre not going to seize formal control of missouri, but they are trying to. As so oftenical the case in guerrilla warfare, the target becomes civilians. In the face of the confederate rose, they are beginning to attack. The burning of unity. There terrorizing people were but they would trick people into releasing there are union allegiance. Google formats and ask for food, they would give them food, drink they brought the house and off until the men on the doorstep. I 19631864, you are seeing summary executions, using the killing of prisoners after a clash, you are beginning to see in 1864, mutilation, scouting, severed heads, other parts of the human body, which we will discuss today. Real war that becomes increasingly about terror and controlling the civilian population. The last thing, the confederate confederate guerrillas and winter snowfall session leaves fall out of the trees, they are easier to track. They withdraw. Another thing that makes it very hard to stand up. In texas, are not happy about these people missouri. Of course, the union has to invent its important to note that the future of jesse jamess career, that this is a war which is mostly fought on the union side by missouri men. The provisional State Government which replaces johnson , it creates the Missouri State militia. Organs like the cavalry of the u. S. Falters they are supplemented by a range of local countybased militia organizations. Militia missouri and provisional enrolled missouri militia, turns out some of the enrolled missouri militia home derates at turned out to be quite disloyal. So they create a hardened core, which can answer session recycle of violence. Whohave now underarms, men are most strong of the union fighting against their neighbors. It makes that local neighbor against neighbor fighting even more intense. They to develop a range of tactics. They have towns of course, to carrier patrols. They are under confederate guerrilla raid, they pursue. They also target enemy camps, theyre trying to get intelligence, they try to attack them when theyre in camp and those are her bottoms, those heavy brush and timber. To carry outin more sophisticated tactics, like a decoy ambush. As early as 1863, i found evidence of a local union icer putting two Companies One on either side of the creek, to draw the confederates out of those to hide in again, with a lot of cultural industry products they would try to drive them towards the end zone waiting at the other end. In one case i will get to in a minute, the confederates the guerrillas actually lowered them into an ambush. Now again, this is increasingly directed against the civilian population of the union side as well. And one case this boat goes to both the rising level of atrocity on both sides the Missouri State militia commander went out and was searching for confederate rebels in august 1862. He finds the character of drills and attacks them, then wrote a report. Found three men at a nearby anye who denied having african arms men. After this was over, i sent to these men out and had them shot. So this shows you the level again of intensity. Alternative was not report what he thought they knew. He reports it in an official report. This is 1862, and its worth from there. Martial law was carried by a usually baseds in county seat. Often with local ties and they are gathering information. Remember, the countryside is and they are reporting on each other. Theres other members carried out. All men are required to enroll in the missouri militia. If they refused are known to be secession they were enrolled as disloyal. Theyre creating a list,or the suspects and the other side . \ they had to pay a fine. Like confederates are doing, they were taxing the other side. Again, this warfare is falling upon the salience. As the war goes on im talking about in a minute not only are they searching homes, not only are they interrogating and registering disloyal, but also they begin to carry out torture, and finally, mass depopulation. Is an aspect there was a border wall aspect of missouri. Cointreau, the most famous of the guerrilla leaders, was not himself from missouri, but the way is quite good at guerrilla warfare. In 1863 come carried out when of doesost infamous incident she let guerrillas and to of the the capital Abolitionist Movement in kansas and killed approximately 200 men and boys and burned down the town. Again, missouri has its own cycle of violence, yet they also are as confederates. , a low point for the confederacy. This is after vicksburg, gettysburg. It also found rococo locally romance escapes from slaves still being held in slavery and western missouri. On top of that there were a number of women who were taken prisoner who were sisters and female relatives of guerrillas. They were concentrated in a building in kansas city. There was a Building Collapse some of them were killed. A lot of the guerrillas wanted personal revenge. The National Landscape and local personal aspect are not mutually exclusive. They are both true. Jim langevin away way picture whoe, was a strong jhawker was u. S. Senator and j hawker raids into kansas. He was a target he happened to escape in his underwears a cornfield. Responded we have the brotherinlaw of William T Sherman here, this who was theying western missouri are google civilians not living with them one miles county since 3. 5 counties, to effectuate their farms. This created an area called union troops marched through after the lawrence massacre, burning down arms, led to a famous painting owned by the state historical Messiah Society missouri, order number 11. Again, this shows you a strong element of truth, theres also a kind of propaganda as well. It shows you again, all the fires. Crocs onrea which farms being burned, attempt to drain across civilians supporting guerrilla warfare. Now we come, finally come onto the james family. Kush to reversing of, the mother having remarried. S is a family that was they owned seven slaves in 1850, which means i have more black faces on that farm than white ones. Thats more than doubled the local slaveholding and clay county. Previously they were reason hemp, they switched to tobacco. This is not a story of deprivation or self sustaining farmers. They are sophisticated, well educated people. For percent of special edition outspoken conceptus confederate and secessionist refrain james , 18 whener than just a the war started, enlisted in the state guard. He fought at wilsons creek. He did not need to be pushed to the confederate side. An estate that was highly polarized when the war began, they were strongly secessionist, proconfederate. Again, the idea that they had no opinions until they were terrorized is not true. A number ofart in actions, including the disruption that i mentioned of a hammer and angle operations, in clay county. After they had disrupted this operation frank guinta the group he was with were hiding out that she can see in the background of the james samuel form. The local provisional enrolled in militia, and the hard core the local leaders made a raid to try to find a group led by men who have never hit up heard of named fernando scott. Did, they went on a farm and asked a stepfather, with examples, if he knew of guerrillas were. The newspaper reported shortly afterward james rogers said the belligerent tends to be , when dr. Alsely didnt already guerrillas. Once procured a rope, placed it around his neck, and gave him one good swing. His memory brightened up, and he concluded to reveal the hiding place of the rebels. He led the boys into the wood and short distance, and thereupon the ground it was discovered the whole band, including his stepson. As a result this fisherman and samuel were placed in rather awkward positions. He later asked permission from the marshall to leave this to leave his outspoken wife behind as well. These gates jesse james legend has it believe with in the fields. Surely after he was arrested a person was also arrested. Ruben samuel had to report regularly to a marshall a part of that network in attempting to control guerrilla warfare. The next year, franklin took part in a massacre and went off to texas, quebec. Came back with a group led by the minute for left pledge taylor. Frank james in the middle, then his younger brother jesse. The middle photo shows just james and the typical confederate guerrilla outfit, a guerrilla sure to come and heavily embroidered by the women in the family. You multiple revolvers he is caring. He posted a photo and plant city after guerrillas platte city after guerrillas briefly captured. Another young man part of this he and was clements restaurant mentor and close friend. Jesse james in 1864 at the age of 16 . Joins the guerrillas . To damage my troops are they fighting against jaywalkers . No. They go house to house burning old neighbors who are unionists. Who were notrmers engaged in, who were at home working. In one case they found a unionist foreman fields, one to the house to tell the widow that theyd killed them. Kid growing up next to these men. He was a part of a death squad. Part of a political cleansing of clay county. Action,ult of this again, there was pursued by the local provost marshal, who is leading at the time just a militia commander. But taylor just the james ambushed them and kept in kemper, leader of the crypt it was again a combination of warfareombat, and also on the population. After this, jesse james chuck and the arm, loses one of his arms his friend did. Jesse james and pledge taylor joined a man named bloody Bill Anderson. He earned his name. He lost a sitter in the kansas city prison collapse. Archie clinton became known as Bill Andersons chief scalper. For theirroups mutilation of the dead. Decorated their bridles they made a regular practice of. Urdering any prisoners im getting a little out of myself. The, he takes part jim brothers take part in an operation in missouri, with a pull 22 unarmed sure soldiers returning home on leave from shermans army in georgia and murder them by the side of the railroad tracks. Then they ambush a pursuing a pursuing union of force and managed to wipe it out. They mandate should murder everyone who tried to surrender. Over 100 men were executed. Jesse james got credit for killing the commander of pursuing force. There is massive dismemberment and stopping taking place. Is just james introduction to warfare. In the autumn of 1864 conventional warfare price that big dreams of being able to missouri for the confederacy. He himself is a former governor, a leading missourian. It three divisions, but one of which have no comments. The group to be handicapped he gets bogged down in the seating a fort pilot knob ability viewing was commanding. In that time to rush conventional troops in. Rather capture st. Louis he found Jefferson City the capital wellestablished. Eventually marks marches over to west court in kansas city, where there is a major battle. Interestingly, what happens is, theres no central direction of those confederate guerrillas they could have been creating chaos in all over the state given him an advance in ocs important points while union forces are split up dealing with all these guerrillas. Do again, since these groups not have central direction, they responded to an invasion by going to his army. Concentrates most of the confederate guerrillas a lot of leading groups which it with his conventional army. A lot of the guerrilla leadership is wiped out and conventional couples. The opposite of what they should have done. Again, theres no one who was a part of the confederate chain of command in the guerrilla movement. Rival conventional forces, instead of taking the guerrilla war to another level, it knocks it down a notch. In fact, that westport, he is badly defeated and has to retreat. Lly not coming out of the confederate guerrilla movement. One interesting side effect, is s ruthless rson even the result is worthless guerrillas, he is too much for price. He said, what i would like you to do was go across the missouri , her what happens is doesnt do that. He gets a little word into an ambush by militia commander does she like to use a decoy ambushed. Its declared himself into an ambush and is killed. This is something just james carries with him. So what happened in the james family, they are targeted for vanishing. Theres a very interesting report written up, in which the marshall was been collecting intelligence, knows that tims an soldiers who is in the national archives. This is in the sibling indexing a family. He says come i speak not merely from hearsay, but for my own personal knowledge. He is personally heard a member of dural samuel being challenged by a neighbor what youre doing after such really. She rejoiced that she was nuts, proud of them, that she prayed to god to protect them and their work. He said i regard her as one of the worst women in this state. Have been sent across the Union Alliance to the confederacy. The confederates getting farther and farther away they get sent to nebraska. Again ig than, jumped ahead a little bit. Bill anderson was killed. You can see his death photo on the right, wearing an embroidered shirt. Jeffrey james with Archie Clements in texas. They come back in the spring of 1865 to find that the civil wars over, and that there is a domestic reconstruction beginning in missouri. Missouri goes ahead of the union, its a republican government. The Republican Party is created by the war, its almost nonexistent in 1860. Of the strongest unionists, the ones in the militia movement, those who are most active, become republicans. So they carry at statements patient they have gimp they have been knocked over by they are not a part of the Union Occupation of the confederacy. Later on in missouri they enact what was called the ironclad oath, where you have to swear that you did not do one of 86 different acts of disloyalty, in order to vote, preach gospel, be an officer, serve on juries, etc. Soft conservative unionist movement. Therere not so harsh stronger units to become republican radicals which should use them with radical politics from washington. The radicals are minorities. They can only maintain the power carries with her decision for a new missouri. Vision aa program, by keeping the compressor attached confederates out of politics. But doing this, theres no large black population to rely on a voting bloc, as you do in mississippi and other states. But doing that, they create a there is no political outlook for the former discontented federate confederates and they begin to alienate the moderate unionists to become the Democratic Party in missouri after the civil war. Richard clement links a group back im running out of time. Archie clements does not surrender. A lot of confederate guerrillas say, theres no point in carrying on, they surrendered. Archie clements demands the surrendered lexington at the end of may, 1865. This is someone who was not willing to stop sacrificing he never gives up. Jesse james himself is badly wounded. Can confirmme i that he changed exchanged fire with mom missouri troops is when he has a gunfight with wisconsin troops in may of 1865. 66, comes back. This is the election that decides the fate of reconstruction. This is the one i talked about yesterday, but Andrew Johnson gosen himself campaigning for uniting which there ointment war south. Radicals now come up with the 14th amendment, the civil rights act. They have increasingly, a new vision that is including black people in the union. This is a violent electioneering is early. The prorepublican gains, groups like Archie Clements, resisting from the confederate side. This syrian missouri starts off with a rubber band just the robberyy line bank in history just click on a Savings Association and liberty, the county seat of the county were just gains from. What is to think some town. Which one did they pick . One owned by the former Union Militia officers. We cap had the first Republican Party rally in the county history. Theyre getting easy money. There are definitely outlaws they also take political markets. Clements gange intimidates registration officials. Ise sheriff of clay county saying union men are terrified. Union troops are sent and to investigate reports of an armed pistol company. One of them says, everyone is wearing a gun, i cant tell. Reduceys in the field is violence and turmoil. The end of 1866, on election day, to clement leads guerrillas this is the fall of 1866. On election day he occupied the town of lexington the most important mustard Missouri Town market has become election to the democrats. Publicans like the stayathome. Governor declares state of emergency or to clement ends up in hell. And then simulating still having kids, names his son archie after she clements. Shows you how strongly identified with it. As with any 266. 1969 to go quickly through postwar history the concern we ask questions. In 1869, jesse james and his brother go to rob a Savings Association. Isy believe that the cashier the militia leader who killed political anderson. They grab nothing of value but jesse james has a point of shooting down a man as they escape from the scene, he boasts about he is killed that help you build political and are syncrude we noticed she was, because his horse we observe them. He had to steal a farmers horse. Back then people knew their horses is a famous horse locally. Fact, the first pistol at the nerve to do. This makes jesse james score. His name now becomes famous. What happens, he comes to the attention of a newspaper editor and who has been a confederal confederate confederate history x commander and is John Newman Edwards. He comes back from exile in mexico with a plan to bring the confederates back into politics. If they can convince missourians he can create that most of the union is terrorizing missouri, turning it into cash missourians are manly man who stood up for the rights even though it was a confederate fashion he wants a confederate three in peace time. In fact, jesse james begins to write letters to the kansas city times. He says, i am innocent. Dammed if they take me alive. End. L fight to the he becomes a symbol of the martyrdom many confederates feel they are suffering after the civil war. Withis brother younger brothers another former confederates, they carry out robberies and are absolutely criminal. They are violent men who jesse james, at 16, immersed in immense violence. He likes seeing people cower when he points a gun in their face. He likes not having to work for a living. Hes definitely in it for the money. Exaggerate want to the politics of his bandit career, but politics is what distinguishes his bandit career. If being a confederate is such a great excuse, why is he the only one essentially who is doing it . Inbecomes very important missouri politics. He and his brother are the only ones singled out for rewards by the governor of missouri above 300. When the confederates come back into power, they put a limit on rewards of 300, which can only be seen as a direct act to protect the James Brothers from capture. The climax of this is in 1872 when jesse james carried out a robbery with one of the youngers , and top left i have one of those quotes i mentioned i dont care what the radical party thinks about me. I would just as soon they think i am a robber as not. Again, a kind of wink at the audience. And then John Newman Edwards writes editorials talking about these men who carried out this robbery at the kansas city fair, both robbers are great men, and jesse james writes i cannot prove, but i believe the jesse james did write these letters. Later when he moved to tennessee, he writes very press, letters to the completely unconnected to John Newman Edwards. Just let a party of men commit a bold robbery, and the cry is hang them, but rent and his party can steal millions and it is all right. It hurts me very much to be called at the. It makes me feel like they were on par witht me brent and his party. Grants party has no respect for anyone. They rob the poor and rich, and we rob the rich and give to the i willloses close by hoping that forest really will the feet grant and then i can make an honest living, and then i will not have to rob, as taxes will not be so heavy. Been edited by edwards. He is riding very political, very similar letters to other newspapers writing very political, very similar letters to other newspapers. There are other events that take place chamber 25th, 18 summary five, the pinkertons who had some men killed by the james s, whors the pinkerton had some men killed by the James Brothers. They end up killing archies halfbrother. This becomes a major event. The people who support the militiaists. E old and the James Brothers and up killing him outside his house. They sought a reenactment of the civil war 10 years later. 1876, the northfield robbery. This is the climax of his life in my book. I believe the evidence strongly suggests that when one of the youngers was captured, the day after the disastrous robbery, that he spoke the truth when he said they had learned the former governor, delbert hayes, again, went on to be the reconstruction governor and senator of mississippi, one of the foremost voices of civil rights during reconstruction. He had been driven out of mississippi by the insurrection of 1875, and where did he go . North hill, mississippi north hill, minnesota. He was not locally famous. The James Brothers new he was there. They went to get him, what, 1876, president ial election year, year red year that reconstruction is up for grabs. Did they intend to have any impact on the election . Maybe so. It was an attractive target because he was there. It was not just a target of opportunity. Interesting man. One of the most fascinating people. Gangan see one of the new members was killed on the streets. He kind of looks a little bit like my father who always claimed a relation. There is no relation. After a density six, the gang is wiped out except for the James Brothers. And they try to live peacefully. Frank can do it. Jesse cant. When he returns to a life of crime, by now, reconstruction has ended. Confederates actually dominate politics in missouri, a strong james has noe, and political excuse. There is no more fight. He is now just a violent man in it for the money. So, his second bandit career just last a couple of years. Its typical for western outlaws. Thomas crittenden has a new recruit who famously shoots jesse james in the back of the head. It is a really lucky thing for jesse james because that secured his image, his miss is the american robin hood because he came back. He could not stay out of the outlaw life. If he had just laid quietly, he would have probably been forgotten, and he certainly would not be remembered as the american robin hood. Thatecause he came back, doomed him and changed his image in american memory, taking out the whole political context that kept him alive for so long. Was not sos window happy, but certainly jesse james promis was a great deal to the fact that bob ford shot him in the back of the head and left him the man you see in the casket there. Thank you very much. [applause] mr. Stiles again, lets take some questions and if not, i will just go on for a few more minutes. I know i talked very quickly because there is so much to talk about, but this is a civil war conference, i heard, and second of all, second of all, that really is the key to understanding jesse james. No civil war, no jesse james. Its really that simple. Yes, sir . Im just curious about jesse james in terms of the man. In a way, at least for me, he reminds me a little of on dillinger. He was doing the cover of the civil war, the ofer of reconstruction john dillinger, i mean that he was using the cover of the civil war, the cover of reconstruction to use the skills of killing during the civil war that he was a psychopath, basic way, like buddy Bill Anderson. One wayave an opinion or the other whether he was just i mean, the way i look at him is he was brutalized and also trained to kill as confederate soldier, and that he enjoyed that it. And and carried that into the peacetime world. Think that yeah, i is absolutely true. One very fruitful way of thinking about him, which is a talkedy a sociologist about experiences that typically violent criminals have in common. I think that absolutely applies to jesse james. He could not live quietly even when there was no politics area however, i dont believe his partisanship and his politics are mutually exclusive with having a violent personality and inability to make an honest living. I think that if they were mutually exclusive, or rather, it was a good excuse, there would have been all kinds of outlaws claiming political motives. Why would the other outlaws also be outputting their names out there, writing letters to the press . The fact is it is jesse james in particular who comes to the attention of edwards and even when he is away from edwards carries on. I think both are true. He at a violent personality. He might have led a life of crime under any circumstances, but this is what distinguishes him. When i look at the politics of the time and how people were deeply partisan and how deeply divided missouri was, it makes sense that he was very political and he had to argue against evidence to say that he was not really political and had no real views. When you are in the position of shaky ground. On you make a valid point. Its just the other side of this is also true. In a broader context, i would imagine individuals who are not perhaps so overtly political as jesse james, but in the American West to that followed, the gunplay, people wore guns on their hips like you there these pictures were other civil war veterans who contributed to that culture of violence. Can you speak to that . Mr. Stiles yeah, wild bill hickok, one of the more most famous gunmen in the west, he had been a union scout in missouri. In fact, our typical main street lockdown, two guys face each other and walked down main street. Everyone runs for cover, that happened in sprinkled, missouri in 1865 between wild bill had got in a confederate rebel named ut. E ta notentor, though i do lately agree with him, one of the great scholars of violence in american history, Richard Maxwell brown, he sees a pattern of violence in which wartime loyalty is he calls it the western civil war of incorporation, that all of these individually separate actions are part of people trying to incorporate the west into american society. And those people tended to be republicans and they tended to be associated with the union. It was often ask confederates, people who had, you know, less market centered incorporation centered livelihoods who were on the other side. Theres a big very that breaks down a lot of details. It has some very interesting insights. Missouri specifically and also the civil war influences the violence in the west in a gateway. Yes, sir, in the back . In your research, did you come across information about family,umans ancestral that is his mothers home was burned and they were banished . Did they mr. Stiles i ran across this at another time. The first time that harry truman in the 20th century makes a trip into kansas, his grandmother says, look for the spoons that bj hawkers stole. And he himself that the jayhawkers stall. And he himself admires jesse james. I heard they were part of that interest group. Mr. Stiles they were in jackson county, i believe. That is certainly where he was from personally. They might have been uprooted. The depopulation did not last long because it was such a radical policy, the union decided, ok, you got to let them go back. If they had kept them out, it might have tamped down the guerrilla warfare. I will take the next question behind a cause you have been waiting longer. It struck me as this was almost genocidal in intense. Think thats an accurate way of describing guerrilla warfare, at least semigenocidal . Mr. Stiles genocide is tough. That usually means targeting a specific group for extermination. We have the term ethnic cleansing and i use the term political cleansing. They are not necessarily trying to murder every single person. White women, at least, were rarely targeted for murder. When jesse james was on that death squads in 1864, they are murdering the men and they are making sure the widows know. Its incredibly bloody, but its not wiping out a whole population. It sounds like an apology to try to draw fine distinctions between mass murder, but they are not actually trying to literally murder every single person. They killedence, the men, they did not kill the women. Often,ely was raped more absolutely was violence against women, but you often see resistance to that. If you cant call it genocide, but certainly there is mass murder with the purpose of changing the civilian landscape. Yes, maam . Jesse james was more a product of his environment. To you feel that way because he was so young when he saw those events take place . He was so selective for who he killed and two he went after . They were all unionists. Fromd seen violence unionists as a young man. Certainly that continued through his life, losing his brother, losing family members, yet his older brother was kind of forgiven and pardons. He wasnt and did not have the same benefits because he was younger and more refined as far as his brothers influence on his education and the way he would spout off shakespeare as he was robbing people. His attitudes were very different. Youthfulif his exuberance led him to be more violent . Mr. Stiles or murderess. This is an interesting point. Frank james was in fact someone who loved shakespeare. A train at ghazal which is where falstaff robbed he quoted shakespeare as they went through they knew theater. Also on the first train robbery in 1873, they wore masks that described city times they weren reaching a climax in kentucky where they had close ties. There were trials going on. They carried out this train robbery. There were these masks. So, the feeder was part of those robberies. Thats a little divergent. Yes, frank was someone who is able to get over the violence that he in toward. He was a little older. Yet a different personality. Impact ofe earlier all of that violence but we thatto remember, part of idea is coaching and his mother was strongly political. Again, these are innocents in the woods. She criticized the newspaper editor by name because she did the politics. This is someone who is trained and taught to be utterly militant and ruthless. He could be charming. He could be funny. At the end of his life, he moved back to western missouri, and he settled in st. Joseph, as people know who visited the house where he was killed. And he went to a railroad station and applied for work saying he had a lot of experience to train for work. He was so funny. I loved brad pitts performance. Something really true. I think that jesse jamess personality, like i said, he would have been a violent man in the civil war no matter what. You have is a violent personally, this mileage training he could never shake. By the way, dont look for big deposits of his loot. Armed robbers are not big savers. Its kind of a disincentive for saving for a rainy day. He always had nice clothes, nice horses, loved gambling. That long are of 10 years after the civil war, he survived so long because he has got support, because he makes a point, i think sincerely, of saying, listen, im a political figure. If nothing else, a political symbol. In thes got an ally press, very influential in the Democratic Party that makes him a significant figure as missouri realigns after the confederates come back into the ballot box. Yes, sir . Any idea why they began resorting to torture and mutilation . Mr. Stiles people are most of the north as well as the south is agricultural. People are slaughtering pigs all the time. They are not really friends here. General federate he owned a rope factory. He raised him and made rope and sold it. These are not frontier in the sense of unsettled, unincorporated into the american economy. These are wellestablished civil institutions, market institutions. Its the nature of guerrilla warfare when you literally have neighbors fighting against neighbors. Youve got to control the civilian population on both sides. When people are rating even before when people are raiding, even before they start killing people, they are raiding peoples houses. The union forces are bringing people outs. It cycled up very quickly. There are a few figures like bloody Bill Anderson who are leaders who were emphasizing the ruthlessness and pushing it. A lot of the men are fighting anderson. Decorating their bridles and saddles with scouts, andersons mens scalps as well. Its not the side of good against harkness as much as i think slavery is bad in missouri, both sides are very ruthless. Because ithink it is is a war of the population against the population that is right next door. Another quick question. I have done some research being involved with the battle of westport. Somebody brought up truman. It turns out that truman had two ancestors in the confederate army. One, his uncle was involved in some of these activities. Apparently when his mother came to visit in the white house, she refused to sleep in the lincoln bedroom. [laughter] mr. Stiles yeah, i believe it. And yet, who desegregated the u. S. Military . It was truman. By the way, missouri today i should mention that bank they robbed owned by Union Militiamen, it existed before the civil war. It was one of those banks that was owned by leading aid checksts who cut cuttings game and lost control of the bank. The banks, that is where the money is, and yet they were also political targets. Very shrewd people. Robbed to james trains that is because he understood the National Bank act. The creation of the greenback and giving national charters, they were required by law to keep reserve deposits in new york. So, all your long, they are shipping cash to new york banks and when the harvest happens, they ship cash back so everybody cash for the transactions of the harvest, etc. Theres a seasonal flow of cash. Its going by express car. They usually did not rob passengers. They robbed trains going the right direction. It was flowing south at a time when they were flowing south for the cotton harvest. These are not rubes finding some easy excuse. I couldit better try to make an exaggerated thing to say jesse james is a terrorist. I use terrorism very carefully to say this is the kind of framework in which we need to be gay about him. In some ways he is a front runner. Kind of framework in which we need to be thinking about him. In some ways he is a front runner. I was even more careful afterwards not to push it too far. And yet we have to argue against the evidence of we say there was no politics involved in his desire to be a public figure and in his public impact. And again, it is the lacked of a political context that turned him into a generic outlaw, a very daring and flamboyant one, but a generic outlaw at the end of his life and turns him into someone you could write folksongs about and People Living on yankee land are seeing is a great folk hero fighting the appropriation. So, how my going to write about the rise of the corporate economy in the railroad world . Thank you very much. [applause] thank you so much, tj. I think we need to have you back to speak about Cornelius Vanderbilt sometime. [applause] have a few minutes. I have a quick announcement ashley nees to convey and then we have lorien foote. Hi, everyone. Two short announcements. We will be having dying inns having dineins at 5 15. The room will not be set up, so please do not show up earlier than that. Wait in the lobby. Do not enter the dining room as the tables need to be set up and the caterers need to do their thing. Those will not start until 5 15 sharp. We havether thing some openings. Thanks. And you have five minutes before the next talk. Sort of brief. [indistinct conversations] so, our live coverage will continue and about five minutes here on cspan3 in about five minutes here on cspan3. Missed it onu cspan retired Brigadier General gerald calloway on the possible threat of Climate Change on national security. If you go back to earlier field manuals, theres one from the 1990s that said weather, terrain, and the most significant aspects of battlefield combat whether it is run ways that have to be open, the open seas, when they are going to change, and they are going to change right now, the military is concerned about that. The military has long had a concern in forecasting what might happen. Wisconsin congressman Jim Sensenbrenner at a town hall meeting. [indiscernible] [applause] remember what i said at the beginning of the meeting and that is interruptions, you know, are not going to be tolerated. [indiscernible] sensenbrenner would you please sit down, sir . The floor. You do not. Will you please sit down . Go out in the hallway. Thank you. Maine senator angus king at a hearing on the foreign Intelligence Surveillance act. You theking i will ask same question. Why are you not answering these questions question mark there an invocation by the president of of executiveates privilege . Not that i am aware of. Why are you not answering isi do not feel it appropriate. Senator king what you feel does not matter, admiral. Roleis is an inappropriate in investigating the wells fargo scandal. T accounts we have received numerous records from wells fargo and the occ and others that indicates cfpb was asleep at the wheel. Videos available on a rampage. Monday night on the communicators i thought there was challenge in championing ordinary people who did not want to be techies and challenging the industry to serve those people. First of a twopart discussion of a tech developments. I believe we will see in the next 5, 10 years a big burst of reality, virtual augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and i think all kinds of new ways of driving cars