Go West Young Man; The Story of William Hudspeth and the Connection To Jesse James

 Story by Dennie Anderson.  Edited by Gene Stevens 

Descendant Dennie Anderson Holds up a photo of William Hudsepth

William Hudspeth approx, 1865

Photo Courtesy of Dennie Anderson

William Hudspeth was born in North Carolina on May 1st, 1778, a time when the colonies had declared independence from crown of England. In 1812, a war broke out, which was sometimes called the 2nd American revolution, as Britain once again made an intrusion onto American soil in a war that stretched along the Canadian border and along the great lakes in the old Northwest Territory. During that war, a young brave Willliam Hudspeth entered service as a Major in the 22nd Kentucky Militia. It's worth mentioning that Some 25,010 Kentuckians served in war, which was about five out of every six men then of military age. Fighting against both the British and their Native Americans allies, Kentucky sent a total of 36 regiments, four battalions, and twelve independent companies to the field, an almost unbelievable accomplishment considering the state's small population at the time. For his service in the war. Maj. William Hudspeth was granted 260 acres in Kentucky. He and his brother, Joel E,, moved their families to what in now Simpson County Kentucky. They farmed there and became fairly successful.

Hudspeth and Simpson County Kentucky

It was in 1819 that Simpson County Kentucky was carved out of existing Warren, Logan and Allen counties; as a result, the county seats of Bowling Green, Russellville and Scottsville became equidistant from Franklin.  The county name remembers with honor Captain John Simpson for his service in the war of 1812.  Franklin’s location can be noted humorously and practically.  One proposed site was contiguous to Drakes Creek; another was land belonging to William Hudspeth.  Water supply was vitally important to either location.  Tradition reports the night before Commissioners were to make a choice, Hudspeth worked rapidly to carry barrels of water from the creek to prime the well which he had dug without striking water (site now marked by a replica well structure).  Evidently, the water seeping to an underground stream allowed the almost deep-enough hole to open into the water supply.  What luck!  Hudspeth won the Commissioners’ vote.

William Hudspeth in Missouri   

In 1826 William Hudspeth moved to Missouri and eventually settled near Fort Osage in Sibley Missouri, Fort Osage was established by William Clark in the Louisiana Purchase territory to provide a presence in the region and it established a trading post with Native Americans.

The Hudspeth Connection to Jesse James

In a three-volume family genealogy by Anna Ford called "Through the Years With the Hudspeths,"  Major William Hudspeth had migrated to Missouri by 1828.Which stated that he had been a soldier in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, and that he had founded Franklin, Ky. William was also considered a sportsman, bringing with him to Missouri a fine collection of foxhounds (the Hudspeth hounds later became famous, thanks to the efforts of a grandson, Thomas Benton Hudspeth). The major and his wife, Tabitha, whom he married in 1801, had 11 children — Nathan Beall, Thomas Jefferson, Sylvia, Joseph W., Missouri L., Silas Burke, Benoni Morgan, Joel Ephriam, George Washington, Robert Nichols and Malinda Paralee.

 The Hudspeth Settlement was established at what is now Lake City, Missouri. Robert Nichols ‘Bob’ Hudspeth, who never married, gave land for the small town. His house was about eight miles northeast of Independence. When he died in 1885, he owned 1,500 acres of land, which was being used for raising stock and farming. 

    Hudspeth's in the Civil War

When the Civil War broke out, Robert Hudspeth had served with the famed Confederate guerilla William Quantrill, and he and Frank James, who also rode with Quantrill, were apparently good friends. Robert and brother Silas, who owned a 120-acre farm, and he supplied the James-Younger Gang with valuable horses and allowed their homes to be used as hideouts. Frank James’ only son, Robert Franklin (1878–1964), was named for Robert Hudspeth, according to descendant Joe Elsea, whose great-grandfather was Joel ‘Rufus’ Hudspeth (1839–1895).

Rufus Hudspeth was a son of Joseph W. Hudspeth.  He married his first cousin Amanda in 1830 and become a successful Jackson County farmer. Amanda died in 1850, Joseph then married Louise (Rice) Brown, and they had one more child — Joseph Lamartine (‘Lam’) Hudspeth. Rufus, was friends with Frank and Jesse James when they all were schoolboys. He was one of several Hudspeths to serve in Quantrill’s guerrilla band, while other family members assisted the Rebel raiders. Rufus also later served under General Shelby and Maj. Gen. Sterling Price, in the trans-Mississippi theater.  After the war, Rufus went to Kentucky with Quantrill, but he later returned to Missouri in 1865, married Sarah Franklin the next year, had four children — Joseph, Mary Amanda (Elsea), Elvira Beall (Chiles) and Charles B. — and became a prominent farmer and stockman. Rufus’ brother William Napoleon ‘Babe’ Hudspeth also served with Quantrill. After the war, Babe married Nannie Ragland of Independence and built a large two-story Victorian home that still stands in Lake City, which was then a thriving community with stockyards and a racetrack. Other sons of Major William Hudspeth living nearby included George Washington Hudspeth and Joel Ephriam Hudspeth, who inherited the family farm. An 1877 history of Jackson County states: "It is probable that no finer nor a more extensive view of the surrounding country can be obtained than from the hill upon which the residence of Joel E. Hudspeth is located. It overlooks the Valley of the Blue. Its landscape is in its rural beauty." Many of the Hudspeths vacationed at Monegaw Springs, where James-Younger Gang members were known to hang out.

Strong Connections with the James-Younger Gang

A strong connection between the gang and Hudspeths, was probably known by the authorities, and it  became obvious from the testimony of former gang member James Andrew ‘Dick’ Liddil at the 1883 Gallatin trial of Frank James. Liddil, who also once rode with Quantrill, and had been part of Jesse James’ new gang, beginning with the October 8, 1879, and they were at the train robbery at Glendale, Missouri   ., and then had surrendered to the sheriff of Clay County on January 24, 1882. Liddil told the law most of what he knew about the gang, but his surrender was not publicized, so as not to alert Jesse James. The news didn’t become public until March 31. At his St. Joseph, Mo., home on the morning of April 2, 1882, Jesse read about it and supposedly commented that Liddil was a traitor who deserved to be hanged. Shortly thereafter, Bob Ford fired a shot heard around Missouri and beyond — the ball struck Jesse in the back of the head, killing the famous outlaw.

Reference Historynet: The James-Younger Gang and their Circle of Friends

Re: Copy of letter sent to my cousin Malinda Paralee Hudspeth Woods the youngest daughter of William Hudspeth. Letter was written by Alexander Frank James.

                                        Family Historian Dennie Anderson at the Hudspeth Well

250 Year of American History