Jesse and Frank James; Another Likely Widow Benton. By Karen Daye

 

Two repro tintypes of Frank and Jesse James 

from the collection of Gene Stevens

ANOTHER LIKELY WIDOW BENTON

There is a popular story about a poor widow that was about to lose her home until Frank and Jesse James helped her. She had made breakfast for the gang and while eating they noticed tears on her cheeks and asked her what was wrong. She told them the banker was on his way to collect the money owed on her mortgage or he would foreclose on her home. She did not have the money to give to the banker. Frank and Jesse gave her enough money to pay her mortgage and avoid foreclosure. They then told her to be sure and demand a receipt for her payment. One article about this story is from a True West Magazine article that Ralph Ganis wrote August 1, 2002. It was written about a possible widow Benton in Sumner County. The article was named “A Knight with the Widow Benton.” After breakfast, the James party left her home and then waited nearby for the banker to return to town with the money. When he came by they robbed him of the money they had given the widow to save her home.

There was another more likely Widow Benton that lived in Robertson County, TN during the time of this incident. Nancy Benton was the wife of James Benton of Robertson County, TN. He had served in the Confederacy.  He died a few years after the war in 1876, and he left his wife a widow with small children. The Benton home was north of White’s Creek on the direct route to Adairville, Kentucky.

The Benton family farm was between Whites Creek and Greenbrier, TN, in southern Robertson County. Greenbrier was home to the well-known Hinkle Hotel that was owned and operated by John Hite, one of Jesse’s cousins. There are other coincidences with this Benton family. They attended the same church near White’s Creek that was founded by the same Reverend that performed the marriage of Malvina & Frank James (alias Charles Morgan). This Reverend’s son (also a minister) was also married to Ms. Drake, a family name that was mentioned several times in relation to Frank James. Ms. Drake was the wife of Jesse’s ferrier, my GG-uncle. 

-Karen Daye

Frontier Fixed Blade Knives, by Gene Stevens, Video; by Tom Hall from Knife Delights

 The classic fixed blade knife was necessity on the American frontier. Every survival function on the great plains, in the forests, in the desert and on the mountain tops, made the fix blade knife a must have tool of every pioneer and hunting pioneer of the great American West. The two most famous weapons of the frontier were the 1873 Winchester rifle and the famous knife carried by the Alamo Defender and Frontiersman, Jim Bowie, his weapon of choice was called the Bowie Knife. It was the fix blade knife that gave Americans the real edge on the American frontier. Videographer Tom Hall, breaks down some of the fixed blade knives in his collection for our readers.

                               Bowie Knife (fixed blade) Photo from Wikipedia public domain

The Bowie Knife, was a fixed blade knife of great strength and size, that epitomized the style of edged combat weapons of the day. It was surely the grandfather of the famous Marine Kabar fighting knife. 

CSL&OH.A. Mission Statement

CENTRAL STATES LAWMAN AND OUTLAWS HISTORIC ASSN.

MISSION STATEMENT

Officers

President Gene Stevens

Vice President Patrick Meguiar

Historic Advisors

Kevin Schmitt

Tom Hall

In 2024 the Central States Lawman and Outlaws Historic Association was founded as an organization dedicated to the memory and history of the American west. The foundations of the CSL&OH.A., are based in an awareness of our heritage, and to shine a light on the contributions of all Americans who struggled to settle the west, and to honor those people who should never be forgotten. It is the mission of CSL&OH.A. to provide a free space in which to discuss all aspects of history without fear criticism or coercion. The discussion of fact, legend and speculation is welcome here. We recognize that these tenets are the crucial pillars of learning and knowledge where our history is concerned. We welcome all contributions and open discussion. We believe that many stories of both fact and fiction have yet to be told about the wild west and the settlement of the open country. 

- Gene Stevens

See You on the Dusty Trail

 

CSL&OH.A. Update; Moving Forward

President Gene Stevens                                                             Vice President Patrick Meguiar

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF

THE 

CENTRAL STATES LAWMAN AND OUTLAWS

HISTORIC ASSOCIATION

The Central States Lawman and Outlaws Historic Association is proud to announce that we have officially applied for Non-Profit status as an organization dedicated to historic preservation.  Historian and Antiquarian Patrick Meguiar has accepted the position of Vice President of the CSL&OH.A. Patrick is very dedicated and involved in the local history of his community. I know that he will be a great asset to this organization. I have also asked Kevin Schmitt and Tom Hall from History Delights to act as advisers. In the coming months, we will continue expand outreach other historic sites and reenacment groups.      

 -Gene Stevens

         President CSL&OH.A. 

SEE YOU ON THE DUSTY TRAIL!

  

                                                                                                                                                 

 

 

Wild West; The Way West, The Mormon Trail By Gene Stevens , Video Presenter Tom Hall

 

Introduction

The story of the Mormon people is very interesting, and one could argue that the story of the foundation of the Mormon Church, and subsequent migration to the great salt lake to the west, is a very American story of a devout people who risked all to seek Gods blessings in a new land. Their story is filled with political intrigue. And this blogpost only scratches the surface of what the Mormon experience was really about. Its worth mentioning that great Mormon migration that passed through Iowa, began in Nauvoo Illinois, and that there was a great amount of tension between the Mormons and locals in Illinois.                                                                                                                                          

    

"Joseph Smith, the founder and leader of the Latter Day Saint movement, and his brother, Hyrum Smith, were killed by a mob in Carthage, Illinois, United States, on June 27, 1844, while awaiting trial in the town jail.As mayor of the city of Nauvoo, Illinois, Joseph Smith had ordered the destruction of the facilities used to print the Nauvoo Expositor, a newly-established newspaper created by a group of non-Mormons and others who had seceded from Smith's church, the Church of Christ. The newspaper's first (and only) issue was highly critical of Smith and other church leaders, reporting that Smith was practicing polygamy and claiming he intended to set himself up as a theocratic king. In response, a motion to declare the newspaper a public nuisance was passed by the Nauvoo City Council, and Smith consequently ordered its press destroyed.The destruction of the press led to public outrage, and the Smith brothers and other members of the Nauvoo City Council were charged with inciting a riot. Warrants for Joseph Smith's arrest were dismissed by Nauvoo courts. Smith declared martial law in Nauvoo and called on the Nauvoo Legion to protect the city. After briefly fleeing Illinois, Smith received a personal statement from Governor Ford, who "pledged his faith and the faith of the state to protect him while he underwent a legal and fair trial", which convinced Smith along with Hyrum to return voluntarily.[3] When the brothers arrived at the county seat of Carthage to surrender to authorities, they were charged with treason against Illinois for declaring martial law."

-Wikipedia

Full context

Nauvoo Legion

The Nauvoo Legion was a sanctioned para-military group that followed the traditional role of militia in American Society, presenting public entertainment through drills, parades and mock battles. But many saw the Legion as a conquering army of Zion, and they may have had some justification for such fears. Even by conservative numbers, the Nauvoo Legion employed over 2500 men, while the entire United States Army of the day, only had approximately 8500 soldiers in 1845. And those troops were scattered throughout the country, while the Nauvoo Legion was centered in Nauvoo. Joseph smith had also platted Nauvoo as a defensive position and also had Mormons in positions around Nauvoo in towns in Hancock County to be early warning posts, and the Mormon temple could also be used as a watch tower and a fortified block house in the event of an attack. 

                                            Tom from History Delights gives a tour, and some

                                               history of the Mormon, trail. Background 

                                                           The Great Migration

"The journey was taken by about 70,000 people, beginning with advance parties sent out by church leaders in March 1846 after the 1844 death of the church's leader Joseph Smith made it clear that the group could not remain in Nauvoo, Illinois—which the church had recently purchased, improved, renamed, and developed, because of the Missouri Mormon War, setting off the Illinois Mormon War. The well-organized wagon train migration began in earnest in April 1847, and the period (including the flight from Missouri in 1838 to Nauvoo), known as the Mormon Exodus is, by convention among social scientists, traditionally assumed to have ended with the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869. Not everyone could afford to transport a family by railroad, and the transcontinental railroad network only serviced limited main routes, so wagon train migrations to the far west continued sporadically until the 20th century."

Ref Wikipedia

References / Credits

1. Wikipedia articles on the Great migration and the death of Joseph Smith

2.Uniforms and  Equipment of the Black Hawk War and Mormon War by John Lee Allaman 

3. History Delights, by Videographer Kevin Schmitt and Presenter Tom Hall, The Mormon Trail In Iowa.

Wild West. The Tragic End of Chief Black Hawks Life

 Chief Black Hawk was a brave and famous Warrior of the war of 1812, and of the war named after him, "The Black Hawk War of 1832" The warrior Chief became famous after he rebelled against the American government because of the signing of the treaty of 1804, in which the Sac and Fox nations capitulated millions of acres of land to the government for two thousand dollars in cash and other gifts and annuities. Black Hawk eventually surrendered to the government. What followed was a situation that involved great pomp and circumstance, as Black Hawk was arrested and taken to Fort Monroe in Washington DC to be incarcerated. The government then treated Black Hawk as an example and he was taken on a grand tour in the east, and given time with President Andrew Jackson. 

As Black Hawk began to fade from the public consciousness, he settled into his personal decline. He was forced to live on Keokuk's village on the last big bend of the Iowa River. Famed artist George Catlin described Black Hawk, as a "poor dethroned monarch", who had become an object of pity. In 1837 he moved his lodge down to the Des Moines River, in Davis county, near Fort Madison. The old warrior had become a whiskey drinker. This is very ironic, because he had accused Isaiah' Stillmans men of whiskey intoxication during the battle at Old Mans creek. He also dressed in military uniform given to him by President Jackson. The in 1838, after traveling to Rock Island to collect a government annuity, he dies in a lodge near Iowaville Iowa after a brief Illness.  He was seventy two years old.  He was buried in the sitting position, clad in military uniform with a cane and two swords.  Less than a year later, Black Hawks widow went to the grave and found that someone had dug up Black Hawks body and taken the head. A few months later the remainder was also stolen. It was later found out that a Doctor by the name of Dr. Turner had Black Hawks bones cleaned, wired together and hung in his office. Upon hearing about this, the Governor of the Iowa territory, Robert Lucas, had Black Hawks bones seized  and sent to his officer in Burlington Iowa, where the bones were eventually put on display in the Burlington Geographical and Historical Society. The bones remained there until 1855, when the were lost forever in a devastating fire.

Reference- Red Flag of Defiance, by Gene Stevens, Black Hawk The Battle for The Heart of America, by Kerry A. Trask

                   

                                          The following photos courtesy of Jeremy Thomason 

                                                A plaque now tells the story of Black Hawks 

                                                     empty grave at the Iowaville cemetery 

                                                  Photos courtesy of Jeremy Thomason 

Wild West Outlaw Jesse James, and interview with Patrick Meguiar

 The following is an interview with historian and collector Patrick Meguiar.  Mr. Meguiar is not only a historian and genealogist, he is also an avid collector of fine antiques. Patrick is a relative of the famed outlaw Jesse James , and has researched and uncovered much about his lineage and connection to Jesse Woodson James. During his journey, he discovered that his family not only had a genealogical connection to the James family, but that another relative had a photo of a young Jesse James in their possession which was handed down to him.  The following is an account of his research, due diligence and investigation into the photo. 

Interview

Q; Hi Patrick, can you tell me about yourself, your background, he things you collect and how we met etc.? 

A; My name is Patrick Taylor Meguiar and I was born in Franklin, Kentucky, however I grew up in Portland, Tennessee. My family lived on the family farm called Fountain Head Farms that was started by my great-grandfather, Fount Edwin Hobdy, M.D. in the mid 1920's. I farmed with my father, Tom Meguiar until he passed away in 2011. I started dealing in rare antiques when I was nine years old and have continued that hobby to the present. I also work for Macy's in their ICQA department in Portland, Tennessee. I graduated magna cum laude from Tennessee Technological University with a B.S. in History in 1979. I have always loved to research history. I consider myself to be a good researcher.

Q; We've talked a lot about this during the last few months, but You have so much information about your family history, and your connection to Jesse James, I am envious of your knowledge. Your detail and genealogical knowledge is really exemplary, Can you talk about this?

A; From the time when I was a young boy, my grandfather shared stories with me about being related to Jesse Woodson James and how he was around my ancestors with his race horse business. And Yes, we met through your comments about Emory Canty. Timothy Gordon suggested that I talk to Mr. Canty which I have been unsuccessful in doing and I understand his health prevents that as well. My grandfather told me in great detail that Jesse James wore a carvat and blinked his very light blue eyes often. My grandfather shared with me that Jesse James deceived people by using pictures of other men to conceal his identity just as he used alias names to do the same. He told me that most pictures claimed to be Jesse James were not him and that I would come to that knowledge by just looking closely at all images believed to be Jesse James. I asked my grandfather if Jesse James left anything when he was with his grandparents and he told me his father had shown him the ambrotype that Jesse James had given to his grandmother in 1868. I asked him immediately where that picture was. He told me that his sister, Pattie likely had it. I went to see my great aunt, Pattie and asked to see the ambrotype Jesse James left with her grandmother.

The famed Jesse James "Guerilla Photo"

Patrick Meguiar's photo

 Q; That's very interesting,  What did you discover?

A; She took me to the room where she kept his picture and told me what box it was stored in and I looked at the ambrotype for the first time that day. She told me to take the ambrotype home with me and she firmly said she never wanted to see the ambrotype again. That was in 1977 when she gave me the ambrotype of Jesse James and I have had it since that time. I took what my grandfather said and compared it with his partisan ranger photograph and his 1882 post mortem and saw strong similarities with both. 

Q; So you told me about the photo being discovered, and your research, Can you tell what occurred in the investigation?

A; I contacted Mickey Miller who I know very well, because his ex wife was my 2nd cousin. Mickey was at that time a Commander with the Metro Nashville Police Department and explained the ambrotype to him and he said he knew an officer who was FBI trained in forensic facial analysis to identify a person through comparisons. I asked him to share the images of the ambrotype with his partisan ranger picture with the FBI trained forensic facial expert. They matched with greater than 90% positive likeness. They are the same person as related to me by Commander Mickey Miller. Mickey is now retired and his last position was Chief of the Hendersonville, Tennessee Police Department.

Q; I understand, accept and respect the weight of forensic evidence, I am, after all a retired police officer and private investigator. But there others who will not accept the veracity of police investigative science, but demand provenance, even though "provenance has not been clearly defined by certain gatekeepers. What other evidence can you present?

 A; Well... I also knew I needed a direct link to Jesse James, because family folklore is not always factual. We knew my 3rd great-grandfather, Robert Martin had a horse race course where he trained his horses and it was discovered that the Tennessean reported on April 18, 1897 that Jesse James had his horse racing headquarters in Franklin, Kentucky which established that Jesse James was well connected with my ancestors.

Genealogical charts courtesy of Patrick Meguiar

Q: Did you have your DNA profile completed?

A: Yes, I had my DNA tested through Ancestry and it matched that my direct ancestor Sarah Hines Martin was the sister of Mary Hines James from the DNA of their direct descendants. 

Q; During our discussions, we both have talked about various people, or "gatekeepers", who seem to be attempting to block new information or newly discovered photos. You, I, and several other collectors and researchers have run into this online, which is where they seem to mainly hold control, by way of bulling and intimidation. You mentioned one gentleman by the name of Eric James. I never met him, or ran into him online, can you tell me more about what your experiences have been?

A; It's a very interesting fact that in spite of all this evidence, Eric James ran an all out attack against me including claiming that I was not related to the James family. He fabricated a fake expert to falsely claim my ambrotype was not Jesse James. He said the Douglas Register didn't have the marriage of William James to Mary Hines and the marriage of John Martin to Sarah Hines which was a lie. Eric James even encouraged me to sell the ambrotype of Jesse James and then he began his attacks when I attempted to sell the ambrotype of Jesse James. 

Q; So you want to sell the James photo?

Yes, I have been single most all of my life and I have no heirs to pass it down too. I contacted Heritage Auctions after I had tried to sell it for their input and they said  "it was Jesse James" but would not have interest in offering it due to the headwind that would ensue. Even without their mentioning why it was that way, clearly that gate keepers were busy at trying to suppress my ambrotype of Jesse James from ever being marketed or accepted as being Jesse Woodson James! 

- Central States Lawman and Outlaw Historic Assn.

Copyright 2024 (c)

The opinions of in this article are not necessarily the opinions of the author, or The Central States Lawman and Outlaws Historic Assn. 

Event Report; Zearing Iowa Civil War Reenactment 2024

                                      Army of The Southwest

               

 Photo by Kevin Schmitt 

Copyright 2024 (c)

The Zearing civil war event was part of the Zearing Iowa Days Celebration 0n July 27th, 2024. This was a great family event, and I personally spoke to a lot of people there, and they were really engaged about their local and families history. I'm an avid genealogist and history buff. It was so awesome to hear that the people of Zearing are actively engaged in telling their story. The Army of the Southwest is a civil war reenactment group based in Iowa, it is made up of seasoned, and newer reenactors who travel throughout the state and country recreating the history of the American civil war 1861-1865.

Remaining 2024 Schedule

   2024 Events

    Albert City – August 9-11

   Vinton – August 24-25

   Madrid – Aug 31-Sept. 1

             Corydon – Sept. 20 (kids day) 21-2

    Winterset – Oct. 12-13

The Following photos courtesy Gene Stevens

The Following photos courtesy of Kevin Schmitt

Movie Review; Horizon, produced by Kevin Costner

                                                 Painting Manifest Destiny by John Gast

07/24/2024 G. Stevens 

Western Movie Review

"HORIZON"

I know this movie review is pretty late. I waited a while, and then checked ROKU to see if Kevin Costner's new western, "Horizon" was available via streaming. And I was very pleased to find that was is in fact available on "Plex". I took the time to read and watch a few videos reviews on Youtube before watching Horizon.

 Many of the initial reviews were in the " okay category," but other reviews about Horizon weren't that great. Apparently, Horizon did not do well at the box office. So I decided to take the required three hours, and $20, (the length of this film... Kevin Costner produces long movies). And watched the film. I was glad I did it at home, because it gave me control over the time commitment, so I could hit the washroom and get a snack.                                                                                     

One reviewer had mentioned that the three hours went by quickly, and I found that was very true. However, Horizon's plot was rather slow, and the character development unfolds in a fog, there are many story lines unfolding at one time, on screen, as well as many characters which appear out of no where.  Faces become much more important than names in this story, and names aren't very clear in the story line. The screen story is somewhat chaotic. But about halfway through Horizon, I began to see a few things that seemed to be based on actual known western people. And after I explain it, those of us who were raised on old westerns by John Ford, and seen Fords's cavalry trilogy will start to see some vague similarities. Also wrapped in this story line are characters based on Frank and Jesse James and the James families. I also see shades of Sarah Jane Rousseau, the famed diarist who was part of the Wyatt Earp family wagon train from Pella Iowa to San Bernadino California. Costner most definitely created the script based upon actual events. Though the first scenes (which were really drawn out with over emphasis), included a large Indian raid on the first occupants of the town "Horizon". The raid scenes did not pull any punches, and told the truth about frontier brutality and all sides of the conflicts. This part is at least fair. Horizon is also filled with a lot of gun play, shootings and violence which also involved young people. I think this is worth noting, if you decide to see Horizon with your children.  Though, I'll be honest. Parts of Horizon could be classified as "woke". The use of modern language and context leaks out in the dialogue. But this is because, the dialogue in Horizon, is long, rambling, and in many cases hard to understand, and much of the soundtrack seems to be subdued and hard to hear. This is where the movie falls short. Much of the monologue could have been shortened, or completely cut. My theory here is that Costner is trying to tell us that story of manifest destiny, wrapped in the painful days of the early civil war, and the overlooked period of the Indian wars in the west, as the westward expansion began to gain momentum. As I mentioned there are characters in this film, one of them is based on two angry family members, one with a level head, the other, hot tempered and quick to kill. Most certainly, archetype's for Frank and Jesse James. They seem to have an angry, overbearing, rigid thinking mother, and very cohesive, though violent family. It most certainly reminds me of the James family. Additionally, the U.S. Cavalry has a big piece in this story and there is a Seargent Major, Played by actor Michael Rooker, who is a fairly well known actor. His character attempts to pull off an Irish accent, apparently mimicking John Fords Cavalry Seargent, SgtMaj Quincannon, Played by actor Victor McLaglen. I think Rookers character falls a bit flat, and his dialogue was hard to understand. The ending 

 of Horizon leaves the audience hanging, yearning to know if Horizon was going to prosper. So therefore,

The story will not be complete without a sequel. On the positive side, the scenery, costuming, and cinematography are quite beautiful, which seems to be a trademark of Costner's movies.  I can only give Horizon 3.5 stars on a scale of 5 stars. 

 

History Delights; Jesse James Bank Robbery Corydon Iowa June 3rd 1871

History Delights visits the site of the Jesse James robbery on Corydon Iowa.

THE ROBBERY

On June 3, 1871, four armed men  entered the bank in Corydon Iowa and robbed the new Ocobock Brothers’ Bank of $10,000. The bandits, who were all well mounted and heavily armed, first tried to rob the recently collected tax receipts at the Wayne County treasurer’s office, but the clerk convinced them he could not open the safe. They then went to the bank which was located off the strangely quiet town square. One stood by the horses, and the other three went in, and held up the bank.

JAMES GANG HOLD UP