BLOODY WAR.
"The presence of soldiers is a wicked thing,
Bounded in time and circumscribed in space."
The presence of armed men wearing the blue uniform of the Federal
army in the counties of Platte, Clinton and Clay, Missouri, was
commingled gall and worm-wood to the souls of that portion of
the population which was devoted to the Southern cause. These
constituted probably more than two-thirds of the inhabitants. The
passions of the people on both sides were at a white heat. Neighbor
was contending with neighbor, and friends were ready to strike down
the friends who opposed, and old associates divided by politics,
had become the bitterest of foes. Anarchy prevailed. Society was
rent into fragments and the law of hate was triumphant.
Frank and Jesse James were with Quantrell's band, and were
selected to go on an expedition with a scout under Captain Scott,
to the north side of the Missouri river. The town of Richfield
was garrisoned by a company of some thirty men under command of a
Captain Sessions, of the Federal State militia. Scott's command
consisted of only twelve. Yet with this feeble force he determined
to attack Richfield. Frank James was one of the men appointed
to lead the attacking party. A desperate fight ensued. Captain
Sessions and Lieut. Graffenstien, of the Federal garrison, were
killed at the first fire. The Guerrillas gained a complete triumph.
Ten of the militiamen were killed, while Scott did not lose a man.
The survivors of the fray surrendered to the partisan, Captain
Scott, and he paroled them.
After the morning fight, Scott moved about twenty miles that day
to the house of one Pat McGinnis, in Clay county. It was made the
duty of Frank James to scout through the country that night, and he
rode away from the camp of the partisan in the black night--rode
straightway to the home of his mother. That lady was at home. She
had been collecting information for the use of the Guerrillas,
and was pleased to see her son. To him she opened her budget of
intelligence. The movement of Scott on Richfield had startled the
Federal militia. The small bands were rapidly concentrating, and
were strengthening their position every day. Plattsburg, the county
seat of Clinton, had been stripped of its garrison, which had been
sent out to hunt for the bold raiders, and was at that very time
defenseless. Such was the character of the information gathered
by Mrs. Samuels, and imparted to her son, who, in company with a
comrade, Mr. Fletcher Taylor, rode hastily back to Scott's camp to
report the character of the information which he had gained.
[Illustration: A Moonlight Conference.]
On receiving the information, Scott resolved to make an attempt
upon Plattsburg. During the succeeding day it was ascertained that
Captain Rodgers had left Plattsburg to make an effort to discover
and capture Scott, taking with him most of the garrison. In the
first watch of the second night after the affair at Richfield,
Scott's little band silently deserted their camp and rode rapidly
toward Plattsburg. Two o'clock in the morning found them within
four miles of that place, on Smith's fork of Grand river. Here they
halted and slept until daylight. They were in a deep forest, and
quite secure from observation. Until three o'clock in the evening
they remained quiet, feeding their horses and resting. Then the
scouts brought intelligence concerning the situation at the town,
and the Guerrillas, mounting, set out to capture it. There were a
few men left as a guard at the Court-house, under the command of a
Lieutenant. The officer had been out in town when the Guerrillas
charged into the public square. Before he could rejoin his men
he was cut off by Frank James, to whom he was compelled to yield
himself a prisoner. James at once conducted his captive into the
presence of Captain Scott. The militia in the Court-house, though
taken by surprise, were not disposed to yield without a struggle.
At the time the Lieutenant was brought before Scott, they were
pouring a severe fire among the Guerrillas, and the issue was
in doubt. Pointing to his prisoner, Frank said, "Captain, shoot
that man, unless he delivers up the Court-house." "That I will!"
responded Scott, with a terrible oath as he drew his pistol. The
officer besought his men to yield, which under the circumstances
they consented to do.
Two hundred muskets were captured and destroyed, and $12,000 in
"Union Defence Warrants," of the State of Missouri, were seized and
appropriated. The spoils of victory were divided among the band.
Frank's share was $1,000. It was his first taste of gain through
violent appropriation--an initiative lesson, so to speak. He has
become a proficient since that time. The raiders, whose camps
were usually to be found in forests, far away from the generally
traveled highways, concluded to sup like civilized men that night,
hence they ordered supper at the hotel, and had for their guest the
late Federal commander of the post.
Frank James is a silent man, having little to say, and that little
is brought out in sharp, short sentences. He is not so tall as
Jesse, nor so robust in form. He never laughs, and was never known
to jest with his comrades. In the early days of the war he was
beardless, and the outlines of his features were visible to all.
His face is long, with a broad, square forehead, and a strong under
jaw and heavy chin. His eyes are dark gray and are restless, and
always have a wicked expression about them. In later years Frank
James wears a full beard, and on that account is not so readily
recognizable by those who knew him in the old days.
Jesse James, as a youth, had a round jovial face, and rather a
pleasant expression of countenance. He was then the reverse of
taciturn; had a merry laugh, and was "a fellow of infinite jest"
among his comrades. In all his subsequent career he has been the
Aaron to Frank. Jesse always does the talking yet, when they have
occasion to communicate with strangers. In later years Jesse, too,
has become reserved, not so taciturn as his brother, but still more
silent than the average of men. Neither one of the brothers is
given to boisterous merriment now-a-days, since life's shadows have
fallen so darkly around them.