The Life and Times of Jesse James
John Weaver | SermonAudio
| Lecture Metadata | Details |
|---|---|
| Speaker | John Weaver |
| Source | SermonAudio |
| Media ID | 8423153557029 |
| Subject | Family Government |
| Course | The Christian Family: Children, Fatherhood, and Generational Faithfulness: The World And Times Of Jesse James |
| Genre | Sermon |
| Date | 2023-08-03 |
| Dictation Name | |
| Book | Book 028: The Christian Family: Children, Fatherhood, and Generational Faithfulness — Chapter 14 |
| Source Timed Segments | 447 |
Synopsis: John Weaver examines the life of Jesse James within the context of the violent border conflicts of Missouri and Kansas, arguing that historical context is essential for understanding Jesse's actions. He highlights the injustices suffered by the James family and other Southerners at the hands of Union forces and Jayhawkers, suggesting that these circumstances forced Jesse into a life of outlawry. Weaver also raises the question of Jesse's Christian faith, noting his church involvement and Bible reading, while acknowledging the complexity of judging historical figures by modern standards.
Formatted Transcript
Introduction: The Need for Justice and Historical Context
Weaver opens with Isaiah 59, emphasizing God's demand for justice and the failure of societies to deliver it. He stresses that history is God's decree unfolding and that understanding past injustices is crucial to recognizing present ones.
Isaiah 59, we're going to read verses 12 through 15 very quickly. Isaiah 59, beginning there with verse 12. Scripture says,
"For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us, and our transgressions are with us, and as for our iniquities, we know them."
In transgressing and lying against the Lord and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood, and judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off, for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Truth... ...faileth. And he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey.
And the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment. God demands justice. One of the failures in modern man, as well as the failure of ancient man, is the failure to issue real justice. Without justice, society withers and dies, and without justice, evil men increase and prosper. Government was ordained of God simply to be a minister of justice. The Bible tells you in Romans chapter 13, he beareth not the sword in vain. Solomon actually said it like this, there's nothing new under the sun, and certainly all of the corruption and everything that we see today is not new.
I would encourage you, as I talk today about Jesse James and his world and times, that you would also think about the direction in which our country is headed. We must remember that all history is God's history. And simply speaking, history is nothing less than God's eternal decree coming to pass in time. Therefore, we must study history not only from a theological perspective, but a historical perspective as well. Another line of thought is this. If you and I are blind to the injustices of the past, we will also be blind to the injustices in the present and in the future as well.
We have to understand that justice is based upon the word of God.
The Legend and Polarizing Figure of Jesse James
Jesse James is presented as a legendary figure, compared to Robin Hood, who evokes either admiration or hatred. Weaver notes that most people's knowledge comes from Hollywood rather than historical facts.
Mark Twain said, and I'm quoting, "Some years ago, I was making a purchase in a small store in Missouri. A man walked in and seeing me, came over with an outstretched hand and said, 'You're Mark Twain, ain't you?' I nodded. 'Guess you and I are about the greatest in our line,' he remarked. Twain said, 'To this I could not nod, but I began to wonder to what throne of greatness he held.' 'What is your name?' I inquired.
'Jesse James,' he said, as he gathered up his packages. And then Mark Twain said this, 'Greatest in his line.' Jesse was not alone in the estimate of himself. Carl Sandburg said that Jesse James is the only American bandit who is classified, who is to this country what Robin Hood and Dick Turpin were to England. He says his exploits are so close to the mythical and the apocryphal. Jesse and Frank James are legends in our time. You cannot find anyone who's hardly ever, that has never heard of Jesse James or Frank James. And Jesse James, his name invokes either admiration and wonder and awe, or it invokes hatred and ill will and just all kinds of wicked things.
When it comes to Jesse James, there's no neutrality. You either love the man or you hate him. You either believe he's a freedom fighter or you believe he was just nothing more than a thief and a murderer. But the truth of the matter is this. Most people who have heard of Jesse James have never really studied, never delved into the facts, never delved into his world and time. What they have done is they've just assumed what they have heard from Hollywood and what people have told them is true, when in reality, it is not true.
The Importance of Judging Historical Figures in Context
Weaver argues that it is impossible to judge someone like Jesse James by modern standards without understanding the world and times in which he lived, using Martin Luther as an example of a figure often misjudged.
And it's impossible for you and I to judge a man today by our standards when that man died 150, 160 years ago. We oftentimes try to judge people in light of what is going on and happening today. I've heard men, I've heard preachers criticize and condemn Martin Luther, the great reformer. Now, I'm not a Lutheran. And I'm sure that there are things with Martin Luther that I would certainly disagree with.
But you have to remember about Martin Luther. He was coming out of a time where there was a thousand years of darkness. He was facing abysmal ignorance. And at the same time, he was fighting the religious and the political crowds in an effort just to preserve his life. I can understand the fact that Luther did not have time to study every doctrine and come to the correct conclusion. The truth of the matter is, none of us today have the time to study every doctrine. And so when you think about Martin Luther, when you think about Jesse James, you've got to consider the world and times in which they lived.
Alexander Franklin James was born on January the 10th, 1843. And listen to this.
Family Background and Early Life of Jesse and Frank James
Details the birth and death dates of Frank and Jesse James, their father being a Baptist preacher and founder of William Jewell College, and the family's prosperity including land and slaves.
Frank James died of old age on February the 18th, 1915. Jesse Woodson James was born September the 5th, 1847 and was allegedly murdered by Bob Ford on April the 3rd, 1882. Now this one may surprise you. Jesse and Frank James were the sons of Reverend Robert James and his wife Zerelda. The father of Jesse James was a Baptist preacher. It's an interesting thing that their father, Robert James, was a man with intellectual abilities and understanding because when he died his will was probated in 1851 and in his library were listed 51 books dealing with mathematics, chemistry, philosophy, theology, astronomy, grammar, history, literature, Greek, Latin, public speaking, and other subjects. And here is something most of you do not know.
But Pastor Robert James was one of the founders of William Jewell College. which is a sturdy Baptist college still in existence in Liberty, Missouri. In fact, he was on the board of trustees at the very beginning. Robert James also pastored the New Hope Baptist Church in Clay County, Missouri. He reorganized the church and the membership continued to grow. He also helped begin the North Liberty Baptist Association in 1844. He also helped begin the Providence Baptist Church and another church as well.
To show you how prosperous the James family was, by 1850, Robert James and his family held an unencumbered title to 275 acres. It means he didn't owe a dime on it. 275 acres of land which they farmed, and on that farm were 30 sheep, and six head of cattle. And then, of course, they not only had the cattle, they also had three horses and a yoke of oxen. In addition to that, James owned seven slaves as well.
So besides Frank and Jesse, there were two other children born in the family.
The Religious and Moral Character of Jesse James
Weaver describes Jesse's love for the Bible, his church membership, choir participation, and his reputation for not drinking or using foul language, quoting neighbors and historians.
Frank loved Shakespeare and quoted Shakespeare. Jesse loved the Bible and quoted the Bible. J.A. Dacus, who was a next door neighbor to them, said that Jesse's Bible was so underlined it was almost unreadable. He had read it and underlined it so much. Jesse was not only a member of a Baptist church, he also sang in the choir. Hmm.
His favorite hymn was "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." Jesse did not drink, use vulgar language and always treated women in a gentlemanly manner. Paul Peterson, if you don't have his books, I would encourage you to get them on Quantrill of Missouri and Quantrill of Lawrence. And he tells a lot about the men who rode with Quantrill. And here is what he said in his book. He said concerning Jesse James, he was a devout believer and was never known to swear or to use foul language. That's Paul Peterson, who lived and did the research there in Missouri.
Now, I might add that Jesse James had a nickname. His nickname was Dingus. How did he get that nickname? Because he was messing around with his revolver and was unsafe and he shot off the tip of one of his fingers. And when he shot it off, all he said was "Dingus." He didn't swear. He didn't do anything.
He just said "Dingus" and that became his nickname. Now, Peterson also gives these words concerning Frank and Jesse. Hang on. He states neither he, that is, Frank or his brother Jesse, were ever known to drink. And then he quotes Frank as saying, "A man is a fool to drink. It takes away his money and his brains, and it does him no good anyway."
Now, remember, these boys were raised in a Baptist church. Their father was a Baptist preacher. I might add that later on in one letter Jesse did admit to drinking some beer at one time. Now, of course, Jesse and Frank played cards and they raced horses, which was the biggest thing back in those days as well.
The Question of Jesse James's Christianity
Weaver poses the question of whether Jesse was a Christian, noting his religious activities but also his life of crime. He compares Jesse to biblical figures like David and Lot, who committed grave sins yet were considered righteous.
known a little bit about Jesse James, whether it's true or not, just from Hollywood and from these other media productions, the question is this, was Jesse James a Christian? Think about that. If the answer is no, he was not a Christian, then we understand his life and conduct. There's no problem.
But if we answer, yes, he was a Christian, then you have to answer this question, how could a Christian turn to what you and I would believe would be a life of crime where he robbed and shot people? That is for sure. And before you tell me that there cannot be a real Christian that could steal and kill, may I remind you about a man called David, who was a man after God's own heart. He stole Uriah's wife, and then he had Uriah murdered. He killed him with the sword of the children of Ammon, according to the word of God.
And yet David is known as a man after God's own heart. Now, you're going to say, but that's an exception. Let me tell you something. There's another man in Scripture. If the Scripture had not told me that he was a just man, I would have said this man is lost as a hound dog. Lot. Have you ever wondered how Lot could live in Sodom?
He lost his family. If the Bible did not say that that righteous man vexed his righteous soul with their unlawful deeds, I would have said Lot was lost. I don't know how in the world a man could put up with something like that. The truth of the matter is this. I do not know whether Jesse James was a Christian or not. I do know that he was a member of a Baptist church. I do know that he sang in the choir.
I do know that he tried to do that which was right on many occasions and was not allowed to do that which was right. And I do know that the circumstances and the times and the world in which he lived helped him to be what he became and molded him and basically, in one sense of the word, forced him into being what he was.
The Border Conflict: Bleeding Kansas and Missouri
Explains the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the fight over slavery in Kansas, and the violent raids by Jayhawkers and border ruffians. Weaver highlights the propaganda of 'Bleeding Kansas' and the role of figures like John Brown and Senator Jim Lane.
You see, Jesse was from Missouri. Missouri was a slave state, but slaves only made up 9% of the population of Missouri. However, three-fourths of the Missourians had slave state backgrounds. Most Missourians, as they were facing the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, most Missourians wanted Kansas to be pro-slavery. And, of course, they were willing for Nebraska to be a free state. You have to understand, here is the battle is going on between the North and the South.
Before 1854, there was a balance of power in the government. You had the equal number of reps for the slave states and an equal number for the northern states. But now, all of a sudden, if these territories are opened up, and Missouri and, not Missouri, but if Kansas and Nebraska go to be free states, now all of a sudden, there's not going to be a balance of power, and the free states, the Yanks, are going to have control over basically everything is what it amounts to. Not only is this Kansas-Nebraska Act happening at the time, there's also that which is known as the transcontinental railroad that's happening at the same time. And this railroad is being sponsored by the government, by the way. And of course, it is confiscating land and stealing land left and right.
I will tell you this. There's only one movie that I've ever seen that actually portrayed Jesse and Frank James in a good light. And the name of that movie is "American Outlaws." Now there was one scene in there where the railroad barons came to Zerelda James, the mother of Frank and Jesse, and they were offering to buy her land and offering her 50 cents an acre. 50 cents an acre. And she said, and of course Jesse and Frank pulled their pistols and said, "Get off the property. Get off the property."
The baron said, "Well, you better take it while you can, because the next offer is going to be lower than this." And Zerelda said, "Well, let me pray about this." "Yes," the baron said, "you pray about it." She bowed her head and prayed silently. Men stopped and smiled. And the baron was expecting and she looked at Jesse and Frank, she said, "The Lord said, that we could kill him and bury him in the orchard and nobody would ever find him." Well, you have to understand that the railroad did indeed kill a lot of people and they stole an awful lot of land.
So in 1854, when Congress opened this land and they were going to allow then the people to determine whether or not it was a free state or whether or not it was a slave state. Well, obviously now the Missourians did not want Kansas to be a free state. And certainly the Yanks and those abolitionists did not want Kansas to be a slave state. And so they are now fighting over this sectional... James is about to take place. And literally all hell broke loose on the borders. I mean, the Jayhawkers were raiding over into Missouri, stealing, killing, raping, taking whatever.
And of course, there were border ruffians from Missouri who would go into Kansas and try to get back everything that had been stolen from them as well. And so let me give you one good quote. Here is a quote from one of the newspapers there, the Democratic platform, they said this, and this was at Liberty, only 15 miles from where the James lived. They said, "Let every man that owns a Negro go to Kansas and settle, and our northern brethren will be compelled to hunt further north for a location. Kansas must be a slave state if half the citizens of Missouri had to immigrate there with musket in hand, prepared to die for the cause. Shall we allow such cutthroats and murderers to settle in the territory joining our own state?
No. If popular opinion will not keep them back, we should see what the virtue there is in arms." In other words, they were willing to fight. And certainly the Kansans were already fighting as well.
So Missouri was crossing over in Kansas, Kansas was crossing over in Missouri, and of course they had marshalling points in Jackson and Clay counties and Lafayette counties as well. So here are prominent citizens now saying that something has got to be done or else we're going to be losing everything that we've got. Now, pretty soon, out of all the fighting, it was known as Bleeding Kansas. And please understand this. Bleeding Kansas was propaganda from the abolitionists. It happened to be you heard of Beecher's Bibles. You know what Beecher's Bibles were?
Yeah, Henry Ward Beecher sent Sharpe's rifles in cases known as Bibles to the Kansans so they could kill more Missourians. And of course, John Brown was there and John Brown was hired by the Secret Six to foment and begin the war. I would encourage you to read Otto Scott's book, "The Secret Six." There's another book called "The Secret Six," which is excellent as well, but I forget who the author was.
But Otto Scott has a wonderful book on "The Secret Six," showing you the six richest men in the North that got together to foment this war. Senator, listen now, Senator James Henry Lane. Senator! James Henry Lane, known also as Jim Lane, was one of the notorious leaders of the Redlegs and the Jayhawkers. Lane hated and despised Southerners. He hated and despised Missourians. Here's what he said.
I'm just quoting. Senator Jim Lane said, "Missourians are wolves, snakes, devils, and damn their souls. I want to see them cast into a burning hell. We believe in a war of extermination.
There is no such thing as Union men in the border of Missouri. I want to see every foot of ground in Jackson, Cass, and Bates County, Missouri, burned over and everything laid waste." That was a United States Senator.
Federal Atrocities Against the James Family and Missourians
Recounts the brutal treatment of the James family by Union soldiers, including the hanging of their stepfather, the beating of young Jesse, and the imprisonment of his mother and sister. Weaver provides multiple accounts of murders, rapes, and torture of Southern civilians.
Let me read to you. This is a report from John Samuel, who would be Jesse's half-brother, and he's telling about the first time that Jesse was met by these Federals. Here's what he said. "Jesse was out plowing in the field when some northern soldiers came to the place to look for Frank. Jesse was only 15 at the time. They beat him up.
Then they went to the house and asked where Frank was. Mother and father didn't know or pretended not to know, but the soldiers wouldn't believe them. They took father out and hung him by the neck to a tree. After a while, they took him down and gave him another chance to tell. Of course, he couldn't.
So they hung him up again. They did this three times. It's called stretching the neck. They'd put the rope around the neck, throw it over the tree, pull him up until he almost died. And then they'd drop him, let him catch his breath and ask him if he didn't answer.
Then they did it three times. Now, they didn't kill the old man, but he never recovered. He was never quite mentally the same after this. But listen, what else happened? He said they took father out and hung him by the neck to a tree.
After a while, they took him down and gave him another chance. Of course, he couldn't. So they hung him up again. They did this three times.
Then they took him to the back of the house and told mother they were going to shoot him. She begged them not to do it, but they took him off in the woods north of the house and fired off their guns. But they didn't shoot him. They just took him over to another town and put him in jail. My mother didn't even know until the next day that he hadn't been shot because the soldiers ordered her to remain in the house if she didn't want to be shot."
So Jesse now is only 15 years old. He's plowing in the field and they go and put a rope around his neck. And lead him back to the house to witness his father, his stepfather's neck being stretched. They also take the flat part of their sabers and beat Jesse as well. Wow.
So he's threatened with death now. And the whole family is threatened with death if they ever communicate with Frank or give Frank any help whatsoever. Now, the same week that this happened, his mother, Jesse's mother, Zerelda, and his sister were arrested and they were carried to St. Joseph and thrown into a very filthy prison. And it should be pointed out that Mrs. Samuel was pregnant at the time. And I believe, if I remember correctly, she lost the child because of the hardship that she endured.
And the daughter almost died from a fever because of everything that was going on there. They were cut off from all communications. No one could talk to them. They could not talk to anyone. And so when Mrs. James came out, she was suffering. She was emaciated and it made her age more than she should have aged.
And of course, with the hanging then of the stepfather and with the arrest and imprisonment of his mother and sister, Jesse then got the best horse on the place and rode as fast as he could to join William Clark Quantrill, the noted guerrilla, in order to fight against those who were destroying his home, his family, and the South. You see, Missourians had a right to life, liberty, and property like everyone else. But when the government, the Federals, and the state abused their power and usurped authority and refused to protect the people, they did what anyone else would do. They tried to protect themselves and what they had. Times were exceedingly bad during the War of Northern Aggression, but I'm going to tell you this. I believe Missouri really had it worse than all the other states.
Someone has aptly pointed out, in most states, the war lasted four years. In Missouri, it lasted 20 years. You say, how in the world could it last 20 years? Because there were years before when all this sectional violence was taking place, and then after the war, four years, there was, of course, Reconstruction. And then there again, there were people being killed even after the war was over. The war created a great deal of animosity. By the way, there's still animosity in the South, not necessarily over the fact that the South lost the war, but the way the South was treated after the war, when the South was treated as a conquered enemy and a conquered territory.
Well, that's exactly what happened here because Southern men were not even allowed back home, or if they came back home, they could not make a living. High George, who also wrote the Quantrill, gave his reason for fighting for the Southern cause. Here's what he said. "They burned and took everything I had, killed my father and hanged my brother." Many Southerners, I'm glad you're sitting down. I hope you understand this, but many Southerners, not just soldiers, but many Southerners were scalped or had their ears or their fingers cut off so the Jayhawkers could wear them as souvenirs and necklaces around their necks. You did not have to be a soldier, you just had to be a Southerner.
Young male family members were dealt with just like they were adults. In Jackson County, Missouri, 13-year-old John Fox, who had a brother with Quantrill, was shot and killed by federal soldiers while his sister and his mother were hugging him, begging them not to shoot him. And they shot and killed him in the arms of his mother and his sister. You know why they shot him? He was charged with feeding his brother. Federals also killed 14-year-old James Nicholson because he had two brothers serving under General Price. 35-year-old Henry Morris was serving Captain Upton Hayes when the Federals ran up to his house and shot and killed his 11-year-old son.
Southern women were raped, tortured, and imprisoned simply because they either had a husband, brother, or son who fought for the Confederacy. The Berry brothers, Dick, James, and Isaac, left their father and four sisters at home. Federal soldiers from the neighboring town of Danville raped 20-year-old Catherine, 18-year-old Nancy, 14-year-old Elizabeth, and 11-year-old Sally Ann. You wonder what drives men to do what Jesse and Frank did and others. Frank Dalton, and I told you this yesterday, Frank Dalton was a cousin of Jesse and Frank James. The Youngers, the Daltons, and the Jameses were all related.
So Frank Dalton, who was a cousin of Frank and Jesse, wrote this. Listen, if this would not make your blood boil, you're just not a man. That's all there is to it. "Jenison's Jayhawkers visiting the home of the James brothers, Jesse and Frank, and taking the women Aunt Zerelda, the mother of Frank and Jesse, their sister, and my mother and sisters, after stripping them to the waist, they tied them to trees and taking a black snake whip they had found in the stable, they whipped them until they got tired and then they rode away, leaving the women and the girls to be cut down and carried to the house by our Negro slaves who washed and bandaged their bleeding backs and bodies and put them to bed." If you remember the first message I preached on the Union's war against women and children, of course, these women and children, a lot of them were taking this dilapidated tenant and then moved to another where the building was totally undermined.
Post-War Persecution and the Forced Outlawry of Jesse and Frank
Describes how after the war, Confederates were hunted, killed, and prevented from returning to normal life. Jesse was shot while attempting to surrender, and both brothers faced constant threats, leading them to become outlaws for survival.
When the war was over, and Jesse and some men with him planned to surrender and to turn himself in along with the other men. When he did that, he ended up ultimately being shot by federal soldiers. He went in with the men to Major J.B. Rogers, who was the provost marshal, and the provost marshal told Jesse and those that were with him that they had to give up their guns and their horses. And Jesse said, "No, we will never give up our guns and our horses because so many people are trying to kill us." And finally, the provost marshal said, "Well, look, I will allow you to keep your guns and your horses. And if you will come back in tomorrow, I will have the papers drawn up and you can sign them and the surrender will be official."
As they rode out of town, they were met by eight Union soldiers who were the advance guard of sixty Union soldiers. The eight Union soldiers saw Jesse and those men, and they drew their weapons and fired on Jesse James and the men that were with them. Jesse, of course, and his men returned fire. They killed four of the Union soldiers. wounded two more. And the next thing you know, the other 60 were right there and there was a running fight because Jesse only had a few men with him. And they're now facing 60 federal soldiers.
Jesse was wounded, a bullet went in his right lung. And, of course, as he was fighting, his horse fell and fell on him and the Federals, as they were chasing the other men, ran by Jesse and were shooting at him. And of course, they killed his horse, but they did not hit Jesse. They were after the other men. And Jesse somehow got his leg out from under his horse and started crawling to the woods, trying to escape. And of course, as he did, five Federals saw him and chased after him, shooting at him.
Now, remember, Jesse is wounded. He's crawling. He's on the ground. He still takes his revolver and he kills the first federal. The second one, he shoots out of the saddle. And the man hits the ground running, running through the woods. The third federal, he shot and killed.
The next two decided they didn't want any more, and so they turned and left. So Jesse got away, he crawled in the woods, and finally he found a creek where he lay in that creek and bathed his wound for two days. Of course, he had a fever. But after two days, he was still able to crawl out of that creek. And thankfully, he got into a field and a man who was plowing found Jesse and took him to the doctor. And it basically took Jesse three years to recover.
Now, I want you to remember, this is after the war. Now the war is over, OK? When Frank returned to Missouri, after the war was over, he was challenged by four federal soldiers. The troopers provoked and forced the issue. The result was that Frank drew his weapons and killed two of them instantly, wounded a third, and the fourth one, before he escaped, managed to wound Frank in the hip. A doctor saved his life, but Frank still had trouble with that hip the rest of his life.
But in December of 1866, federal authorities in Missouri passed a law that demanded every able-bodied Missourian over 18 to join and to register for the state militia. And if you did not, then you were fined $25 or imprisoned and jailed. Well, they knew that these Confederates were not going to join, and of course they wouldn't have $25 either. So Confederates then basically tried to return to what you and I would call a normal life after the war was over. In fact, Frank and Jesse tried farming, believe it or not.
But everything was at starvation wages. They were unsuccessful at doing that. Moreover, the regulators, these federal troops, were roaming through the woods and through the communities looking for ex-Confederates, and especially the guerrillas, and they were seeking them out and wanted to kill them. However, here's what the promise was. They were trying to settle up old scores and they promised to give any returning rebel a swift bullet or a short rope.
Now, hang on for this one. In 1866, which is a solid year after the war is over. In 1866, 4,000 Southerners were murdered from Southwest Missouri alone. That's not the whole state. That's just the Southwest. 4,000. They were ex-Confederates.
And so what the regulators and the Federals were doing, they were just killing anyone that had anything to do with the Confederacy. I'm just simply pointing out the fact they did not want them. In fact, on February 18, 1867, two years after the war was over, five state militiamen rode to the James Farm in Kearney, Missouri, looking for the James boys. It was General William Clark who had ordered that all guerrilla leaders were to be brought in either dead or alive. They didn't care. And so these five Union soldiers now are pounding on the James door, demanding entrance. Jesse is still not fully recovered from being shot in the lung.
Dr. Samuel asked him, "What should I do?" Jesse looked out the window and saw five Union saddles. He said, "Help me to the door." And so Dr. Samuel helped him to the door. And Jesse pulled out his pistol and through the crack in the door shot the first federal soldier.
Then he threw the door open, grabbed his other pistol and he killed all of them but one. Because he understood that they were fixing to kill him. It was either him or them. They came looking for him.
So Jesse and Frank basically were forced to take to the bush and to live as outlaws. Peaceful pursuits were not allowed the former Confederates. Harrison Trow, who rode with Quantrill, said this, "The law which should have protected them was overridden. Indeed, there was no law. The courts were the instruments of plunder. Think about this today. The civil officers were cutthroats.
Instead of a legal process, there was a vigilance committee. Men were hanged because they had a very natural desire to keep hold of their property. To the cruel vigor of actual war, there had succeeded the irresponsible despotism of greedy highwaymen buttressed upon assassination. The border countries were overrun with bands of predatory plunderers. Some Confederate soldiers dared not return home, and many guerrillas fled the country. Can you imagine not being able to go to your own home, not be able to live where you were raised? James Cumming from Clay County attended the same Baptist church as the James brothers.
And he said this, "When the war was over, I wanted to settle down, but they, the Federals, would not let me, but pursued me with malignant hatred." Federal vengeance was so fierce that many men were compelled to become outlaws just to protect their families.
Study Guide
Major Themes
The Necessity of Justice
Summary: God demands justice, and without it, society decays and evil prospers. Government is ordained to be a minister of justice.
Evidence: Weaver reads Isaiah 59:12-15 and states, 'God demands justice... Without justice, society withers and dies, and without justice, evil men increase and prosper.'
Historical Context for Moral Judgment
Summary: It is impossible to accurately judge historical figures without understanding the world and times in which they lived.
Evidence: Weaver says, 'It's impossible for you and I to judge a man today by our standards when that man died 150, 160 years ago... you've got to consider the world and times in which they lived.'
The Complexity of Jesse James's Character
Summary: Jesse James was a church member, Bible reader, and choir singer, yet also a robber and killer, raising questions about the nature of Christian faith and conduct.
Evidence: Weaver notes Jesse's religious activities and quotes a letter where Jesse expresses faith in God's protection, then asks, 'was Jesse James a Christian?'
Victimization and Retributive Violence
Summary: The violence committed against the James family and other Missourians by Union forces and Jayhawkers created a cycle of vengeance that forced men into outlawry.
Evidence: Weaver details the hanging of Dr. Samuel, the whipping of the women, and says, 'that violence was crying out for justice and crying out for vengeance.'
The Failure of Post-War Reconstruction
Summary: After the Civil War, former Confederates were denied peace, hunted, and killed, making it impossible for them to reintegrate into society.
Evidence: Weaver states, 'Peaceful pursuits were not allowed the former Confederates... many men were compelled to become outlaws just to protect their families.'
Key Arguments
History must be studied from a theological perspective
Summary: All history is God's eternal decree coming to pass in time, so we must study it with a theological lens.
Evidence: Weaver says, 'We must remember that all history is God's history... history is nothing less than God's eternal decree coming to pass in time.'
Blindness to past injustices leads to blindness in the present
Summary: If we are blind to the injustices of the past, we will also be blind to injustices in the present and future.
Evidence: Weaver states, 'If you and I are blind to the injustices of the past, we will also be blind to the injustices in the present and in the future as well.'
Jesse James's actions were a response to extreme persecution
Summary: The brutal treatment of his family and the ongoing threat to his life forced Jesse into a life of violence and outlawry.
Evidence: Weaver recounts the hanging of his stepfather, the whipping of his mother, and says, 'Jesse then got the best horse on the place and rode as fast as he could to join William Clark Quantrill... to fight against those who were destroying his home.'
The post-war government perpetuated violence against Southerners
Summary: Federal authorities and militias continued to hunt and kill ex-Confederates long after the war ended, denying them any chance at a peaceful life.
Evidence: Weaver cites that in 1866, 4,000 Southerners were murdered in Southwest Missouri alone, and that regulators promised 'a swift bullet or a short rope' to returning rebels.
Biblical figures like David and Lot show that righteous men can commit grave sins
Summary: The examples of David and Lot demonstrate that being a man after God's own heart does not preclude serious moral failures, complicating the judgment of Jesse James.
Evidence: Weaver says, 'David... stole Uriah's wife, and then he had Uriah murdered... And yet David is known as a man after God's own heart.'
Scripture References
Isaiah 59:12-15
Context: Weaver reads these verses at the beginning to introduce the theme of justice and truth failing in the streets.
Romans 13
Context: Cited to support that government is ordained by God to be a minister of justice, bearing the sword.
Ecclesiastes (implied 'nothing new under the sun')
Context: Weaver references Solomon's saying to argue that corruption today is not new.
2 Samuel 11-12 (David and Bathsheba/Uriah)
Context: Used as an example of a man after God's own heart who committed adultery and murder.
Genesis 19 (Lot in Sodom)
Context: Lot is described as a righteous man who vexed his soul, yet lived in Sodom and lost his family.
2 Peter 2:7-8 (implied 'righteous Lot')
Context: Weaver references the biblical description of Lot as righteous to argue that outward circumstances can obscure a person's spiritual state.
Historical References
Jesse James (1847-1882)
Context: The central figure of the lecture, an American outlaw and Confederate guerrilla.
Frank James (1843-1915)
Context: Jesse's older brother and fellow outlaw.
Reverend Robert James
Context: Father of Jesse and Frank, a Baptist preacher and founder of William Jewell College.
William Jewell College
Context: Baptist college in Liberty, Missouri, co-founded by Robert James.
Quantrill's Raiders / William Clark Quantrill
Context: Confederate guerrilla leader whom Jesse James joined during the Civil War.
Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)
Context: Legislation that opened Kansas and Nebraska territories to popular sovereignty on slavery, leading to border violence.
Bleeding Kansas
Context: Term for the violent conflict over slavery in Kansas, described by Weaver as abolitionist propaganda.
Senator James Henry Lane
Context: Union senator and leader of Jayhawkers, known for his extreme hatred of Missourians and advocacy of extermination.
General Thomas Ewing and William Tecumseh Sherman
Context: Union generals; Sherman's quote about death being mercy for secessionists is cited.
Pinkertons / Alan Pinkerton
Context: Detective agency that pursued Jesse James; Jesse wrote a letter against them expressing faith in God's justice.
Discussion Questions
How does understanding the historical context of Jesse James's life challenge or confirm your previous perceptions of him?
Context: Weaver emphasizes the importance of studying the world and times in which historical figures lived.
Can a person who commits serious crimes like robbery and murder be a genuine Christian? How do the examples of David and Lot inform your answer?
Context: Weaver raises the question of Jesse's faith and compares him to biblical figures who sinned greatly.
In what ways does the failure of justice in post-war Missouri parallel or differ from injustices in our own society?
Context: Weaver connects the historical injustices to the need for vigilance in the present.
How should Christians balance the call for justice with the command to forgive and love enemies, especially in situations of extreme persecution?
Context: The lecture describes horrific violence against the James family and other Southerners, raising questions about appropriate responses.
What role did the church and personal faith play in Jesse James's life, and how might that have influenced his actions?
Context: Weaver details Jesse's church involvement, Bible reading, and expressions of faith.
Applications
Study history to understand God's providence and human nature
Summary: Recognize that all history is God's decree unfolding, and study it to gain wisdom about justice and human behavior.
Evidence: Weaver says, 'We must remember that all history is God's history... we must study history not only from a theological perspective, but a historical perspective as well.'
Avoid judging past figures by modern standards without context
Summary: Before condemning historical figures, seek to understand the circumstances and pressures they faced.
Evidence: Weaver states, 'It's impossible for you and I to judge a man today by our standards when that man died 150, 160 years ago.'
Be vigilant against present injustices
Summary: If we ignore past injustices, we will be blind to current ones; we must base our understanding of justice on God's Word.
Evidence: Weaver warns, 'If you and I are blind to the injustices of the past, we will also be blind to the injustices in the present and in the future as well.'
Recognize the complexity of human character and avoid simplistic labels
Summary: People are not simply heroes or villains; even those who do great evil may have genuine faith or admirable qualities.
Evidence: Weaver presents Jesse as both a church-going Bible reader and an outlaw, and compares him to David and Lot.
deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-04T17:01:49Z
deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-05T19:57:31Z