In the legends of the Old West, no other outlaws are more preeminent than Frank (1844—1915) and Jesse (1847-1882) James. Popular imagination views them as latter-day Robin Hoods who stole from the rich and gave to the poor; however, the historical facts are not so flattering. The brothers were born in Clay County, Missouri, the sons of a preacher. During the Civil War they rode with Confederate guerrilla leaders William C. Quantrill and "Bloody Bill" Anderson, and participated in several atrocities. When the conflict ended in 1865, Missouri guerrillas, unlike regular Confederate soldiers, did not receive amnesty from the federal government.

Frank and Jesse James went home as outlaws, and between 1866 and 1881 they robbed banks, stagecoaches, and trains in Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, Iowa, Mississippi, West Virginia, Texas, and Minnesota. The James gang usually consisted of former Confederate guerrillas such as the Younger brothers—Cole and...