Jesse James Josey Wales Confederates, Bushwackers, JayHawkers, Missouri, Kansas?

[Artfuldodger]

Of course Josey Wales is fictional but what is the connection or history of ex-confederates, outlaws, Kansas and Missouri? We watched the Assassination of Jessi James last night and it got me wondering what the connection to a good many of the outlaws, Confederates, and the Union.
I'm assuming it must have started during the Civil War based on the Josey Wales story. I doubt all the ex-confederate outlaws had much to do with their families being killed though.

 

[Artfuldodger]

I did read that the South was in real bad shape financially after the war and headed West for work and money. Many became outlaws but most weren't wise enough or luck enough to make it.

Reading about Jesse James; Raised in the "Little Dixie" area of western Missouri, James and his family maintained strong Southern sympathies. He and his brother Frank James joined pro-Confederate guerrillas known as "bushwhackers" operating in Missouri and Kansas during the American Civil War.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_James

It appears that their mindset might have been about like Granny on Beverly Hillbillies concerning Yankees, lol. Meaning it was a big part of their justification to do what they did.

 

[Artfuldodger]

I would also imagine Missouri and Kansas was a lot different than the Eastern states after the war. Plus you got all these ex-military men after the war who were young and might not of had many jobs for them.

It might have also been hard for them to just turn off the war mode or say "the war is over, we are one nation again."
Maybe they just used it for an excuse.

 

[NCHillbilly]

That area was a hotbed of guerilla raiders during the war. Lots of nasty stuff went on, up to massacres of whole towns in Kansas. The confederates of Missouri and the Union redlegs of Kansas hated each other. Bloody Bill Anderson, William Quantrill, and other raiders were active in the area. The James and Younger brothers rode with them. In the movie, Josey Wales rode with Bloody Bill.

 

[trad bow]

The western frontier had a lot of animosities during and after the civil war not only between north and south but certain parts of states against each other. A lot of hard feelings and hatred for each other during that time period. Some tough times for sure.

 

[Throwback]

Watch the movie “ride with the devil”
Really good movie about Missouri Gorillys and as a plus it has Jewel in it.

 

[Crakajak]

The western frontier had a lot of animosities during and after the civil war not only between north and south but certain parts of states against each other. A lot of hard feelings and hatred for each other during that time period. Some tough times for sure.

That rings true today it seems.

 

[breathe in]

 

[Artfuldodger]

I missed that or it probably didn't register when I last saw it.

 

[Artfuldodger]

Watch the movie “ride with the devil”
Really good movie about Missouri Gorillys and as a plus it has Jewel in it.

I just watched the trailer, I'll have to put that one on the watch list, thanks.

 

[Throwback]

I just watched the trailer, I'll have to put that one on the watch list, thanks.

Whoever researched it did a good job as far as showing how they lived IMO.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Interesting book: I, Quantrill by Max McCoy. Good work of historical fiction.

 

[JustUs4All]

Very similar things happened in Georgia and other "Frontier" areas during the Revolutionary war. Pay attention. This Country may not have seen the last of it yet.

 

[Danuwoa]

With the Confederacy expanding west you had the predictable battle over territory. Like people have already explained raiders were operating on both sides with William Clarke Quantril being the most famous on the confederate side. Things got so bad Kansas was known as Bleeding Kansas for a while.