Legends and Lies - Jesse James

[Gene C]

A new? series on Fox News examining well known people in western American History. This one is on Jesse James , and this short 12 minute introduction talks about the influences in the divided state of Missouri that influenced the violent path he took in life.

Because of the political and social events leading up to the Civil War that Lincoln was so involved with, it seemed appropriate to mention this episode on this site. It's interesting.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4169228198001...9228198001

[BettyO]

Recently found out that I'm related to Dr. Andrews, Zelda James' husband, on my maternal side (my mother was an Andrews.) Dr. Andrews was the only father that the boys ever really knew (their own father had died when Jesse was 3 years old.) He's the gentleman depicted as being hanged in the video.

Thanks, Gene!

[Wild Bill]

The big problem with this series is familiar to blog users. The producer is none other than Bill O'Reilly, up to his usual non-historical tricks in narration. Jesse is not going to Northfields because of "arrogance." He is going because the main bank in town is owned by the Ames family one of whom is General Ben Butler's son-in-law, just up from being the Carpetbagger governor of Mississippi, barely escaping with his own life. Further, Jess's mother is not just Mutilated but lost her arm, which is shown in a sling as if merely broken, in the Pinkerton detective raid on the James' farm. The incendiary device is actually a bomb, denied by the Pinkerton's until recently when the company's own now-opened records showed what was really used. The shootout story was botched and left out that the gang's guide, Bill Chadwell, was killed leaving the other loose in a strange land. The shooting of Jesse was also a mess. This is typical of the Killing Series the first of which concerned Lincoln. And so it goes. I shudder whenever I hear of O'Reilly brag he was a history teacher.

[BettyO]

I agree one hundred percent with everything you said, Bill!

[Wild Bill]

For what it is worth, and my apology if I have said this before, on Jesse read the excellent biography by T J Stiles, Jesse James: The Last Rebel of the Civil War (2002) and Mark Lee Gardner, Shot All to Hell: Jesse James, the Northfields Raid, and the Wild West's Greatest Escape (2013). An excellent historical novel, more history than fiction, is Will Henry, The Raiders (1954).

Stiles illustrates how Jesse and the newspaper propaganda on his behalf changed Missouri from being 3/4 pro-Union in 1861 to Radical Republican immediately after the war to being 3/4 in favor of the anti-Reconstruction forces by 1875. This, plus his familial connections from local to state-wide politicians, kept the gang invulnerable in Missouri and brother Frank out of jail later in life

[Hess1865]

great-I dvr'd the first few episodes-guess its all baloney-what do ya expect with O'Reilly.
Maybe I better skip watching them....

[Gene C]

Keep watching if you enjoy it Herb. There is probably more fact than fiction.
If it gets you interested in learning more about those times and events then it has produced a positive result.

[Wild Bill]

I actually agree with Gene here

[HerbS]

I don't enjoy it when Mr.O. tries to brag about himself being a history teacher!I feel he is full of himself!He spreads too much fiction into fact for me.I never said that I had any joy in listening to or reading anything by him.He scares me when he tries to make sense of things he knows little about.But.some people do listen to him,and like him.That is thier choice,and not mine.

[Linda Anderson]

NBC will air an episode of Timeless titled "The Murder of Jesse James" on Jan. 23.

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20170103nbc03/

[RJNorton]

Thank you for this posting, Linda!

[Wild Bill]

I agree with Herb's analysis of "Mr O." I shudder to think what his history classes were about content-wise. I will confess that some sections of the "Killing Series" I have read were not that bad. But I object to calling Russian tanks "Tiger Tanks" in Killing the Rising Sun when that was a German model. I suspect he was really referring to the Russian "JV Stalin" series, late in WW II. I am amazed at the numerous small errors like this, but like Herb, I doubt that anyone could get him to admit to the mistake.

[Houmes]

I agree one hundred percent with everything you said, Bill!

Ditto with BettyO.