12th Mo Cavalry CSA Question

[VaMo]

Greetings! I am a Virginia resident, writing a novel loosely based on my ancestor's life as a CSA soldier (12th Mo. Cavalry) and POW at Point Lookout. I've done many, many hours of historical research on Missouri (and Point Lookout), but am missing some pieces I hope this forum can supply. I know he enlisted Aug. 13, 1862, in Jackson County, and was probably involved at Lone Jack. But what did the Jackson County Cavalry do after that, until they became the 12th Missouri Cavalry Regiment in 1863? Where did they go? Did they ride with Quantrill perhaps?

 

[Stryker65]

Greetings! I am a Virginia resident, writing a novel loosely based on my ancestor's life as a CSA soldier (12th Mo. Cavalry) and POW at Point Lookout. I've done many, many hours of historical research on Missouri (and Point Lookout), but am missing some pieces I hope this forum can supply. I know he enlisted Aug. 13, 1862, in Jackson County, and was probably involved at Lone Jack. But what did the Jackson County Cavalry do after that, until they became the 12th Missouri Cavalry Regiment in 1863? Where did they go? Did they ride with Quantrill perhaps?

No Confederate unit ever "rode with Quantrill". If anything, Quantrill was the one riding with them. After becoming the 12th Missouri Cavalry, the unit joined the Confederate Iron Brigade -- Jo Shelby's brigade. The unit then fought in Shelby's raid, and then, later, in Price's raid. It is possible, still, that your ancestor rode off to Mexico with Shelby, as well.

 

[USS ALASKA]

https://www.armyheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/ref-bibs/civil-war-confederate-units/Missouri%20Confederate/Missouri%20Cavalry%20CS/12th%20Missouri%20Cavalry%20Regiment.pdf

https://mostateparks.com/sites/mostateparks/files/Confederates%20O%20thru%20Sh%20of%20Prices%20Raid%20updated%202015.pdf

Search | The State Historical Society of Missouri

var myInitCallback = function() { if (document.readyState == 'complete') { // Document is ready when CSE element is initialized. // Render an element with both

shsmo.org

https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Archives/resources/findingaids/rg133.13.pdf

Guide to Missouri Confederate Units, 1861-1865

Tracing the origins and history of Missouri Confederate units that served during the Civil War is nearly as difficult as comprehending the diverse politics that produced them. Deeply torn by the issues that caused the conflict, some Missourians chose sides enthusiastically, others reluctantly...

www.google.com

HTHs,
USS ALASKA

 

[VaMo]

Some family lore suggested he rode with Quantrill, but his name never appears on lists. He really just wanted to farm and he had a wife and three children when he enlisted. I just wondered where he went between enlistment and the official beginning of the 12th Cavalry Regiment. Since it's a novel, I guess I'll just make it up. It's too bad so few records exist from that time and place. But, yes, a truly complex situation. I'm trying very hard to keep his movements in the army as accurate as the story will allow. Thank you for the great research links.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

In the period between Lone Jack (Aug. 15-16, '62) and the unit's assignment to Joe Shelby's cavalry brigade in '63, believe the 12th MO cavalry was commanded by Lt.-Col. Beal Jeans. Jeans's MO cavalry regiment formed part of the predominantly mounted divisional force under Col. Douglas Cooper that was engaged on Sept. 30, '62, at Newtonia, MO - resulting in a Confederate victory. Following Newtonia, the mounted units of Cooper's force retreated to northwestern Arkansas. (See 'OR': Vol. 13, pp. 296-300).

 

[Booner]

View attachment 522021

https://www.armyheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/ref-bibs/civil-war-confederate-units/Missouri%20Confederate/Missouri%20Cavalry%20CS/12th%20Missouri%20Cavalry%20Regiment.pdf

https://mostateparks.com/sites/mostateparks/files/Confederates%20O%20thru%20Sh%20of%20Prices%20Raid%20updated%202015.pdf

Search | The State Historical Society of Missouri

var myInitCallback = function() { if (document.readyState == 'complete') { // Document is ready when CSE element is initialized. // Render an element with both

shsmo.org

https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Archives/resources/findingaids/rg133.13.pdf

Guide to Missouri Confederate Units, 1861-1865

Tracing the origins and history of Missouri Confederate units that served during the Civil War is nearly as difficult as comprehending the diverse politics that produced them. Deeply torn by the issues that caused the conflict, some Missourians chose sides enthusiastically, others reluctantly...

www.google.com

HTHs,
USS ALASKA

Mr. Alaska,
Once again, your ability to provide the most useful reference material, in such a quick manner continues to stun me. Your abilities in this area are simply outstanding. I tip my hat to you.

 

[Patrick H]

Greetings! I am a Virginia resident, writing a novel loosely based on my ancestor's life as a CSA soldier (12th Mo. Cavalry) and POW at Point Lookout. I've done many, many hours of historical research on Missouri (and Point Lookout), but am missing some pieces I hope this forum can supply. I know he enlisted Aug. 13, 1862, in Jackson County, and was probably involved at Lone Jack. But what did the Jackson County Cavalry do after that, until they became the 12th Missouri Cavalry Regiment in 1863? Where did they go? Did they ride with Quantrill perhaps?

I am a resident of Boonville, Missouri--a town visited twice by Shelby's brigade, and thus by your ancestor, too. In October of 1863, during Col. Shelby's Great Raid he captured my town. The following October Shelby dropped in again as the vanguard of Gen. Price's invasion of Missouri. Shelby, by this time a General, surrounded the town in twenty minutes and accepted the surrender of the local Union militia garrison. That event happened two blocks from where I sit and write this response.

Much has been written about both of those visits, and it's likely your ancestor witnessed them. One true story has Bloody Bill Anderson's command riding into town to meet with Price. They has just obliterated most of a large militia force at Centralia, Missouri, and they came to Boonville with their bridles decorated with human scalps! Another story has Shelby giving a fatherly talk to the youngest boys in the captured militia. He told them war was no business for boys to engage in. Would they promise to go home if he let them go? One boy spoke for all and said he'd certainly be glad to go home. Shelby then had one of his officers stand in the doorway with his arm braced out against the door frame. Any boy who could walk out under the officer's arm was free to go.

These stories and more are all available online, and in books about Shelby. Have fun researching. I think it's cool that you have an ancestor who was probably an eyewitness to some of these events.

 

[Missouri 1st]

Try the book below. My little knowledge is that Shelby was in Northeast Arkansas before the raid into Missouri in 1864. Scouting, recruiting, rounding up deserters and collecting supplies for the advance

 

[Missouri 1st]

Sorry for the horrible attachment...

 

[Patrick H]

Interesting. I was unaware of this book. I think I have most of the books written on him.

 

[Booner]

Try the book below. My little knowledge is that Shelby was in Northeast Arkansas before the raid into Missouri in 1864. Scouting, recruiting, rounding up deserters and collecting supplies for the advance

View attachment 522424

I believe the cover art of that book is depicting Shelby's battle at Marshal, Mo.

 

[Booner]

Greetings! I am a Virginia resident, writing a novel loosely based on my ancestor's life as a CSA soldier (12th Mo. Cavalry) and POW at Point Lookout. I've done many, many hours of historical research on Missouri (and Point Lookout), but am missing some pieces I hope this forum can supply. I know he enlisted Aug. 13, 1862, in Jackson County, and was probably involved at Lone Jack. But what did the Jackson County Cavalry do after that, until they became the 12th Missouri Cavalry Regiment in 1863?....

I'm somewhat confused as to the timeline of the formation of the 12th Mo. Cav. as you've given. Perhaps I can help.

According to my source, (Guide to Missouri Confederate Units, 1861-1865 by James E McGhee), what eventually became known as the 12th Mo Cav began forming by Upton Hays in July and August of 1862. Hays, being a Jackson County Mo. native (and the great grandson of Daniel Boone through Daniel's son Daniel Morgan Boone who settled in Jackson County in what today is known as the Swope Park area), began his recruitment for this unit in his home county and Hays and his early recruits took part in the first Battle of Independance on Aug. 11, 1862, and 5 days later at Lone Jack, Mo. After the Lone Jack battle, Hays began his movement to Arkansas, being perused most of the way by Federal calvary. After a brief stay in Arkansas, Hays command moved back to Newton County, Mo. where it was mustered into Confederate service around Sept. 12, 1862, as part of Joseph Shelby's brigade and designated the 12th Mo. Cavalry, CSA.

I believe there exists a lot of confusion about the naming of former Missouri State Guard units when they transferred into Confederate State units. For example, in the case of Upton Hays, I believe he had been a captain of an MSG cavalry regiment and by Dec. 1861, was made a Lt. Col. of the 1st Cav. Regiment, MSG. By Feb. 1862, Hays' enlistment in the MSG had ended, and he began his service with the Confederacy while in Texas and Arkansas and was initially made a LT. Col. in the yet-to-be-formed 2nd Mo. Cavalry. Hays was sent back into Missouri in the spring of 1862 to begin recruiting for this regiment, but his recruitment wasn't completed until September of 1862, as listed above. By that time, another unit of cavalry, that was made up of consolidated MSG cavalry units, had been given the designation of the 2nd Mo. Cav., CSA under the leadership of Col. Robert (Black Bob) McCulloch (who happens to be buried a couple of blocks from where I write this). Therefore, since the 2nd Cavalry designation was already taken, Hays's unit was named the 12th Mo Cav. According to the Watts-Hays letters, the day after Upton Hays was made Colonel of the 12th Mo. Cav., he was killed in a skirmish outside of Newtonia, Mo. and the leadership of the newly formed 12th Mo. Cav. was given to Beal G. Jeans until he resigned in 1863, and the leadership was given to David Shanks. The unit also had the informal name of the Jackson County Cavalry due to the large number of men in the regiment from that County.

If you haven't done so by now, if you haven't read the Watts-Hays letter (available online), I cannot urge you strongly enough to do so. The content of these letters, written by Upton Hays' wife to her daughter in California begins in 1840's and continues through to the 1870's and is a veritable treasure trove of information of what it was like to be a Missourian living in western Missouri during the time period. Mrs. Hays was very informative in her letters to explain to her daughter what was happening in Jackson County, especially during the 'Bleeding Kansas" and Civil War periods, and she gives the names of what happened to who. (the named mentioned in her letters are indexed). Perhaps you ancestor is listed.

A link to the letters-->

The Watts Hays Letters

Letters and other writing, from 1849 through early 1900's, of the Watts and Hays families of Jackson County Missouri and Mariposa, California.

www.wattshaysletters.com

With regards to your ancestor riding with Quantrill, it's probably doubtful, especially after he enlisted in the 2nd./12th Mo Cav. Quantrill moved to Kansas in 1857 and initially had great respect and shared the views of future Senator James Lane. In 1858, Quantrill signs on as a teamster hauling freight to the army posts to the western territory of Utah. When Quantrill returns to Kansas, his political views with regards to what was happening in Kansas had changed 180 degrees. Freighting to Santa Fe and the western territories was a very prominent business In Jackson County, Mo. during this time period, and perhaps the associations Quantrill made with his fellow Missourian teamsters during this trip changed his views. I'll note that in addition to being a farmer, Upton Hays was also heavily involved in the western freighting business. His farm was located a few miles south of the Westport area of the Kansas City metro area, very near present day Swope Park, and he is buried near his home in the Confederate section of the Forest Hill Cemetery, (East 67th Street, which is four blocks south of the Boone-Hays cemetery, East 63rd Street. Daniel Morgan Boone is buried here).

 

[Stryker65]

I believe there exists a lot of confusion about the naming of former Missouri State Guard units when they transferred into Confederate State units. For example, in the case of Upton Hays, I believe he had been a captain of an MSG cavalry regiment and by Dec. 1861, was made a Lt. Col. of the 1st Cav. Regiment, MSG.

There is so much confusion about the MSG. It sure doesn't help that the numbering system restarted at 1 for each of the nine divisions as well -- so there were at least nine 1st MSG Infantry, nine 1st MSG Cavalry, etc.

 

[Booner]

There is so much confusion about the MSG. It sure doesn't help that the numbering system restarted at 1 for each of the nine divisions as well -- so there were at least nine 1st MSG Infantry, nine 1st MSG Cavalry, etc.

Thats very true, and thanks for bringing that to light.

The Missouri State Guard was formed May 14th, 1861, and was disbanded by Gen. Price March 17, 1862, so it lasted approximately 10 months, well before the timeframe of the OP. But it seems that the chaos of the formation and operation of the MSG seemed to continue when some of its members became part of the Confederate Army.

 

[Stryker65]

Thats very true, and thanks for bringing that to light.

The Missouri State Guard was formed May 14th, 1861, and was disbanded by Gen. Price March 17, 1862, so it lasted approximately 10 months, well before the timeframe of the OP. But it seems that the chaos of the formation and operation of the MSG seemed to continue when some of its members became part of the Confederate Army.

For reference:
List of all Missouri State Guard units, their commanders, and the divisions they were assigned to

 

[Booner]

For reference:
List of all Missouri State Guard units, their commanders, and the divisions they were assigned to

I'm afraid I'm going to have to take that link with a grain of salt, so to speak. But I do thank you for posting it.

It doesn't give dates as to when a unit was formed, nor who was the Col. of the regiment at what time, so for me, it has a limited use as it doesn't have enough detail for me.

I do note that one of the contributors was James McGhee, who wrote "Guide to Missouri Confederate Units, 1861-1865" and I really enjoy his book and the detail that he gives for every unit.

 

[VaMo]

I'm somewhat confused as to the timeline of the formation of the 12th Mo. Cav. as you've given. Perhaps I can help.

According to my source, (Guide to Missouri Confederate Units, 1861-1865 by James E McGhee), what eventually became known as the 12th Mo Cav began forming by Upton Hays in July and August of 1862. Hays, being a Jackson County Mo. native (and the great grandson of Daniel Boone through Daniel's son Daniel Morgan Boone who settled in Jackson County in what today is known as the Swope Park area), began his recruitment for this unit in his home county and Hays and his early recruits took part in the first Battle of Independance on Aug. 11, 1862, and 5 days later at Lone Jack, Mo. After the Lone Jack battle, Hays began his movement to Arkansas, being perused most of the way by Federal calvary. After a brief stay in Arkansas, Hays command moved back to Newton County, Mo. where it was mustered into Confederate service around Sept. 12, 1862, as part of Joseph Shelby's brigade and designated the 12th Mo. Cavalry, CSA.

I believe there exists a lot of confusion about the naming of former Missouri State Guard units when they transferred into Confederate State units. For example, in the case of Upton Hays, I believe he had been a captain of an MSG cavalry regiment and by Dec. 1861, was made a Lt. Col. of the 1st Cav. Regiment, MSG. By Feb. 1862, Hays' enlistment in the MSG had ended, and he began his service with the Confederacy while in Texas and Arkansas and was initially made a LT. Col. in the yet-to-be-formed 2nd Mo. Cavalry. Hays was sent back into Missouri in the spring of 1862 to begin recruiting for this regiment, but his recruitment wasn't completed until September of 1862, as listed above. By that time, another unit of cavalry, that was made up of consolidated MSG cavalry units, had been given the designation of the 2nd Mo. Cav., CSA under the leadership of Col. Robert (Black Bob) McCulloch (who happens to be buried a couple of blocks from where I write this). Therefore, since the 2nd Cavalry designation was already taken, Hays's unit was named the 12th Mo Cav. According to the Watts-Hays letters, the day after Upton Hays was made Colonel of the 12th Mo. Cav., he was killed in a skirmish outside of Newtonia, Mo. and the leadership of the newly formed 12th Mo. Cav. was given to Beal G. Jeans until he resigned in 1863, and the leadership was given to David Shanks. The unit also had the informal name of the Jackson County Cavalry due to the large number of men in the regiment from that County.

If you haven't done so by now, if you haven't read the Watts-Hays letter (available online), I cannot urge you strongly enough to do so. The content of these letters, written by Upton Hays' wife to her daughter in California begins in 1840's and continues through to the 1870's and is a veritable treasure trove of information of what it was like to be a Missourian living in western Missouri during the time period. Mrs. Hays was very informative in her letters to explain to her daughter what was happening in Jackson County, especially during the 'Bleeding Kansas" and Civil War periods, and she gives the names of what happened to who. (the named mentioned in her letters are indexed). Perhaps you ancestor is listed.

A link to the letters-->

The Watts Hays Letters

Letters and other writing, from 1849 through early 1900's, of the Watts and Hays families of Jackson County Missouri and Mariposa, California.

www.wattshaysletters.com

With regards to your ancestor riding with Quantrill, it's probably doubtful, especially after he enlisted in the 2nd./12th Mo Cav. Quantrill moved to Kansas in 1857 and initially had great respect and shared the views of future Senator James Lane. In 1858, Quantrill signs on as a teamster hauling freight to the army posts to the western territory of Utah. When Quantrill returns to Kansas, his political views with regards to what was happening in Kansas had changed 180 degrees. Freighting to Santa Fe and the western territories was a very prominent business In Jackson County, Mo. during this time period, and perhaps the associations Quantrill made with his fellow Missourian teamsters during this trip changed his views. I'll note that in addition to being a farmer, Upton Hays was also heavily involved in the western freighting business. His farm was located a few miles south of the Westport area of the Kansas City metro area, very near present day Swope Park, and he is buried near his home in the Confederate section of the Forest Hill Cemetery, (East 67th Street, which is four blocks south of the Boone-Hays cemetery, East 63rd Street. Daniel Morgan Boone is buried here).

Very informative, thanks. His intake interview when he was a POW lists him in the 12th Cavalry, but other info I've found shows 2nd Cavalry. Your post helps clarify this confusing time of enlistment and unit names. I also don't really believe he was ever with Quantrill. His passed-down history contains a lot of unproveable lore, including supplying horses to the James gang after he moved his family to Kansas in the 1870s. He supposedly had a pistol Jesse James gave him. They may have known each other growing up in Clay County. Colorful stories, though!

 

[Booner]

Very informative, thanks. His intake interview when he was a POW lists him in the 12th Cavalry, but other info I've found shows 2nd Cavalry. Your post helps clarify this confusing time of enlistment and unit names. I also don't really believe he was ever with Quantrill. His passed-down history contains a lot of unproveable lore, including supplying horses to the James gang after he moved his family to Kansas in the 1870s. He supposedly had a pistol Jesse James gave him. They may have known each other growing up in Clay County. Colorful stories, though!

You are most welcomed.
You didn't give us your ancestor's name, nor where his farm was located, (Jackson or Clay County?), nor when he came to Missouri, (was he a "Border Ruffian?"). It could be possible that before he joined the army in Aug of 1862, he was in one of those vigilantes' groups that formed to protect their friends and families from Kansas Jayhawker raids into Missouri. These groups eventually became guerillas as the war progressed.

If you haven't already done so, please read the Watts-Hays letters. If you're writing a book about this period of history, and your ancestors' involvement, those letters will provide and unlimited amount of background information of what it was like to be living in western Missouri during the war. You do want to get the history right, don't you?

--a little trivia regarding Upton Hays.
It just occurred to me that since he was a great grandson of Daniel Boone, he had several cousins (the Scholls and Van Bibbers), who rode with Quantrill, and I believe his wife was a cousin to Dick Yeager and the Berry Brothers who also rode with Quantrill.

 

[VaMo]

My ancestor grew up in Clay Co., and later married and lived in Atchison County near his stepfather, Gilbert Woolsey (his own father died in 1849). I've visited land formerly owned by his uncles in Clay Co. His name is Jacob Smith Faubion. Some records show him enlisting Aug 13, some Aug 17, 1862, in Jackson County, by David Shanks (his prison record says it was by "Col. Thomson", Gideon Thompson, likely). JS Faubion was captured Aug. 4, 1864 on a scout in Pemiscot County.

 

[Booner]

Thank you for the information.
I googled "Jacob Smith Faubion" and saw several genealogies for him, including the one on "geni.com" which gives a lengthy account of your ancestor by his son of Jacob S.'s the second wife, Jacob O. Faubion. By looking at the timeline of your ancestor life, I can't agree with the connection he was supposedly had with the James boys, as given by Jacob's O's account.

J.S. Faubion was born in 1836 in Liberty, Mo
In 1850, he's 13 and listed as a laborer.
In 1855, at age 18 he marries his first wife, Sarah Grey (I'm assuming in Clay Co. Mo.)
In 1856, their first is born in Rock Port, Atchison Co. Mo. so, J.S. and his wife have moved up to the far NW corner of the state.

--Liberty Mo, and the farm of the James family, N.E. of Kearney, Mo (at this time Kearney Mo. was called "Centerville"), which is also N.E. of Liberty, Mo are about 13-15 miles apart. Depending on where J.S. Faubion was living (assuming on his stepfather's farm and it was also located N.E. of Liberty, there could be a possibility that they may have known the James Family). Frank James was born in 1843 and Jesse in 1847. Their father, Robert S. James was a Babtist preacher, and a founder of William Jewel College (1849), which is also located in Liberty, Mo. In 1850, Robert James leaves his family and goes to California to preach to the gold rush miners and dies there.
--Frank James doesn't join the Quantrill guerrillas until 1863 (he's 19 y.o.) and Jesse joins "Bloody Bill" Anderson's band in 1864 (he's 16 y.o.), Quantrill has been overthrown as a guerrilla leader by this time, so Jesse never rides as a Quantrill guerilla, with the exception of a few weeks in the winter of 1864-65 as Quantrill leads a small band of guerillas out of Mo to Ky. Frank stays with Quantrill until the end of the war and surrenders in Ky. Jesse leaves Quantrill as they ride through southern Mo and heads to Tx. My point here is that Quantrill doesn't become known as a guerrilla leader until early 1862, and Frank doesn't become a guerrilla until 1863, and J.S. Faubion joins the 12 Mo. Cav., in Aug. 1862, other than the brief time period (say, 1850-1855), that he could have possible have known the James family while in Clay Co., there is no co-mingling of timelines, at least before the ending of the war.

--In 1821, Missouri becomes a State. At that time, the western boundary of the state was a continuous straight north-south line from Arkansas to Iowa. The part of the state that was west of this line from present day Kansas City up to Iowa was Indian Territory. In the mid 1830's the U.S. Gov. buys this territory (aka the "Patte Purchase"), from the various Indian tribes and removes then over the Mo. River to the Ks. territory. The Gov. then issues land grants to veterans of the war of 1812 and the Platte Purchase land is open for settlement in the early 1840's. (my family buys a land grant from a veteran and moves to Andrew County in the late 1840's). In 1855, the Gov. includes land grants in this area to Mexican War veterans and perhaps this is how your J.S. Faubion gets his land up in Atchison County, by buying a land grant from a veteran. Many of the initial settlers to the Platte Purchase were, like the rest of the central Missouri settlers, from the upper south, and they brought their "Southern way of living" (i.e. "slaves') with them into these newly acquired lands. (side note-This violated the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which forbade any slave territory entering the Union north of the Mo./Ar. border-the state of Mo. not included).

---In 1860, J.S. Faubion's second child is born in far N.W. Mo, if not in Iowa.

-- in 1861, as Gen. Price of the Mo. State Guard was laying siege to the Union camp at Lexington, Mo., A recruiting camp ("Camp Highly") for the MSG opened up a couple of miles east of Rochester, Andrew Co. Mo.. Rochester is located about 12 miles N.E. of St Joseph, Mo. and this shows the strong Southern sentiment in this part of the state, which is about 50 miles south of where J. S. Faubion is living at the time. The requits were supposedly given arm taken from the Liberty Arsenal in the spring of 1861, and they began their march to take part in the Lexington siege, but by the time they arrive there, Price has taken Lexington and is in the process of heading back to southern Mo.. These recruits from Camp Highly disband and return home, and a few turn into guerrillas to harass the Union troops stationed at St. Joseph and the surrounding counties.

--In Aug of 1862, J.S. Faubion joins the 12th Mo. Cav. CSA.

--In 1863, J.S. Faubion's first wife dies. Where and who took care of his children while he's in the army. I think by now there are four of them.

--In 1867, J.S. Faubion marries his second wife, and their first child is born the next year in Iowa.

--Sometime between 1873 & 1879 (judging from where and when the subsequent children were born), the Faubion family moves to western Ks, along the Nb border.

--The story that Jacob O. Faubion gave about the James brothers giving money to Jacob's father for feeding them is something that prompted my memory. In the early 1900's, when the former Confederates where in their old age and the revisionism about the war was taking place, many of the old guerrillas gathered at reunions and told their stories to the public, perhaps trying to gain some recognition and respect for what happened to them and what they did. Their actions gained a lot of newspaper attention, and a lot of claims were made, and some of them may have been true. But if all of the men who claimed that "they rode with Quantrill" were true, then Quantrill would have had an army larger than anyone else in Mo.. I've heard of many stories of the James boys receiving some type of aid from a family, and the Jame's leaving then money for their kindness. I can't imagine how miserable it would have been to be a southern person living in the state after the war. To be a person that couldn't prove their loyalty to the Union during the war would have been living a terrible existence after the war was over. It's one reason why the James boys enjoyed a reputation they probably didn't deserve. The James boys were "sticking it to the man," and stories got invented as a show of support for them.