when the tocsin of war sounded, and the feverish thrill of excitement ran through the nation, boys though they were, jesse and frank james were electrified with the ominous news and longed to participate in the affray where human blood might be drawn until, like a fountain, it would swell into a gory river. soon the unmerciful quantrell, that terrible wraith of slaughter, came trooping through missouri upon an errand of destruction, and attracted to his banner many impetuous youths of the west, among whom was frank james; jesse being the junior brother, and but little more than fourteen years of age, was rejected by quantrell, and returned home to his farm labors with sorrow. but he did not remain inactive. the family being intensely southern in their political predilections, all[pg 10] possible aid and sympathy were given to quantrell. many dark nights jesse would mount his best horse and ride through the gloomy wilderness of western missouri until he gained the guerrilla haunts, where he would deliver important information concerning the movements of federal troops.
the part played by jesse and the open and decided expressions frequently made by dr. samuels and his decidedly demonstrative wife, greatly excited the federal soldiers, and it was determined to make an example of the family. accordingly, in june, 1862, a company of missouri militia approached the samuels' homestead, which is near kearney, in clay county, and first meeting dr. samuels, they soon gave him to understand that their visit was made for a purpose decidedly unpleasant to him.
a strong rope was produced with which he was securely pinioned and then led away from the house a distance of about one hundred yards. here the rope was fastened in a noose around his neck, while the other end was thrown over the limb of a tree, and several men hastily drew him up and left him suspended to choke to death. mrs. samuels, however, had followed stealthily, and the moment the militia had departed she rushed to the rescue of her husband, whom she hastily cut down, and by patient nursing saved his life. the enraged troops decided also to hang jesse james, whom they found plowing in the field, but his youth saved him from[pg 11] any other violence than a few cuffs and the production of a rope with a suspicious noose which they threatened to ornament his neck with if he again visited the guerrilla camp.
hanging of dr. samuels
instead of producing the desired effect, this act of the militia only excited jesse the more, and led him to deeds of graver importance. he continued to communicate almost daily with quantrell, which so exasperated the militia that they paid a second visit to the samuels' residence, decided upon killing both dr. samuels and the daring jesse. when they reached the place, however, they found their intended victims absent, but, determined not to return without some trophy of their revengeful sortie, they took mrs. samuels and her daughter, miss susie, captive, and carried them to st. joseph, where they were kept confined in jail for several weeks. this last act greatly inflamed jesse's passions, and he immediately mounted his horse and again rode to quantrell's camp, where, after detailing the particulars of this last outrage, perhaps exaggerating the facts some in order to make his appeal more effective, he begged the guerrilla commander to accept his services as a private. so hard did he plead for permission to join the ranks that marched under the shadow of the black flag, that at length the barrier which his youth imposed was overlooked and the terrible quantrell oath was administered to him.
