after spending a month in apparent leisure, during which time jesse and frank james were frequent[pg 22] night visitors to their old home, quantrell again called his command together for the purpose of resuming active hostilities, but he changed his tactics and added new terrors to the border counties of missouri. the command was divided into squads of twenty and thirty, by which means they could make bold dashes at various points almost simultaneously and so confuse their enemies as to make pursuit futile. indeed this peculiar and remorseless warfare gave rise to the strange superstition that quantrell was some spirit of darkness who could transport himself and troops from place to place in the twinkle of an eye. he became no less dreaded by the federal troops than by union citizens, and day and night non-combatants as well as armed militiamen fell victims to the terrible guerrillas.
in the early part of october, jesse james, in charge of a squad of twenty-five men, learning of the movements of a company of federal cavalry under command of capt. ransom, who was marching toward pleasant hill, made a rapid detour and flanked the federals five miles north of blue springs. jesse selected a place near the road which was well screened by a dense thicket; here he stationed his men, and when the federals came riding leisurely by, unconscious of any lurking danger, suddenly a storm of bullets poured upon them from the thicket and men fell like leaves in an autumn gust. the entire company was immediately thrown into the[pg 23] greatest confusion. the youthful commander of the guerrillas made the most of his advantage and ordered a dash into the confused and stricken ranks of the enemy, which he shot down with as little resistance as is offered by dumb animals. the havoc was terrible, for out of nearly one hundred federals less than one-third the number escaped, while the loss of the guerrillas was only one killed and three slightly wounded.
on the following day another squad of quantrell's men ambushed a body of militia who were returning from a forage in lafayette county, and mercilessly annihilated nearly every one of the unfortunate command. one week later frank and jesse james, with fifty men, suddenly appeared in bourbon county, kansas, five miles south of fort scott, and swooped down upon capt. blunt and his company of seventy-five mounted infantry, and with a yell of rage and triumph swept with deathly missiles the astonished federals, leaving forty of them to bleach in autumn rains.
the next attack was upon lieut. nash's command, three miles west of warrensburg, missouri, which was surprised by the guerrillas and cut to pieces. following close upon this came the furious desolation of camden. this little town was garrisoned by a small company of federals, who, upon the day in question, were in the midst of bachanalian revels and unable to offer any resistance. this[pg 24] fight was a slaughter, in which the drunken soldiers were shot down without compunction, and the riot of murder was a pastime of sport for the guerrillas. after completing the harvest of death the town was pillaged and fired, and when the guerrillas rode out of the place they left its ruins in charge of the dead.
another squad, under command of george todd, suddenly encountered the second colorado cavalry, under command of capt. wagner, and a desperate fight ensued. the colorado troops understood guerrilla warfare, and wagner was as brave a man as ever mustered a company. the guerrillas made a furious charge, but the onslaught was met with such resistance that the opposing forces mingled together in a hand-to-hand contest. the fight was terrible, the rattle of revolvers being at times almost drowned by the clash of sabers. jesse james fought like a hungry tiger, and his death-dealing pistol made terrible inroads among his foes. singling out the captain, who was fighting with wonderful desperation, jesse rode by him at a furious pace, and, discharging his pistol with remarkable accuracy, he sent a bullet through the brave captain's heart. this act sent consternation through the ranks of the colorado troops, and a retreat, in confusion, was soon begun. those that were wounded received no mercy at the hands of the guerrillas, but were shot or put to the sword and then left unburied.
[pg 25]
every attack made by the guerrillas added new terrors to the neighborhood; there was a concentrating of militia at every available point and a thousand schemes proposed by which to surprise and bring to punishment the desperate band; but the guerrillas were kept thoroughly posted and continued their reckless mode of warfare with varying success.
in the early part of 1864 frank james was sent out by bill anderson to locate and number the federal force at harrisonville. the duty was fraught with much peril, but it was danger the james boys courted as the spice of existence. he rode straight for the town, until within sight of the picket lines. he then hitched his horse in the closest thicket he could find, after which he approached with great care, and at night succeeded in passing the pickets. very soon after reaching the outskirts of harrisonville he met a negro from whom he obtained what information he desired and then crept back again through the lines and mounted his horse. at this juncture he was spied by two of the picket guards, who commanded him to halt. the reply came from his pistol, and though the night was without moonshine he sent a bullet through the brain of one, and another shot tore through the body of the other picket. the camp was speedily in arms but frank rode rapidly out of harm and delivered the information he had gained with such risk to anderson.
[pg 26]
on the second day thereafter the plan of attack on harrisonville was consummated and a hard fought battle was the consequence, but the guerrillas were forced to retire, and they turned their attention to a company of federal volunteers who were encamped on grand river at flat rock ford. these they attacked with determined fierceness, but they were met with equal force and were again compelled to retreat. in this fight jesse james was badly wounded, a musket ball having passed through his breast, tearing away a large portion of his left lung and knocking him from his horse. notwithstanding the rain of bullets, arch clements and john jarrette rode back, and gathering up their wounded comrade they bore him to the house of capt. john m. rudd, where for several days his death was hourly expected. careful nursing and the best surgical skill, however, saved his life, and in one month's time he was able to resume the saddle, and in six weeks he again went on active duty.
on the 16th of september, 1864, jesse james concluded to pay another visit to his mother, but the road thence was beset with a thousand dangers which very few men could be induced to encounter. during the ride he came suddenly upon three uniformed militia, who ordered him to halt, but instead of obeying the summons he whipped out two pistols and in a moment the three men were struggling in the throes of death. jesse met with no other adventure[pg 27] on the journey, and after spending two days with his mother returned to the camp of the guerrillas. immediately upon his return he was informed of the plans conceived during his absence, of attacking fayette, missouri. on the 20th the attack was made, and charge after charge, with all the force the guerrillas could command, was hurled against the stockades which protected the federals, but every onslaught was firmly met and left a trail of dead and wounded guerrillas. lee mcmurtry, one of the bravest of anderson's forces, fell dreadfully wounded directly under the federal parapets. jesse james was an intimate comrade of mcmurtry and he determined to rescue his friend. what a nature is that which can rush up to the very blazing muzzles of deadly rifles to drag away a wounded friend! but jesse james seemed to court death without the ability to win it. he braved that lurid stream of fatal fire and drew away the gasping form of his friend, and yet escaped unscathed. this battle also resulted adversely to the guerrillas, and they were driven with great loss from fayette. leaving this place they rode west again and went into camp near wellington.
