Jesse James

Bloody Bill Anderson, Sgt. John Baker, John Jarrette, Jesse James, Frank James Battle of Centralia, Missouri September 27, 1864 The Civil War was fought differently in Kansas and Missouri than the rest of the country. In Virginia, Maryland, and Tennessee, armies of thousands would face each other in great lines of battle. In the West, battles were more often skirmishes of less than a couple of hundred men. Guerrilla tactics, surprise attacks, and ambush were the tools of the day and southerners fought by the code of the feud. The population had mixed loyalties between North or South, which caused suspicion as to who was friend or foe. Adding to the confusion southern combatants often did not wear uniforms and sometimes dressed in federal jackets. It was in the early summer of 1864 that a young 16 year old Jesse James joined Bloody Bill Anderson’s Raiders under the command of William Quantrill to ride with his older brother Frank. On the afternoon of September 27th Anderson and about 80