Notorious western outlaw who fought during the Civil War with a
Confederate guerrilla band called Quantrill's Raiders, responsible for
the infamous burning of Lawrence, Kansas, and the massacre of many of
its residents. Quantrill's tactics were so vicious and ruthless, including the torture, mutilation and execution of prisoners, that the unit was eventually
disowned by Confederate authorities. Its members were pursued relentlessly by
Union troops, and most of them--including leader William Quantrill, a former schoolteacher--were hunted down and killed (one of them, a sadistic murderer named "Bloody Bill" Anderson, was so feared that after he was shot by pursuing Union cavalrymen, an officer whipped out his sword and beheaded him). Jesse and his brother
Frank James were among the
band's few survivors and later formed a gang that was also known for its
ruthlessness and indiscriminate killings. A "dead or alive" reward was
placed on the brothers. Jesse was eventually murdered by two members of
his own gang for the reward, and Frank surrendered to the authorities
and served a stretch in prison.
