Alexander Franklin James (January 10, 1843 – February 18, 1915) was a famous American
outlaw. He was the older brother of outlaw
Jesse James.
[1]Alexander Franklin James was born in Kearney, Clay County, Missouri to Baptist minister Reverend Robert Sallee James and his wife Zerelda (Cole) James, who had moved from Kentucky. He was the eldest of three children.
As a child, James showed interest in his late father's sizable library, especially the works of William Shakespeare. Census records show that James attended school regularly, and he reportedly wanted to become a teacher.
In 1861, when James was eighteen years old, the American Civil War began. Missouri tried to remain neutral, but was not allowed to by the Union military. Union forces drove the governor out of the state capital and installed an appointed military governor. State militia forces continued to resist. On September 13, 1861, General Sterling Price's Missouri State Guard, including Private Frank James, besieged Lexington, Missouri. James fell ill and was left behind when the Confederate forces later retreated. He surrendered to the Union troops, was paroled, and was allowed to return home. On his arrival, however, he was arrested by the local pro-Union militia and was forced to sign an oath of allegiance to the Union.
