AUTHOR FAVOURITES: NORTHFIELD by JOHNNY D. BOGGS

I’ve corresponded with many award-winning novelists, but none can beat the awards tally of Johnny D. Boggs, who has won seven Spur Awards. Only the late ELMER KELTON has equalled that! Johnny also has a Western Heritage Wrangler Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. He’s been called by Booklist magazine ‘among the best western writers at work today.’

He tells me NORTHFIELD is ‘probably the best novel I've written; I think I accomplished what I wanted to do.’ The subject matter is of course perhaps the most famous bank heist in American history, when the James-Younger gang, also perhaps the most famous outlaw band in U.S. history, unwisely ventured into Minnesota.

To complete a ‘most famous’ trio: JESSE WOODSON JAMES (1847-1882) is perhaps the most famous western outlaw, alongside BILLY THE KID. I’ve touched on aspects of his career in other blogs, particularly http://andrewmcbrideauthor.blogspot.com/2018/01/author-favourites-while-angels-dance-by.html

So in this one I thought I’d focus on COLE YOUNGER.

Thomas Coleman "Cole" Younger (1844 – 1916) was born in Missouri, the son of a prosperous farmer. He was the eldest brother of JIM, JOHN and BOB, who also became outlaws.

During the American Civil War savage guerilla warfare wracked Missouri. Younger's father was a Union supporter, but he was shot dead anyway by a Union soldier. After that, Cole Younger sought revenge as a pro-Confederate guerrilla or ‘bushwhacker’ under WILLIAM CLARKE QUANTRILL. Younger rode with Quantrill on the raid on Lawrence, Kansas on August 21, 1863, during which about 200 citizens were killed and the town looted and burned.

Younger later claimed to have eventually left the bushwhackers and enlisted in the Confederate Army. By his account he was sent to California on a recruiting mission, and returned to Missouri after the war's end.

Female outlaw BELLE STARR claimed Cole was the father of her daughter PEARL, born in 1868, something he always denied.

It’s uncertain when Cole and his brothers turned outlaw. The first mention of his involvement came in 1868, when authorities identified him as a member of a gang who robbed a bank in Russellville, Kentucky.

Witnesses repeatedly gave identifications that matched Cole Younger in robberies carried out by what came to be known as the James- Younger gang over the next few years. These outlaws robbed banks and stagecoaches in Missouri, Kansas and West Virginia. On July 21, 1873, they turned to train robbery, derailing a locomotive and looting the express car on the Rock Island Railroad in Adair, Iowa. 

The James-Younger Gang c. 1874

From 1874 onwards the Pinkerton National Detective Agency began to pursue the so-called James–Younger Gang. John Younger was killed by them in a gunfight on a Missouri road on March 17, 1874.

The James and Younger brothers survived capture longer than most Western outlaws because of their strong support among former Confederates.

On September 7, 1876, the gang attempted to rob a bank in Northfield, Minnesota. Cole later said that they selected the bank because of its connection to two former Union generals and Radical Republican politicians. But the robbery went badly wrong. Two gang members were killed in the town, alongside two townspeople, including the acting cashier of the bank, and the gang fled empty-handed.

Northfield, Minnesota bank 1876

A manhunt ensued, in which another outlaw was slain and Cole, Jim, and Bob Younger were badly wounded and captured. Cole, asked about the robbery, responded, "We tried a desperate game and lost. But we are rough men used to rough ways, and we will abide by the consequences."

COLE YOUNGER after his capture

Cole, Jim and Bob pleaded guilty to their crimes to avoid being hanged. They were sentenced to life in prison at the Minnesota Territorial Prison. Bob died in prison in 1889. Cole and Jim were paroled in 1901. Jim later committed suicide. Cole wrote a memoir that portrayed himself as a Confederate avenger more than an outlaw, admitting to only one crime, that at Northfield. He lectured and toured the south with FRANK JAMES (Jesse’s brother) in a Wild West show. In 1912, Cole declared that he had become a Christian and repented of his criminal past. He died in 1916, in his hometown of Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

COLE YOUNGER in old age

The Northfield debacle features in most Jesse James-related movies and TV, from JESSE JAMES (1939) to LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE!

Cole has been portrayed by actors such as James Best in ‘Kansas Raiders’ (1950) Alan Hale Jnr. in ‘The True Story of Jesse James’ (1957) and David Carradine in ‘The Long Riders’ (1980.)

David Carradine in ‘The Long Riders’ (1980)

In THE GREAT NORTHFIELD MINNESOTA RAID (1972) it’s argued that Cole (played by Cliff Robertson) was the real brains behind the James-Younger gang.

In the TV movie ‘The Intruders’ (1970) Cole is played by Gene Evans.

Amongst many rave reviews for NORTHFIELD:

‘Great read!’

‘A Compelling Historic Work by author Boggs… Extraordinary… undoubtedly the most thorough, well-researched and informative of the many books written about this historic event.’

‘Wonderful… a superior book.’

https://www.amazon.com/Northfield-Johnny-D-Boggs-ebook/dp/B002FDLO7I/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1494367273&sr=1-1&dpID=51wcabSKU3L&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=detail

and https://www.amazon.co.uk/Northfield-Johnny-D-Boggs-ebook/dp/B002FDLO7I/ref=sr_1_1_twi_kin_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1535891337&sr=1-1&keywords=northfield+johnny+d.+boggs

AUTHOR FAVOURITES: WHILE ANGELS DANCE by RALPH COTTON

RALPH COTTON is not only one of the most prolific western writers, he’s also one of the most successful.

Ralph has written over seventy novels, including THE RANGER SERIES featuring Ranger SAM BURRACK and its spin off THE GUNMAN’S REPUTATION series, also the WEBB’S POSSE series and spin-offs. He’s also continued the DANNY DUGGIN series (about a woman gunfighter disguised as a man), writing as RALPH COMPTON. As well as westerns he’s written contemporary thrillers. And he still finds time to paint, sail, write songs and play guitar! 

Like many authors, Ralph tells me he’s particularly fond of his debut WHILE ANGELS DANCE. The book follows the career of probably the most famous American outlaw band – the JAMES/ YOUNGER gang. The books fictional hero, Jeston Nash, is Jesse James’ cousin and practically his twin, and sides Jesse during the Civil War. But when Jesse turns outlaw post-war, so does Jeston. The novel follows the James Gang through their long and violent career, including their disastrous Northfield, Minnesota raid.

JESSE WOODSON JAMES (1847-1882) is so well-known and his life so full of incident (he once dined with BILLY THE KID!) I’ll only briefly summarise his career. A farm boy born in Clay County, Missouri, he was the son of a former Baptist Preacher. In 1863, whilst the Civil War raged, Union troops tortured Jesse’s step-father almost to death and may have lashed 16 year old Jesse. Next spring Jesse was part of ‘Bloody Bill’ Anderson’s Confederate guerrilla band, alongside his brother FRANK (1843-1915.) He was an adolescent plunged into the savage cauldron of war and forever changed by it.

A young JESSE JAMES

After the war, he couldn’t settle down to law-abiding pursuits, but probably took part in the first daylight armed bank robbery in the United States during peacetime, in Liberty, Missouri in 1866. Over the next 16 years Jesse and Frank robbed trains and banks, killing and stealing, and fought a running war with the Pinkerton’s Detective agency. They often allied with some other Missouri farm boys turned outlaw - the YOUNGER BROTHERS, COLE, JOHN, JIM and BOB.

By 1882 most of the gang had been killed or captured. In that year Jesse himself was slain – shot in the back of the head whilst hanging a picture in his St. Joseph, Missouri home. The murderer was ROBERT FORD, (1862-1892) almost the last of his gang, who betrayed Jesse for the $5,000 bounty on his head.

Robert Ford

One of the notable things about Jesse is that, for a ‘western’ outlaw, he rarely ventured west of Missouri, and sometimes operated as east as Alabama and West Virginia. He was really more a disaffected Confederate raiding in settled country than the product of a lawless frontier.

Jesse has been depicted innumerable times in movies and TV. His son Jesse James Jr. portrayed him in two silent movies in 1921. Since then he’s been portrayed by everyone from pop singer Rick Nelson (in  a 1967 episode of the TV Series ‘Hondo’) to Brad Pitt in ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.’ Other Jesse’s include Roy Rogers, Clayton Moore, Audie Murphy, Robert Wagner, Lee Van Cleef and James Coburn. CHRISTOPHER JONES depicted him in a 1965 TV series.

Christopher Jones as Jesse

Two of the best movies about him are, IMHO, ‘Jesse James’ (1939) where Jesse was portrayed by TYRONE POWER and Frank was played by HENRY FONDA,

Tyrone Power and Henry Fonda 

and ‘The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid’ (1972.) The latter broke the mould in having an actor – ROBERT DUVALL – playing Jesse who actually looked like him!

Robert Duvall (on right) as Jesse

Ralph Cotton hit the ground running with WHILE ANGELS DANCE, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. The last time I looked 84% of the reviews were 5 star: I also gave it a 5 star review myself on Amazon.co.uk and Goodreads, something I very rarely do. My review:

Authentic, blackly-humorous, wire-taut

Jeston Nash is a teenager from Kentucky who finds himself plunged into the American Civil War at its most hellish – the savage clashes of rival guerrilla bands on the Missouri borderlands. Jeston is almost a twin for his cousin Jesse James – and becomes a member of Jesse’s gang in the turbulent years after the war, including the infamous raid on Northfield, Minnesota and the gang’s decline afterwards. Along the way he meets legendary figures like Cole Younger, Wild Bill Hickok and Wyatt Earp. Cotton is confident enough to sideline some of the more familiar incidents and make this oft-told story his own. He describes farm boys turned into hardened, traumatised killers with absolute unsentimental authority. For these reckless, desperate young men are as much victims of the war as those they slay. Men who march to the beat of the ‘funeral drum’ in their heads and live one jump ahead of a posse, a bullet, or a ‘hemp-waltz.’ The prose is wire-taut, Hemingway-like. When humour intrudes – usually very black and stemming from Jeston’s wildly unpredictable associate ‘Quiet’ Jack - one laughs with relief. So authentic it’s like opening a journal from these momentous times. And fully deserving its nomination for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction.

Other reviewers:

‘ANGELS DANCE may well be the most spiritual in-depth western novel ever written.’

‘It is easy to laugh, cry, and at times almost bleed right along with his fictional outlaws.’

‘Best account of The James Gang ever written.’

https://www.amazon.com/While-Angels-Dance-Times-Jeston/dp/1456536133