Great article on the James brothers: Frank and Jesse...
Item # 724601
December 21, 1879
THE SUN, New York, Dec. 21, 1879
* Jesse James Gang w/ Frank
Page 7 contains a wonderful, lengthy, and very detailed article with several column heads: "THE JAMES BOYS OF TEXAS" "A Visit to the Home of the Elder Of the Terrible Brothers" "The Visitor's Grim Reception at the Pistol's Mouth--'Hold Up Your Hand!'--A Desperate Fight with Palacta's Thieves".
It is prefaced with: " 'The Life and Adventures of Frank and Jesse James' is the title of a new work of about 400 pages by the Hon. J. A. Dacus, now in press...The following account of a visit made by a young gentleman from Georgia to the home of Frank James, in Texas, will be appreciated by our readers:...".
Eight pages, minor tears at the margins, a clean archival mend on the 1st page, binding indents at the spine affect a few words in the mentioned article, otherwise good condition. Should be handled with care.
Background: The publication of this detailed account in The Sun on December 21, 1879, represents a pivotal moment in American myth-making, as it bridged the gap between the James-Younger gang’s violent reality and their elevation into folk heroes of the "Lost Cause." By featuring an excerpt from the Hon. J.A. Dacus’s forthcoming biography, the article transitioned the James brothers from mere fugitives into literary icons, framing Frank James not as a common criminal, but as a disciplined, lethal "elder" figure living a life of high-stakes tension in the Texas wilderness. The narrative of the "Young Georgian" meeting Frank at "the pistol’s mouth" served as a prototype for the Western genre, emphasizing themes of southern honor and frontier justice that resonated with a post-Civil War public disillusioned by Reconstruction. Historically, this account is significant because it captures the gang at their most elusive—living under aliases like B.J. Woodson—while simultaneously proving that the brothers were master manipulators of the press, using sympathetic journalists to build a "social bandit" persona that complicated law enforcement's efforts to capture them for years to follow.
* Jesse James Gang w/ Frank
Page 7 contains a wonderful, lengthy, and very detailed article with several column heads: "THE JAMES BOYS OF TEXAS" "A Visit to the Home of the Elder Of the Terrible Brothers" "The Visitor's Grim Reception at the Pistol's Mouth--'Hold Up Your Hand!'--A Desperate Fight with Palacta's Thieves".
It is prefaced with: " 'The Life and Adventures of Frank and Jesse James' is the title of a new work of about 400 pages by the Hon. J. A. Dacus, now in press...The following account of a visit made by a young gentleman from Georgia to the home of Frank James, in Texas, will be appreciated by our readers:...".
Eight pages, minor tears at the margins, a clean archival mend on the 1st page, binding indents at the spine affect a few words in the mentioned article, otherwise good condition. Should be handled with care.
Background: The publication of this detailed account in The Sun on December 21, 1879, represents a pivotal moment in American myth-making, as it bridged the gap between the James-Younger gang’s violent reality and their elevation into folk heroes of the "Lost Cause." By featuring an excerpt from the Hon. J.A. Dacus’s forthcoming biography, the article transitioned the James brothers from mere fugitives into literary icons, framing Frank James not as a common criminal, but as a disciplined, lethal "elder" figure living a life of high-stakes tension in the Texas wilderness. The narrative of the "Young Georgian" meeting Frank at "the pistol’s mouth" served as a prototype for the Western genre, emphasizing themes of southern honor and frontier justice that resonated with a post-Civil War public disillusioned by Reconstruction. Historically, this account is significant because it captures the gang at their most elusive—living under aliases like B.J. Woodson—while simultaneously proving that the brothers were master manipulators of the press, using sympathetic journalists to build a "social bandit" persona that complicated law enforcement's efforts to capture them for years to follow.
Item from last month's catalog - #365 - released for April, 2026
Category: The Old West
