Its finally beginning to make some sense. It only took 64 years. My dads name was Jesse James, and yes I found it odd. We never talked, why is that, about why his parents chose the awful label, but last night some light was shed. My brother had on the Discovery Channel and there was a series titled Gunslingers. This isnt something I would normally watch, but up comes one on the outlaw himself. It seems young Jesse and his brother Frank were Confederate bushwakers. These were small bands of guerrilla fighters for the South during the Civil War. Rather than belong to any regiment, they were loners who would attack, and some might say murder, unsuspecting Union soldiers. After the war the brothers turned to robbing trains, banks, and stage coaches. Because of Reconstruction, these were wholly owned by Yankees from the North. Thanks also to Jesses penchant for self promotion, their legend grew as a continued southern payback for the crimes of the North. With each robbery and murder being covered in the press, the James-Younger gang gained the reputation of Robin Hood-like characters, striking back at the Union while upholding the status of southern victimness. Jesse was murdered in 1882. My dad was born in the Lone Pine, Texas in 1907. Assuming his parents were in their twenties when he was born, they might have been born in the 1880s. Now here is where the speculation commences. No one from the North would have moved to the South at this time except for Carpetbaggers. So lets assume my dads lineage goes through the Confederate south. This I dont know, but its a good assumption. Its possible his family may have honored the legend that surrounded the James gang. His family may have read the stories that made Jesse sound like a hero. My dads parents, or perhaps more accurately, his father, who I believe I was named for, may have been a real devotee. So as to honor this folk hero and imbue in his first born son a sense of ornery Texas independence, my father is named. Like a scene out of The Lion King, behold my son, of whom I am proud. I name him for the outlaw, Jesse James Grisham. It is staggering how little I know of my ancestors. Perhaps one day Ill have the time to do some research. How about you, my fellow classmates? What do you know about your past? Id love to read something of your family tree. I think it might be of interest to some of the others as well.
Posted on: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 14:39:19 +0000
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