The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : The Coward Robert Ford?

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On this day in 1882 Robert Ford shot and killed Jesse James. James, along with his brother Frank and various other associates, had robbed and pillaged their way across the 19^th century American frontier. It is speculated he murdered at least 16 people. Had Ford not unloaded his Smith and Wesson Model 3, Schofield .44 caliber revolver into the back of James' head, he and his brother Charley would most likely have been numbers 17 and 18.

Ironically, for the action Ford took on this day 127 years ago, he is remembered by history, in the words of Bascom Lamar Lunsford's famous (though historically incorrect) song as the "the little coward" who murdered Jesse James. That song and its image of Ford as a sniveling coward and James as a noble Robin Hood has been perpetuated through the last century by such populist left-wing luminaries and Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen as well as countless numbers of glamorized and fictionalized Hollywood biopics. In this narrative James robbed the hated banks and railroads to redistribute their ill gotten riches to those in need - as the song says, "He stole from the rich and he gave to the poor."

Of course, James was no hero. He was a cold blooded psychopath. The money he stole he stole for himself, not to share with others less fortunate.

Remarking on the outrage caused by James' death, Oscar Wilde observed "Americans are certainly great hero-worshippers, and always take [their] heroes from the criminal classes."

Was Wilde on to something? Can we draw any contemporary lessons from this? Maybe. Maybe not. However, it is hard to deny that since at least the early part of the 19^th Century there has been a streak of occasionally thoughtless and thuggish populism and lust for class war from certain segments of this country. It is not a stretch to say we have seen some of it over the past few months and weeks -- not just from citizens but from our elected officals as well.

So, how would Americans react to a modern day Jesse James and/or Robert Ford?

View all comments (6) | Leave a comment

jon| 4.3.09 @ 12:48PM

Much of the hatred for Ford is the result of pretending to being James friend- entering his house, saying hello to his wife, and having a polite conversation with James until his back was turned while he hung a picture on a wall, and shooting him point blank in the back of the head.
It's the betrayal of a friend for money, and the execution of a man who trusted him, that created Ford's well-deserved reputation.
James own rep has a hero of the little guy wasn't created by lefty folk singers, it was the mood of the time; people needed to feel there was somebody, somewhere, who was impervious to the power of the robber barons. Popular imagination wrapped that around a bank robber.

Dave| 4.3.09 @ 4:15PM

I was unaware of the perpetuation of the coward Robert Ford narrative by leftist performers. While I agree that Jesse was no Robin Hood, there is evidence that he and his gang were careful in some settings to spare the poor, women, and children. For example, during the Gads Hill train robbery in Missouri, witnesses agreed that Jesse and the gang demanded to see the hands of the men to be robbed. If they were working hands, then those men were spared. Also, any man wearing a Plum Hat (?)(Abe Lincoln tall hat?) was immediately pegged to be a banker or other businessman and promptly robbed off all possessions.

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