Cole and Jim Younger

Cole and Jim Younger were partisan rangers who engaged in guerrilla warfare during the Civil War. The two were born in Jackson County, Missouri. Cole was the oldest. In all there were 14 Younger children. Not much is known about the childhood of Cole and Jim. It is not known what drove the two to join William Quantrill's guerrilla band either. They fought alongside Quantrill, Bloody Bill Anderson, and Frank James during the sacking of Lawrence, Kansas. This was their only known activity during the Civil War. After the Civil War ended in 1865, many former bushwhackers returned to living normal lives. This was not the case for the Younger brothers. The two joined a gang of outlaws that was led by Archie Clement. The gang was mostly made up of men who had served under Bloody Bill Anderson. The gang engaged in activities such as bank robbery, and train robbery. The brothers later allied with Frank and Jesse James, the result was the creation of the James-Younger Gang. They continued to rob banks as well as trains. The downfall of the gang happened on September 7, 1876. The four men along with their men (which included Cole and Jim's other brother Bob) decided to rob the bank at Northfield, Minnesota. They picked this bank in particular because of its ties to two former Union generals. The gang was met by brave civilians who fired their guns at them. The Youngers fired their guns in an attempt to clear the streets. The citizens of Northfield continued to fire at the gang killing many members of the gang and wounding others (including Bob Younger). The Younger brothers as well as the James brothers were able to escape. This attempted robbery left two citizens dead, and countless others injured. The remaining members of the gang were captured by the local posse and thrown in jail. Cole, Jim, and Bob Younger were put on trial but were able to avoid being hanged by pleading guilty. Instead the three were sentenced to life in the Stillwater Prison. Bob Younger died in prison of tuberculosis. Cole and Jim were paroled on July 10, 1901. Jim committed suicide in a hotel room shortly after his release. Cole went on to write his memoirs. In them he said that he was more of an avenger then an outlaw. Cole later repented of his crimes and became a devout Christian. He died on  March 21, 1916 in his hometown of Lee's Summit, Missouri. Cole and Jim Younger are just another tragedy of the deadly guerrilla war.

Today the legacy of the Younger brothers lives on. There have been countless books written about them. They have also been the subject of movies and T.V. shows. Below is a poster about a movie that was based on the Northfield raid.

Stay tuned for more blog posts about tales from Tennessee and beyond.