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Charlie Pitts Skeleton Not Charlie Pitts
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Started this discussion. Last reply by Dee Taylor Oct 29, 2011.

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Eric James posted a blog post

Preacher Cousin of Wyatt Earp Dies at 103

Rev. Jeremiah Lloyd Sewell, known to his friends and family as Jerd, died this week in Kentucky at the age of 103. Jerd was a 3rd cousin of Sheriff Virgil “Wyatt” Earp.I met Lloyd Sewell ten years ago when he was only 93. His son-in-law, our cousin Curtis Gilliland, took me across dirt roads to his farm outside Somerset,…See More

18 hours ago

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Eric James commented on Joe Bethancourt's blog post The Wilder Yet West

"Where's the history book?!!! My credit card is ready."

May 10

Eric James commented on Eric James's blog post The Ears of Frank & Jesse James

"We'll see."

Apr 24

anthony martin commented on Eric James's blog post The Ears of Frank & Jesse James

" Eric, Hopefully photo images only!"

Apr 24

Profile Information

What is your occupation?: Writer-historian. President of The James Preservation Trust. Publisher of the official website for the family of Frank & Jesse James.

What is your website address?: http://www.ericjames.org

What is your blog address?: http://ericjames.org/wordpress

What are your favorite hobbies?: Co-Founder of The James Preservation Trust with the late Judge James R. Ross, the great grandson of Jesse James. Also, I’m archivist for the Joan Beamis Research Archive, which produced the first history of the Jesse James family "Background of a Bandit." The Trust is a non-profit, dedicated to the preservation & public appreciation of James family history through research, education, publication, acquisition, maintenance, & public display of artifacts, information, & places pertaining to the James & their related families. I’m a regular contributor to the “James-Younger Gang Journal.” My epic, new, four volume history of the James family begins publication in the fall of 2011. Watch here for Volume I, “JESSE JAMES' SOUL LIBERTY, Behind His Family's Heritage of Stigma & Silence.”

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Kentucky - The Cold Frontier

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Eric James's Blog

Preacher Cousin of Wyatt Earp Dies at 103

Rev. Jeremiah Lloyd Sewell, known to his friends and family as Jerd, died this week in Kentucky at the age of 103. Jerd was a 3^rd cousin of Sheriff Virgil “Wyatt” Earp.

I met Lloyd Sewell ten years ago when he was only 93. His son-in-law, our cousin Curtis Gilliland, took me across dirt roads…

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Posted on May 24, 2013 at 10:51am

The Ears of Frank & Jesse James

How can you tell a blood relative of Jesse James? Just look at the ears.

Every few weeks I receive photographic images that are claimed to be of Jesse James, or Frank James, or of the two together. More often, they are pictures of some claimed relative to the James. Most every image can be promptly dismissed. But sometimes, when the physical resemblance appears close, the first thing I look at are the ears. …

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Posted on April 23, 2013 at 5:41pm — 4 Comments

Jesse James Author John Koblas Is Dead

I awoke this morning to the news my good friend Jack Koblas finally succumbed to his three year battle with Parkinsons. Jack did not go without a fight.

Most people who know Jack’s books about Jesse James didn’t know he was a prodigious author outside the JJ genre. In the past year, Jack published a book of poetry. Our joke was, he was gathering together all the lovely women he had wooed with his poems, hoping that if his time came one might write a final poem for him.

As…

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Posted on March 9, 2013 at 11:02am — 3 Comments

New Year's Eve at the Undertaker's House

For 40 years, my cousins & former neighbors Robert & Mary Stith Hamlin threw an annual New Years bash. Robert is a descendant of the Samuels family of Dr. Reuben Samuels who married Frank & Jesse James' widow mother Zerelda. And, yes, they are funeral directors. A couple of years ago they threw in the towel. But this video carries on. From all of us to all of you, Happy New Year.…

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Posted on December 31, 2012 at 6:28pm — 1 Comment

This is one hell of an apocalypse !

OK, whose going to write a book about the apocalypses of the Old West? 'Cause today's apocalypse is a dud.

Where's the doom? Instead, there's snow on the ground & Christmas is coming. There's little food in the house & I'll have to go shopping. And I've got a bazillion batteries for sale, because I was planning to.light the way!

Somehow, I guess, the apocalypse has been put on hold. Probably, because of…

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Posted on December 21, 2012 at 9:09am — 14 Comments

Comment Wall (14 comments)

At 8:26am on October 12, 2009, Melvin Graf said…: Eric,
Thanks for all the work you and the James Preservation Trust have done to identify bogus James related artifacts and images. It's amazing how many crooks are out there trying to make money off Jesse James and those associated with him.
Mel Graf

At 9:39am on October 13, 2009, Odessa Red said…: Thank you for your nice compliments! Yes, the vintage images are all of family, direct grand to great grandlines. It is my desire and goal to find a picture (if it exists) of my Great great great Grandfather Francis Marion McShane who was murdered by bushwackers in 1863 when he was a Capt in the Confederate Army...I'm so darn close I can taste it! lol

Wow!...I wonder if that picture is still on the wall! Do you happen to remember the name of the shop you went into? Wouldn't that be amazing if the photo/advertisement is still in place after all these years and so many changes? I love Calico...I haunt the place and I'm not even dead! :D

At 10:55am on October 13, 2009, Odessa Red said…: I will definitely have to check back at Calico...I'm good guessing it was the Lane's General Merchandise that was open back then.

What a coincidence of sorts! My Francis Marion's were McShane's who immigrated from Northern Ireland, County Tyrone. FM Sr fought in 3 wars: the Mexican American War, the Florida (Seminole Wars) and the Civil War. He named his 2nd son FM (as was common for the Irish to do, his first son is John). Sadly his life ended (in his 40s) as he was returning to duty after a 3 day leave of absence...he was on his front porch in Berryville, Ark, where he was killed by bushwackers in front of his 8 yr old daughter Mary Ellen (pic of her and her son Albert in my family folder). Mary Ellen's daughter kept a journal of her mother's recollections and detailed how Mary Ellen "winced" when her father was shot and fell. FM Sr also was purported to have married a "squaw" and after looking at the dates, he married her in 1843 AFTER the 1842 Seminole War conflict ended...so we think it's highly probable he met a Native American woman and fell in love. If you look at the pic of his/her daughter Mary Ellen & grandson Albert, you will see the incredible Indian look to them. Anyway...I don't think my FM's are related to yours as mine were mainly in Taney, Conway, Buffalo Missouri areas.

At 11:05am on October 13, 2009, Odessa Red said…: I deleted my last comment...it's actually Andrew C McShane..but an Andrew nonetheless!

At 11:06am on October 13, 2009, Odessa Red said…: His children were: John, FM, Isaac Henry, James Madison, Mary Ellen, Andrew C, George Patrick, and Alexander C (who was my gr gr grandfather and was 2 when his father was killed by bushwackers)

At 11:16am on October 13, 2009, Odessa Red said…: I will go look on a document I have posted in my albums...it shows the Capt my FM served as a private under in the Seminole War..it might be a start to see if they fought together. It's on a land document were he was selling 160 acres of bounty land for taxes. brb

At 11:20am on October 13, 2009, Odessa Red said…: What is hand written on the document says: Francis McShane Private Captain Leers Company "E" fourth Regiment, United States Infantry, Florida War. Hopefully that will be a good lead for you to follow on your FM's...I wouldn't know where to look to see if they fought together.

At 4:29pm on July 2, 2010, Gay Mathis said…: I tried to post something like this to you on Dallas Hunt's blog, and now it is set for "Comment Approval" now..

Thanks, Eric...Those are some interesting family facts, and I appreciate you posting them..I enjoy these kinds of "little known items" in the mix....

At 4:04pm on November 16, 2010, Melvin Graf said…: Eric, thanks for letting us know that you have relocated the trust. That must have been a lot of work!

At 8:58pm on October 10, 2011, Tom Hough said…: No it was a little out of the way and in a bad neighborhood. We did mention it as filler material but we stayed mostly in the area where a large concentrations of mansions were. In a carriage there are some economikc and security considerations you have to make. One is that because you're limited in passengers the tour has to be fairly short to carry more folks through the day and the other is there is no way to protect your passengers against thugs in a bad neighborhood. There is a lot of history concerning the slave market and the National Park service was trying to acquire the land and set up an interpretive center when I was in Natchez. If you haven't toured Natchez I recommend you visit it if you get a chance.