Update Titled, "Reply to H. C. Shelton and Lois Ross on the Courtney Family Genforum
Re: Was James L Courtney AKA Jesse James? - Lois Ross 12/13/99 "
by David Hedgepeth, Dallas Texas - [email protected]
Subject: Dave's Updates 12-20-99
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1999 07:53:54 -0600
From: [email protected]
To: Mailing list members
Reply to H. C. Shelton and Lois Ross on the Courtney Family Genforum
Re: Was James L Courtney AKA Jesse James? - Lois Ross 12/13/99
12-19-99
Dear H. C. Shelton and Lois Ross
I thank you for your remarks on the James L. Courtney issue. However, I
cannot understand why you have not acknowledged that Betty has at least
some basis for her claim that her grandfather was Jesse James. True, this
matter does not need to be taken lightly; however, it does not need to be
denied away either. Mr. Shelton, I believe that you do in fact hold some
valuable answers to this mystery, that for some reason you have not
shared. Most likely you feel that you are doing the right thing.
Hopefully I can convince you that there is a better way.
I will address your statement (S) and then my response(R):
S-1: "NO.1: On page 2 of Duke's book, Betty tells of the birth of Jesse
Woodson James to Zerelda James and Robert Sallee James, circa 1847? in
Clay County, MO.
(In J.L. Courtney's diary, which Duke has quoted extensively, J.L.C.
tells of his birth in 1846, to Stephen Courtney and Diannah Andruss in
East Tennessee.)"
R-1: Where in Ms. Duke's book does it say, " J.L.C. tells of his birth
in 1846, to Stephen Courtney and Diannah Andruss in East Tennessee?" That
must be from another source. I would be interested as to where.
S-2: "NO. 2: On the same page 2, she tells of Robert S. James leaving his
family in 1850 to join the California gold rush, and DYING , a short time
later, in AUGUST, 1850.
FOURTEEN YEARS LATER, on January 21, 1864, it is documented, government
record (of which I have a copy) that James. L. Courtney enlisted in the
UNION Army, the 12th MO Cavalry. The enlistment paper was signed by his
father, Stephen Courtney, since J.L.C. was underage. THESE GOVERNMENTAL
RECORDS ARE AVAILABLE TO ANYONE."
R-2: True if Robert S. James was dead in 1850 then the father of Jesse
James could not have signed James L. Courtney to the military in 1864.
True that the record says that James L. Courtney's father, Stephen
Courtney gave him permission to serve in the Civil War. Case closed?? You
say yes! I say no!
True I don't have all the answers here, but neither do you.
James L. Courtney does not show up on the 1850 Census. Why?
JLC does show up on the 1860 Census. So who was he? Yes it does list him
as a child. But was he another Courtney relative/boarder that seemed to
frequent the family. It is recorded that Zerelda farmed the kids out
during the rough times. Did Jesse go under an assumed name? Surely
parents who would later have assumed the name of Haun would also justify
this possibility.
True it is easier to say that James L. just got missed on the 1850 Census
and was there is 1860.
But that is not all of the mystery. The military record says that James
L. Courtney was 5'10" tall. The James L. Courtney in Texas was more like
6'4" tall. Seems like we have two separate people.
You can't have it both ways. You can't know the census and military
records are all right in one place and all wrong in another. Because some
of both are in at least some error, then this places all the information
in question. I think this fact counters your statement that "all the
RECORDS, DATES, ETC. prove conclusively that my grandfather, James L.
Courtney, was NOT, and could NOT have been Jesse James." You are ignoring
the inconsistencies and picking only what you want to support your point,
and then claiming that it "all… conclusively" proves your position. It
simply does not. Most everyone would agree with my conclusion.
S-3: Furthermore you say, "I have yet to see ANY documentation presented
by Betty that even starts to prove anything."
R-3: Well, here are some for starters.
1. Facial photo identifications and matches confirmed by professional
labs that has not been proven otherwise.
2. Two other people, non-family and out of state, produced stories and
pictures in support of Betty's claim after her book was published.
3. Numerous indications from James L. Courtney's life show that he was
Jesse James.
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You will not see any of what I have said as relevant if you do not chose
to. My question to you Mr. Shelton is, if not, WHY NOT?
Let me restate a part of my letter written to Kathy Reynard on December
7, 1999.
" Betty's claim, you feel, seems to the opposing Courtney family to be "
not only false but frivolous, and is perhaps no more than an attempt to
get media attention to boost book sales." Also you said that a Courtney
family member told you that "no one in the family ever heard anything
about JLC being Jesse James except for Betty Duke's branch."
I think you may have been misled. The idea that James L. Courtney might
have been Jesse James is not Betty's fantasy or frivolity. In 1997 before
Betty published her book, Max Courtney wrote a most interesting letter
regarding the James/Courtney connection.
" Is anything you know about or can find out about? Is this something
that could lead to a key to open "the mystery" door? The Johnson Co., MO
and Miami Co., KS locals would not be terribly wrong for such a
connection.
The original James home was in Kearney, MO, northeast of KC. The James
boys had ridden with Quantrill and Anderson during the war. The robberies
began in 1866-the first was in Liberty, just east of K. C. By then
supposedly the Courtneys (Hauns?) were in Miami Co., KS, southwest of KC.
Anyway-I'd love to know if you have heard Ida's story?"
Ida was a daughter of James L. Courtney. Yes, the Courtney family had
known about this for a long time. Betty relates that her Aunt Irene wrote
Herschel Shelton (H. C.) that there was a family secret "about Grandpa
(JLC) knowing something about Jesse James." It was reported that Herschel
(H. C.) once had a wanted poster for Jesse James hanging over his art
studio door. Also Mae Courtney was said to have destroyed over 200
letters of JLC after his death for "the goodwill of the family." Also as
I understand it, James L. Courtney wrote other diaries of which Betty has
no access to the information. If this is true, then who has them and why
is this information being with held?
Anybody out there care to explain all that? |
(Mr. Shelton, since your name
is mentioned,
then I assume that you can best explain.)
Cover-ups make it so hard to know the truth and it looks to me for some
reason that it continues in the Courtney family and elsewhere. It surely
leaves one to wonder why."
Mr. Shelton, if Betty is so wrong then I am sure you can and will be
happy to answer the above questions, that is if you support the truth, so
that none of us have to wonder. I hope you will go beyond the vague and
superficial. Others and I would thank you if you were complete and
specific.
Again I say, I am convinced, Mr. Shelton, that you could shed light on
this subject that I think would support most of if not all of Betty's
points. How? You can bring forth the other full and complete JLC dairies
and other data such as letters, notes, documents and artifacts. You can
tell what you really know that you have not said openly. Don't keep these
things hidden and then accuse Betty of not having enough evidence. She
needs access to all, and I mean all (nothing missing), of the records
related to James L. Courtney in order to prove herself right or wrong.
When I was a child living in Hamilton, Texas, just 70 miles from James L.
Courtney's hometown of Blevins, my mother would tell in almost a whisper
that her family was kin to Jesse James. I believe there was once a valid
reason to keep the secret but that reason no longer exists. I think that
James L. Courtney wanted his former life to be known or he would not have
left sufficient evidence behind to show that he was Jesse James. Well
meaning family members have destroyed or hidden vital evidence. It is
time to bring things to light. There is no valid justification to do
otherwise.
Please help us Mr. Shelton know to whom we are really related.
Ultimately, it will be the best for all concerned.
David Hedgpeth
Your comments, information and support would be greatly appreciated.
David Hedgpeth- E-mail: [email protected]
Contact me if you want to be added or deleted from the update notices.
David Hedgpeth
Dallas, TX
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