137 years ago, The Great Northfield Raid went down – only those slippery James boys would escape

Hunkered down in a hotel room at the Nicollet Hotel in Minneapolis, Minn.,  on Aug. 24, 1876, Jesse James was going over the final plans for a raid on the Northfield, Minn. bank with Frank and the Younger brothers, Cole, Jim and Bob.

No doubt the room was dimly lit, their voices lowered so as not to be overheard. Other members of the gang were spending time at a brothel, while their fate was being sealed with what would turn out to be a death blow.

This was some serious business, just as all of their robberies were – the targets never chosen at random, but with specific reason in mind. Perhaps it was who owned the railroad, who was riding on it, what was being carried, who was working at a specific bank, who owned it, who had money in it.

Every robbery conducted by the James gang had a purpose – usually politically and revenge motivated. And Northfield, Minnesota was no different.

It seemed that the former governor of Mississippi, Adelbert Ames (also a former general, and senator) had a significant amount of money deposited in the Northfield bank and the James boys had a vendetta against the man. This was learned from Bob Younger a month after the botched robbery, and was echoed three additional times by his brother, Cole, in separate statements.

In addition, they had learned that General Benjamin Butler of Massachusetts, had also placed around $75,000 in the bank – a most significant haul for the outlaws. In fact, in comparison to today's dollars, that's about equal to nearly $1.6 million dollars. Interestingly, Butler happened to be Ames' father-in-law.

Gernal Benjamin Butler's ties to Northfield,
Minnesota was to his son-in-law,
Adelbert Ames, also a target of the James
Gang. Both men had significant amount of
cash in the Northfield bank.

Butler had been a Union general and was most remembered as the commander of the captured Confederate city of New Orleans. Known as the beast for a number of "orders" he drew up while commanding New Orleans, Butler was most famous for his treatment toward the women of the city, the pilfering of silver from residents and demanding that all foreigners sign an oath to the allegiance of the United States. Disgusted with the man, Lincoln had him quickly replaced.

The finger was always pointed at Jesse as the political figure in the James gang.  He seemed to crave the spotlight and was furious at the radicals, was obsessed with the political situations of the day and had an insatiable thirst to be looked at as a hero throughout the south.

Ames was no slouch in sleazy politics. After being elected governor of Mississippi, he  managed to put every person he wanted into office all over the state, certifying his agendas would be carried out. The St. Louis Republican cited episodes of white-supremacist violence and Ames was called a tyrant ... "the Ames dynasty has been literally a stench in the national nostrils."

Ames believed he was out of the spotlight in Northfield, after moving there a few months earlier – in May 1876, but his past would catch up with him through articles in papers such as the New York Times and other newspapers throughout the south.

Coupled with maps and information provided by one of the gang, Bill Chadwell, a native of Minnesota, the James and Younger brothers finalized their plans, deciding to split into two groups – to approach Northfield with one group coming into town from the west and the other from the east. They hoped to reconnoiter an escape route as well.

Eight men traveling together would certainly raise suspicion. Already, the group had raised eyebrows within the hotel. Their hands were too soft for men who were passing themselves off as grangers. They spoke like country bumpkins and were rude inside the dining room of the hotel – clearly not the gentlemen they were trying to pass themselves off as.

Indeed, the men had already split up to some degree, with Charlie Pitts and Clell Miller at another hotel in an attempt to draw attention away from themselves.

For the next two weeks, the two groups scouted the area in and around Northfield – managing to attract attention nevertheless. They were noticed as muscular men, with "pants tucked into their boots, long spurs and a peculiar swagger," noted the Northfield News after the botched raid.

The men failed to disguise their notable southern accents and tried to pass themselves off as cattle buyers, dressed in long dusters, their pistols tucked into their coats.  They appeared "jovial and pleasant" to those with whom they came in contact.

Finally, the morning of Sept. 7, 1876 arrived (137 years ago today), and the men reconnected just south of Northfield.

At 10 a.m., four of the eight men rode through town and drew attention to themselves. Their penchant for fine clothing and horseflesh was out of place in the small Minnesota town full of Scandinavians. Plus, there was that undeniable swagger, insouciance, and self-assurance the men wore on their countenance like a medal – it shone like a star and caused a few people to sit up and pay attention.

That attention would be the beginning of the end for the outlaws.

A couple of men went into the bank and made a brief inquiry – scouting the interior for the robbery. A few went into a hardware store to look into purchasing rifles, only to find there were shotguns. Now they knew what kind of firepower the town had and how the bank was set up.

The front of the Northfield Bank today.
Photo by Michelle Pollard, James family
historian.

The men split again, five of them eating lunch at J.G. Jeft's restaurant on the west side of the Cannon River while the other three ate elsewhere.

After lunch, all eight man gathered several miles outside of Northfield to compare notes and finalize their plans. It was agreed with a majority vote that they would rob the bank.

Three men (including Frank James. Bob Younger and Charlie Pitts) would ride ahead into town and enter the bank once Clell Miller and Cole Younger had crossed the bridge leading into the square. About one-quarter mile behind Miller and Younger, would be the other three men, which included brother Jim Younger, Jesse James and Bill Chadwell – they were to stand guard near the bridge.

With Miller having dismounted and standing outside the bank's doors, Frank, Bob Younger and Charlie Pitts entered the bank. Cole Younger also dismounted and pretended to adjust the girth on his saddle, but the next incident would send the entire plan to unraveling bringing death, destruction and mayhem.

A man, J.S. Allen attempted to enter the bank to conduct some business and was ordered to stay out at gunpoint by Miller. Allen broke free of Miller and ran around the corner yelling, "Get your guns boys. They're robbing the bank!"

What happened next must have unwound in what may have seemed to be slow motion. Men would die, some would be wounded and others would run for their lives. Innocent lives would be changed forever, but those slippery James boys would manipulate the greatest escape of their lives.