jMarch
2, 1864
The past month or so has
been really rough. I've been trying to
get settled in Sycene, but I can't help but want to take off back to
Missouri. This war has turned my life upside down. My
brother Bud joined Auantril's Raiders and then got ambushed by those
relentless Yankees while he was having dinner at a friend's
house. As if things couldn't get any worse, the Union attacked
Carthage and burned my hometown to the ground. I can't help but
be really angry about the whole situation; it's a lot to handle as
a sixteen year old.
May 6, 1864
My former crush Cole sends
me a postcard every once in a while. I
haven't seen
him since we left Missouri, but we've managed to keep in touch thus
far. He doesn't go into much detail about what he has been up to,
but I have a feeling he's been stirring up trouble. I've heard
he, his brothers, and Jesse James have been raising hell all over the
place.
February 20, 1865
I've been seeing Jim Reed
for the past few months and my daddy would
kill me and Jim if he knew. Jim has kind of a bad-boy reputation
here in the Dallas area, and I've heard my dad mention several times
that he'd probably be in jail one day. Jim's a lot different when
it's just him and me together, of course he does get a bit rowdy when
he's been drinking, and I guess you could say he has a pretty bad
temper.
Jim Reed
September 2, 1865
Someone told Daddy they
saw me and Jim walking down Scyene Road in the
middle of the night. I don't get why people can't mind their own
business. Needless to say, my daddy beat the tar out of me and
ordered me to never see Jim again. That only made me fighting mad
because I want something so much more when I'm forbidden to have it. On
a happier note, my friend Cole sent me another postcard saying he and
the gang might be in my neck of the woods pretty soon. I thought
that was pretty exciting. I actually used to have an infatuation
with Cole, but I knew we would always be just friends so I got
over it. Anyways, one of Jim's friends is supposed to bring me a
letter from him anytime so I better go!
July 28, 1866
Well, it took Cole
practically a whole year to visit, but it wasn't
really a normal visit. A few weeks ago I woke up to voices
downstairs, and I could tell it was Cole. I heard another voice
basically begging my parents to let them hide out at our ranch, and I
assumed it was Jesse. For two weeks Cole, his brothers, and Jesse
hid out at my house for apparently robbing several stage-coaches.
Cole and I were talking late one night and he revealed to me that he
was a little scared of Jesse. He knew Jesse had killed several
people, and he was pretty sure Jessie might kill him if he didn't go
along
with all of his plans. I think Cole was just trying to soften me
up because after he told me that, he leaned right in and kissed
me! Jim would have killed him if he knew, but I can't say I
didn't kiss him back! The Younger Gang and Jesse James finally
took off again, and I doubt I ever see them again.
Cole Younger & Jesse James
February 6,
1867
Jim and I got married a
few months ago. We had to run off because
we knew my mama and daddy wouldn't hear of it. I feel like my
life is spiraling out of control. Just a few days ago I helped
Jim make off with several horses, and I actually held a man at
gunpoint. We sold the horses to a man just outside of Fort Smith,
Arkansas. I've heard too much about that Judge Isaac Parker, so I
wasn't too comfortable hanging around Ft. Smith. Then just a
couple of days after selling those horses, Jim lost his temper with
Shannon, the man we were staying with, and outright shot him in the
chest. We took off for Indian Territory, and then decided to head
for California.
Belle Starr
May 25, 1874
I haven't written in so
long, but I noticed my last entry mentioned how
crazy my life was getting, and that's an understatement. I've
definitely gone off the deep end, but I'm just so angry lately.
Jim and I have joined the Younger, James, and Starr gangs, and It's
been almost therapeutic for me. It's so empowering as a woman to
hold a gun to a man's head and make him beg for his life. In the
last couple of years I've looted stagecoaches, robbed countless banks,
stolen hundreds of horses, and I've even killed a man. I've heard
that Judge Parker would love to take me down, but I don't see
that happening anytime soon.
December 5, 1874
It's been almost five
months since Jim was killed. We had been
having problems in our marriage and he took off from the gang about a
month before he died. He apparently robbed the San Antonio Stage,
and a Texas deputy sherriff shot him down in Paris. It's been a
tough few months, but I'm getting over it. The kids have been
with my family in Missouri, so I've been thinking of heading back that
way. I've been spending a lot of time with a good friend of mine,
Sam Starr.
June 8, 1884
Well, Sam and I have been
married four years now. I wouldn't call
it the happiest years of my life, but I've been getting by. I
actually just got out of jail for stealing horses, and I hope I don't
ever see that place again. It definitely didn't break any of my
bad habits. Sam is still stealing horses while I operate the
business side of things. Apparently Judge Parker has made me
famous. I don't know why, but everyone seems to be calling me the
"Bandit Queen."
Author's Note:
The story of Belle Starr is classic. there are so many stories
and legends about Belle Starr that it's hard to separate fact from
fiction. All of her relationships were intense, and she led a
pretty rough life. Losing her brother Bud at such a young age was
traumatic and taking off with an outlaw at age twenty had to be a
little frightening too! I learned a lot reading stories about
Belle, and unlike the story of Big Nose Kate, Belle Starr was a little
rougher around the edges. Belle wasn't all talk, and she actually
participated in the crimes Cole Younger and Jesse James Gange
committed. there was a lot of information about Belle I would
have liked to discuss, but I didn't want the story to drag on.
Belle Starr's husband Sam had a scuffle with an Indian policeman, and
the two shot each other to death. Belle had numerous
relationships after that, but while living in the choctaw Nation she
was shot and killed by an unknown assassin. Some believe it was a
man who she had threatened to turn in to authorities for murder, and
some believe it was her son reltaliating against his mother for beating
him. Belle actually had two children with Jim Reed, and sent them
to live with relatives while she romped around with outlaws. It's
rumoured that Belle's daughter Pearl was actually the daughter of Cole
Younger. Belle denied those rumours, but I guess we'll never know!
Bibliography
Frontier
Times
State
of the Ozarks: Legend of Belle Starr
Image Information
Belle Starr: 1. Original
Image 2. Original
Image
Cole Younger: Original
Image
Jesse James: Original
Image
Jim Reed: Original
Image