Cole Younger at Northfield

What follows are excerpts from Cole Younger's account of the gun battle that occurred in Northfield, Minnesota, when Jesse James' gang attempted to rob the First National Bank. It is taken from "Real Facts About the Northfield, Minnesota, Bank Robbery," as printed in Convict Life at the Minnesota State Prison. Cole's laying of blame on "demon rum," is doubtless an attempt to gain the sympathy of the temperance movement.

"We were told that General Benjamin F. Butler had a big lot of money in the First National Bank at Northfield..... We were not very friendly with Butler because of his treatment of Southerners during the war, and accordingly decided to make a raid on the Northfield bank.

"My brothers, Jim and Bob, Clell Miller, Bill Chadwell, and three men named Pitts, Woods (Frank James) and Howard (Jesse James) were those who decided to take up the expedition..... Whiskey spoiled the whole plan. Between the time they left camp and reached the bridge (into Northfield) the men who went ahead got away with a quart of whiskey -- the first time I had ever known Bob to drink..... The blunder was that when these three men saw us coming, instead of waiting for us to get up with them, they slammed right on into the bank regardless, leaving the door open in their excitement.

"I was out in the street (in front of the bank), pretending I was having trouble with my saddle..... A man..... who kept a store near by, was then trying to get into the bank, but Miller foolishly shouted at him and told him to get away. (The man) at once became excited and saw that something was wrong, and ran off up the street shouting to every one to get his gun.....

"A Dr. Wheeler, who saw that something was happening out of the ordinary began to yell `Robbery!'. Then I saw we were in for it..... I fired a signal to the three (of our men) at the bridge for them to come help us, as we had been trapped.

"Chadwell, Woods and Jim came galloping up..... firing their guns as they rode along, shouting to everybody they saw to get out of the way and get indoors.....

"Miller was then shot..... and his faced filled full of bird shot. A man..... killed Pitts' horse, and..... the street was full of flying lead..... It wasn't long before I was wounded in the thigh..... and the next instant..... Chadwell (was) shot through the heart.

"Dr. Wheeler, from an upper floor of a hotel, got a bead on Miller and brought him down, so that he soon lay dying in the middle of the street. Every time I saw a man pointing a gun at me I dropped off my horse and tried to drive the shooter under cover, but there were so many of them..... I soon found out, wounded as I was, (that) I was help- less.....

"Bob came out (of the bank) in a hurry and started down the street..... but didn't notice Dr. Wheeler..... behind him, and Wheeler's third shot smashed Bob's right arm. Bob switched his gun to his left and got on Miller's horse, thinking that Miller was dead. By this time Howard and Pitts had got out of the bank, and I told them that Miller was still alive and we'd have to save him. I told Pitts to put Miller on my horse, but when we lifted him I saw he was dead.....

"Pitts then confessed to me about the drinking and said they had made an awful mess of it inside the bank..... Soon there were a thousand men on our trail and about $5,000 in rewards for our capture.....

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