Jesse James, Choir Boy

Various sources claim that Jesse James' favorite hymn was "Am I A Soldier Of the Cross." But with Jesse James, it's frequently difficult to separate truth from fiction. To many, Jesse was a symbol of "The Lost Cause" of the Confederacy – the God-fearing, young man wronged by the Yankees, fighting for his rights. Taken in that light, it's easy to find a political message in the text that follows. Much in the same vein, Frank James' favorite play is said to have been Shakespeare's Richard III.

The words to the hymn were written by Isaac Watts (1674 - 1748), a theologian who also penned the lines "How doth the little busy bee/ Improve each shining hour..." for a children's poem "against idleness and mischief."

AM I A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS Am I a soldier of the cross, A follower of the Lamb, And shall I fear to own His cause, Or blush to speak His Name? Must I be carried to the skies On flowery beds of ease, While others fought to win the prize, And sailed through bloody seas? Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood? Is this vile world a friend to grace, To help me on to God? Sure I must fight if I would reign; Increase my courage, Lord. I'll bear the toil, endure the pain, Supported by Thy Word. Thy saints in all this glorious war Shall conquer, though they die; They see the triumph from afar, By faith's discerning eye. When that illustrious day shall rise, And all Thy armies shine In robes of victory through skies, The glory shall be Thine.

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