Charles Ford
Charley Ford prior to 1884
Born
Charles Wilson Ford

(1857-07-09)July 9, 1857
Fauquier County, Virginia, U.S.
DiedMay 6, 1884(1884-05-06) (aged 26)
Richmond, Missouri, U.S.
Burial placeRichmond Cemetery

Charles Wilson Ford (July 9, 1857 – May 6, 1884) was an outlaw, and member of the James Gang.[1] He was the lesser known brother of Robert Ford, the killer of Jesse James.[2][3] Charlie Ford was introduced to Jesse and Frank James by Wood Hite and he joined the gang.[4]

In 1882 Jesse James recruited Robert and Charles Ford to help with a planned robbery of another bank.[5] Thomas T. Crittenden offered $10,000 for the capture of Jesse James, and on April 3, 1882, Robert Ford shot Jesse James.[5] He and Charles Ford were convicted and were sentenced to be hanged, but were pardoned by Crittenden.[5]

Afterwards, Charles heard a rumor that Frank James was searching for both with plans of mortal revenge.[6] Two years later, after a period of deep depression following James' death, terminal illness from tuberculosis, and a debilitating morphine addiction, Charles Ford died by suicide on May 6, 1884.[5][7][8][9]

In popular culture

See also

References

  1. ^ Beights, Ronald H. (2005). Jesse James and the First Missouri Train Robbery. Gretna: Pelican Publishing. p. 171. ISBN 9781455606658.
  2. ^ Stiles, T. J. (2002). Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War. A.A. Knopf. pp. 363–375. ISBN 0-375-40583-6.
  3. ^ Yeatman, Ted P. (2000). Frank and Jesse James: The Story Behind the Legend. Cumberland House. pp. 264–269. ISBN 1-58182-325-8.
  4. ^ McCoy, Max (October 14, 2016). Jesse: A Novel of the Outlaw Jesse James. Speaking Volumes. p. 190. ISBN 9781628155334.
  5. ^ a b c d Miller, Wilbur R. (June 19, 2012). The Social History of Crime and Punishment in America: A-De. SAGE Publications. p. 874. ISBN 9781412988766.
  6. ^ "The Complete List of Old West Outlaws - Last Name Begins with E-G". Legends of America. Archived from the original on October 17, 2008. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  7. ^ Mault, Deena (February 27, 2006). "[Ford] Robert and Charles Ford ancestors". RootsWeb. Ancestry.com. Archived from the original on September 3, 2017. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  8. ^ "Charlie Ford's Funeral". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. May 8, 1884.
  9. ^ "Suicide of Charles Ford". New York Times. May 7, 1884. p. 5. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  10. ^ Braudy, Leo (2002). "Westerns and the Myth of the Past". The World in a Frame: What We See in Films (25th Anniversary ed.). University of Chicago Press. p. 138. ISBN 9780226071565.
  11. ^ Pallot, James (1995). The Movie Guide. Berkeley Publishing Group. p. 493. ISBN 9780399519147.
  12. ^ Craddock, Jim (2006). Videohound's Golden Movie Retriever. Cengage Gale. p. 333. ISBN 9780787689803.
  13. ^ Dargis, Manohla (September 21, 2007). "Good, Bad or Ugly: A Legend Shrouded in Gunsmoke Remains Hazy". The New York Times. Retrieved November 24, 2017.


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