Editing Frank James (section)

=== Civil War Career ===
The [[American Civil War]] began in 1861, when James was eighteen years old. The secessionists in Missour, attempted to drive the Union army out of the state but were eventually defeated. The James family was from the heavily Confederate western portion of the state. On September 13, 1861, the Missouri State Guard, including private Frank James, besieged Lexington, Missouri. James fell ill and was left behind when the Confederate forces retreated. He surrendered to the Union troops, was paroled, and was allowed to return home. On his arrival, however, he was arrested by the local pro-Union militia and was forced to sign an oath of allegiance to the Union.

After the withdrawal of regular Confederate troops in the fall of 1861, a bitter guerrilla conflict soon began between bands of pro-Confederate irregulars and the Union homeguards. By early 1863, Frank had joined the guerrilla band of Fernando Scott.

Union militiamen searching for Fernando Scott raided the Samuel farm and hanged Reuben Samuel (though not fatally), Frank's stepfather, [[Torture|torturing]] him to reveal the location of the guerrillas. Shortly afterward, Frank took part within the August 21, 1863 [[Lawrence Massacre]] where approximately 200 mostly unarmed civilians were killed.

Frank James was paroled July 27, 1865 in, Nelson County, Kentucky. There is a report that after his parole, Frank was involved in a gunfight in Brandenburg, Kentucky with four soldiers that resulted in two soldiers killed, one wounded, and Frank wounded in the hip. He then stole horses in Ohio and escaped.