Charles Ford (outlaw)
Charles Wilson "Charley" 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]
Charles Ford | |
|---|---|
 Charley Ford prior to 1884 | |
| Born | Charles Wilson Ford July 9, 1857 Fauquier County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | May 6, 1884 (aged 26) |
| Cause of death | Suicide by gunshot |
| Burial place | Richmond Cemetery |
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] He was interred in Richmond Cemetery.[10]
There are those who believe that Frank James killed him or that he sent someone to kill him.
Family
Charles Ford was one of the eleven Ford children born to James Thomas Ford and Mary Ann Bruin:
- Sarah J. Ford (b. abt. 1841)
- Georgiana Ford (b. abt. 1843)
- Mary T. Ford (b. abt. 1845)
- John Thomas Ford (b: November 6, 1847)
- Martha Elizabeth Ford (b: April 22, 1849)
- Harriet Ford (b. abt. 1851)
- Elias Capline Ford (b: July 10, 1853)
- Amanda Francis Ford (b: April 1, 1855)
- Charles Wilson Ford (b: July 9, 1857)
- Wilber Pottuck Ford (b: November 19, 1859)
- Robert Newton Ford (b: January 31, 1862)
In popular culture
- Charles Tannen portrayed Charles Ford in Jesse James (1939) and The Return of Frank James (1940).
- Tommy Noonan portrayed Charles Ford in I Shot Jesse James (1949) and The Return of Jesse James (1950).
- Louis Jean Heydt portrayed Charles Ford in The Great Missouri Raid (1951).
- Paul Frees portrayed Charles Ford on the CBS radio show Crime Classics on July 20, 1953 in the episode entitled The Death of a Picture Hanger.
- Frank Gorshin portrayed Charles Ford in The True Story of Jesse James (1957).[11]
- Christopher Guest portrayed Charles Ford in The Long Riders (1980).[12]
- Alexis Arquette portrayed Charles Ford in Frank & Jesse (1994).[13]
- Sam Rockwell portrayed Charles Ford in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), based on the novel by Ron Hansen.[14]
- Charles Ford is mentioned in the Grateful Dead song Tennessee Jed.
- Alex Rose portrayed Charles Ford in the Timeless episode, The Murder of Jesse James (2017).
See also
References
- Beights, Ronald H. (2005). Jesse James and the First Missouri Train Robbery. Gretna: Pelican Publishing. p. 171. ISBN 9781455606658.
- Stiles, T. J. (2002). Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War. A.A. Knopf. pp. 363–375. ISBN 0-375-40583-6.
- Yeatman, Ted P. (2000). Frank and Jesse James: The Story Behind the Legend. Cumberland House. pp. 264–269. ISBN 1-58182-325-8.
- McCoy, Max (October 14, 2016). Jesse: A Novel of the Outlaw Jesse James. Speaking Volumes. p. 190. ISBN 9781628155334.
- Miller, Wilbur R. (June 19, 2012). The Social History of Crime and Punishment in America: A-De. SAGE Publications. p. 874. ISBN 9781412988766.
- "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.
- 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.
- "Charlie Ford's Funeral". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. May 8, 1884.
- "Suicide of Charles Ford". New York Times. May 7, 1884. p. 5. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
- Griffith, John "J-Cat" (August 26, 1999). "Charlie Ford". Find a Grave. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- 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.
- Pallot, James (1995). The Movie Guide. Berkeley Publishing Group. p. 493. ISBN 9780399519147.
- Craddock, Jim (2006). Videohound's Golden Movie Retriever. Cengage Gale. p. 333. ISBN 9780787689803.
- Dargis, Manohla (September 21, 2007). "Good, Bad or Ugly: A Legend Shrouded in Gunsmoke Remains Hazy". The New York Times. Retrieved November 24, 2017.