Dear Carolyn and Cousins: Mia Culpa, Gomenesai, Perdona Me and forgive me for my inexcusable error. After writing about Jesse James DNA episodes, I realized I had listed the name of the man who had assumed Jesse's identity as Robert Biglow. His was actually "Charlie Bigelow" from the small town of Bigelow, Missouri. I did not want to be a part of name distortion that could be repeated and maybe cause embarrassment to someone at a later time. Carolyn in response to your question about Mr.Howard in the Saga of Jesse James. Some five years before the murder, in 1882, by Bob and Charlie Ford. Jessie had assumed and lived by the Sir name of Howard, at the same time Bigelow had assumed Jesse James identity, thinking he was already dead. After the shooting and after singing at his own funeral, Jessie is said to have gone the very next day to New Orleans and shipped out to Argentina, where he lived for between three and five years. Zerelda, Jesse's mother had the body buried in the corner of her yard, visible from her kitchen window. She is said to have wanted to prevent someone digging up the corpse and discovering that Jesse had not actually been murdered, and prevent him from living a normal life as an unwanted man. After all, he had a $10,000 bounty on himself, dead or alive at the time Bigelow was killed. As for Mr. Howard, who was living in Nashville at the time of the murder, not in Missouri as the history books state. Most of that history was taken from a book written by the son of Governor Tom Crittenden, the Governor of Missouri at he time, and is said to have been involved in the ruse and ended up with most of the reward money. J. Frank Dalton, the name later assumed by Jesse is credited with writing the last 12 chapters of Young Crittenden's book. At the time many many people, both in Missouri and Tennessee, knew the true identity of Mr. Howard, including a huge family, numerous friends and people he had helped and befriended. In addition the many in and connected to law enforcement, except the Pinkerton Detective Agency, who had known Jesse and his family, since Jesse was born. It is said that that large circle of people (there are many many affidavits) permitted and contributed to stories that produced the song of "The dirty little coward that shot Mr. Howard and laid poor Jesse in his grave"), and allowed Jesse to live to the age of 104 years as J. Frank Dalton, and finally be buried in Granbury, Texas in the early 1950s. Maybe with the help of DNA, that you are becoming so well versed on, and a new Court order to exhume the remains of J. Frank Dalton, will, or will not, write a new chapter in the history of the Great Outlaws of the Nineteenth Century. I am much more interested in the great genealogy work you are doing at AMXroads and wealth of ancestral Gems that you are consistently uncovering and sharing. Congratulations on the accilades and awards for your truly great work. I promise not to clutter your priceless endeavors with more Outlaw Stories, if you will forgive my long winded epic on the subject. Regards to all, Cousin Tom

Dear Tom, Jim, Barb and Cousins, No mea culpas or apologies are necessary from either of you. Very interesting information, Tom, and Jim, there's no topic that can't be discussed here, so while your comment came from left field, it doesn't really matter, and you certainly don't need to apologize. We are a community, trying to reconnect with one another and revitalize our American heritage. Although our primary approach to that is through genealogy and history, there's plenty of other ways all around us that bears commentary as well. I believe our nation and culture is very much in a state of crisis, although we have made a great recovery from the September 11 attacks. Reconnection, community, unity, kinship, heritage, sharing, feeling, caring and respect for the other guy are all vital parts of the ongoing recovery, and the foremost purpose of American Crossroads. Jim, I will write you privately about a couple of personal insights on POTL, though, also IMHO. Barb, I have had a physically tiring day and will try and catch up tomorrow. You summed up the DNA issues in a very good way. I'm still trying to get some things off to you, also. Thanks too, Tom for your kind comments and compliments, but with such lavish praise, it's hard to stay humble! Love, Your Cousin, Carolyn