Jesse James #1

The main story, "The Centralia Massacre," depicts Jesse James at age sixteen as a guerrilla regular during the Civil War, gaining fame for his daring feats of horsemanship and marksmanship. When Union Major Johnson leads blue-coated columns through Missouri on the trail of guerrillas, Jesse and his band—including his brother Frank, Cole and Jim Younger, Dick Maddox, and Sam Starr—engage the soldiers in fierce combat near the town of Centralia. After initial success, Jesse's forces are ultimately doomed to failure as they face superior Union numbers and artillery, resulting in heavy casualties among the outlaw riders.