Cole Younger was a notorious Confederate guerrilla and outlaw leader who fought alongside Jesse James and his brother Frank James in the James-Younger Gang. He was involved in many robberies, raids, and shootouts with lawmen and vigilantes. But how did Cole Younger die? And what happened to him after his capture and imprisonment?
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Cole Younger’s Early Life and Civil War Service
Cole Younger was born on January 15, 1844, in Jackson County, Missouri, to a wealthy and influential family. He was the seventh of fourteen children. His father, Henry Washington Younger, was a Union supporter, but he was shot dead by a Union soldier from Kansas in 1862. His mother, Bersheba Leighton Fristoe, was forced to leave their family farm.
After his father’s death, Cole Younger sought revenge as a pro-Confederate guerrilla or “bushwhacker” under William Clarke Quantrill. He participated in the infamous raid on Lawrence, Kansas, in 1863, where about 200 civilians were killed and the town was looted and burned. He later claimed to have joined the regular Confederate Army and served in California as a recruiter.
Cole Younger’s Outlaw Career and Capture
After the Civil War ended in 1865, Cole Younger did not give up his violent ways. He and his brothers Jim, John, and Bob joined forces with Jesse James and Frank James to form the James-Younger Gang. They robbed banks, stagecoaches, trains, and fairs across Missouri and other states. They were pursued by lawmen, bounty hunters, and vigilantes who wanted to bring them to justice or collect the rewards on their heads.
The gang’s downfall came in 1876, when they attempted to rob the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota. The robbery turned into a disaster, as the townspeople resisted and fought back. Two gang members were killed and the rest fled with gunshot wounds. The James brothers managed to escape, but the Younger brothers were captured by a posse at Hanska Slough after a fierce gunfight.
Cole Younger was wounded eleven times during the robbery and the chase. He had a bullet lodged under his right eye that blinded him on that side. He also had bullets in his chest, shoulder, arm, leg, hip, and mouth. His brother Jim had his jaw shattered by a bullet and nearly bled to death. His brother Bob had been shot in the elbow and had his arm amputated.
Cole Younger’s Imprisonment and Later Life
The Younger brothers were tried and sentenced to life imprisonment at the Minnesota State Prison in Stillwater. They pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty. They were model prisoners who worked hard and behaved well. They also became celebrities who received many visitors and letters from fans and sympathizers.
In 1889, Bob Younger died of tuberculosis in prison at the age of 35. In 1901, Jim Younger committed suicide by shooting himself in the head with a revolver he had smuggled into his cell. He was 54 years old.
Cole Younger was paroled in 1901 after serving 25 years in prison. He was 57 years old. He moved back to Missouri and tried to live a peaceful and honest life. He renounced his outlaw past and became a Christian. He wrote his autobiography, The Story of Cole Younger by Himself, in 1903. He also lectured on temperance and crime prevention.
He reconciled with some of his former enemies, including members of the Northfield posse who had captured him. He also befriended Frank James, who had surrendered to the authorities in 1882 and had been acquitted of all charges. The two former outlaws toured together in a Wild West show called “The Great Cole Younger & Frank James Historical Wild West”.
Cole Younger died of natural causes on March 21, 1916, at his home in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. He was 72 years old. He was buried at the Lee’s Summit Historical Cemetery next to his parents and siblings.
Cole Younger cause of death was not as dramatic as his life of crime and violence. But he left behind a legacy of legend and controversy that still fascinates people today.
