American Historical Ephemera & Photography Online

OAKES, Jesse E. Autograph letter signed ("Miss Jessie E. Oakes"), to Mr. E.C. Abbott, Teddy Blue. 3 Deuce Ranch, Gilt Edge, Montana, 21 Sept. 1934. 2 1/2 pages, 8 x 10 in., fold lines. Oakes writes about her "Grand-mother 'Calamity Jane,'...who reared me from three weeks old to the age of nine years old as her own daughter. At this age, I became lost and dead to my people. My father dying from a broken-heart." Oakes continues, "You claim my grandmother introduced her daughter to you...Her daughter was my mother and the mother of my half-brother Charles Jackson Oakes. His father, Charles Oakes was killed about 1893 or 4 over Pueblo Bluff Cal. in an accident...My father was US Marshal of So. Dad. in the 80's. I am a cousin of James B. Hickok, 'Wild Bill' the Deadwood gambler, shot by Jack McCall. I am the kid that was with 'Calamity Jane' while she was married to Clinton C. Burke." Jessie continues to explain that she is trying to locate her half brother Charles J. Oakes. The information relayed by Jessie Oakes in the letter has not been verified. Accompanied by original cover addressed to Mr. Abbott, postmarked Los Angeles, CA. Full transcription available upon request. 

[With:] WASHBURN, J.B. Autograph letter signed ("J.B. Washburn"), addressed to the Lewistown Democrat. Long Beach, CA, 16 April 1934. 7 pages, 6 x 9 in., wear to folds and edges, some chipping and areas of separation. Washburn writes the newspaper regarding its accounts of Calamity Jane, indicating that he knew her. He said that Jane gave him the name "Red Jim" on the occasion of their first meeting in May 1878 in Deadwood, the Black Hills. At that time, he said that "Jane gave me the greatest complement [sic]...The time was may 1878 & the place was Deadwood Dakota I was crossing the street in the early evening & the streets were very muddy & I seen a woman crossing the street...she was carrying a lantern & both our & the lantern was covered with mud there was a gang of bums following her & she was verry drunk & they were kicking mud all over both her & the lantern & she was starring & calling them everything..I will say there was only one person on earth at that time who could use more bad language than Jane & that one was Billie K Jinks the Barber." Washburn explained that he stepped in between the gang and Jane, accusing them of mistreating her. He and Jane then proceeded to kick one of the men in the mud. Jane then "stagared up to me & said Hello Kid who are you & I said who are you & she said I am Calamity Jane & I said I am Red Jim & we shook hands & she said Red Jim I wish to thank you for I see you are a Jentleman." He said that he met Calamity Jane again in 1905 when she came to Gilt Edge and cooked for "Mrs. C.H. Dahl who brought her over to my store and interdused hur as Mrs. Burk & said she was Calamity Jane I said I don't think she is the Calamity Jane I nowed in the Black Hills & she says if I tell you a story that no one but you & me would remember would you think I am the original Calamity Jane so she related our first meeting in 78 so I was convinced..." An interesting account of purported encounters with famed frontierswoman Calamity Jane. Full transcription available upon request.