When Times Get Rough Trivia Quiz

Josey is a western Missouri farmer with a wife and son. His family is brutally attacked by Capt. Terrill's Red Legs, his wife and son are murdered, his home is burned to the ground, and Josey is left for dead - all because they live in an area that is pro-slavery. When he gains consciousness, Josey goes about the task of burying his family, after which he finds a gun in the ruins of his home, and begins to practice. He wasn't much use in the fight against his family, but he will seek his revenge.

The attack on Josey Wales' farm is a classic example of the Border War, also called Bleeding Kansas, which took place in the 1850s, as the decision was being made concerning the admission of Kansas into the Union. As it turned out, Kansas became an anti-slavery state, and Missouri was a border state. Western Missouri was a particularly dangerous area with constant attacks and fighting, but so was eastern Kansas.

Red Legs from Kansas, also called Jayhawkers, were bands of anti-slavery guerilla fighters who clashed with Missouri Bushwhackers, also called Border Ruffians, who formed anti-Union militia.

After Josey joins the guerillas, he learns how to fight and handle a gun quite well. He becomes a patient, observant fighter, and there are several times throughout the movie where he single-handedly defeats large numbers of opponents.

Bloody Bill Anderson was a pro-Slavery Bushwhacker whose Raiders attacked anti-slavery sympathizers and Union soldiers in Missouri. Eventually he joined another infamous group called Quantrill's Raiders. While the movie shows Josey Wales and the group fighting what appears to be many different battles, Quantrill's Raiders did more guerilla fighting; they were responsible for the burning of Lawrence, Kansas, and the Centralia Massacre in Missouri.

One of the Raiders, Captain Fletcher, is both a friend and superior to Josey. He has been negotiating the end of violence with Union forces and U.S. Senator Lane, and convinces the men that they will be pardoned if they just ride into the camp and give up their weapons. But it is a trap. The Union soldiers, led by Captain Terrill's Red Legs, begin a massacre of everyone in the group. Captain Fletcher has no knowledge of this plan, and is unable to help his former comrades.

Josey senses that something in the deal is awry, and refuses to join in the surrender. He sees what is about to happen from his spot on an overlook, and rides to the defense of the men, capturing one of the Union machine guns, and turning it on the Union soldiers. He takes out several of them before riding away with a young guerilla fighter named Jamie, who has been injured. Aside from Captain Fletcher, who is now associated with Union officials, they are the only ones of their guerilla band who are left alive.

Josey's actions at the Union camp brand him an outlaw. This means that he is being hunted by Union soldiers, led by Captain Terrill and the turncoat Captain Fletcher. It also means that every bounty hunter who is trying to make a living after the war is trying to earn the price on Josey's head.

Here it must be said that the book, "The Rebel Outlaw: Josey Wales" (1972), which was later renamed "Gone to Texas", is a work of fiction, although some sources do say that Wales was a real person. The Border War was a very real thing to many people in Kansas and Missouri. It makes sense, however, that the Union did not have the resources to hunt down every Confederate "outlaw". But you have to admit that Josey's actions at the Union camp were pretty outrageous!

Josey and the injured Jamie try to make their way to Mexico, but first they must cross the Missouri River. They make their way to the ferry crossing. The man who runs the ferry obviously takes sides according to who is on his ferry; for Josey and Jamie he sings "Dixie", for the Union soldiers he sings "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" while taking them across.

Josey and Jamie take their ferry ride along with a Carpetbagger, Percy Long, who tries to sell Josey his snake oil to cure Jamie's wounds. Unfortunately, Long is another person who can now identify Josey Wales.

Captain Terrill and his men are close behind them, and board the ferry as soon as it returns to the station. It's a good thing that Josey is handy with a gun. He shoots the ferry rope, the only mechanism that kept the ferry anchored and working properly, sending its passengers on a dangerous ride down the river. His young companion, Jamie, dies soon after.

Josey is on his way to Mexico when he meets two people who become unlikely friends and allies. The first, Lone Watie, is an old Cherokee chief, who is living in the Indian Territory after being resettled there during the Trail of Tears, during which time his wife and sons died. He led his tribe in siding with Confederates once the Civil War broke out, and now that the war has been declared to be over, he is on his way to Mexico to join General Joe Shelby. Lone Watie has nothing - no food or horse - and he becomes a fast friend to Josey after he realizes there is no way he can collect the bounty that has been placed on Josey Wales.

Little Moonlight is a Navajo woman who works at a trading post and is treated poorly there. Josey rescues her from two traders, and she rescues Josey when Lone Watie has thoughts of betrayal. The three continue to make their way to Mexico, even though Josey isn't very thrilled about having company.

Josey and his small band stop for supplies in Texas, where they briefly encounter a woman from Kansas, Sarah Turner, and her family. Sarah, an ardent Jayhawker, is mourning the death of her son at the hands of Borden Ruffians, and is outspoken and offensive as she talks of her feelings regarding people from Missouri. She and her group are looking for a new start as they make their way to her son's abandoned ranch near Del Rio, Texas.

How does Sarah feel when Josey rescues her and her granddaughter, Laura Lee, from Comancheros who have attacked them on the way to Del Rio? It takes her a long time to warm up to Wales, however, she eventually does.

Josey continues on with Lone Watie, Little Moonlight, Grandma Sarah, and Laura Lee to Del Rio, Texas, the closest town to the ranch they are seeking; they find a couple of men in town who had worked for Sarah's son before the War. They ask if they can join the group and work at the ranch again.

The Crooked River Ranch is still mostly intact, and the group easily settles in to life there, with everyone working together. Having seen the group to a safe haven, Josey has no intention of staying, as he feels certain that bounty hunters and soldiers are still looking for him. Before he can leave, however, he must ensure the group's safety.

Josey openly rides into the Comanche camp, which is led by Ten Bears; he tells Ten Bears that he is either bringing a message of life or death. Ten Bears listens to Wales because he has heard of him - the Grey Rider who refused to make peace with the Bluecoats.

In his mind the Bluecoats represent all the promises made to Native Americans by the Union government, and Wales represents opposition to that government. Ten Bears decides that he can live in peace with the settlers at the ranch, and now Josey feels that he must leave.

As the group is safe and settled in at the Crooked River Ranch, it appears that Josey decides that it is time to move on. He says goodbye to Lone Waite, and asks him to take care of Laura Lee and the others. As he is riding away, however, he meets Captain Terrill and the Red Legs who have tracked him all the way to the ranch. After a battle, in which Josey has willing allies, it appears that the Red Legs have been defeated, and Josey is able to avenge his family's deaths.

Captain Fletcher, who is also in Del Rio, pretends to not recognize Wales when he comes to town, and says he will ride down to Mexico to try and corroborate the story, told by Wales' town friends, that he had been killed by pistoleros. As Josey rides into the sunrise back to the ranch, it looks like he may be able to finally find peace.