Some claim Railroad Bill to be the most famous badman of African American lore, and the figure occupies an important position in American folklore. In From Trickster to Badman: The Black Folk Hero in Slavery and Freedom, John W. Roberts suggests that Railroad Bill epitomizes African Americans “combining their conception of the conjurer and trickster as folk heroes to create the badman,” which confronts the “power of whites under the law that created conditions threatening to the values of the black community” (215). The popularity and power of the ballad recounting this figure’s deeds have garnered substantial scholarship, but Larry Massey points out that a “book-length history of the actual person and his criminal career” does not exist (4). Massey seeks to rectify this by presenting “a comprehensive history based primarily on [newspaper] articles published” during the man’s life and soon after his death, in order to construct “a factual history of the individual, the legend, and the song known as ‘Railroad Bill’” (5). Unfortunately, I suspect these very goals limit the usefulness folklorists will find in Massey’s work. The book successfully reconstructs the man’s career by combing through sources and presenting their information in a readable narrative, but readers will not find substantial critical analysis of the individual figure or of the folktype. As it stands, the work is a serviceable exploration of the “true story” of Railroad Bill.
As a whole, the book offers an understandable and page-turning account of Railroad Bill’s “life and crimes.” The preface recounts the Railroad Bill legend that Massey’s mother told him and its historical inaccuracies, which prompted his work on the figure. The introduction briefly describes the popularity of the Railroad Bill folk ballad, including its influence on the Beatles, and provides a three-page summary of the outlaw’s life. The remainder of Massey’s book is divided into two parts. Without stating this, Massey seems to be using the first part (chapters 1-5) to provide context for the Railroad Bill legend. One chapter details the exploits of desperado Wyatt Tate, a contemporary of Railroad Bill, to demonstrate that Railroad Bill was not the only African American robbing trains in Alabama. Another chapter describes the public’s opinion of the railroad and the typical method of robbery by Railroad Bill’s gang. Other chapters attempt to detail the many misconceptions and speculations surrounding the figure. For example, in one, Massey explains the somewhat ubiquitous nature of the nickname Railroad Bill, and in another argues how some, including Carl Cramer in Stars Fell on Alabama, wrongly attributes to Railroad Bill the murder of Bluff Springs (FL) marshal David Douglass. This section also addresses important characteristics of Railroad Bill—that he was armed, agile, cunning, etc.—and ties them to factual details of the man’s life. For instance, one chapter describes Railroad Bill’s early career as a circus performer as a link to the outlaw’s incredible physical feats. Yet these sections rarely rise beyond a presentation of historical/biographical details and their literal meanings.
The second part of the book (chapters 6-14) details the start of the outlaw’s life of crime, his confrontations with the law, his daring escapes, and his ultimate end. Again, without acknowledging this as his intent, Massey outlines Railroad Bill’s life in a manner that aligns with what various scholars of the outlaw have described as the typical elements of the folktype. Chapter 6 describes the gunfight at Hurricane Bayou, which led Railroad Bill down the outlaw trail. Chapters 7 through 9 detail significant events comprising Railroad Bill’s life, which include dogged lawmen, dangerous confrontations, betrayal by compatriots, and victims (confirmed or supposed) that enflamed the public. Chapters 10 and 11 describe Railroad Bill’s incredible ability to outwit authorities and escape capture by relying on his insider’s knowledge of the local environment, the support he receives from locals, and—the book very briefly mentions, then dismisses—his ability to shapeshift. Chapters 12 through 14 narrate the outlaw’s demise. Here, readers find the story of the officer-led ambush of Railroad Bill and the display of the outlaw’s body to a paying crowd. Chapter 12 offers an interesting, though brief, discussion of unintended victims connected to Railroad Bill and relates how several African American men were killed by overzealous lawmen or citizens who believed they had found Railroad Bill. The conclusion, titled “Endless Folklore” and running from pages 152-161, provides the author’s assessment of the figure’s importance to folklore, but for the most part this discussion simply includes a handful of comments scholars have made about the figure, and hurriedly tracks the progression of the Railroad Bill ballad.
As a tracing of the man’s life built upon factual information, Massey’s book is successful. The author connects Railroad Bill’s renowned defiance and cunning to portions of his early life, and he engages the reader with researched narratives of the outlaw’s life of crime, especially his legendary ability to avoid capture. The use of information from newspapers is substantial, and the manner in which he presents this as a narrative is artful. John Roberts in “‘Railroad Bill’ and the American Outlaw Tradition,” which the author cites but does not discuss, argues that this outlaw legend “illustrates the need for close analysis” and “belongs to a tradition with universal implications for understanding human responses to powerlessness and oppression.” Unfortunately, the reader will not find that discussion in this account of Railroad Bill.
Works Cited
John W. Roberts. 1989. From Trickster to Badman: The Black Folk Hero in Slavery and Freedom. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
---. 1981. “‘Railroad Bill’ and the American Outlaw Tradition.” Western Folklore 40:315-328.
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[Review length: 924 words • Review posted on March 4, 2016]