James Timberlake was born on March 22, 1846, in
Platte County, Missouri, to farmer John Timberlake and his wife Patsy Noland. Timberlake remained at home to help on his family farm until 1864, when he joined the cavalry division of the
Army of Missouri, under the command of Colonel
Alonzo W. Slayback in the
American Civil War. Timberlake became a second lieutenant and participated in a number of engagements under the command of General
Joseph O. Shelby. Following the surrender of the
Confederate States of America, Timberlake accompanied Shelby and his one thousand-plus men into
Mexico to pledge allegiance to Emperor
Maximilian I of Mexico. Maximilian declined this offer, but granted land to the troops. In December 1865, Timberlake abandoned his life in Mexico and returned to Missouri to continue farming and raising stock. Robert Ford directed Timberlake to
Adairville,
Kentucky, where he arrested Jesse James' cousin, Clarence Hite on February 11, 1882. On March 24, 1882, Timberlake detailed a plan he designed in collaboration with Crittenden, which entailed that the Fords would have ten days to apprehend James, or else the pardon and reward would not stand. When Robert Ford killed James on April 3, 1882, Crittenden resented that an apprehension was not made and paid the majority of the reward to Timberlake. Following the death of Jesse James, Timberlake, along with the other conspirators in the mission to assassinate James found their reputations ruined, due in large to the nature in which James was killed. Timberlake, having completed his second term as county sheriff, declined to run for re-election, in favor of running for county collector, but was soundly defeated, thanks to a
smear campaign run by supporters of James' cause. He retreated to
New Mexico, where he and his brother maintained successful ranches. However, Timberlake returned to Missouri in 1883, when he was reappointed
deputy U.S. marshal for the
Western District of Missouri by Crittenden. He resigned soon after his wife died, however, and returned to farming and remained working at the stables until he died from an
opioid overdose of
morphine, prompted by his
insomnia, on February 21, 1891. ==Cultural depictions==