Walter Chiles Ready (b 5 Feb 1847) is found living with his father in 1860 census in Columbia, Boone Co. Missouri age 14. His mother WEC (Sutton) Ready(born 1824 Kentucky) was one of Boone County's slave owners, claiming 1 male and 4 females on the 1860 Missouri Slave Schedules.

He marries Lucy Maragret Lane in Liberty, Clay County Missouri on Apr 21, 1870, officiated by A.B. Jones.

1880 Census has him and family now with a son and daughter still living in Liberty Missouri.

1900 and 1910 Census records have he and family living in Thurber, Erath, Texas.

He passes away 12 Sept 1914 in Texas and is buried in Stephenville Texas.

Interestingly W Etta C Ready is found post war in 1870 living in Liberty Missouri with the Lightburns and one Marcus Luttrel.

I find no evidence that Walter C Ready was in the armed services of either the Union or confederacy, he is of marginal age but certainly young men of his cohart did serve.

I suspect that any connection with Jesse James comes from his apparent 2 decades living and farming in and around Liberty Missouri in the immediate post war period. Richard A. Ensminger's 1996 list of James/Younger gang members does not list Ready as a gang member or alias. http://www.kansasheritage.org/research/james.txt

John R