talking about Jim and Artie pt 1 of ?

[jtcooper]

I had some ideas I wanted to open up on the forum, partly because I love to 'listen' to writers talk about writing, including the various elements like characters... backstories... and so forth, and partly because I'm not a techie at all but I am a geek - Sam :-*swears I am... only a history geek... LOL I told him I'm not sure there is such a thing, or any help for the condition. Sam says if there isn't, he'll be glad to start HistoryGeeks Anonymous for me, and SAFOGH-ANON for spouses and friends, like him. LOL ;D

so here's the first idea/question I came up with:

about the two agents of Wild, Wild West, considering there isn't much about their wartime experiences noted onscreen, I'm curious to know what the fanfic writers here think Artie and Jim went through, what was their 'finest hour'? what was their worst time?

the show itself tells us Jim was involved in the seige of Vicksburg... the show tells us that both Jim and Artie attained the rank of Captain.
And that's about all I can think of, offhand.

Well Jim says in Inferno 'I'm a trained cavalry officer with ten years experience' - but sorry, James I don't really believe you. I think he's buying time so that Artie can respond to the signal - the lights on the end of the varnish car- and will say whatever will interest the bad guys.

So its pretty sketchy for Jim and even moreso for Artie. So I get caught up wondering:

Were either of them in the Regular Army? Or were they both in Volunteer Regiments? Did their Captain's rank come as a temporary promotion, or were they mustered out with that rank?

Did Jim, who especially in first season acts more like a military officer than Artie, resign his commission, or is he actually still in the Army?

Were either of them captured or wounded? Did they both serve mostly in the Western Theatre - from Mississippi east to Atlanta? Or did serving General Grant take either Jim or Artie or both into the War in the East?

This is the kind of thing that fascinates me, and of course its not everyone's cup of tea... but it did seem a way I could try to start a discussion, and so contribute to the forum.

My own answers to the questions are just my opinions, naturally.

I do think Jim could have been Regular Army. Its just something in his manner and attitude. I find myself wondering if he could have been an 'Army brat'... 19th century version.

But for Artie, no, I don't see that in him. He's fully capable of enacting an officer, and he did serve in the War of course. But it seems far more likely to me that Artie was amongst the hundreds of thousands who joined the Volunteer Army.

Both agents seem devoted to serving President Grant, which leads me to believe they both worked under his command during most if not all of the War... And that means both men went with Grant from the campaigns around Chattanooga in '63, to the Overland Campaign of '64

One more question and I'll leave this open: Could either Jim or Artie been from the South? Could they have been among the Southerners who fought for the Union? It just seems like an interesting idea...

[artiesniecewannabe]

Strictly my own opinion, based on a) having lived in the South all my life and b) Artie's waaaay over-the-top Southern accent in Bogus Bandits, I would say that Artie at least was NOT a Southerner. I just cannot believe any true son of the South would deliberately lay on a Southern accent too thick to be cut with a knife.

But anyway, I've just always assumed both our agents were Northerners.

There are several fanfics posted here that explore some of your questions. Calgal's TNOT Beginning comes to mind.

Sorry I'm not much help.

[California gal]

Hi, JT. I'm a history geek myself, especially about the Civil War, which is only one reason why this show appeals to me.

My idea (and I've expanded on it in my stories) is that both men were volunteers at the beginning of the war. Jim COULD have gone to West Point but I don't think so. I believe that, at least, would have been mentioned. Also, in Firebrand, Jim tells O'Reilly that a West Pointer never takes off his ring. Well, Jim wears NO ring. (I know someone here has a different idea and I'll let her expand on that. ;D, )

We know Artie was an actor before the war, which is of course where he learned his disguise skills. We know Jim attended at least some college--and may have studied archeology! (Druid's Blood) I think they were both at Vicksburg.

I don't think either one of them was from the South for several reasons. First off, no southern accent. Secondly, they were close to Grant during the war, and from my readings, southerners who joined the northern army were not always trusted. General George Thomas never got the acclaim he deserved. Col. Benjamin "Grimes" Davis, who saved the cavalry by leading them out of Harper's Ferry just before Jackson captured it prior to Antietam, was from Mississippi. He was a West Pointer, with great leadership skills, but was never advanced further than colonel; he was killed at Brandy Station. Conversely, General Pemberton, in command of southern forces at Vicksburg, was from the north, and not trusted by the South!

I also don't think they would have become such trusted members of the Secret Service if they were southern, regardless of which army they fought for. (I have an idea for a story that goes against that, and I haven't entirely worked it out in my head yet!)

My idea is that they went east with Grant when he was given command of the entire Union Army and transferred to the Potomac front to face Lee. I like the idea of Jim in contact with both Sheridan and Custer!

They both attained the rank of captain, as you say. Interestingly, in the script for Pistoleros, when "Murray" meets "Artie" in the street, he addresses Artie as Mr. Gordon rather than Captain Gordon. Last minute change, obviously.

And in Death-Maker, Jim is addressed as major. We've taken care of that by deciding that it was a brevet/field rank! ;D He's addressed as Captain everywhere else.

Also, although I have no doubt he was in the cavalry, I too think that "10 years of experience" is a bit of an overstatement to impress.

Some series give lots of details about character background. WWW gave us just enough to tantalize. In some sense it makes it easier to write about, although I would really have liked to have known more.

And don't worry about expressing your ideas. If you read much fan fiction about the show, you'll see that there are numerous ideas about their background. All are welcome and interesting perspectives.

Nice topic.