Myra Maybelle Shirley was born on February 5, 1848 to John Shirley and Eliza Pennington in Jasper County, Missouri. The Shirley family prospered and moved to Carthage where John was a respected member of society. Belle attended Carthage Female Academy where she learned academics and social graces. She had four brothers who taught her to ride horses and handle guns.
Carthage was struck hard by the Civil War. Confederate and Union armies were passing through the county endlessly. Outlaw bands, including Frank and Jesse James, Cole Younger, "Bloody Bill" Anderson and William Quantrill, would ride through town stirring up trouble and defending the South. Southerners admired Quantrill and the rest for their support of the Confederacy. Some townsfolk would even provide food and lodging for these bandits, including the Shirleys. Belle's brother, Bud, joined the outlaws as a scout, and Belle also assisted by passing on information she gleaned from her social engagements.
In June, 1864, Bud was killed by the Federal army and John Shirley's wealth was all but gone. He loaded his family into the wagon and headed south to Scyene, Texas which was a known refuge for outlaws. Here, too, the outlaws were welcomed by the Shirley family to stay on their property. It was here that Belle met, fell in love with, and married Jim Reed in 1866. He was riding with the Youngers at the time. Numerous train robberies and bank hold-ups were attributed to the Younger and James brothers.
Cole Younger is reputed to be the father of Belle's daughter, Rosie Belle, nicknamed Pearl, however, there are no historical facts to support this. Innuendo and gossip are more likely to have started this notion.
During the late 1860's, Belle lived in Missouri with her daughter at her mother-in-law's home. Jim Reed, meanwhile, took up with Tom Starr, an infamous Cherokee who avenged his father's murder by slaughtering more than 20 people. He and Reed began selling whiskey and rustling cattle in Indian Territory. When Reed killed a man to avenge his brother's death, a warrant was issued for his arrest. He took Belle and Pearl and moved to California to escape.
While in California, Belle gave birth to their son, James Edwin, in 1871. Hollywood portrays Ed as being older than Pearl. This is not true. Reed couldn't stay out of trouble in California, either. He was accused of passing counterfeit money. Knowing the law would find out about his open murder warrant, Reed fled back to Texas. Belle and the children followed in the stagecoach about a week later.
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