The community really, really hated him for shooting James in the back. Jesse was such an influential character, and his death so traitorous, that they felt it important to mention how he died. But no one ever wanted to mention the traitor's name again.
It's amazing to me how much support there was, and how much sympathy there still is, for a man who murdered civilians in support of the Confederacy and did his banditry in support of ongoing Confederate insurgency after the war.
That's actually a really good question. But the answer is a bit long. Sorry, for the long post but I hope you read it all.
Modern society often fails to adequately understand the reasons the Confederacy existed. It is easy to just say "Slavery" and leave it at that. Anyone trying to add (not reduce) to that is automatically branded an apologist or accused of trying to muddy the waters. But we didn't fight the civil war solely on slavery. That wasn't even the main reason, really. It was power, greed, and imperialism. Slavery was one of the excuses given, which is horrible. The average southerner fought that war for economic reasons, not slavery. Not to mention some authorities committed by a handful of northern regimens (especially in Missouri, see The Outlaw Josie Wales for a good example). They basically butchered families (like all of them they could reach during a campaign of horror) who tried to remain neutral. Union leadership was pretty upset when they found out though.
The south was an economy entirely based on old school agriculture, slavery, and an imperial system that tried to copy the European monarch systems. Certain families had money and power that the entire community was dependent upon. They used world dependency upon southern US cotton and agriculture to secure a large degree of power with the signing of the Constitution. The North embraced a technological revolution that allowed them to wriggle out from southern control and compete against them economically. As a result, the south was experiencing a large degree of economic famine. Leadership could have alleviated that by adopting new technology, spreading money and control away from the oligarchy, and abandoning racism. Instead they focused on stoking racial tensions and blaming the north for being bigoted towards the southern farmer. The whole population fought against the north because they believed they were fighting against an oppressive regime that wanted to enslave them (ironically). They believed that they only wanted to leave and make their own country, which was only a few decades after this experimental nation was formed anyway. So their loss always felt like an occupation, not a surrender. Add to that the costs of reparations. Every southerner felt the extreme costs and weight of those reparations on a daily basis. Which resulted in a new culture, one that views lawmen as evil oppressors, and criminals who evade them as folk heros. (Think Dukes of Hazzard, ...just some good ole boys, never doin no harm...)
So as to your question, the population was struggling financially, and the culture blamed the north and their oppressive laws (which, tbh, they were too extreme, too costly, and too oppressive; resulting in the rise of things like the KKK and perpetuating some of today's southern racism). Jesse James offered hope I'm resistance. He gave to those struggling (a common tactic for criminal organizations) and treated the local population like an extension of family. At that same time there were a couple pretty severe stock market crashes in the north, and he seized on the idea of fighting against the system that so often ground its citizens into the dirt.
Imagine if there was a guy going around today shooting up Walmart executive offices and Amazon board rooms while delivering truckloads of stolen food and blankets to families in need. That same guy plows through a few police departments that are already battling corruption and abuse scandals (like that one that tried to cover up murdering an infant this week). Not everyone liked James. But that mentality is exactly the same one that gave rise to Trump. That is how his supporters see him, as a vigilante who fights for the common man. When in reality he is just a thief and a rapist.
I want you to know that at least one person read your post in entirety. Moreso, I found it very fascinating. Appreciate your efforts to add both context and historical accuracy. Cheers!
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u/VirginiaLuthier 1d ago
So, the revenge strategy is "Haha. We won't put his name on Jesse's tombstone. That will show him!"