James T. West (Born July 2, 1842) was a special agent in the US Secret Service who served directly under President Grant and was considered the best agent the government had to offer alongside his loyal partner and best friend Artemus Gordon. in: Characters, Males, Secret Service, Recurring Characters
Real Name: James T. West
Aliases: Jim West
Marital status: Single
Known relatives: None
Affiliation: The United States Secret Service, former Major in the U.S. Army Calvary division
Base of operations: Primarily the American West
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 167 lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
History
Birth and Early Life
West was born in the US on July 2, 1842 (many events, however, have contradictory dates unless we assume that the stories are not told in chronological order, which is entirely possible since they are almost completely episodic). Little is known of the early history and childhood of James T. West. In fact, it is not even known what the "T" in his name stands for. He is known to have mentioned his father once but there was not enough information to draw any knowledge about the man. What is known is that Jim West graduated from West Point college where he was mentored by archaeology expert Professor Robey.
Military Career
After graduating from West Point, Jim subsequently served as a Cavalry officer, rising to the rank of Major in the United States Army. He was decorated many times. He then served in the Union Army during the Civil War, attaining the rank of Captain. In 1865, when he was a lieutenant, near Vicksburg, Virginia, in the aftermath of a battle, he stumbled upon a wounded Confederate soldier. The man's legs had been severely damaged. West applied tourniquets that stopped the bleeding and saved the man's life, a man by the name of Noel Bartley Vautrain. This particular incident would later have severe repercussions in West's career as a Secret Service agent.
Recruitment into the Secret Service
It is unclear as to precisely when Jim West was recruited into the United States Secret Service. The Service itself was founded in 1865 but it is difficult to construct a timeline using our world's history as a template because the world James West lived in is clearly a different one. It is possible to say that he was recruited sometime between 1865 and 1870. By the end of 1870, he was one of two agents (the other being Artemus Gordon) who worked directly for and answered only to the President of the United States, Ulysses Simpson Grant.
Secret Service Career
Even when we first encounter Jim and Arte, estimated to be 1871, they have already been working together long enough to have become best friends and to implicitly trust each other, although the exact details of how they met are unknown. They are presented as troubleshooters sent by the President to investigate threats to American security.
West and Gordon traveled in luxurious style on a train named the Wanderer, complete with numerous fancy and futuristic gadgets and a laboratory on board where Gordon developed and tested many new gadgets exclusive for their use, being the latest in secret government technology.
