minton on Family Tree Circles

This is what i was told as a child,it's a story that was passed down and i know it's been twisted and changed.The Minton's used to live around Castlewood,Virginia and this is how it was told that they ended up in Nicholas Co. Kentucky.Dad always said that when they lived in Virginia his grandfather James worked for the post office and carried a pistol that he would lay up on the mantel when arived home. one day a member of Jessie james' gang came to the door with a gun and demanded the deed to his home,James put his hands in the air and backed up to the mantel where he grabbed the pistol and shot the outlaw. I was told that the man ran all the way around the house and dropped dead back in the doorway.After this the Sheriff,fearing for James' life decided to sneak him out of the state.He bought him a new suit then in a wagon,under a load of fodder,drove him to a train which he boarded for Kentucky.His wife Margeret and children soon met him there.I was told they changed the name from johnson to Minton when he left Va.,but census records show they were always Mintons and Jessie James never came that far east.I have found that they did live near many familys named Jessee,did they have a gang?Another name that came up in this story was Baker but i don't remember where.