On several later occasions, Hickok was to confront and kill several men while fighting alone. Hickok and Lanihan remained, respectively, sheriff and deputy as Hickok accused J.V. Utter claimed Hickok's body, and placed a notice in the local newspaper, the Black Hills Pioneer, which read: "Died in Deadwood, Black Hills, August 2, 1876, from the effects of a pistol shot, J. On September 4, Hickok was wounded in the foot while rescuing several cattlemen in the Bijou Creek basin who had been surrounded by Indians. Many characters in Western novels are fashioned after Hickok. There is however, a record of Hardin leaving town in a hurry after shooting a man. "[18] He proved to be a terrible actor and returned to the West, where he ran for sheriff in Ellsworth County, Kansas, on November 5, 1867, but was defeated by former soldier E.W. Her father cried out "Children we're safe, it's Marshal Hickok they'll not harm us now!" He earned a reputation as a skilled scout. in an instant, he pulled the triggers again sending two bullets into Coe's abdomen (Coe lived a day or two) and whirling with his two guns drawn on the drunken crowd of cowboys, "and now do any of you fellows want the rest of these bullets." [23][b], After the Civil War broke out in April 1861, Hickok became a teamster for the Union Army in Sedalia, Missouri. Tutt called out, "Boys, I'm killed" and ran onto the porch of the local courthouse and then back to the street, where he collapsed and died. You can read his bio at http://www.wikipedia.org. He wore his revolvers backwards in a belt or sash (when donning city clothes or buckskins, respectively), and seldom used holsters per se; he drew the pistols using a "reverse", "twist" or Cavalry draw, as would a cavalryman. Agnes Thatcher Lake was a truly remarkable woman. It has been speculated that during the "missing year", Hickok may have been operating as a spy in Southern territory. His skills as a gunfighter and scout, along with his reputation as a lawman, provided the basis for his fame, although some of his exploits are fictionalized. Good bye, Colorado Charlie, C. H. James Butler Hickok was born in Troy Grove, Illinois, on May 27, 1837. 5. His romance with Martha Jane Burke, aka "Calamity Jane," similarly provided material for dime novelists. [38], On September 1, 1868, Hickok was in Lincoln County, Kansas, where he was hired as a scout by the 10th Cavalry Regiment, a segregated African-American unit. James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837 August 2, 1876), better known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a figure in the American Old West. At the time of the so-called McCanles Massacre, Hickok was known as Duck Bill because of his sweeping nose and protruding upper lip (covered with a mustache later in life). Leaving Springfield, he was recommended for the position of deputy federal marshal at Fort Riley, Kansas. In 1876, Hickok was diagnosed by a doctor in Kansas City, Missouri, with glaucoma and ophthalmia, a condition that was widely rumored at the time by Hickok's detractors to be the result of various sexually transmitted diseases. [50] The two entrepreneurs had painted a picture of a bull with a large erect penis on the side of their establishment as an advertisement. Eventually, Tilghman became one of the premier law enforcement officers in the West. Rosa conjectures that Wellman had far more of a motive to kill McCanles, a belief supported by McCanles's son's own account. The bear then grabbed his arm in its mouth, but Hickok was able to grab his knife and slash its throat, killing it. He then drew his revolvers, fired over the heads of the mob, and stated he would shoot the first man to move. It is difficult to separate the truth from fiction about Hickok, the first "dime novel" hero of the western era, in many ways one of the first comic book heroes, keeping company with another who achieved part of his fame in such a way, frontiersman Davey Crockett. He traveled west to Deadwood, South Dakota, in a wagon train that included Martha Jane Cannary (Calamity Jane), who later claimed she had secretly married him. Tutt grabbed Hickok's pocket watch, supposedly as payment for a debt Hickok disputed. He was born James Butler Hickok on 27 May 1837 in Troy Grove, Illinois. Knowing they could not escape, the family awaited their fate. [44] In his 1895 autobiography, published after his death, Hardin claimed to have been befriended by Hickok, the newly elected town marshal, after he had disarmed the marshal using the road agent's spin, but Hardin was known to exaggerate. B. Hickok (Wild Bill) formerly of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Brink, were tried but judged to have acted in self-defense. Before his legendary status, Wild Bill was born in 1837 in the state of Illinois as James Butler Hickok. Hickok gave a newspaper interview where the world learned about "Wild Bill" Hickok. Under the name "Wild Bill Hitchcock" [sic], the article recounted the "hundreds" of men whom Hickok had personally killed and other exaggerated exploits. Ed McGivern's book "Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting" states the Willoth family in Deadwood possessed one of Wild Bill's Smith & Wesson Model No.2 pistols, serial number 29963. Hickok's horse was called Black Nell, and he owned two Colt 1851 Navy Revolvers. [24], In late 1863, Hickok worked for the provost marshal of southwest Missouri as a member of the Springfield detective police. Four of the men on the self-appointed committee who planned Calamity's funeral (Albert Malter, Frank Ankeney, Jim Carson, and Anson Higby) later stated that, since Hickok had "absolutely no use" for Jane in this life, they decided to play a posthumous joke on him by laying her to rest by his side. The killing of Wild Bill and the capture of Jack McCall is reenacted every evening (in summer) in Deadwood.[45]. Hickok was offered the position of Marshal after the previous one,Tom Smith, was killed in the line of duty. At the time of his death Hickok was holding black aces and eights with the fifth card the Jack of Diamonds. The bullet hit Hickok in the back of the head, killing him instantly. Hickok's brother, Lorenzo Butler, traveled from Illinois to attend the retrial. Tutt's friends complied with Hickok's suggestion. McCall was found guilty and sentenced to death. They toured Europe for a while and then returned to the United States. The new trial was held in Yankton, capital of the territory. On this occasion however, she recalls her family cowered in fear because they had not been warned of the approaching cowherd. BORN NEW MONTHLY No. Hickok ran as an Independent; but lost to his deputy, Peter Lanihan, who ran as a Democrat. Geni requires JavaScript! McCanles was the first man Hickok was reputed to have killed in a fight. Fiction later typified this kind of gunfight, but Hickok's is in fact the first one on record that fits the portrayal. Legends of the Hidden Temple - S 1 E 4 - Wild Bill Hickok and the Dead Man's Hand. In September 1862 he was discharged for an undisclosed reason and there are no records of his whereabouts until late 1863, when he was employed by the Provost Marshal of South-West Missouri as a member of the Springfield detective police. Theophilus Little, mayor of Abilene and owner of the town's lumberyard, recorded his time in Abilene by writing in a notebook that was recently given to the Abilene Historical Society. That man was Wild Bill Hickok. Aug 2 1876 - Deadwood, Dakotah Territory - Mann's Saloon No. It is known that the Hickok home even had a hidden cellar, which was used to hide the escaping slaves. "[55], On March 5, 1876, Hickok married Agnes Thatcher Lake, a 50-year-old circus proprietor in Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory. That story is also thought to be an exaggeration. Hickok, naturally, did not care for the comment. [f], The regular county election was held on November 2, 1869. Hardin was an extremely accomplished gunfighter and was known to have killed over 40 men in his lifetime; he in turn idealized Hickok and identified with Wild Bill. Although the show brought Hickok some much-needed income, he was unhappy, began drinking heavily, and returned to the West in March 1874. Between his law-enforcement duties and gambling, which easily overlapped, Hickok was involved in several notable shootouts, and was ultimately killed while playing poker in a Dakota Territory saloon. Hickok had been called a "terror to evildoers" by a reporter of the Junction City Union newspaper. [13], Hickok was arrested for murder two days later; however, the charge was later reduced to manslaughter. Howard Hickok had another version of the incident that resulted in Hickok's being called Wild Bill. He served as a Union scout in the Civil War. McLintock used a cane to tap the body, face, and head, finding no soft tissue anywhere. Hickok returned to Fort Riley after his duties with Sherman were concluded. It remains unknown who actually fired it. "J.B. Hickok, Deputy U.S. If he noted a lot of noise and disturbance coming from a saloon, he would turn sharply from his path, push the saloon doors open hard enough to cause them to slam back against the walls, and then faced the noisy crowd. McCanles and his friends came to the station looking for trouble. Later that year he became a teamster with the great freighting enterprise Russell, Majors and Waddell, creators of the Pony Express, for which he was too tall and heavy to be a rider. Hickok's encounter in Abilene with outlaw John Wesley Hardin resulted in the latter fleeing the town after Hickok managed to disarm him. The legend of Wild Bill has only grown since his death in 1876, when cowardly Jack McCall famously put a bullet through the back of his head during a card game. The White Buffalo (1977), starring Charles Bronson as Hickok, tells a tale of Hickok's hunt for a murderous white buffalo that follows him in his nightmares. In this autobiography he relates an interesting piece of fiction concerning Hickok and Abilene. This was cut open by relic hunters in the 1950s and the statue removed.[46]. In 1869 Hickok became sheriff of Hays City, Kansas, where he killed several men in shootouts. The reason he left town in a hurry was because he knew Hickok would be coming to arrest him. But Coe "reckoned without his host." Hickok continued his duties hunting horse thieves and illegal woodcutters, for the Army. Those who objected or resisted were knocked through, or out, the doors and into the street. The young man was a Union sympathizer, and the crowd was Confederate. Fiction would later show this kind of gunfight as typical, but Hickok's is in fact the only one on record that fits the portrayal. (ILFEBRUARY, BILL. The citizens of Abilene soon learned that they had nothing to fear, from the rowdy trail herd cowboys, with Wild Bill on the job. How or why the confrontation occurred, and the exact sequence of events are in not known. It is also during this time that Hickok's trademark characteristics are recorded for the first time. The bear attacked, crushing Hickok with its body. A second son, named Lorenzo Butler Hickok, was born in October of 1831 but died soon thereafter. In 1954 an episode of Gunsmoke on CBS radio featured John Dehner as Hickok. In the HBO show Deadwood (2004-2006), Wild Bill is played by Keith Carradine. Hickok was reported to be an inveterate hater of Indians, but it is difficult to separate fact from fiction. It is also interesting to note, that court documents concerning the incident refer to Hickok as "William B. Hickok". He wrote, "Agnes darling, if such should be we never meet again, while firing my last shot, I will gently breathe the name of my wife, Agnes, and with wishes even for my enemies I will make the plunge and try to swim to the other shore." Hickok was relieved of his duties as marshal less than two months after having accidentally killed deputy Mike Williams, allegedly owing to this incident's being only one of a series of questionable shootings and claims of misconduct. This, too, was badly defaced, and was then enclosed in a cage for protection. In 1871, Hickok became marshal of Abilene, Kansas, taking over for former marshal Thomas J. Smith. In December of 1871 Abilene discharged Hickok as city marshal, after he had made one of the most lawless towns on the frontier safe for decent people. In July, Hickok told a newspaper reporter he had led several soldiers in pursuit of Indians who had killed four men near the fort on 2 July. Like a sleeping tiger suddenly awakened, Hickok's fearsome character emerged with a vengeance. Wild Bill Hickok was born James Butler Hickok in Homer, Illinois on May 27, 1837. 1621. 910 Listens. Oliver Hickok had, by this time, gone to California for the Gold Rush. http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=hickok&GSfn=james Death of James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok a Burial of James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok, "Wild Bill", "Wild Bill Hickok", "Hickock", Deadwood, Lawrence, South Dakota, United States, Abolitionist, facilitator of the Underground Railroad, Lawman, Gunfighter, Gambler, U.S. Hickok's duties as a police detective were mostly mundane and included counting the number of troops in uniform drinking while on duty, checking hotel liquor licenses and tracking down individuals in debt to the Union to facilitate repayment. Wild Bill Hickok, byname of James Butler Hickok, (born May 27, 1837, Homer [now Troy Grove], Illinois, U.S.died August 2, 1876, Deadwood, Dakota Territory [now in South Dakota, U.S.]), American frontiersman, army scout, and lawman who helped bring order to the frontier West. In June, Hickok mustered out and went to Springfield, where he gambled. The person keeps his trigger finger/s in the trigger guard/s however, and when the other party reaches for the gun/s they are suddenly spun back into the hand/s of the gunman ready to be fired. According to Historynet, his father, William Alonzo Hickock, and mother, Polly Butler Hickock, had met and married in Vermont in 1827, and moved to Troy Grove in 1833.There, they opened a general store, called the Green Mountain House (presumably a nod to their home, the Green Mountain State), which did well at . The second trial was not considered double jeopardy because of the irregular jury in the first trial and because Deadwood was at the time in unorganized Indian country. The couple had five children besides James Butler, three boys and two girls. ), 18721886. On July 21, 1865, the two men faced off in Springfield's town square, standing sideways before drawing and firing their weapons. Hickok didn't seem to feel comfortable with all the "make believe" and never quite fit in. He quickly became known as a superb marksman. Despite his reputation,[70] Hickok was buried in the Ingelside Cemetery, Deadwood's original graveyard. The legendary James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok began his career as a Kansas lawman in 1858 at the age of 20. Hickok interrupted him and then proceeded to tell the entire mob what he thought of them, and it wasn't complimentary. He wanted me to go with him, and as we started on our way, imagine my surprise and uncomfortable feeling when he announced his intention of stopping at the McCanles home. This Hickok did, with the aid of his deputies, although both he and his men were openly cursed for doing their duty. It is believed that McCanles arrived at the station with his son, Monroe; his cousin, James Woods; and James Gordon, a man in his service. At the trial it was proved that the murderer was hired to do his work by gamblers[44] who feared the time when better citizens should appoint Bill the champion of law and order - a post which he formerly sustained in Kansas border life, with credit to his manhood and his courage. His life was an interesting one. Wild Bill Hickok is laid to rest at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Deadwood, South Dakota. "Aces and eights" thus is known as the "Dead Man's Hand". McLintock used a cane to tap the body, face and head, finding no soft tissue anywhere. . This ended the insulting, but not the incident. Chronology on Life of James Butler (Wild Bill) HICKOK, --------------------------------------------------------------------------------. Wild Bill was born James Butler Hickok on May 27, 1837 in Troy Grove, Illinois. James Butler Hickok arrived in Deadwood, along with Colorado Charlie Utter and Calamity Jane, in July of 1876. But in the final analysis does their opinion matter? Agnes fell deeply in love with Hickok on sight. Deadwood was then, and is now, a town with basically one main street running through it. After this Hickok was transferred to Fort McPherson, in the Nebraska territory, to act as scout for the famous General William Tecumseh Sherman. Hickok had to shoot another man, in performance of his duties, named Mulvey who was another town troublemaker. The request produced two very interesting results. 10 in Deadwood, in the Black Hills, Dakota Territory. Mulvey wheeled his horse around to face those who might shoot him from behind, and before he realized he had been fooled, Hickok shot him through the temple. [citation needed], From 1871 until his death in 1876, Hickok had vision problems. Hickok's gravesite is also in Deadwood. Hickok, with his good friend Mike Williams, heard the shot. [57] The two possibly met for the first time after Jane was released from the guardhouse in Fort Laramie and joined the wagon train in which Hickok was traveling. Kingsbury. [12] The article was controversial wherever Hickok was known, and several frontier newspapers wrote rebuttals. In 1886, ten years after Hickok's death, the Dead man's hand was explained as being three Jacks and a pair of Tens in a North Dakota newspaper which attributed the term to a specific game held in Illinois 40 years earlier, indicating that Hickok's hand had yet to gain widespread popularity. James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok was a famous character of the American West. While wandering around the town of Independence Missouri, Hickok noticed a large crowd gathered outside a saloon. After the war, Hickok became a scout for the U. S. Army and later was a professional gambler. [1]. When a seat opened up at the table, a drunk man named Jack McCall sat down to play. 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