BORN NEW MONTHLY No. Hardin was in town under his assumed name Wesley Clemmons, but was better known to the townspeople by the alias "Little Arkansas". In reality, they barely knew one another, having met only about a month before his death. It ends with Hickok surviving the murder attempt due to wearing body armor and being shot in the back, then secretly leaving for a ranch in California. B. Hickok killed by the assassin Jack McCall in Deadwood, Black Hills, August 2, 1876. With his already evident skill in shooting , James brought in local game to add to the family larder. On July 21, 1865, in the town square of Springfield, Missouri, Hickok killed Davis K. Tutt, Jr. in a "quick draw" duel. 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. Hickoks family emigrated from England in 1635 to Massachusetts, where his great-grandfather responded to the British march on Lexington and Concord at the beginning of the American Revolution. [24], On July 17, 1870, also in Hays, he was involved in a gunfight with disorderly soldiers of the 7th U.S. Cavalry. The legendary lawman now became flesh and blood. Abilene's town gun laws did not allow this type of activity. Her first husband, William Thatcher Lake later just known as Bill Lake, was a circus clown. They quickly and quietly left town. Many people knew that Jane had a crush on Hickok but few, if any, knew that they were married. As Hickok biographer Joseph Rosa states, in his definitive book "They Called Him Wild Bill", "thus the two were linked together in a relationship in death which had never existed in life". The result of that attack is that one, possibly two, of the troopers were killed by Hickok. The family participated in the Underground Railroad before the Civil War and even used their home as a station stop. "[49], Hickok and Phil Coe, a saloon owner and acquaintance of Hardin's, had a dispute that resulted in a shootout. The following year he was badly injured by a bear and sent to the Rock Creek Station in Nebraska (which the company had recently purchased from David McCanles) to work as a stable hand while he recovered. Hickok interrupted him and then proceeded to tell the entire mob what he thought of them, and it wasn't complimentary. Hickok though continued to focus his attention on Coe. On April 15, 1871, Hickok became marshal of Abilene, Kansas, taking over for former marshal Tom "Bear River" Smith, who had been killed on November 2, 1870. At the time of his death Hickok was holding black aces and eights with the fifth card the Jack of Diamonds. This was at the time of the Indian Wars that counted the Great Plains as a battleground, and Hickok sometimes served as a scout for George A. Custer's 7th Cavalry.[2]. The first was Bill Mulvey, who was rampaging through town, drunk, shooting out mirrors and whisky bottles behind bars. [23][b], After the Civil War broke out in April 1861, Hickok became a teamster for the Union Army in Sedalia, Missouri. Many characters in Western novels are fashioned after Hickok. Shortly before Hickok's death, he wrote a letter to his new wife, which reads in part: "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. Famous descendants for Mayflower pilgrim Francis Cooke (1583-1663). Naturally, all such claims were made long after Hickok was dead. In March or early April of 1871 the city of Abilene Kansas offered him a job as city Marshal. [h], McCall's motive for killing Hickok is the subject of speculation, largely concerning McCall's anger at Hickok's having given him money for breakfast the day before, after McCall had lost heavily. B. Hickock (sic) (Wild Bill) formerly of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Tutt called out, "Boys, I'm killed", before he collapsed and died. [6][35] Witnesses confirm that while working as a scout at Fort Harker, Kansas, on May 11, 1867, Hickok was attacked by a large group of Indians, who fled after he shot and killed two. Hickok and Lanihan remained, respectively, sheriff and deputy as Hickok accused J.V. According to Joseph G. Rosa, Hickok's biographer and the foremost authority on Wild Bill, Hickok killed only six or seven men in gunfights. Usually, Hickok always sat with his back to a wall. Nonetheless, Hickok was reported by some to have appeared with Buffalo Bill in 1873 in a stage play titled "Scouts of the Plains". The above "gunfight" is the first recorded of a classical type of western shootout. Hickok's retort is one of the West's most famous sayings (though possibly apocryphal): "Did the crow have a pistol? [28] Strawhun "made remarks against Hickok", and Hickok killed him with a shot through the head. Some were ex-Union soldiers, some were ex-Confederate. When Kyle's weapon misfired, Hickok shot Lonergan, wounding him in the knee, and shot Kyle twice, killing him. In my opinion, these would be the "cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat", in the "arena" of life, spoken of by Theodore Roosevelt. It is said he met the famous frontiersman Kit Carson while so employed. Furk Mus2017. He then asked them some questions concerning the man he was tracking. As the scene unfolded, McCanles entered the station, and, from behind the curtain that divided it in two, either Hickok or Wellman shot McCanles. He was released on $2,000 bail and stood trial on August 3, 1865. No one was allowed to get too near. I have been to the cemetery, in Troy Grove, and the family still rests side-by-side in the quiet, and very peaceful older section of the town's cemetery. [42], McCall was subsequently rearrested after bragging about his deed, and a new trial was held. Instinctively, he liked them and they liked him. Hickok's brother, Lorenzo Butler, traveled from Illinois to attend the retrial. His paranoia was prescient: he was shot in the back of the head with a .45-caliber revolver by Jack McCall. On August 2, 1876, Hickok was playing poker at Nuttal & Mann's Saloon No. Hickok once shot and killed his own deputy in error, which was the downfall of his career as a lawman. Add to Playlist. Hickok was not a 20th century lawman. It has been speculated that during the "missing year", Hickok may have been operating as a spy in Southern territory. "Gunfighters of the Real West: Wild Bill Hickok. When it came to relieving themselves, men and women in the American West might have ducked behind a tree. A second son, named Lorenzo Butler Hickok, was born in October of 1831 but died soon thereafter. [54], Charles Snyder, the Lucien Howe Librarian of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, said "Granular conjunctivitis, ophtalmia, trachomacall it what you willwas common on the Western Frontier. "[56], Martha Jane Cannary, known popularly as Calamity Jane, claimed in her autobiography that she was married to Hickok and had divorced him so he could be free to marry Agnes Lake, but no records that support her account have been found. [26]:329 Hickok did not enjoy acting, and often hid behind scenery. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. B. Hickok (Wild Bill) formerly of Cheyenne, Wyoming. His parents were William Alonzo Hickok and Polly Butler. Those who objected or resisted were knocked through, or out, the doors and into the street. [6] Since the event was outdoors, he could not compel people to pay, and the venture was a financial failure. Thus Hickok,inadvertently, killed his good friend Mike Williams who had been running to his aid. Summary: A collection of 32 letters written by relatives of "Wild Bill" (James Butler) Hickok. "Good morning boys and young ladies", he said to the group of young children. By 1856 James was in Kansas territory with his brother Lorenzo. That woman was "Sarah Shull". During this time, Hickok. This isolated snapshot of Hickok's life is revealing. Calamity Jane was reported to have been buried next to Hickok according to her dying wish. Finally, her "friends" decided to also change the date of her death. The fifth card was either unknown, or some say that it had not yet been dealt. The legendary James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok began his career as a Kansas lawman in 1858 at the age of 20. FOX Business 'Legends & Lies' recounts the life of American old west James Butler 'Wild Bill' Hickok, an unruly lawman and gunslinger.#FoxBusiness #FoxSubscr. Instead, this ridiculous woman, supposedly claimed not only to have known Hickok, but to have had an affair with him! McCanles was the first man Hickok was reputed to have killed in a fight. 2 sierpnia 1876 w Deadwood na Terytorium Dakoty, obecnie w stanie Dakota Poudniowa) - rewolwerowiec, str prawa i porzdku", uwaany za bohatera narodowego Stanw Zjednoczonych, znany ze swoich umiejtnoci strzeleckich, bohater If the deceased and defendant engaged in a fight or conflict willingly on the part of each, and the defendant killed the deceased, he is guilty of the offense charged, although the deceased may have fired the first shot. Hickok pulled his pistol, and almost simultaneously both fired their pistols at each other. As the rider approached, she recognized the lone rider. One of the escaped slaves, identified as "Hannah", liked the Hickok family so much she stayed with them for many years. [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. He was an assistant station tender for the Pony Express at the Rock Creek, Nebraska station. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wild-Bill-Hickok, Spartacus Educational - Biography of Wild Bill Hickok, Wild Bill Hickok - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Paramount Pictures' Western silent film Wild Bill Hickok (released on November 18, 1923) was directed by Clifford Smith and stars William S. Hart as Hickok. 1621. He was a stagecoach driver on the Santa Fe and Oregon trails, a spy and scout for the Union Army, marshal of two cities, and traveled with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. [67], After bragging about killing Hickok, McCall was rearrested. The Bull's Head Saloon in Abilene had been established by gambler Ben Thompson and Coe, his partner, businessman, and fellow gambler. ", Cause of death Murdered (shot in the back of the head) by Jack McCall, Hickok was born in Homer, Illinois (what is now Troy Grove) on May 27, 1837. Marshal. In accordance with her dying wish, Calamity Jane was buried next to him. "The Girl and the Gunfighter: A Newly Discovered Photograph of Wild Bill Hickok. Hickok ordered him to be arrested for firing a pistol within the city limits. In any event, things came to a head in October of 1871. This, in turn, was destroyed by souvenir hunters and replaced in 1902 by a life-sized sandstone sculpture of Hickok. The family did some moving around during this time period and the next child, James Butler Hickok, was born in May of 1837. On September 4, Hickok was wounded in the foot while rescuing several cattlemen in the Bijou Creek basin who had been surrounded by Indians. Lesser men, in a safer time, have sometimes judged Hickok harshly. In truth, most of the stories were at the very least greatly exaggerated and in many cases complete fabrication. David McCanles "called out" Wild Bill from the Station House. PHOTOS: (1) Wild Bill as a young man. He calmly told them that if they didn't return their pistols to their holsters, which they had drawn them from, there would be more "dead men" in the square. 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 brother, Lorenzo Butler Hickok, traveled from Illinois to attend the retrial. In July, Hickok told a newspaper reporter that he had led several soldiers in pursuit of Indians who had killed four men near the fort on July 2. This too was badly defaced which led to its complete enclosure in a cage for protection. Legend has it that Hickok, playing poker when he was shot, was holding a pair of aces and a pair of eights, with the fifth card disputed. ", This page was last edited on 14 April 2023, at 10:52. Accounts differ on what happened next. Marshal Smith was struck with an ax and almost decapitated while attempting to enforce the law at a local rancher's home. Hickok was a good shot from a very young age and recognized locally as an outstanding marksman with a pistol. Oliver Hickok had, by this time, gone to California for the Gold Rush. During this period of time an incident occurred that, it is claimed resulted in the "Wild Bill" sobriquet. James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837 August 2, 1876), better known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a legendary figure in the American Wild West. ", Rosa, Joseph G. (1977). Tutt walked off with the watch, but nothing further occurred at this time. Born on May 27, 1837, in Troy Grove, Illinois, Hickok spent a decade in and out of Kansas working as a wagon master, special policeman, government scout and guide, and deputy U.S. marshal. His life was an interesting one. He afterward resumed using his given name, James Hickok. Bathrooms in the Wild West didn't feature proper baths and most weren't formal rooms. Hickok hailed from Illinois and had traveled to Missouri and Kansas as a young man looking for adventure. James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837 August 2, 1876), better known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a figure in the American Old West. [9], Hickok used his late father's name, William Hickok, from 1858, and the name William Haycock during the American Civil War. His paranoia was prescient: he was shot in the back of the head with a .45-caliber revolver by Jack McCall. [82], At the time of this affair I was at a station farther west and reached this station just as Wild Bill was getting ready to go to Beatrice for his trial. He was assigned Buffalo Bill Cody, a sergeant, and five privates. In this autobiography he relates an interesting piece of fiction concerning Hickok and Abilene. Hickok was offered the position of Marshal after the previous one,Tom Smith, was killed in the line of duty. To this family the lines between right and wrong were not as blurred as they are today. Interestingly, most newspapers continued to use the name William Haycock when referring to "Wild Bill" until 1869 despite military records after 1865 using his correct name while acknowledging he was also known as Haycock. When the Civil War began in 1861, Hickok joined the fray as a Union soldier and spy, even fighting in the Battle of Wilson's Creek. Two men walk towards each other across a dusty western town square. Although buckskins are often seen in movies depicting earlier periods, Hickok was one of the first to wear them.On July 21, 1865, in the town square of Springfield, Missouri, Hickok killed Davis Tutt, Jr. in a "quick draw" duel. After Hardin left town he and Hickok did not meet again. Legends of the Hidden Temple - S 1 E 4 - Wild Bill Hickok and the Dead Man's Hand. In September of 1867 Hickok was involved in one of his most famous shootouts. 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