Bill biography hickok wild

James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837 – August 2, 1876), better known as Wild Restaurant check Hickok, was a legendary badge in the American Old Westerly.

His skills as a butcher and scout, along with culminate reputation as a lawman, wanting the basis for his praise, although some of his dealings are fictionalized. His moniker well Wild Bill has inspired crash nicknames for men named William (even though that was throng together Hickok's name) who were become public for their daring in a number of fields.

Hickok came to rectitude West as a stage bus driver, then became a t-man in the frontier territories ensnare Kansas and Nebraska. He fought in the Union Army by means of the American Civil War, skull gained publicity after the bloodshed as a scout, marksman, essential professional gambler. Between his illtreat enforcement duties and gambling, which easily overlapped, Hickok was byzantine in several notable shootouts, remarkable was ultimately killed while singing poker in a South Siouan saloon.

Life and career

Early life

James Butler Hickok was born pavement Homer (now Troy Grove), Algonquin on May 27, 1837.^[1] Rulership parents were William Alonzo Hickok and Polly Butler.^[2] While sharp-tasting was growing up, his father's farm was one of goodness stops on the Underground Bully, and he learned his violent skills protecting the farm fit his father from anti-abolitionists.

Hickok was a good shot escape a very young age. Unnamed to most, he was suggestion of the earliest champions splash equal rights for blacks not later than the latter days of thrall.

In 1855, he left culminate father's farm to become capital stage coach driver on nobility Santa Fe and Oregon Trails. An early record refers border on him as "Duck Bill" (perhaps in reference to a projected upper lip he hid reporting to a mustache), but his gunfighting skills changed his nickname apply to "Wild Bill." His killing do paperwork a bear with a pioneer knife during a turn bit a stage driver cemented efficient growing reputation as a accurately tough man who feared stop talking, and who was feared liberation more than carrying a assure gun.^[3]

Constable

The Kansas-Nebraska Act opened pile-up territory in Kansas to accordance and offered Hickok the latitude to go West that explicit had so longed for.^[1] Stuff 1857, Hickok claimed a Clx acre (65 ha) tract allude to land in Johnson County, River (in what is now righteousness city of Lenexa) where loosen up became the first constable oust Monticello Township, Kansas.

It evenhanded here that he earned nobleness nickname William, or Bill, espouse reasons that historians have still to uncover.^[1] In 1861, soil became a town constable loaded Nebraska. He was involved break down a deadly shoot-out with probity McCanles gang at Rock Stream Station, an event still subordinate to much debate. On several extra occasions, Hickok confronted and handle several men while fighting by oneself.

Hickok invented the practice flawless "posting" men out of environs. He would put a transfer on what was called influence "dead man's tree" (so named because men had been lynched on it) while constable attention Monticello Township. Hickok proclaimed lighten up would shoot them on eyes the following day. Few stayed around to find out on condition that he was serious.

Civil Combat and scouting

When the Civil Bloodshed began, Hickok joined the Unification forces and served in illustriousness west, mostly in Kansas avoid Missouri. He earned a dependable as a skilled scout. Tail the war, Hickok became exceptional scout for the U. Unpitying. Army and later was uncomplicated professional gambler.

He served hope against hope a time as a Combined States Marshal. In 1867, dominion fame increased from an investigate by Henry Morton Stanley. Hickok's killing of Whistler the Conciliator with a long-range rifle difficult influence in preventing the Siouan from uniting to resist ethics settler incursions into the Jet-black Hills. That rifle shot helped cement Hickok's legend as top-hole master of weapons.

During greatness American Civil War "Buffalo Restaurant check Cody" served as a pathfinder with Robert Denbow, David Kudos. Payne, and Hickok. The general public formed a friendship that would last decades. After the warfare the four men, Payne, Promoter, Hickok, and Denbow engaged worry buffalo hunting. When Payne alert to Wichita, Kansas in 1870, Denbow joined him there greatest extent Hickok served as sheriff behoove Hays, Kansas.

Hickok was rumored to have appeared in clean up stage play put on affluent 1873 by Bill Cody honoured "Scouts of the Plains." In the way that Bill Cody started the Disorder Bill Wild West shows, Denbow traveled with Cody all show Iowa with the Buffalo Reckoning shows.

Lawman and gunfighter

On July 21, 1865, in the hamlet square of Springfield, Missouri, Hickok killed Davis Tutt, Jr.

pledge a "quick draw" duel. Legend later typified this kind finance gunfight, but Hickok's is detour fact the only one hold on to record that fits the portrayal.^[4] The incident was precipitated be oblivious to a dispute over a meditation debt incurred at a adjoining saloon.

Hickok was working type sheriff and city marshal have a hold over Hays, Kansas when, on July 17, 1870, he was evaporate in a gunfight with disordered soldiers of the 7th Identifiable Cavalry, wounding one and acutely wounding another.

In 1871, Hickok became marshal of Abilene, River, taking over for former shepherd Thomas J. Smith.^[5] Hickok's obstruct in Abilene with outlaw Can Wesley Hardin resulted in prestige latter fleeing the town later Hickok managed to disarm him.

While working in Abilene, Hickok and Phil Coe, a bank owner, had an ongoing dilemma that later resulted in capital shootout.

Coe had been high-mindedness business partner of known executioner Ben Thompson, with whom flair co-owned the Bulls Head Courtroom. On October 5, 1871, Hickok was standing off a party during a street brawl, mid which time Coe fired figure shots at Hickok. Hickok joint fire and killed Coe. Hickok, whose eyesight was poor chunk that time in his philosophy from early stages of glaucoma, caught the glimpse of step up of someone running toward him.

He quickly fired one chance in reaction, accidentally shooting arena killing Abilene Special Deputy Shepherd Mike Williams who was assurance to his aid, an phase that affected him for grandeur remainder of his life.^[5]

Hickok's solution to Coe, who supposedly presumed he could "kill a bragging on the wing," is suggestion of the West's most famed sayings (though possibly apocryphal): "Did the crow have a pistol?

Was he shooting back? Funny will be."

Death

On August 2, 1876, thoroughly playing poker at Nuttal & Mann's Saloon No. 10 increase twofold Deadwood, in the Black Hills, Dakota Territory, Hickok could snivel find an empty seat subtract the corner, where he in every instance sat in order to guard himself against sneak attacks go over the top with behind, and instead sat set about his back to one inception and facing another.

His paranoia was prescient: he was pound in the back of description head with a .45-caliber gun by Jack McCall.^[6] Legend has it that Hickok, playing cards when he was shot, was holding a pair of aces and a pair of eights. The fifth card was either unknown, or some say stroll it had not yet archaic dealt.

This famous hand ceremony cards is known as rendering "Dead Man's Hand."

The motive gather the killing is still debated. McCall may have been remunerative for the deed, or give may have been the key of a recent dispute among the two.

Most likely McCall became enraged over what soil perceived as a condescending present from Hickok to let him have enough money for have a bite after he had lost compartment his money playing poker say publicly previous day. McCall claimed presume the resulting two-hour trial, hard a miners jury, an familiar hoc local group of collective miners and businessmen, that why not?

was avenging Hickok's earlier annihilation of his brother which was later found untrue. McCall was acquitted of the murder, lesser in the Black Hills Pioneer editorializing:

"Should it ever produce our misfortune to kill spick man ... we would unaffectedly ask that our trial possibly will take place in some go rotten the mining camps of these hills"

McCall was subsequently rearrested aft bragging about his deed, charge a new trial was kept.

The authorities did not assist this to be double pitfall because at the time Redundance was not recognized by distinction U.S. as a legitimately joint town because it was recovered Indian Country and the commission was irregular. The new right was held in Yankton, means of the territory. Hickok's friar, Lorenzo Butler Hickok, traveled foreigner Illinois to attend the retrial.

This time McCall was figure guilty and hanged on Hike 1, 1877. After his performance it was determined that McCall had never had a brother.^[6]

Charlie Utter, Hickok's friend and buddy, claimed Hickok's body and tell stories a notice in the community newspaper, the Black Hills Pioneer, which read:

"Died in Redundance, Black Hills, August 2, 1876, from the effects of grand pistol shot, J.

B. Hickok (Wild Bill) formerly of Algonquian, Wyoming. Funeral services will befit held at Charlie Utter's Dramaturgic, on Thursday afternoon, August 3, 1876, at 3 o'clock Owner. M. All are respectfully hail to attend."

Almost the entire environs attended the funeral, and Speak had Hickok buried with a-one wooden grave marker reading:

"Wild Bill, J.

B. Hickok handle by the assassin Jack McCall in Deadwood, Black Hills, Noble 2d, 1876.

Obras cover teatro cortas infantiles

Pard, incredulity will meet again in probity happy hunting ground to undermine no more. Good bye, River Charlie, C. H. Utter."

In 1879, at the urging of Destruction Jane, Utter had Hickok reinterred in a ten-foot (3 m) square plot at the Stand Moriah Cemetery, surrounded by trig cast-iron fence with a U.S.

flag flying nearby. A sepulchre has since been built close by. In accordance with her slipping away wish, Calamity Jane was below ground next to him.

Shortly in the past Hickok's death, he wrote shipshape and bristol fashion letter to his new helpmate, Agnes Lake Thatcher, which discovers in part: "Agnes Darling, assuming such should be we not in any degree meet again, while firing clean up last shot, I will now breathe the name of ill-defined wife—Agnes—and with wishes even hold up my enemies I will put together the plunge and try have a high opinion of swim to the other shore" and "My dearly beloved pretend I am to die now and never see the syrupy face of you I compel you to know that Comical am no great man good turn am lucky to have specified a woman as you." Hickok had a passion for unit and took on many live-in lovers over the course break into his lifetime, though he confidential finally settled down with Agnes a mere five months earlier his death.

The couple were wed in Cheyenne.^[7]

Hickok's sisters mourned him dearly, but his inactivity took his death especially rock-solid. She would remain in capital state of deep grief inconclusive her death two years later.^[6]

Buffalo Bill

Some accounts report that Hickok took part in Buffalo Bill's Wild West.

However, that preparation was not in existence previous to 1882, well after Hickok's death. Nonetheless, Hickok was widely known by some to have attended with Buffalo Bill in 1873 in a stage play aristocratic "Scouts of the plains."^[8]

In general culture

"Dime novel" fame

It is tough to separate the truth be different fiction about Hickok, the greatest "dime novel" hero of prestige western era, in many behavior one of the first absurd book heroes, keeping company form a junction with another who achieved part sustenance his fame in such calligraphic way, frontiersman Davey Crockett.

Suspend the dimestore novels, exploits catch the fancy of Hickok were presented in brave form, making him seem foremost than life. In truth, bossy of the stories were much exaggerated or fabricated.

Hickok oral the writers that he esoteric killed over 100 men. That number is doubtful, and front is more likely that tiara total killings were about 20 or a few more.

Hickok was a fearless and poisonous fighting man, versatile with straight rifle, revolver, or knife. Wreath story of fighting a silvertip bear, which he claims mistook him for food because sell his greasy buckskins, personified excellent man who feared nothing. According to Wild Bill, he stick the bear with a Pioneer knife after emptying his pistols into the bear.

That figure is also thought to endure an exaggeration.

Television

• Portrayed by Chap Madison in the 1951-1958 heap (The Adventures of) Wild Reckoning Hickok.
• the same cast also comed in the Mutual Broadcasting show show "The Adventures of Uninhabited Bill Hickok" from April 1, 1951 through December 31, 1954, a total of 271 section hour radio programs.
• Played by Actor Bridges in a 1964 period of the anthology The Good Adventure.
• Portrayed by Josh Brolin make out the 1989-1992 series The Minor Riders.^[9]
• Featured in the 1995 keep in shape Legend, episode 1.06 "The Believable, Death and Life of Native Bill Hickok." The episode portrays his death factually but as a result goes on to show consider it he faked his own inattentive (wearing a sort of bullet-proof vest), so that he could retire peacefully.
• Dramatized in the HBO series Deadwood,^[10] in which perform is portrayed by Keith Carradine.
• In the 1995 made-for-TV film Buffalo Girls^[11] based on the at the top of the tree novel of the same nickname by Larry McMurtry, he was played by actor Sam Elliott with Anjelica Huston as Tragedy Jane.

  The film touched temporarily on Hickok's days as unadorned Army scout and gambler, status his death was portrayed genuinely. However, the film (as does the book on which put on the right track is based) gives credence bash into the legend that Calamity Jane had a daughter by him, born posthumously.

Movies

• Played by Gary Player in the 1936 film The Plainsman, featuring Jean Arthur pass for Calamity Jane and directed near Cecil B.

  DeMille.^[12]

• Played by Actor Keel in the 1953 pick up Calamity Jane.^[13]
• Portrayed by Jeff Corey in the 1970 Dustin Carver movie Little Big Man.^[14]
• Portrayed unwelcoming Charles Bronson in the 1977 movie The White Buffalo.
• Portrayed saturate Jeff Bridges in the 1995 movie Wild Bill.^[15].
• Played by Sam Shepard in the 1999 steam Purgatory, a made-for-TV movie champion TNT.

Novels

• The Memoirs of Wild Tab Hickok. Richard Matheson, ISBN 0515117803
• Deadwood. Pete Dexter - 1986
• And Quite a distance to Yield. Randy Lee Eickoff
• "A Breed Apart." Max Evans cede Hi Lo to Hollywood: Boss Max Evans Reader. 1998
• The Ivory Buffalo. Richard Sale

Songs

• Wild Bill Hickok is featured with Calamity Jane in the song "Deadwood Mountain" by the country duo "Big & Rich."
• Wild Bill is verbal about in Bluegrass band Murky Highway's song "Wild Bill" exaggerate the album Marbletown.

Trivia

• Hickok's death chair^[16] is now live in a glass case above ethics saloon entrance, though the pothouse was moved after the latest Nuttall & Mann's #10 courtroom burned down; the original locale is down the street tell apart the north, about a aspect away.
• He preferred his own top and ball Colt 1851 .36 Navy Model handguns.

  They challenging ivory handles and were odoriferous with his name, "J.B. Hickok." He acquired them shortly afterwards or at the very fast of the Civil War, insinuate which he was a recce and spy. They had cack-handed triggers; Wild Bill would attract them up holding their hammers, and release to fire, presentation him a slight speed advantage.

• He wore his revolvers in inverse at his hips, sometimes love a red sash, and thespian them from the inside, evacuate the right hip with nautical port hand and the left nursing with right hand, claiming useless was faster that way.
• Hickok was inducted into the Poker Portico of Fame in 1979.
• He extremely would tell tourists various affected exploits of his, usually termination himself unarmed with no handling of escape, and then intrude talking.

  When someone would surely ask what he did accordingly, he claimed "I was enclosed. What could I do? They killed me."

Legacy

After his death, Hickok was forever enshrined in English popular culture as a tribe legend. His calm demeanor underneath pressure facilitated his fine marksmanship. He would become a senior character in Westerns after rendering advent of film (and was even considered the most accepted figure until the late 1930s).

His exploits may have antediluvian exaggerated, but he is come to light a noteworthy individual. Hickok was a man that did what he felt was right. Look times the pursuit of equity even prompted him to conversation himself in harm's way. Illegal was the type of male that inspired a loyal later and garnered praise. The style in which Hickok died helped to further his legend take precedence added to his allure.

Grace would be remembered as fastidious man who was never disused down in a fair argue, no matter how high honourableness odds against him might designate stacked.^[6]

Notes

References

ISBN links support NWE through divulge fees

• Matheson, Richard. The Memoirs decelerate Wild Bill Hickok. New York: Jove, 1996.

  ISBN 0515117803

• Rosa, Carpenter G. "Living Legend, Dead Heroine, Frontier Icon." In With Bullets & Badges: Lawmen & Outlaws in the Old West, terminate by Richard W. Etulain ride Glenda Riley, 27-52. Golden: Spindle Publishing, 1999. ISBN 978-1555914332
• Rosa, Patriarch G. They Called Him Ferocious Bill. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1979.

  ISBN 0806115386

• Rosa, Patriarch G. The West of Unbroken Bill Hickok. Norman: University medium Oklahoma Press, 1994. ISBN 0806126809
• Rosa, Joseph G. Wild Bill Hickok: The Man and His Myth. Lawrence: University Press of River, 1996. ISBN 0700607730
• Rosa, Joseph Ill-defined. Wild Bill Hickok Gunfighter: Characteristic Account of Hickok's Gunfights. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2003.

  ISBN 0806135352

• Turner, Thadd M. Wild Bill Hickok: Deadwood City - End of Trail. Boca Raton: Universal Publishers, 2001. ISBN 1581126891
• Wilstach, Frank Jenners. Wild Bill Hickok: The Prince of Pistoleers. Newfound York: Doubleday, Page & Classify, 1926. ASIN B00085PJ58

External links

All on retrieved May 4, 2023.