In July of 1876, Hickok joined a wagon train led by Charlie Utter in Cheyenne, Wyoming. According to Joseph G. Rosa, a Hickok biographer, the shot that felled the elder McCanles came from inside the house. 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. On this fateful day Wild Bill violated one of his own cardinal rules and was sitting with his back to a door. In 1641 he married Elizabeth Cole who was born abt. ", "James Butler Hickok May 27 1837 - August 2 1876 Better known as "Wild Bill" Hickok", "James Butler 'Wild Bill' Hickok, Early Deadwood", "Nebraska Legends: Rock Creek Station and the McCanles Massacre", "Chronology on Life of James Butler HICKOK, Wild Bill Hickok, Old West Kansas", "Rock Creek Station State Historical Park", "Legal Culture, Wild Bill Hickok and the Gunslinger Myth", "Myths and Realities of Frontier Violence: A Look at the Gunfighter Saga", "Frontier Hero - Reminiscences of Wild Bill Hickok by his old Friend Buffalo Bill", "The State Journal (Jefferson City, Mo. Follow in the steps of the man who lived the legend, from his humble beginnings in Homer, Kansas, to the gold rush fields of Deadwood, South Dakota, and the fateful day in 1876 when he drew the infamous "dead man's hand". But in the final analysis does their opinion matter? I will be. Together they joined a traveling circus show, and eventually Agnes had a child. [46]:4558[48] A newspaper reported, "A man was killed in his bed at a hotel in Abilene, Monday night, by a desperado called 'Arkansas'. McCall claimed at the resulting two-hour trial (by a motley group of assembled miners and businessmen) that he was avenging Hickok's earlier slaying of his brother. In 1861 he was involved in a deadly shoot-out with the McCanles Gang at the Rock Creek Station after 40-year-old David McCanles, his 12-year-old son (William) Monroe McCanles, and two farmhands, James Woods and James Gordon, called at the station's office to demand payment of an overdue second installment on the property, an event that is still the subject of much debate. The told them that the June ordinance concerning firearms was still in effect, and that they should give up their guns and leave town. Bonhams auction company offered this pistol at auction on November 18, 2013, in San Francisco, California,[75] described as Hickok's Smith & Wesson No. After the fact, there was much speculation as to whether romantic rivalry had had a role in the incident: Hickok was apparently involved with a woman who had also been involved with the married McCanles. They quibble over meaningless points, and judge him with the values of another time and another place. Thirdly, there is no such occurrence mentioned in any town record or newspaper file. He had also served in some of the same areas Hickok had served with the Union. Hickok gave a newspaper interview where the world learned about "Wild Bill" Hickok. Hickok more than proved that title during that night. That woman was "Sarah Shull". HBO's Western series Deadwood is filled with violent and dangerous characters, but even the deadliest among them knew to stay clear of Wild Bill Hickok. However, spelling is a very fluid thing in past generations. His exploits in the West were published in an . [66] McCall was acquitted of the murder, which prompted editorializing in the Black Hills Pioneer: "Should it ever be our misfortune to kill a man we would simply ask that our trial may take place in some of the mining camps of these hills." At the time, shooting stray dogs within city limits was legal, and a 50-cent bounty was paid by the city for each one shot. That derisive nickname may have been given to him by David McCanles, who had sold the buildings that became the Pony Expresss Rock Creek station, on credit, to Russell, Majors and Waddell. [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. Hickok joined the antislavery Free State Army of Jayhawkers and, having already become skilled with a gun as a youth, served as a bodyguard for Gen. James H. Lanes. Of course, this information never got the circulation the false claim had received. Play Audio. It also meant fear and alarm to the common citizen, who had to deal with the drunken dangerous cowboys. Was he shooting back? The future character of the one eventually to be known as "The Prince of the Pistoleer's" was slowly emerging. However, the Columbia Broadcasting System got interested in the claim and broadcasted it on a program known as "We the People". B. Hickock killed by the assassin Jack McCall in Deadwood, Black Hills, August 2, 1876. In one show, he shot the spotlight when it focused on him. This time McCall was found guilty. Hickok again warned him not to cross the square, but again Tutt ignored him. This, in turn, was destroyed by souvenir hunters and replaced in 1902 by a life-sized sandstone sculpture of Hickok. Advertisement. Barnum, and a man called Colonel Sidney Barnett of the Niagara Falls area of New York state. On September 4, Hickok was wounded in the foot while rescuing several cattlemen in the Bijou Creek basin who had been surrounded by Indians. The legendary lawman now became flesh and blood. When the American Civil War began, Hickok joined the Union forces and served in the west, mostly in Kansas and Missouri. They have even doubted accomplishments for which there is ample documentation. William Orville "Wild Bill" Hickok III (August 23, 1874 - September 4, 1933) was an American football player and industrialist. [32] There is another account of the Coe shootout. I will be." With his already evident skill in shooting , James brought in local game to add to the family larder. In Abilene Kansas that night a few hundred drunken,lawless cowboys looked into the face of one man and backed down. The Hickoks were descendants of the Hiccocks family of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, neighbors of William Shakespeare. 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. Due to his "sweeping nose and protruding upper lip," Hickok was nicknamed "Duck Bill." Calamity Jane is a 1953 musical-Western film from Warner Bros. starring Doris Day and Howard Keel as Wild Bill Hickok. Hickok's fight with Tutt set the mold for the classic, although rare in reality, western gunfight and gunfighter image. Reporter Leander Richardson interviewed Hickok shortly before his death and helped bury him. The killing of Wild Bill and the capture of Jack McCall is reenacted every evening (in summer) in Deadwood.[45]. During this period of time an incident occurred that, it is claimed resulted in the "Wild Bill" sobriquet. Lesser men, in a safer time, have sometimes judged Hickok harshly. . The plot of the film is almost entirely fictional and bears little resemblance to the actual lives of the protagonists. Tutt walked off with the watch, but nothing further occurred at this time. Still, there . 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. Pard, we will meet again in the happy hunting ground to part no more. The problem with this recollection" of Hardin's is that there is absolutely no evidence it ever happened. He was released from the group after a few months. She is the daughter of William T. Saunders of Augusta, Illinois, and sister to Minnie Rohrbaugh of Chicago and W. A. Saunders of Parker, Kansas. [10][pageneeded][11] In an 1867 article about his shootout with Davis Tutt, his surname was misspelled as Hitchcock. Over the years, his gunfighting and gambling prowess became the stuff of "wild west" lore, exaggerated, embellished and celebrated in contemporary pulp fiction. [23] After Strawhun made remarks against Hickok, Strawhun died instantly from a bullet through the head as Hickok tried to restore order. In actuality, this kind of thing very rarely occurred, and the true life Western storieslike Wild Bill Hickok being shot in the back while playing cardstell a much more gruesome and less gallant tale. 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. Hickok invented the practice of "posting" men out of town. Almost the entire town attended the funeral, and Utter had Hickok buried with a wooden grave marker reading: Wild Bill, J. She would later claim they had a romantic relationship, and to have been one of Hickok's closest friends. Not a word was uttered.". Many historic sites and monuments commemorate his life, and he has been depicted numerous times in literature, film, and television. before shooting Hickok in the back of the head at point-blank range. B. Hickock (sic) (Wild Bill) formerly of Cheyenne, Wyoming. This graveyard filled quickly, preventing further use, and in 1879, on the third anniversary of his original burial, Utter paid to move Hickok to the new Mount Moriah cemetery. The man's name was H.C. Lindsay, and he and Hickok knew each other from old Indian campaign days. ", Rosa, Joseph G. (1982). His nickname of Wild Bill has inspired similar nicknames for men known for their daring in various fields. Most likely McCall became enraged over what he perceived as a condescending offer from Hickok to let him have enough money for breakfast after he had lost all his money playing poker the previous day. To provide for his large family, the teenager took up hunting. [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. He later became a lawman before settling down in Deadwood, South Dakota where he would . PHOTOS: (1) Wild Bill as a young man. A month or so later, he left their honeymoon in Cincinnati for the goldfields of the Black Hills in the Dakota Territory, where he hoped to make enough money to send for her. Hickok returned to Fort Riley after his duties with Sherman were concluded. He told Mrs. McCanles he was sorry he had to kill her man then took out $35 [$1,056 in 2021 dollars] and gave it to her saying: "This is all I have, sorry I do not have more to give you." Hickok refused, as he had an "a memorandum" proving it to be for $25. The motive for the killing is still debated. As the scene unfolded, McCanles entered the station, and, from behind the curtain that divided it in two, either Hickok or Wellman shot McCanles. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). He thought nothing of running a man out of town, rather than locking him up in jail. 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 Later historians, however, have presented a radically different portrayal of the events at Rock Creek. One thing led to another and soon five or six of them lay unconscious on the pool room floor. The bullet emerged through Wild Bills right cheek striking Captain Massie in the left wrist. Hickok then tried acting in Wild West shows, which were growing in popularity. In through the back door walked a cowardly little man named "Jack McCall". McCanles and his friends came to the station looking for trouble. He then joined General James Henry Lane's Kansas Brigade, and while serving with the brigade, saw his friend Buffalo Bill Cody, who was serving as a scout. Wild Bill is probably the most famous Deadwood resident, even though he was only in town a few short weeks. Although the historical records are scarce, they do exist and incidents of Hickok's bravery are numerous during his war duty. Hickok said he had "tried to restore order". (#13189) Like a man possessed, Hickok purposely strode through the roughest and most dangerous parts of Abilene. Hickok rode Buckshot while 300-pound Jingles rode Joker. BORN NEW MONTHLY No. He noted the sound was similar to tapping a brick wall and believed the remains to now weigh more than 400 lb (181 kg). 12/26/2019 By John Adamski. He is chiefly portrayed as a protagonist, although historical accounts of his actions are often controversial, and much of his career is known to have been exaggerated both by himself and by contemporary mythmakers. He kicked in doors of all the saloons, ordered everyone out, and shut them down. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. In June 1865, Hickok was mustered out and spent his time in and around Springfield gambling. Hickok and his accomplices, the station manager Horace Wellman, his wife, and an employee, J.W. Bryant, William C (1794-1878) -( PBryant, .., FCooke1) - American poet and long time editor of New York Evening Post, abolitionist supporter of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). Furk Mus2017. In these few, but eloquent compassionate words is revealed true man among men, a true hero, and another glimpse into the character that became a legend. She was a legitimate niece of Hickok, and approached the Billings Gazette and told them McCormick was a fraud and imposter. Jane had died on the 1st of August 1903, but they changed it to August 2nd 1903 to correspond to the anniversary of Hickok's death. [6][7], In 1857, Hickok claimed a 160-acre (65 ha) tract in Johnson County, Kansas (in what is now Lenexa). It is also during this time that Hickok's trademark characteristics are recorded for the first time. You can read his bio at http://www.wikipedia.org. Twice he asked another player to change seats with him and on both occasions he refused. It is well known that Hickok got on very well with children. [d] The jury voted to clear Hickok, resulting in public backlash and criticism of the verdict. Immigrants from Missouri, supporting slavery, were settling in the hundreds. Deadwood was then, and is now, a town with basically one main street running through it. Coe supposedly stated that he could "kill a crow on the wing," and Hickok's retort is one of the West's most famous sayings (though possibly apocryphal): "Did the crow have a pistol? Tilghman wrote; "He was mounted on no prancing charger, only a sturdy government mule, but he rode with the easy grace of a Plainsman. authorities, and after trial has been sentenced to death for willful murder. 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" and "My dearly beloved if I am to die today and never see the sweet face of you I want you to know that I am no great man and am lucky to have such a woman as you", http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=479&ref=wvr. Only station employees were allowed to testify at the trial (testimony by McCanless son was barred), and the verdict was that the men had acted in self-defense. Tutt stated that he would now accept no less than $45, but both agreed that they would not fight over it and went for a drink together. Lorenzo Butler Hickok spoke with McCall after the trial, and said McCall showed no remorse. He served for a time as a United States Marshal. [74] He wore his revolvers butt-forward in a belt or sash (when wearing city clothes or buckskins, respectively), and seldom used holsters; he drew the pistols using a "reverse", "twist", or cavalry draw, as would a cavalryman. [81], Hickok's birthplace is now the Wild Bill Hickok Memorial and is a listed historic site under the supervision of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. He usually kept his back to walls, and avoided open doorways and windows. McCanles' young son accused Hickok of being the murderer of his father for many years, unfortunately he had no evidence to prove the accusation, other than his opinion. Inside were several local thugs playing pool, and when they saw the long haired frontiersman come in they thought they would have some sport with him. One of the workers, Joseph McLintock, wrote a detailed description of the re-interment. "Dead man's hand" was an established poker. There is also a confrontation, between Hickok and five cavalry troopers, that is somewhat in dispute as to the exact facts of the event. A gruesome tale, but illustrative of the type and character of the town Hickok had come to tame. "[49], Hickok and Phil Coe, a saloon owner and acquaintance of Hardin's, had a dispute that resulted in a shootout. They would learn that the new Marshal was of iron will, expert with guns, fearless in the performance of his duties, and possessed of a well earned reputation as a killer of men when necessary. Several official documents, still in existence, show Hickok being paid for services rendered to the Provost Marshal's office. He is now at Yankton, D.T. In 1861, because of a "sweeping nose and protruding upper lip" Hickok received the nickname . He fought in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and gained publicity after the war as a scout, marksman, and professional gambler. 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