Hickok had put two bullets into Coe's abdomen,but seeing someone else running into the gunfight, with a drawn gun, Hickok fired again not recognizing his friend. The reason he left town in a hurry was because he knew Hickok would be coming to arrest him. Their quick-draw duel was recorded as the first of its kind. His reputation as a gunfighter gave rise to legends and tales about his life. From early on, he loved guns-practicing target shooting on squirrels, rabbits and other small animals. [7], In 1873, Buffalo Bill Cody and Texas Jack Omohundro invited Hickok to join their troupe after their earlier success. Col. George Armstrong Custer. A monument has since been built there. "Aces and eights" thus is known as the "Dead Man's Hand". Most famous for being the. Hickok became enraged, both at the death of his good friend, and at the mob who had been the cause. ", This page was last edited on 14 April 2023, at 10:52. Dismounting, he approached the bear and fired a shot into its head, but the bullet ricocheted off its skull, infuriating it. [38], In July 1869, Hickok returned to Hays and was elected city marshal of Hays and sheriff of Ellis County, Kansas, in a special election held on August 23, 1869. Hickok is currently interred in a 10ft (3m) square plot at the Mount Moriah Cemetery, surrounded by a cast-iron fence, with a U.S. flag flying nearby. Hickok was somewhat undecided though, thinking Agnes would return to the East after her show closed and he greatly preferred the West. [10][pageneeded][11] In an 1867 article about his shootout with Davis Tutt, his surname was misspelled as Hitchcock. Hickok interrupted him and then proceeded to tell the entire mob what he thought of them, and it wasn't complimentary. Jingles described Hickok as "the bravest, strongest, fightingest U.S. In truth, most of the stories were at the very least greatly exaggerated and in many cases complete fabrication. Many newspaper and magazine articles depicted Hickok as being extremely dashing, over six feet tall, broad-shouldered, with long locks and mustache. Both men faced each other sideways in the dueling position and both fired almost simultaneously. Other settlers, opposing slavery, were also pouring into the area. [9], Shortly before his death, Hickock wrote a letter to his new wife, which read 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 wifeAgnesand with wishes even for my enemies I will make the plunge and try to swim to the other shore. [15] He grew a moustache following the McCanles incident, and in 1861 began calling himself "Wild Bill".[16][17]. "[46] Hoping to intimidate Hickok, Coe allegedly stated that he could "kill a crow on the wing". 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. He seemed to have respect for Hickok's abilities and replied, "If Bill needs killing, why don't you kill him yourself? Wild Bill Hickok was born James Butler Hickok in Homer, Illinois on May 27, 1837. Advertisement. WILD BILL HICKOK. His paranoia was prescient: he was shot in the back of the head with a .45-caliber revolver by Jack McCall. [9], In 1865, Hickok recruited six Native Americans and three cowboys to accompany him to Niagara Falls, where he put on an outdoor demonstration called The Daring Buffalo Chasers of the Plains. The problem with this recollection" of Hardin's is that there is absolutely no evidence it ever happened. This caused Hickok, the greatest gunfighter in the West, to be unceremoniously dumped face first into the dirt, and to see his horse being dragged away by the buffalo. So ended Wild Bill's first attempt at "show business". Hickok is recorded as appearing in the show developed by Mr. Barnett. I Killed Wild Bill Hickok (1956) WESTERN part 1/2. Hickok lost his re-election bid to his deputy. American folk hero and lawman (18371876), For the American football player and industrialist, see, Arapaho Joe and Colorado Charlie Utter at Hickok's grave, photograph date unknown, Pistols known to have been carried by Hickok. "Dead man's hand"Owing to the number of poker players who died during disputes, Dead man's hand was already established poker idiom for a number of a different hands long before Hickok died. The identity of the fifth card (his "hole card") is also the subject of debate. Hardin says that he backed Hickok down using a maneuver called the "road agents spin". Although the historical records are scarce, they do exist and incidents of Hickok's bravery are numerous during his war duty. There the familys small farm served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. 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. This story is considered to be apocryphal or at the very least an exaggeration, as Hardin claimed this at a time when Hickok couldn't defend himself. As the scene unfolded, McCanles entered the station, and, from behind the curtain that divided it in two, either Hickok or Wellman shot McCanles. On December 9, Hickok and Lanihan both served legal papers on Macintosh, and local newspapers acknowledged that Hickok had guardianship of Hays City. Also in 1995, he's depicted as a character in an episode of Legend (TV series) by William Russ, possibly most famous for his role in Wiseguy (TV series). By 1864, however, he seems to be more concerned with police work. The man's name was H.C. Lindsay, and he and Hickok knew each other from old Indian campaign days. The bullet emerged through his right cheek and struck another player, riverboat Captain William Massie, in the left wrist. 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 . At Strawhuns inquest, despite "very contradictory" evidence from witnesses, the jury found the shooting justifiable. Usually, Hickok always sat with his back to a wall. 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. James Butler Hickbetter known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a figure in the American Old West. The bear attacked, crushing Hickok with its body. Funeral services will be held at Charlie Utter's Camp, on Thursday afternoon, August 3, 1876, at 3 o'clock P. M. All are respectfully invited to attend. 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. [9], At the time of his death, Hickok was wearing a Smith & Wesson Model No. James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok was a famous character of the American West. Brink, were tried but judged to have acted in self-defense. He requested a military escort from Fort Hays and was assigned William F. Cody, a sergeant and five privates, with the group arriving in Topeka on 2 April. A second son, named Lorenzo Butler Hickok, was born in October of 1831 but died soon thereafter. McCall was subsequently rearrested after bragging about his deed, and a new trial was held. The authorities did not consider this to be double jeopardy because at the time Deadwood was not recognized by the U.S. as a legitimately incorporated town, as it was in Indian Country and the jury was irregular. It should not be quoted or retransmitted without a full citation to the author and website address, and should not be put into print without the author's express permission. Di Certo is the author of ten books and composer of three albums of children's songs. It meant money for shopkeepers, saloon owners and brothels. On these visits the Marshal would bring candy for her and her siblings. Many characters in Western novels are fashioned after Hickok. Hickok was not a 20th century lawman. According to Joseph G. Rosa, a Hickok biographer, the shot that felled the elder McCanles came from inside the house. Melissa Sartore. I recently discovered my Fairchild lineage. McLintock used a cane to tap the body, face and head, finding no soft tissue anywhere. He earned a reputation as a skilled scout. Tilghman wrote; "He was mounted on no prancing charger, only a sturdy government mule, but he rode with the easy grace of a Plainsman. Hickok's brother, Lorenzo Butler, traveled from Illinois to attend the retrial. After the Rock Creek incident Hickok went to Leavenworth Kansas and enlisted in the Union Army. Deadwood however, has gone through many more changes than Troy Grove. Hickok successfully roped the animal, however, the rope slipped back of the buffalo's hump. This Hickok did, with the aid of his deputies, although both he and his men were openly cursed for doing their duty. He would put a list on what was called the "dead man's tree" (so called because men had been lynched on it) while constable of Monticello Township. "Gunfighters of the Real West: Wild Bill Hickok. The couple had five children besides James Butler, three boys and two girls. It was written by Michael Lanahan and directed by Timothy Woodward Jr. On this occasion however, she recalls her family cowered in fear because they had not been warned of the approaching cowherd. This, in turn, was destroyed by souvenir hunters and replaced in 1902 by a life-sized sandstone sculpture of Hickok. There is however, a record of Hardin leaving town in a hurry after shooting a man. Hickok would act as scout, and help lead the train through any troubles they might run across while en route. Pard, we will meet again in the happy hunting ground to part no more. Lonergan pinned Hickok to the ground, and Kyle put his gun to Hickok's ear. Some accounts of report Hickok took part in Buffalo Bill's Wild West. The watch had great sentimental value to Hickok, so he asked Tutt not to wear it in public. Wild Bill is also alleged to have carried a pair of .41-caliber Williamson dual-ignition derringers as "hideout" weapons, but there's no evidence he ever used a derringer in a gunfight. He enforced the law as he saw fit. He died in 1917 at the age of 70 in Denver, Colorado. True Story: Wild Bill Hickok, Sheriff Of Deadwood One of the most fascinating historical figures from the days of the American wild west is Wild Bill Hickok. ), 18721886. ", 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. Owing to the number of poker players who died during disputes, Dead man's hand was already established poker idiom for a number of a different hands long before Hickok died. Wild Bill Hickok aired from 1 April 1951 until 31 December 1954 over the Mutual Broadcasting System on radio and then made the move to television from 1955 to 1958. This is the first known time he was referred to as "William". Not a word was uttered.". It is a loose adaptation of Hickok's life, ending with his famous aces-and-eights card hand. McCall was acquitted of the murder, resulting in the Black Hills Pioneer editorializing: "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". 55:29. Wild Bill was born James Butler Hickok on May 27, 1837 in Troy Grove, Illinois. This was a good sized family for the frontier, and reflects the character and strength of the family. Geni requires JavaScript! Ancestor charts showing the family relationships of Wild Bill Hickok (1837-1876) to other famous people. 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. before shooting Hickok in the back of the head at point-blank range. 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. Brink, were tried for killing McCanles, but were found to have acted in self-defense. 21:28. Buffalo Bill also earned the respect of the great Sioux Chief Sitting Bull and was an early advocate of equal pay for women. Wild Bill was having a run of bad luck that day and was forced to borrow a poker stake from the bartender. 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. The year is now 1861 and Hickok, recovered from his injuries, joined the horror known as the Civil War. When shot, he was holding a pair of aces and a pair of eights, all black. In the HBO show Deadwood (2004-2006), Wild Bill is played by Keith Carradine. In this town there was a young man, in jail, being threatened by an angry lynch mob. "Wild Bill" Hickok was born in Troy Grove, Illinois on May 27, 1837. McCanles was the first man Hickok was reputed to have killed in a fight. News of an arriving cattle herd was met with conflicting emotions in old Abilene. On 4 September, Hickok was wounded in the foot while rescuing several cattlemen in the Bijou Creek Basin who were surrounded by Indians. "-"Phil" Coe was from Texas, ran the "Bulls Head" a saloon and gambling den, sold whiskey and mens souls. While he was growing up, his father's farm was one of the stops on the Underground Railroad, and he learned his shooting skills protecting the farm with his father from slave catchers. Several official documents, still in existence, show Hickok being paid for services rendered to the Provost Marshal's office. She had come there with her traveling circus show. Hickok came to the West as a stagecoach driver, then became a lawman in the frontier territories of Kansas and Nebraska. [14] He then instructed them that they could apply the unwritten law of the "fair fight" and acquit. It has been speculated that during the "missing year", Hickok may have been operating as a spy in Southern territory. 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. Strongest, fightingest U.S `` fair fight '' and acquit the ground, and help lead the through... The Underground Railroad sculpture of Hickok served as a stagecoach driver, then became a lawman in the Union.! 'S Wild West cattlemen in the frontier, and it was n't complimentary of report Hickok took part Buffalo... His injuries, joined the horror known as the first known time he was referred to as William. Went to Leavenworth Kansas and Nebraska, despite `` very contradictory '' evidence witnesses... 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