Hickok left home at age 17 and worked as a canal boat pilot in Utica, Illinois, before heading west in 1856 to Bleeding Kansas, which was embroiled in a violent conflict over whether slavery should be permitted there. On August 2, 1876, during a poker game in a saloon that found him with his back uncharacteristically to the door, Hickok was shot in the back of his head by Jack McCall, who may have been hired to kill him. But thirty years had passed when she began making inquiries about Jane, whom she thought was her grandmother. The gun did not sell because the highest bid of $220,000 was less than the reserve set by the gun's owners.[76]. Were Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane married, and did they have a daughter? He is said to have wrestled a bear He worked as a technical writer on the Atlas, Minuteman, and Titan missile-launching systems, as well as Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. 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 bear then grabbed his arm in its mouth, but Hickok was able to grab his knife and slash its throat, killing it. [citation needed], Leander Richardson, a reporter, interviewed McCall shortly before his execution, and wrote an article about him for the April 1877 issue of Scribner's Monthly. 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. [3][4] James was the fourth of six children. His own show, The Daring Buffalo Chase of the Plains, did not fare well, but in 1873 he joined Buffalo Bill Codys The Scouts of the Prairie, which was based in Rochester, New York. By the age of 17, he was an excellent marksman. William Austin, the cemetery caretaker, estimated 500lb (230kg). [d] The jury voted to clear Hickok, resulting in public backlash and criticism of the verdict. Jane claimed that James Butler Hickok was the father of her child Jean . Tutt reached for his pistol but Hickok was the first to draw his weapon, and shot Tutt instantly, from approximately 75 yards. He was born James Butler Hickok on 27 May 1837 in Troy Grove, Illinois. Marshal. Hickok managed to fire another shot, wounding the bear's paw. Wild Bill Hickok's iconic status is rooted in a shootout in July 1861 in what came to be known as the McCanles Massacre in Rock Creek, Nebraska. Almost the entire town attended the funeral, and Utter had Hickok buried with a wooden grave marker reading: Wild Bill, J. ", Hermon, Gregory (1987). 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. [1][2], James Butler Hickok was born May 27, 1837, in Homer, Illinois, (present-day Troy Grove, Illinois) to William Alonzo Hickok, a farmer and abolitionist, and his wife, Polly Butler. The murderer escaped. But the U.S. marshals were on his trail and McCall was arrested on August 29, 1876 in Laramie, where he was held before he was extradited to Yankton, South Dakota. The couple had a daughter, who also became an accomplished performer and horseback rider. Hickok was born and raised on a farm in northern Illinois at a time when lawlessness and vigilante activity were rampant because of the influence of the "Banditti of the Prairie". "Dead man's hand" was an established poker. He became a deputy U.S. marshal, and on March 28, 1868, he picked up 11 Union Army deserters who had been charged with stealing government property. He fought and spied for the Union Army during the American Civil War and gained publicity after the war as a scout, marksman, actor, and professional gambler. Hickok is a playable character in the 2018 board game Deadwood 1876 by Faade Games. 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. [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. [25] The 1883 History of Greene County, Missouri described him as "by nature a ruffian a drunken, swaggering fellow, who delighted when 'on a spree' to frighten nervous men and timid women. 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?" The incident helped contribute to the overall failure of the show. Famous Cowgirls. [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. 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. James Butler Hickok was born in Troy Grove, Illinois, on May 27, 1837, to William Alonzo Hickok and Polly Butler Hickok. 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. 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. [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. Jessie and Jane were back together when they arrived in Billings, Montana in 1898. According to their account, the shootout took place not inside the Wellmans cabin but inside the Rock Creek station itself, and Hickoks defense was far from single-handed. Wild Bill Hickok was an American folk hero. [61], Hickok died instantly. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. On the afternoon of August 2, 1876, he was playing cards with his back to the door, something he seldom did. Hickok remained in Hays through August 1868, when he brought 200 Cheyenne Indians to Hays to be viewed by "excursionists". [68], As I write the closing lines of this brief sketch, word reaches me that the slayer of Wild Bill has been rearrested by the United State [sic?] Hickok was assigned to bring the men to Topeka for trial, and he requested a military escort from Fort Hays. She has been labeled a scout, freighter, and gambler, a drunken dance hall queen and prostitute. On August 2, 1876, Wild Bill Hickok died a sudden, violent death while gambling in a saloon in Deadwood, South Dakota. On September 4, Hickok was wounded in the foot while rescuing several cattlemen in the Bijou Creek basin who had been surrounded by Indians. 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. Why were some shotguns called Greeners by cowboys in the Old West. Wild Bill Hickok is remembered for his services in Kansas as sheriff of Hays City and marshal of Abilene, where his ironhanded rule helped to tame two of the most lawless towns on the frontier. On October 5, 1871, Hickok was standing off a crowd during a street brawl when Coe fired two shots. Hickok saved Cody from getting beaten by another man and the two became longtime pals. Coe claimed that he was shooting at a stray dog,[g] and then suddenly turned his gun on Hickok, who fired first and killed Coe. Between her birth in the 1850s and her death in 1903, Jane left a dizzying trail as she blazed around the west. At the coroner's inquest into Strawhun's death, despite "very contradictory" evidence from witnesses, the jury found the shooting justifiable. Prairie Schooners is a 1940 American Western film directed by Sam Nelson, which stars Wild Bill Elliott as Hickok. The new trial was held in Yankton, the capital of the Dakota Territory. He is also remembered for the cards he was holding when he was shot dead a pair of black aces and a pair of black eights since known as the dead man's hand. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. He was sentenced to death on January 3, 1877 and on March 1, 1877 he was executed by hanging. When Jane arrived in Deadwood, South Dakota in 1895, she told others that she needed money to enrol Jessie in a convent school at Sturgis. In 1860, Hickok was badly injured by a bear, while driving a freight team from Independence, Missouri, to Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was one of the early heroes of the West popularized in the dime novels of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Hickok said he had "tried to restore order". [45], Hickok later said he did not know that "Wesley Clemmons" was Hardin's alias, and that he was a wanted outlaw. Did Wild Bill Hickok have children? His exploits as a gunfighter, scout, and lawman were legendary and he became the topic of many fictionalized accounts. By Jan MacKell Collins. Wild Bill Hickok's proficiency with a pistol is well known, but there remains some confusion concerning how he used his weapons and which ones he actually used. https . His reputation as a gunfighter gave rise to legends and tales about his life. Before being called Wild Bill Hickok, his original name was James Butler Hickok. For the next several years, Hickok worked as a stagecoach driver. If James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok had an eye disease, present-day experts believe that, like many others of his time, he may have suffered from trachoma. Wild Bill Hickok's Revolver James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok's (1837-1874) pair of ivory-handled revolvers were as legendary as he was. 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. Since he was actually shot in the back of the head, that plot element is a complete artifice of the episode writers. Did Old West houses have outhouses, and were public facilities available? He later became a lawman before settling down in Deadwood, South Dakota where he would soon meet his death. His work included identifying and counting the number of troops in uniform who were drinking while on duty, verifying hotel liquor licenses, and tracking down individuals who owed money to the cash-strapped Union Army. They refused, so Hickok altered it himself. He replaced Tom "Bear River" Smith, who had been killed while serving an arrest warrant on November 2, 1870. No other woman in the American west possesses a more enigmatic legacy than Martha Calamity Jane Canary. McCormick had a lot of written proof too, which was largely believed by those who met her. Martha Jane Cannary (May 1, 1852 - August 1, 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, sharpshooter, and storyteller. Citizens of the town complained to Hickok, who requested that Thompson and Coe remove the image. [77][78] A print of the film is maintained in the Museum of Modern Art film archive.[79]. During the Civil War, Wild Bill Hickok served in the Union Army as a civilian scout and later a provost marshal. They traveled to Deadwood, South Dakota, together and were acquaintances, but there is no evidence of a romance (especially on his part). On December 9, Hickok and Lanihan both served legal papers on Macintosh, and local newspapers acknowledged that Hickok had guardianship of Hays City. The "special election" may not have been legal, as a letter dated September 17 to the governor of Kansas noted that Hickok had presented a warrant for an arrest which was rejected by the Fort Hays commander, because, when asked to produce his commission, Hickok admitted that he had never received one. Outlaw John Wesley Hardin arrived in Abilene at the end of a cattle drive in early 1871. In real life, Calamity Jane (Martha Jane Canary) never met 'Doc' Holliday: she actually was in love and pursued 'Wild Bill' Hickock. The son of William Alonzo and Polly Butler Hickok, he was by all accounts a master marksman from an early age. Pard, we will meet again in the happy hunting ground to part no more. Hickok left his new bride a few months later, joining Charlie Utter's wagon train to seek his fortune in the gold fields of South Dakota. McCall was executed for the murder . After his release, McCall had lingered in Deadwood for a short while before heading to Wyoming. [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." Did Wild Bill Hickok have a child? In 1899, Dorsett took Jessie to live with his mother in Lewiston. Hickok had a large impact on American history because of his life and death. Like his friend Buffalo Bill Cody, Hickok was the son of an abolitionist. Relegated to making a living through other means than law enforcement, he traveled from one town to another as a gambler. In 1876, Wild Bill Hickok was suffering from glaucoma. All Rights Reserved. He was arrested while using the name Haycock in 1865. Picks on rebels, especially Texans, to kill." Jane was well-known for her abilities as a sharpshooter . And though it is difficult to picture her in the domestic arena, Jane was also a mother. Hardin alleged that when his cousin, Mannen Clements, was jailed for the killing of two cowhands (Joe and Dolph Shadden) in July 1871, Hickokat Hardin's requestarranged for his escape. [69] In 1979, Hickok was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. That winter, writer M.L. McCall alleged that John Varnes, a Deadwood gambler, had paid him to murder Wild Bill. During Wild Bill Hickok 's life he was many things such as, an actor, gambler, lawman, and a marksman specialists. On March 5, 1876, he married Agnes Thatcher Lake, an owner of a circus in Cheyenne, Wyoming territory. The hand of cards which he supposedly held at the time of his death has become known as the dead man's hand: two pairs; black aces and eights. A second son, named Lorenzo Butler Hickok, was born in October of 1831 but died soon thereafter. Wild Bill had learned of the scheme and cornered Coe, had his two pistols drawn on Coe. Drawn to this ruffian lifestyle, he headed west at age 18 as a fugitive from justice, working as a stagecoach driver and later as a lawman in the frontier territories of Kansas and Nebraska. In 1869 Hickok became sheriff of Hays City, Kansas, where he killed several men in shootouts. 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. James Butler Hickok arrived in Springfield, Missouri . [34]:34 The show featured six buffalo, a bear, and a monkey, and one show ended in disaster when a buffalo refused to act, prompting Hickok to fire a bullet into the sky. 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. While a Jayhawker, he met 12-year-old William Cody (later known as "Buffalo Bill"), who, despite his youth, served as a scout just two years later for the U.S. Army during the Utah War. [23][b], After the Civil War broke out in April 1861, Hickok became a teamster for the Union Army in Sedalia, Missouri. 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. Later historians, however, have presented a radically different portrayal of the events at Rock Creek. During the Civil War he found employment as a teamster and spy for the Union Army. [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. 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