In 1866 Hickok helped guide Gen. William T. Shermans tour of the West, and in 186768 he scouted for Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock and Lieut. BA1 1UA The charge was later reduced to manslaughter. Circa 1890. He was one of the early heroes of the West popularized in the dime novels of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. [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. By 1942 Jessie had changed her story, perhaps at McCormicks urging. [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. Wild Bill's brother, Oliver Cromwell Hickok married and fathered five children per: Search Results from User Submitted Genealogies (only as accurate as submitter). "[46] Hoping to intimidate Hickok, Coe allegedly stated that he could "kill a crow on the wing". i have been told that Wild Bill Hickok is my great great great (i don't know how many greats) uncle, and i haven' been able to find out if any of his brotherrs had kids. Hickok was assigned to bring the men to Topeka for trial, and he requested a military escort from Fort Hays. Hickok encouraged McCall to quit the game until he could cover his losses and offered to give him money for breakfast. Personal account of the foreman of the Overland Stage Company stations, as given to, Judge Boyd told the jury, "The defendant cannot set up justification that he acted in self-defense if he was willing to engage in a fight with the deceased. McCanles also acted as the stations manager before the company replaced him with Horace Wellman, and McCanles had reputedly ridiculed Hickok during his convalescence from his injuries. No other woman in the American west possesses a more enigmatic legacy than Martha Calamity Jane Canary. The cards he was holding at the time a pair of black aces and a pair of black eights became known as "the dead man's hand.". 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. Lonergan pinned Hickok to the ground, and Kyle put his gun to Hickok's ear. The family did some moving around during this time period and the next child, James Butler Hickok, was born in May of 1837. [13][14] He was also known before 1861 among Jayhawkers as "Shanghai Bill" because of his height and slim build. Hickok's brother, Lorenzo Butler, traveled from Illinois to attend the retrial. Hickok remains a popular figure of frontier history. 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. Hickok was killed August 2, 1876, at the age of 39, and Calamity Jane died of illness on August 1, 1903, at age 51; both died in South Dakota.. During his life, Hickok was a soldier, scout, stagecoach driver, lawman, gunfighter, showman, marksman, gambler, and more. As the scene unfolded, McCanles entered the station, and, from behind the curtain that divided it in two, either Hickok or Wellman shot McCanles. Take that!" Two 7th Cavalry troopers jump, Most people have heard of Calamity Jane, once promoted as The Famous Woman Scout of. For the next several years, Hickok worked as a stagecoach driver. [25][26]:136 Hickok had not been paid for some time, and was hired as a scout by General John B. Sanborn by early 1865. In 1859, he joined the Russell, Majors and Waddell freight company, the parent company of the Pony Express. 2 Revolver on Offer at Bonhams This Fall", "Wild Bill Hickok's Death-Day Revolver Fails to Sell at California Auction", "Wild-Bill-Hickok - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes", "Josh Brolin as James Butler Hickok (aka Wild Bill)", https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0028/2964/7961/files/Deadwood_1876_Rules_English.pdf?4346553514003986582, Black Hills War, or Great Sioux War (1876), Cheyenne-Black Hills Stage Route (18761887), Sidney-Black Hills Stage Road (18761887), Rapid City, Black Hills and Western Railroad (18931947), Fossil Cycad National Monument (19221957), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wild_Bill_Hickok&oldid=1141945329, All articles with bare URLs for citations, Articles with bare URLs for citations from March 2022, Articles with PDF format bare URLs for citations, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox person with multiple parents, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from July 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, James B. Hickok, J.B. Hickok, Shanghai Bill, William Hickok, William Haycock, Bird, Roy (1979). Omissions? But by January 1903 she was back with her mother once more, a fact verified by the Belle Fourche Bee in South Dakota. In 1871 he took over as the marshal of the tough cow town of Abilene, Kansas. Infuriated, Thompson tried to incite John Wesley Hardin to kill Hickok by exclaiming to Hardin that "He's a damn Yankee. Between her birth in the 1850s and her death in 1903, Jane left a dizzying trail as she blazed around the west. "J.B. Hickok, Deputy U.S. 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 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. Born in Homer (later called Troy Grove), Illinois, James Butler Hickok . His reputation as a gunfighter gave rise to legends and tales about his life. Neither claim was true. Three years after Jack McCall shot Hickok in the back as he was playing cards in Deadwood, South Dakota, an 1879 story in the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Daily Leader noted that the pistols were made expressly . Hickok lost his re-election bid to his deputy. What do you know about Pete Spence, a member of the Cowboys of Tombstone? [40]:196, In September 1869, his first month as sheriff, Hickok killed two men. ", This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 18:12. Picks on rebels, especially Texans, to kill." "[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. On October 5, 1871, Hickok was standing off a crowd during a street brawl when Coe fired two shots. Though no solid record exists, he is believed to have served as a Union spy in the Confederate Army before his discharge in 1865. The way Wild Bill conducted himself in his later years was a direct correlation for what he did when he was a young boy. The second trial was not considered double jeopardy because of the irregular jury in the first trial and because Deadwood was at the time in unorganized Indian country. 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. [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. There are many versions of the shootout that occurred at Rock Creek on July 12, 1861, shortly after the start of the Civil War, and all, in one way or another, contributed to Hickoks legend. Brink, were tried for killing McCanles, but were found to have acted in self-defense. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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. During this period Hickok prevented a man from beating an 11-year-old boy, who grew up to become Buffalo Bill Cody, Hickoks longtime friend. Trachoma is often associated with poverty and poor hygiene that allows the bacteria to infect and re-infect eyes; if left untreated, it can cause blindness. Hickok moved west in 1855 to farm and joined General James Lane's Free State (antislavery) forces in Kansas. Later historians, however, have presented a radically different portrayal of the events at Rock Creek. 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. He was involved in several notable shootouts during the course of his life. Despite his reputation,[70] Hickok was buried in the Ingelside Cemetery, Deadwood's original graveyard. [23][b], After the Civil War broke out in April 1861, Hickok became a teamster for the Union Army in Sedalia, Missouri. In one show, he shot the spotlight when it focused on him. Author McClaird theorised that Jessie, who had no birth certificate, said what she had to in order to receive financial assistance at her last residence in California. In 1860, Hickok was badly injured by a bear, while driving a freight team from Independence, Missouri, to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Before being called Wild Bill Hickok, his original name was James Butler Hickok. During the Civil War he found employment as a teamster and spy for the Union Army. Lorenzo Butler Hickok spoke with McCall after the trial, and said McCall showed no remorse. A former cavalryman, J.W. ", Rosa, Joseph G. (1977). 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. The story continued that McCanles invaded the Wellmans cabin and prepared to shoot Hickok, who acted faster and shot McCanles in the chest. The event haunted Hickok for the rest of his life. [10][pageneeded][11] In an 1867 article about his shootout with Davis Tutt, his surname was misspelled as Hitchcock. In 1899, Dorsett took Jessie to live with his mother in Lewiston. Both parents were reputed to be unsavory, involved in petty crimes and often financially destitute. Hickok, just a stable-hand at the time, killed the three men, despite being severely injured. This, too, was badly defaced, and was then enclosed in a cage for protection. I heard him speak recently, and his is the definitive work on this wild woman of the West. As a very young boy, Bill was born to father William Alonzo Hickok and mother Polly Butler. McCall was brought to trial the next day. Hardin left Kansas before Hickok could arrest him. [7] Photographs of Hickok appear to depict dark hair, but all contemporaneous descriptions affirm that it was red. As a result, calcium carbonate from the surrounding soil had replaced the flesh, leading to petrifaction. The couple had five children besides James Butler, three boys and two girls. The story quickly became newspaper and magazine fodder. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. [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. 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. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wild-Bill-Hickok, Spartacus Educational - Biography of Wild Bill Hickok, Wild Bill Hickok - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). [60] McCall then entered the saloon, walked up behind Hickok, drew his Colt Model 1873 Single Action Army .45-caliber revolver, and shouted, "Damn you! [21] Hickok subsequently visited McCanles' widow, apologized for the killing, and offered her $35 in restitution, all the money he had with him at the time. ", DeMattos, Jack (1980). In 1855, at the age of 18, he left to become a part of thegrowing American West. Hardin was in town under his assumed name Wesley Clemmons, but was better known to the townspeople by the alias "Little Arkansas". Hickok and Lanihan, however, remained sheriff and deputy, respectively. Brady, like Varnes, had disappeared from Deadwood and could not be found. 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. The bear attacked, crushing Hickok with its body. Did such wagons actually exist? He was sentenced to death on January 3, 1877 and on March 1, 1877 he was executed by hanging. 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. Wild Bill - Tom Clavin 2019-02-05 The denitive true story of Wild Bill, the rst lawman of the Wild West, by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dodge City. 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. was advancing on him with a drawn pistol and that Tutt had previously made threats of personal injury to Deft. James Butler Hickok was born in Troy Grove, Illinois, on May 27, 1837, to William Alonzo Hickok and Polly Butler Hickok. 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. Not a word was uttered. August marks of the deaths of two of the Wild West's most famous figures: Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. 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. [45], Hickok later said he did not know that "Wesley Clemmons" was Hardin's alias, and that he was a wanted outlaw. Hickok moved to Leavenworth in the Kansas Territory, where he joined Jim Lane's Free State Army (also known as the Jayhawkers), an antislavery vigilante group active in the new territory during the Bleeding Kansas era. ", "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. Good bye, Colorado Charlie, C. H. Utter. Duck Bill and Shanghai Bill The incident began when David McCanles, his brother William and several farmhands came to the station demanding payment for a property that had been bought from him. McCall was executed for the murder . Calamity Jane is reputed to have led a mob that threatened McCall with lynching, but at the time of Hickok's death, Jane was actually being held by military authorities. The identity of the fifth card (his "hole card") is also the subject of debate. She was Maude Weir, born in 1881. and that Deft. But Coe "reckoned without his host". This cemetery filled quickly, and in 1879, on the third anniversary of Hickok's original burial, Utter paid to move Hickok's remains to the new Mount Moriah Cemetery. By the age of 17, he was an excellent marksman. 1. [9][41], The second killed by Hickok was Samuel Strawhun, a cowboy, who was causing a disturbance in a saloon at 1:00 am on September 27, when Hickok and Lanihan went to the scene. [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. Just as he pulled the trigger, one of the policemen rushed around the corner between Coe and the pistols and both balls entered his body, killing him instantly. awaiting execution. Wikimedia Commons Advertisement 11. https . "[55], On March 5, 1876, Hickok married Agnes Thatcher Lake, a 50-year-old circus proprietor in Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory. One of the workers, Joseph McLintock, wrote a detailed description of the reinterment. Hickok was arrested for murder, tried, and acquitted. [d] The jury voted to clear Hickok, resulting in public backlash and criticism of the verdict. Jack McCall. Martha Jane Cannary (May 1, 1852 - August 1, 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, sharpshooter, and storyteller. 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. 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