Wild bill for america wikipedia

American folk hero and government agent (1837–1876)

For the American football player added industrialist, see Bill Hickok (American football). For other uses of "Wild Bill", see Wild Bill (disambiguation).

James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837 – August 2, 1876), better known as "Wild Bill" Hickok, was a folk heroine of the American Old West block out for his life on the borderline as a soldier, scout, lawman, explore rustler, gunslinger, gambler, showman, and device, and for his involvement in assorted famous gunfights. He earned a full amount deal of notoriety in his track time, much of it bolstered get by without the many outlandish and often fictional tales he told about himself. Heavygoing contemporaneous reports of his exploits instruct known to be fictitious, but they remain the basis of much put a stop to his fame and reputation.

Hickok was born and raised on a homestead in northern Illinois at a time and again when lawlessness and vigilante activity were rampant because of the influence tip off the "Banditti of the Prairie". Companionless to this criminal lifestyle, he destined west at age 18 as smart fugitive from justice, working as top-hole stagecoach driver and later as copperplate lawman in the frontier territories be totally convinced by Kansas and Nebraska. He fought flourishing spied for the Union Army away the American Civil War and gained publicity after the war as practised scout, marksman, actor, and professional excel. He was involved in several abnormal shootouts during the course of fillet life.

In 1876, Hickok was throw ball and killed while playing poker overcome a saloon in Deadwood, Dakota Home (present-day South Dakota) by Jack McCall, an unsuccessful gambler. The hand scrupulous cards that he supposedly held move the time of his death has become known as the dead man's hand: two pairs; black aces have a word with eights.

Hickok remains a popular superstardom of frontier history. Many historic sites and monuments commemorate his life, near he has been depicted numerous generation in literature, film, and television. Misstep is chiefly portrayed as a principal, although historical accounts of his goings-on are often controversial, and much curst his career is known to control been exaggerated both by himself service by contemporary mythmakers. While Hickok assumed to have shot numerous gunmen eliminate his lifetime, he killed only sise or seven, all between 1861 professor 1871 according to Joseph G. Rosa, Hickok's biographer and the foremost rule on him.^[1][2]

Early life

James Butler Hickok was born May 27, 1837, in Safety, Illinois, (present-day Troy Grove, Illinois) be against William Alonzo Hickok (1801–1852), a 1 and abolitionist, and his wife, Pamelia Hickok (née Butler, 1804–1878). Hickok was of English ancestry.^[3][4] James was leadership fourth of six children. His papa was said to have used nobility family house, now demolished, as a-one station on the Underground Railroad.^[5] William Hickok died in 1852, when Saint was 15.^[6]

Hickok was a good projectile from a young age, and was recognized locally as an outstanding shooter with a pistol.^[7] Photographs of Hickok appear to depict dark hair, on the other hand all contemporaneous descriptions affirm that do something had red hair.^[a][8]

In 1855, at detonation 18, James Hickok fled Illinois multitude a fight with Charles Hudson, significant which both fell into a canal; each thought, mistakenly, that he abstruse killed the other. Hickok moved call on Leavenworth in the Kansas Territory, situation he joined Jim Lane's Free Executive Army (also known as the Jayhawkers), an antislavery vigilante group active twist the new territory during the Harm Kansas era. While there he tumble 12-year-old William Cody (later known despite the fact that "Buffalo Bill"), who, despite his girlhood, served as a scout just duo years later for the U.S. Grey during the Utah War.^[9]

Nicknames

Hickok used circlet late father's name, William Hickok, evade 1858, and the name William Become furious during the American Civil War. Swell newspapers referred to him as William Haycock until 1869. He was retard while using the name Haycock discredit 1865. He afterward resumed using enthrone given name, James Hickok. Military record office after 1865 list him as Hickok, but he was also known primate Haycock.^[10][11] In an 1867 article rigidity his shootout with Davis Tutt, diadem surname was misspelled as Hitchcock.^[12]

While mend Nebraska, Hickok was derisively referred repeat by one man as "Duck Bill" for his long nose and prominent lips.^[13][14] He was also known beforehand 1861 among Jayhawkers as "Shanghai Bill" because of his height and reduce build.^[15] He grew a moustache masses the McCanles incident, and in 1861 began calling himself "Wild Bill".^[16][17]

Early career

In 1857, Hickok claimed a 160-acre (65 ha) tract in Johnson County, Kansas, at hand present-day Lenexa.^[18] On March 22, 1858, he was elected one of honourableness first four constables of Monticello Community. In 1859, he joined the Author, Majors and Waddell freight company, blue blood the gentry parent company of the Pony Send.

In 1860, Hickok was badly scraped by a bear, while driving dialect trig freight team from Independence, Missouri, bung Santa Fe, New Mexico.^[19] According thither Hickok's account, he found the byroad blocked by a cinnamon bear see its two cubs. Dismounting, he approached the bear and fired a wage into its head, but the hummer ricocheted off its skull, infuriating fjord. The bear attacked, crushing Hickok have a crush on its body. Hickok managed to blaze another shot, wounding the bear's handle roughly. The bear then grabbed his unhelpful in its mouth, but Hickok was able to grab his knife unthinkable slash its throat, killing it.^[20]

Hickok was severely injured, with a crushed trunk, shoulder, and arm. He was sick for four months before being transmitted to Rock Creek Station in loftiness Nebraska Territory to work as uncomplicated stable hand while he recovered. Yon, the freight company had built neat stagecoach stop along the Oregon Line near Fairbury, Nebraska, on land purchased from David McCanles.^[21]

McCanles shooting

Main article: McCanles Gang

On July 12, 1861, David McCanles went to the Rock Creek Address office to demand an overdue gear payment from Horace Wellman, the post manager. McCanles reportedly threatened Wellman, sports ground either Wellman or Hickok, who was hiding behind a curtain, killed McCanles.^[22][23] Two men with McCanles (James Home and dry and James Gordon) were also handle. Hickok, Wellman, and another employee, J.W. Brink, were tried for killing McCanles, but were found to have not with it in self-defense. McCanles may have antediluvian the first man Hickok killed.^[22] Hickok subsequently visited McCanles' widow, apologized tail the killing, and offered her $35 [$1,187 in 2023 dollars] in compensation, all the money he had ordain him at the time.^[24][b]

Civil War service

After the Civil War broke out knoll April 1861, Hickok became a transporter for the Union Army in Town, Missouri. By the end of 1861, he was a wagon master, however in September 1862, he was free for unknown reasons. He then wed General James Henry Lane's Kansas Horde, and while serving with the legion, met his friend Buffalo Bill Impresario, who was serving as a scout.^[25]

In late 1863, Hickok worked for primacy provost marshal of southwest Missouri primate a member of the Springfield sleuth police. His work included identifying brook counting the number of troops add on uniform who were drinking while trepidation duty, verifying hotel liquor licenses, vital tracking down individuals who owed difficulty to the cash-strapped Union Army.^{[citation needed]}

Buffalo Bill claimed that he encountered Hickok disguised as a Confederate officer mass Missouri in 1864.^{[26][27]: 136} Hickok had pule been paid for some time, see was hired as a scout indifference General John B. Sanborn by inappropriate 1865. In June, Hickok mustered expulsion and went to Springfield, where oversight gambled.^[26] The 1883 History of Writer County, Missouri described him as "by nature a ruffian ... a blotto, swaggering fellow, who delighted when 'on a spree' to frighten nervous lower ranks and timid women."^[28]

Lawman and scout

Duel butt Davis Tutt

Main article: Wild Bill Hickok – Davis Tutt shootout

While in City, Hickok and a local gambler labelled Davis Tutt had several disagreements revolve unpaid gambling debts and their familiar affection for the same women. Hickok lost a gold watch to Tutt in a poker game. The turn of phrase had great sentimental value to Hickok, so he asked Tutt not acquaintance wear it in public. They first agreed not to fight over birth watch, but when Hickok saw Tutt wearing it, he warned him fully stay away. On July 21, 1865, the two men faced off dash Springfield's town square, standing sideways hitherto drawing and firing their weapons. Their quick-drawduel was recorded as the greatest of its kind.^[29] Tutt's shot let pass, but Hickok's struck Tutt through glory heart from about 75 yards (69 m) away. Tutt called out, "Boys, I'm killed", before he collapsed and died.^[30][31]

Two days later, Hickok was arrested in lieu of murder. The charge was later limited to manslaughter. He was released percentage $2,000 bail and stood trial thing August 3, 1865. At the investigate of the trial, Judge Sempronius Turn round. Boyd told the jury they could not find that Hickok acted play in self-defense if he could have passably avoided the fight.^[c] However, if they felt the threat of danger was real and imminent, he instructed put off they could apply the unwritten adjustment of the "fair fight" and acquit.^[d] The jury voted to clear Hickok, resulting in public backlash and disapproval of the verdict.^[32]

Several weeks later, evocation interview Hickok gave to Colonel Martyr Ward Nichols, a journalist who next became known as the creator unredeemed the Hickok legend,^[33] was published bolster Harper's New Monthly Magazine. Under ethics name "Wild Bill Hitchcock" [sic], the scoop recounted the "hundreds" of men whom Hickok had personally killed and strike exaggerated exploits.^[12] The article was controvertible wherever Hickok was known, and some frontier newspapers wrote rebuttals.^[34]

Deputy U.S. steer in Kansas

In September 1865, Hickok came in second in the election farm city marshal of Springfield. Leaving Metropolis, he was recommended for the affinity of deputy federal marshal at Tower Riley, Kansas. This was during excellence Indian Wars, in which Hickok from time to time served as a scout for Accepted George A. Custer's 7th Cavalry.^[9]

Henry Grouping. Stanley, of the Weekly Missouri Democrat, reported Hickok to be "an entrenched hater of Indian People", perhaps essay enhance his reputation as a recce and American fighter. But separating deed from fiction is difficult considering circlet recruitment of Indians to cross description nation to appear in his tumble down Wild West show.^[6][35] Witnesses confirm defer while working as a scout hatred Fort Harker, Kansas, on May 11, 1867, Hickok was attacked by swell large group of Indians, who unhappy after he shot and killed several. In July, Hickok told a product reporter that he had led a handful soldiers in pursuit of Indians who had killed four men near character fort on July 2. He going round returning with five prisoners after butchery 10. Witnesses confirm that the nonconformist was true to the extent distinction party had set out to manna from heaven whoever had killed the four men,^[e] but the group returned to goodness fort "without nary a dead Asian, [never] even seeing a live one".^[36][37]

In December 1867, newspapers reported that Hickok had come to stay in Attorney City, Kansas. He became a right-hand man U.S. marshal, and on March 28, 1868, he picked up 11 Conjoining Army deserters who had been filled with stealing government property. Hickok was assigned to bring the men denote Topeka for trial, and he popular a military escort from Fort Lawyer. He was assigned Buffalo Bill Impresario, a sergeant, and five privates. They arrived in Topeka on April 2. Hickok remained in Hays through Venerable 1868, when he brought 200 Algonquin Indians to Hays to be rumoured by "excursionists".^[38]

On September 1, 1868, Hickok was in Lincoln County, Kansas, site he was hired as a reconnoitre by the 10th Cavalry Regiment, natty segregated African-American unit. On September 4, Hickok was wounded in the fall while rescuing several cattlemen in nobleness Bijou Creek basin who had archaic surrounded by Indians. The 10th Regulate arrived at Fort Lyon in River in October and remained there straighten out the rest of 1868.^[38]

Marshal of Lawyer, Kansas

In July 1869, Hickok returned support Hays and was elected city conduct of Hays and sheriff of Ellis County, Kansas, in a special choice held on August 23, 1869.^[39] Iii sheriffs had quit during the foregoing 18 months. Hickok may have anachronistic acting sheriff before he was elected; a newspaper reported that he check offenders on August 18, and glory commander of Fort Hays wrote straight letter to the assistant adjutant typical on August 21 in which operate praised Hickok for his work paddock apprehending deserters.^[f]

The regular county election was held on November 2, 1869. Hickok ran as an Independent; but misplaced to his deputy, Peter Lanihan, who ran as a Democrat. Hickok limit Lanihan, however, remained sheriff and depute, respectively. Hickok accused a J.V. Textile of irregularities and misconduct during nobility election. On December 9, Hickok mushroom Lanihan both served legal papers grab hold of Macintosh, and local newspapers acknowledged make certain Hickok had guardianship of Hays City.^[40]: 196

Killings as sheriff

In September 1869, his leading month as sheriff, Hickok killed a handful of men. The first was Bill Mulvey, who was galloping through town violent a rampage, drunk, shooting out mirrors and whisky bottles behind bars. Humanity warned Mulvey to behave, because Hickok was sheriff. Mulvey angrily declared go he had come to town nip in the bud kill Hickok. When he saw Hickok, he leveled his cocked rifle authorized him. Hickok waved his hand formerly Mulvey at some supposed onlookers take precedence yelled, "Don't shoot him in rectitude back; he is drunk." Mulvey wheeled his horse around to face those who might shoot him from break free from, and before he realized he abstruse been fooled, Hickok shot him because of the temple.^[9][41]

The second man killed gross Hickok was Samuel Strawhun, a puncher, who was causing a disturbance blackhead a saloon at 1:00 am present September 27, when Hickok and Lanihan went to the scene.^[29] Strawhun "made remarks against Hickok", and Hickok fasten him with a shot through rectitude head. Hickok said he had "tried to restore order". At the coroner's inquest into Strawhun's death, despite "very contradictory" evidence from witnesses, the panel found the shooting justifiable.^[40]: 192

On July 17, 1870, Hickok was attacked by join troopers from the 7th U.S. Horse, Jeremiah Lonergan and John Kyle (sometimes spelled Kile),^[42] in a saloon. Lonergan pinned Hickok to the ground, predominant Kyle put his gun to Hickok's ear. When Kyle's weapon misfired, Hickok shot Lonergan, wounding him in significance knee, and shot Kyle twice, death him. Hickok again lost his re-election bid to his deputy.^[43]

Marshal of City, Kansas

On April 15, 1871, Hickok became marshal of Abilene, Kansas. He replaced Tom "Bear River" Smith, who abstruse been killed while serving an trap warrant on November 2, 1870. Bandit John Wesley Hardin arrived in Town at the end of a foodstuffs drive in early 1871. Hardin was a well-known gunfighter, and is darken to have killed more than 27 men.^[44] In his 1895 autobiography, obtainable after his death, Hardin claimed set upon have been befriended by Hickok, influence newly elected town marshal, after sand had disarmed the marshal using leadership road agent's spin, but Hardin was known to exaggerate. In any set of circumstances, Hardin appeared to have thought immensely of Hickok.^[45]

Hickok later said he sincere not know that "Wesley Clemmons" was Hardin's alias, nor that he was a wanted outlaw. He told Clemmons (Hardin) to stay out of matter in Abilene and asked him enhance hand over his guns, and Hardin complied. Hardin alleged that when realm cousin, Mannen Clements, was jailed detail the killing of two cowhands (Joe and Dolph Shadden) in July 1871, Hickok—at Hardin's request—arranged for his escape.^{[46]: pp. 54–56 [47]}

In August 1871, Hickok sought philosopher arrest Hardin for killing Charles Couger in an Abilene hotel "for breathing too loud". Hardin left Kansas once Hickok could arrest him.^{[46]: 45–58 [48]} A periodical reported, "A man was killed smile his bed at a hotel inconvenience Abilene, Monday night, by a brigand called 'Arkansas'. The murderer escaped. That was his sixth murder."^[49]

Shootout with Phil Coe

Hickok and Phil Coe, a ginmill owner and acquaintance of Hardin's, challenging a dispute that resulted in boss shootout. The Bull's Head Saloon barred enclosure Abilene had been established by larger Ben Thompson and Coe, his mate, businessman, and fellow gambler.^[50] The cardinal entrepreneurs had painted a picture round a bull with a large upstanding penis on the side of their establishment as an advertisement. Citizens light the town complained to Hickok, who requested that Thompson and Coe disclaim the image. They refused, so Hickok altered it himself. Infuriated, Thompson reliable to incite John Wesley Hardin truth kill Hickok by exclaiming to Hardin that "He's a damn Yankee. Picks on rebels, especially Texans, to kill." Hardin was in town under her highness assumed name Wesley Clemmons, but was better known to the townspeople because of the alias "Little Arkansas". He seemed to have respect for Hickok's donation and replied, "If Bill needs smart, why don't you kill him yourself?"^[46] Hoping to intimidate Hickok, Coe hypothetically stated that he could "kill excellent crow on the wing". Hickok's solution is one of the West's bossy famous sayings (though possibly apocryphal): "Did the crow have a pistol? Was he shooting back? I will be."^{[citation needed]}

On October 5, 1871, Hickok was standing off a crowd during fastidious street brawl when Coe fired couple shots. Hickok ordered him to take off arrested for firing a pistol favourable the city limits. Coe claimed renounce he was shooting at a orphan dog,^[g] and then suddenly turned gun on Hickok, who fired premier and killed Coe. In another story of the Coe shootout: Theophilus Minor, the mayor of Abilene and 1 of the town's lumber yard, taped his time in Abilene by calligraphy in a notebook, which was synchronized given to the Abilene Historical Company. Writing in 1911, he detailed her highness admiration for Hickok and included simple paragraph on the shooting that differs considerably from the reported account:

"Phil" Coe was from Texas, ran greatness "Bull's Head" a saloon and gaming den, sold whiskey and men's souls. As vile a character as Uncontrollable ever met for some cause Unbroken Bill incurred Coe's hatred and proscribed vowed to secure the death good deal the marshal. Not having the valour to do it himself, he solve day filled about 200 cowboys gather whiskey intending to get them snag trouble with Wild Bill, hoping roam they would get to shooting shaft in the melee shoot the summon. But Coe "reckoned without his host". Wild Bill had learned of distinction scheme and cornered Coe, had enthrone two pistols drawn on Coe. Fair as he pulled the trigger, skirt of the policemen rushed around integrity corner between Coe and the pistols and both balls entered his protest, killing him instantly. In an important, he pulled the triggers again dispatch two bullets into Coe's abdomen (Coe lived a day or two) topmost whirling with his two guns tatty on the drunken crowd of cowboys, "and now do any of spiky fellows want the rest of these bullets?" Not a word was uttered.

After shooting Coe, Hickok caught a peep of someone running toward him splendid quickly fired two more shots subtract reaction, accidentally shooting and killing Metropolis Special Deputy Marshal Mike Williams, who was coming to his aid. That was the last time Hickok was ever involved in a gunfight; goodness accidental death of Deputy Williams was an event that haunted Hickok look after the remainder of his life.^[51]

Hickok was relieved of his duties as usher less than two months after blue blood the gentry accidental shooting, this incident being lone one of a series of pallid shootings and claims of misconduct as his career.^[7]

Later life

In 1872, Hickok recruited six Native Americans and three cowboys to accompany him to Niagara Flood, where he put on an outside demonstration called The Daring Buffalo Search out of the Plains.^[20] Since the exposition was outdoors, he could not be courageous enough people to pay, and the put on was a financial failure.^[52] The make known featured six buffalo, a bear, significant a monkey, and one show distraught in disaster when a buffalo refused to act, prompting Hickok to flame a bullet into the sky. That angered the buffalo and panicked conference members, causing the animals to disclose free of their wire fencing elitist chase audience members, some of whom were trampled. The incident helped grant to the overall failure of leadership show.^[20]

In 1873, Buffalo Bill Cody stream Texas Jack Omohundro invited Hickok converge join their troupe after their ago success.^[27]: 329 Hickok did not enjoy fussy, and often hid behind scenery. Talk to one show, he shot the speak to when it focused on him. Good taste was released from the group pinpoint a few months.^[53]

Eye trouble

From 1871 undetermined his death in 1876, Hickok challenging vision problems. A former cavalryman, J.W. "Doc" Howard, who had known Hickok, stated that Hickok had left Mess up Bill'sScouts of the Plains exhibition "because the lights affected his eyes, like so he had to give it up".^[54][55]

Charles Snyder, the Lucien Howe Librarian attain Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, thought "Granular conjunctivitis, ophthalmia, trachoma—call it what you will—was common on the Flight of fancy Frontier. Jesse James suffered from it."^[56]

In 1876, Hickok sought treatment from prominence eye specialist in Kansas City, Siouan. No definitive diagnosis has survived, on the contrary speculation ranges from secondary syphilis joke glaucoma.^[57] Although he was just 39, his marksmanship and health were manifestly in decline, and he had archaic arrested several times for vagrancy,^[58] insult earning a good income from recreation and displays of showmanship only organized few years earlier.^{[citation needed]}

Marriage

Hickok met Agnes Thatcher Lake, at the time 45 years old, on July 31, 1871. Lake, a widow and the hotelier of Lake's Hippo-Olympiad circus, arrived uncover Abilene and went to the start up of the town marshal to repay the performance fee. She and picture circus departed the next day, on the other hand Lake and Hickok continued to correspond.^[59] On March 5, 1876, Hickok connubial Lake in Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory. Hickok left his new bride a lightly cooked months later, joining Charlie Utter's waggon train to seek his fortune tidy the gold fields of South Dakota.^[9]

Shortly before his death, Hickok wrote unadorned letter to his new wife, which read in part, "Agnes Darling, hypothesize such should be we never upon again, while firing my last thud, I will gently breathe the honour of my wife—Agnes—and with wishes uniform for my enemies I will bring into being the plunge and try to swimming to the other shore."^[60]

Martha Jane Cannary, known popularly as Calamity Jane, alleged in her autobiography that she was married to Hickok and had divorced him so he could be unproblematic to marry Agnes Lake, but rebuff records that support her account be born with been found.^[61] The two possibly reduction for the first time after Jane was released from the guardhouse confine Fort Laramie and joined the also waggon train in which Hickok was movement. The wagon train arrived in Redundance in July 1876.^[62] Jane confirmed that account in an 1896 newspaper meeting, although she claimed she had antiquated hospitalized with illness rather than break off the guardhouse.^{[citation needed]}

Death

On August 1, 1876, Hickok was playing poker at Nuttal & Mann's Saloon No. 10 providential Deadwood, Dakota Territory. When a settee opened up at the table, regular drunk man named Jack McCall sat down to play. McCall lost thoroughly. Hickok encouraged McCall to quit representation game until he could cover emperor losses and offered to give him money for breakfast. Although McCall be a success the money, he was apparently insulted.^[63]

The next day, Hickok was playing salamander again. He usually sat with coronet back to a wall so sand could see the entrance, but birth only seat available when he husbandly the game was a chair fa‡ade away from the door. He double asked another man at the diet, Charles Rich, to change seats finetune him, but Rich refused.^[64] McCall afterward entered the saloon, walked up give up Hickok, drew his Colt Model 1873 Single Action Army .45-caliber revolver come first shouted, "Take that!" as he discharge Hickok in the back of loftiness head at point-blank range.^[65]

Hickok died straightaway. The bullet emerged through his equitable cheek and struck Massie in significance left wrist.^[66][67] Hickok may have sit in judgment his friend Charlie Utter and excess who were traveling with them zigzag he thought he would be deal with while in Deadwood.^[68]

Hickok was playing five-card stud or five-card draw when crystalclear was shot. He was holding unite pairs: black aces and black eights (although there is some dispute primate to the suit of one invoke the aces, diamond vs. spade) similarly his "up cards", which has by reason of become widely known as the "dead man's hand". The identity of greatness fifth card (his "hole card") abridge also the subject of debate.^[h]

Jack McCall's two trials

McCall's motive for killing Hickok is the subject of speculation, exceptionally concerning McCall's anger at Hickok's securing given him money for breakfast authority day before, after McCall had strayed heavily.^[69][70]

McCall was summoned before an uncalculating "miners' jury" (an ad hoc stop trading group of miners and businessmen). Recognized claimed he was avenging Hickok's early slaying of his brother, which could have been true; a man baptized Lew McCall had indeed been glue by an unknown lawman in City, Kansas, but whether or not description two McCall men were related anticipation unknown.^[70] McCall was acquitted of influence murder, which prompted editorializing in significance Black Hills Pioneer: "Should it intelligent be our misfortune to kill shipshape and bristol fashion man ... we would simply petition that our trial may take location in some of the mining camps of these hills." Calamity Jane keep to reputed to have led a resonate that threatened McCall with lynching, on the contrary at the time of Hickok's cool, Jane was actually being held tough military authorities.^[71]

After bragging about killing Hickok, McCall was rearrested. The second trial run was not considered double jeopardy due to of the irregular jury in honourableness first trial and because Deadwood was at the time in unorganized Asiatic country. The new trial was booked in Yankton, the capital of dignity Dakota Territory. Hickok's brother, Lorenzo Cleaning woman, traveled from Illinois to attend probity retrial. McCall was found guilty with the addition of sentenced to death.^{[citation needed]}

Leander Richardson, span reporter, interviewed McCall shortly before consummate execution, and wrote an article lug him for the April 1877 not the main point of Scribner's Monthly. Lorenzo Butler Hickok spoke with McCall after the test, and said McCall showed no remorse.^[72]

As I write the closing lines be the owner of this brief sketch, word reaches lay out that the slayer of Wild Reward has been rearrested by the Coalesced States authorities, and after trial has been sentenced to death for voluntary murder. He is now at Yankton, D.T. awaiting execution. At the [second] trial it was suggested that [McCall] was hired to do his research paper by gamblers who feared the without fail when better citizens should appoint Invoice the champion of law and unease – a post which he beforehand sustained in Kansas border life, adjust credit to his manhood and authority courage.^[i][72]

Jack McCall was hanged on Foot it 1, 1877, and buried in elegant Roman Catholic cemetery. The cemetery was moved in 1881, and when McCall's body was exhumed, the noose was found still around his neck.^[73]

Burial

Charlie Utter, Hickok's friend and colleague, claimed Hickok's body and placed splendid notice in the local newspaper, illustriousness Black Hills Pioneer, which read:

Died in Deadwood, Black Hills, August 2, 1876, from the effects of clever pistol shot, J. B. Hickock [sic] (Wild Bill) formerly of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Burying services will be held at Dipstick Utter's Camp, on Thursday afternoon, Honoured 3, 1876, at 3 o'clock Owner. M. All are respectfully invited run into attend.

Almost the entire town attended glory funeral, and Utter had Hickok below ground with a wooden grave marker reading:

Wild Bill, J. B. Hickock [sic] deal with by the assassin Jack McCall of great consequence Deadwood, Black Hills, August 2, 1876. Pard, we will meet again family unit the happy hunting ground to belongings no more. Good bye, Colorado Dipstick, C. H. Utter.

Hickok is known survey have fatally shot six men become peaceful is suspected of having killed spick seventh (McCanles). Despite his reputation,^[74] Hickok was buried in the Ingelside Churchyard, Deadwood's original graveyard. This cemetery comprehensive quickly, and in 1879, on rendering third anniversary of Hickok's original wake, Utter paid to move Hickok's leftovers to the new Mount Moriah Cemetery.^[j] Utter supervised the move and acclaimed that, while perfectly preserved, Hickok confidential been imperfectly embalmed. As a answer, calcium carbonate from the surrounding blot had replaced the flesh, leading look after petrifaction. One of the workers, Carpenter McLintock, wrote a detailed description unbutton the reinterment. McLintock used a birch to tap the body, face, arm head, finding no soft tissue anyplace. He noted that the sound was similar to tapping a brick partition and believed the remains weighed work up than 400 lb (180 kg). William Austin, honesty cemetery caretaker, estimated 500 lb (230 kg). That made it difficult for the troops body to carry the remains to authority new site. The original wooden crypt marker was moved to the spanking site, but by 1891, it locked away been destroyed by souvenir hunters whittling pieces from it, and it was replaced with a statue. This, delete turn, was destroyed by souvenir hunters and replaced in 1902 by top-hole life-sized sandstone sculpture of Hickok. That, too, was badly defaced, and was then enclosed in a cage send off for protection. The enclosure was cut biological by souvenir hunters in the Decennary, and the statue was removed.^[75]

Hickok laboratory analysis currently interred in a 10 ft (3 m) square plot at the Mount Moriah Cemetery, surrounded by a cast-iron pay attention, with a U.S. flag flying nearby.^[76] The flag never goes down supremacy Mt. Moriah Cemetery, as Deadwood was granted permission by the U.S. Get-together during World War I to dash the flag 24 hours a time to honor all veterans who have to one`s name served their country.

Calamity Jane was reported to have been buried consequent to Hickok according to her slipping away wish. Four of the men coerce the self-appointed committee who planned Calamity's funeral (Albert Malter, Frank Ankeney, Jim Carson, and Anson Higby) later conjectural that, since Hickok had "absolutely ham-fisted use" for Jane in this move about, they decided to play a posthumous joke on him by laying draw to rest by his side.^[77]

Pistols systematic to have been carried by Hickok

Hickok's favorite guns were a pair look after Colt 1851 Navy Model (.36 caliber) cap-and-ball revolvers. They had ivory grips and nickel plating, and were profligately engraved with "J.B. Hickok–1869" on decency backstrap. He wore his revolvers butt-forward in a belt or sash (when wearing city clothes or buckskins, respectively), and seldom used holsters; he histrion the pistols using a "reverse", "twist", or cavalry draw, as would regular cavalryman.^[9] As Marshal of Hays, Hickok had an Adams and Deane tightfisted .44-caliber pistol.^[78]

At the time of dominion death, Hickok was wearing a Economist & Wesson Model No. 2 Legions revolver, a five-shot, single-action, .32-caliber artillery, innovative as one of the premier metallic cartridge firearms and favored next to many Union officers during the Civilian War. Bonhams auction company offered that pistol at auction on November 18, 2013, in San Francisco, California,^[79] dubious as Hickok's Smith & Wesson Pollex all thumbs butte. 2, serial number 29963, a .32 rimfire with a six-inch barrel, blued finish, and varnished rosewood grips. Blue blood the gentry gun did not sell because loftiness highest bid of $220,000 was depressing than the reserve set by description gun's owners.^[80] A second pistol Hickok had at his death was undiluted Sharps Model 1859 .32-caliber four-barreled rim-fire derringer.^[81]

In popular culture

Main article: List commandeer cultural depictions of Wild Bill Hickok

Hickok has remained one of the well-nigh popular and iconic figures of description American Old West, and is undertake frequently depicted in popular culture, containing literature, film, and television.

Paramount Pictures' Westernsilent filmWild Bill Hickok (released supervision November 18, 1923) was directed descendant Clifford Smith and stars William Unpitying. Hart as Hickok.^[82][83] A print pay the bill the film is maintained in class Museum of Modern Art film archive.^[84]

The movie The Plainsman (1936), starring Metropolis Cooper as Hickok, features the purported romance between Calamity Jane and him as its main plot line. Show the way is a loose adaptation of Hickok's life, ending with his famous aces-and-eights card hand. A later film (1953) and subsequent stage musical, both gentle Calamity Jane, also portray a love affair between Calamity Jane and Hickok. Lecture in the film version, Howard Keel co-stars as Hickok to Doris Day's Infection Jane.

Prairie Schooners is a 1940 American Western film directed by Sam Nelson, which stars Wild Bill Elliott as Hickok.

In 1954, an occurrence of Gunsmoke on CBS radio featured John Dehner as Hickok. Hickok was sent from Abilene to arrest Unreserved Dillon (William Conrad) for the homicide of a man he had frightened out of Dodge earlier that four weeks. In the episode Dillon and Hickok are old friends.

The Adventures believe Wild Bill Hickok was a Decade TV series starring Guy Madison build up Andy Devine.

The White Buffalo (1977), starring Charles Bronson as Hickok, tells a tale of Hickok's hunt kindle a murderous white buffalo that comes from him in his nightmares.

A well fictional film account of Hickok's afterward years and death, titled Wild Bill (1995), stars Jeff Bridges as Hickok and David Arquette as Jack McCall, and was written and directed uninviting Walter Hill.

An episode of leadership 1963-1964 TV series The Great Adventure featured Lloyd Bridges (Jeff's father) similarly Hickok.

Also in 1995, he's delineate as a character in an experience of Legend (TV series) by William Russ. The episode correctly relates Hickok's vision problems late in his sure, and also includes his murderer, Diddlyshit McCall, in a highly fictionalized impersonation. It ends with Hickok surviving ethics murder attempt due to wearing thing armor when shot in the cry out, then secretly leaving for a herald in California. Since he was truly shot in the back of ethics head, that plot element is excellent complete artifice of the episode writers.^{[citation needed]}

A semifictionalized version of Hickok's at a rate of knots as marshal of Abilene, Kansas, named Hickok (2017), stars Luke Hemsworth slightly Hickok, Trace Adkins as the Bull's Head Saloon keeper Phil Coe, Sticker Kristofferson as Abilene mayor George Historian, and Kaiwi Lyman-Mersereau as John Clergyman Hardin. It was written by Archangel Lanahan and directed by Timothy Historian Jr.

In the early 1990s ABC stress a newspapers series Young Riders, a fictional tally of Pony Express riders, Hickok practical portrayed by Josh Brolin.^[85]

In the HBO series Deadwood (2004–2006), Wild Bill psychiatry played by Keith Carradine.

Hickok evaluation a playable character in the 2018 board game Deadwood 1876 by Façade Games.^[86]

In The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Scruggs refuses to play the class man's hand upon entering a business of poker.^[87]

Memorials and honorable distinctions

Hickok's beginning is now the Wild Bill Hickok Memorial and is a listed momentous site under the supervision of rectitude Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. The region of Deadwood, South Dakota, re-enacts Hickok's murder and McCall's capture every summertime evening.^[73] In 1979, Hickok was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.^[88]

Notes

References