[82], At the time of this affair I was at a station farther west and reached this station just as Wild Bill was getting ready to go to Beatrice for his trial. By the end of the night most of the money had been spent, and Jane was roaring drunk. [52], In 1876, Hickok was diagnosed by a doctor in Kansas City, Missouri, with glaucoma and ophthalmia. "Dead man's hand" was an established poker. Hickok and Lanihan, however, remained sheriff and deputy, respectively. [9], Hickok used his late father's name, William Hickok, from 1858, and the name William Haycock during the American Civil War. 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. What happened to Wild Bill Hickok's pistols? In July 1865, "Wild Bill" Hickok shot and killed Davis Tutt in Springeld, MOthe rst quick-draw duel on the frontier. Visit our corporate site. Did Wild Bill Hickok have children? The gun did not sell because the highest bid of $220,000 was less than the reserve set by the gun's owners.[76]. 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. Martha (her name wasnt even Jane) had several husbands and a daughter, Jessie, who died in Los Angeles in 1960. Pard, we will meet again in the happy hunting ground to part no more. McCall was tried and acquitted of murder as a result of his dubious claim that the killing was in revenge for Hickoks murder of his brother in Abilene. 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. Wild Bill Hickok was born on May 27, 1837 in Troy Grove, Illinois. The next child, also named Lorenzo Butler Hickok, was born in November of 1832. 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. To date, four children have been credited to the lady, although some of the claims have come from the children themselves. Most modern retailers of Old West period clothing seem to sell only banded collared shirts, yet old photographs show cowboys did wear shirts with collars. Between her birth in the 1850s and her death in 1903, Jane left a dizzying trail as she blazed around the west. They even did a stint abroad, performing for one season in Germany in 1862. At the time of the so-called McCanles Massacre, Hickok was known as Duck Bill because of his sweeping nose and protruding upper lip (covered with a mustache later in life). Circa 1890. Wild Bill Hickok certainly was: The man born in 1837 to William Alonso and Polly Butler Hickok found his superpower, expert marksmanship, at a young age, and went on to have all sorts of adventures. John McCall ( / mkl / ); (1852/1853 - March 1, 1877), also known as " Crooked Nose " or " Broken Nose Jack ", was the murderer of Old West legend Wild Bill Hickok. 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 trial did not last more than fifteen minutes.[23]. 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. Hickok encouraged McCall to quit the game until he could cover his losses and offered to give him money for breakfast. 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. Hickoks growing reputation for fairness and courage earned him, in 1858, a position as a constable in Monticello, Kansas. The old cemetery was in an area that was better suited for the constant influx of new settlers to live on, so the remaining bodies there were eventually also moved up the hill to the Mount Moriah Cemetery (in the 1880s). While in Deadwood, South Dakota, Wild Bill Hickok became a regular poker player at Nuttal & Mann's Saloon. As vile a character as I ever met for some cause Wild Bill incurred Coe's hatred and he vowed to secure the death of the marshal. [3][4] James was the fourth of six children. 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. In June, Hickok mustered out and went to Springfield, where he gambled. He drove freight wagons and coaches. Wild Bill had learned of the scheme and cornered Coe, had his two pistols drawn on Coe. by Marshall Trimble | Nov 1, 2007 | Inside History. Hickok then tried acting in Wild West shows, which were growing in popularity. https . Did Wild Bill Hickok have a child? In one show, he shot the spotlight when it focused on him. 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. "[citation needed]. The bullet emerged through his right cheek and struck another player, riverboat Captain William Massie, in the left wrist. A former cavalryman, J.W. But although there was an uncanny resemblance between the two, plus stories of Jane visiting the child, Shadley lacked any documentation to back up her claim. [6], Hickok was a good shot from a young age, and was recognized locally as an outstanding marksman with a pistol. 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. Hickok was bedridden for months before he went to southern Nebraska in the summer of 1861 to work at the Pony Express station at Rock Creek. Hickok may have been acting sheriff before he was elected; a newspaper reported that he arrested offenders on August 18, and the commander of Fort Hays wrote a letter to the assistant adjutant general on August 21 in which he praised Hickok for his work in apprehending deserters. From there the ONeils took the pair to the family home in Richmond, Virginia, and ultimately raised the Jean in Liverpool, England. His exploits as a gunfighter, scout, and lawman were legendary and he became the topic of many fictionalized accounts. Hickok was assigned to bring the men to Topeka for trial, and he requested a military escort from Fort Hays. [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. Picks on rebels, especially Texans, to kill." There, the freight company had built a stagecoach stop along the Oregon Trail near Fairbury, Nebraska, on land purchased from David McCanles. Wikimedia Commons Advertisement 11. "The Girl and the Gunfighter: A Newly Discovered Photograph of Wild Bill Hickok. She has been labeled a scout, freighter, and gambler, a drunken dance hall queen and prostitute. They traveled to Deadwood, South Dakota, together and were acquaintances, but there is no evidence of a romance (especially on his part). While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The story continued that McCanles invaded the Wellmans cabin and prepared to shoot Hickok, who acted faster and shot McCanles in the chest. Take that!" During the next several years he appeared in Buffalo Bill Codys Wild West Show, living off his fame as the consummate gunfighter. 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." Almost the entire town attended the funeral, and Utter had Hickok buried with a wooden grave marker reading: Wild Bill, J. In addition to many exploits she was known for being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok.Late in her life, she appeared in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show and at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition.She is said to have exhibited compassion to others . "[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. In the episode Dillon and Hickok are old friends. The event haunted Hickok for the rest of his life. 3. The identity of the fifth card (his "hole card") is also the subject of debate. ", "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. [26]:329 Hickok did not enjoy acting, and often hid behind scenery. Still, feeling he had escaped punishment, McCall began to brag to anyone that would listen that he had killed Wild Bill Hickok. Di Certo is the author of ten books and composer of three albums of children's songs. At Bridger, Montana, Jane moved in with a cowboy named Robert Dorsett. When they returned from overseas, Agnes and Bill Lake decided to start their own circus. In the Clint Eastwood movie Hang em High, a tumbleweed wagon picks up prisoners to haul them off to jail. "The Custer-Hickok Shootout in Hays City. On October 5, 1871, Hickok was standing off a crowd during a street brawl when Coe fired two shots. On December 9, Hickok and Lanihan both served legal papers on Macintosh, and local newspapers acknowledged that Hickok had guardianship of Hays City. was advancing on him with a drawn pistol and that Tutt had previously made threats of personal injury to Deft. 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. Alonzo and Polly Hickok moved to Illinois in 1833, finally settling in Troy Grove (known as Homer at the time), LaSalle County, along the banks of the Little Vermillion Creek. Before being called Wild Bill Hickok, his original name was James Butler Hickok. Red objects generally appear black in early photographs, as the photographic processes were insensitive to red light. 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. The 10th Regiment arrived at Fort Lyon in Colorado in October and remained there for the rest of 1868. 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. McCanles reportedly threatened Wellman, and either Wellman or Hickok, who was hiding behind a curtain, killed McCanles. "Gunfighters of the Real West: Wild Bill Hickok. This, too, was badly defaced, and was then enclosed in a cage for protection. [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! On July 21, 1865, frontier legend Wild Bill Hickok gunned down gambler Davis Tutt in what is often called the first "Wild West" showdown. Following his Civil War service, Wild Bill Hickok moved to Kansas where he was appointed sheriff in Hays City and marshal of Abilene. Fox met Jessie when she interviewed Jane for an article in Illustrated American magazine. [24], In late 1863, Hickok worked for the provost marshal of southwest Missouri as a member of the Springfield detective police. Im glad shes come [home from school] while youre here, Jane told Fox, fer I want you to see her. . [43], On April 15, 1871, Hickok became marshal of Abilene, Kansas. He was involved in several notable shootouts during the course of his life. Not having the courage to do it himself, he one day filled about 200 cowboys with whiskey intending to get them into trouble with Wild Bill, hoping that they would get to shooting and in the melee shoot the marshal. Hickok died immediately. Jack McCall. This incident added to his fame as a gunslinger, which skyrocketed when journalist and later explorer Sir Henry Morton Stanley reported as fact in the New York Herald in 1867 Hickoks exaggerated claim that he had killed 100 men. Writing in 1911, he detailed his admiration for Hickok and included a paragraph on the shooting that differs considerably from the reported account: "Phil" Coe was from Texas, ran the "Bull's Head" a saloon and gambling den, sold whiskey and men's souls. When Varnes could not be found, McCall then implicated Tim Brady in the plot. Hickok said he had "tried to restore order". ", Rosa, Joseph G. (1984). [citation needed] Although he was just 39, his marksmanship and health were apparently in decline, and he had been arrested several times for vagrancy,[53] despite earning a good income from gambling and displays of showmanship only a few years earlier. Hickok, just a stable-hand at the time, killed the three men, despite being severely injured. Outlaw John Wesley Hardin arrived in Abilene at the end of a cattle drive in early 1871. The episode correctly relates Hickok's vision problems late in his life, and also includes his murderer, Jack McCall, in a highly fictionalized role. It is a loose adaptation of Hickok's life, ending with his famous aces-and-eights card hand. The couple had five children besides James Butler, three boys and two girls. I suggest you read Calamity Jane: The Woman and the Legend by James D. McLaird. When Kyle's weapon misfired, Hickok shot Lonergan, wounding him in the knee, and shot Kyle twice, killing him. He was the son of William Alonzo and Polly Butler Hickok (Fishwick). Citizens of the town complained to Hickok, who requested that Thompson and Coe remove the image. Hickok remains a popular figure of frontier history. In 1857, Hickok claimed a 160-acre (65ha) tract in Johnson County, Kansas, near present-day Lenexa. Wild Bill Hickok was one of the early "Heroes of the West." He had built a reputation as an extraordinary gunfighter with a sense of fairness and justice. In fact, William Hickok (senior) was so opposed to slavery that it's been reported that the Hickok house was a station for the Underground Railroad, where black slaves stopped for refuge on their journey north to freedom. 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. Hickok accused a J.V. 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