He was released from the group after a few months. 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. During the Civil War, Wild Bill Hickok served in the Union Army as a civilian scout and later a provost marshal. Military records after 1865 list him as Hickok, but note that he was also known as Haycock. On July 21, 1865, frontier legend Wild Bill Hickok gunned down gambler Davis Tutt in what is often called the first "Wild West" showdown. McCall was brought to trial the next day. 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. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. subscribe to All About History for as little as 26. 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. Hickok is known to have fatally shot six men and is suspected of having killed a seventh (McCanles). ", Hermon, Gregory (1987). 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. [10][pageneeded][11] In an 1867 article about his shootout with Davis Tutt, his surname was misspelled as Hitchcock. Visit our corporate site. James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837 August 2, 1876), better known as "Wild Bill" Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West known for his life on the frontier as a soldier, scout, lawman, cattle rustler, gunslinger, gambler, showman, and actor, and for his involvement in many famous gunfights. After his release, McCall had lingered in Deadwood for a short while before heading to Wyoming. 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. Although the show brought Hickok some much-needed income, he was unhappy, began drinking heavily, and returned to the West in March 1874. She was born in Missouri and spent most of her life on the country's western border. Some said the two men fought over a card game, while others attributed the duel to competition for the attention of a woman named Susannah Moore. This angered the buffalo and panicked audience members, causing the animals to break free of their wire fencing and chase audience members, some of whom were trampled. Wild Bill's brother, Oliver Cromwell Hickok married and fathered five children per: Search Results from User Submitted Genealogies (only as accurate as submitter). A semifictionalized version of Hickok's time as marshal of Abilene Kansas, titled Hickok (2017), stars Luke Hemsworth as Hickok, Trace Adkins as the Bull's Head Saloon keeper Phil Coe, Kris Kristofferson as Abilene mayor George Knox, and Kaiwi Lyman-Mersereau as John Wesley Hardin. [15] He grew a moustache following the McCanles incident, and in 1861 began calling himself "Wild Bill".[16][17]. August 18, 1876, image 3", "Jack McCall Cowardly Killer of Wild Bill Hickok", "American Wonder Wild Bill Hickok Shot and Killed from Behind on This Day in History", Bozeman Avant Courier, December 22, 1876, image 1, testimony of George M. Shingle, "Riverboat captain 'carried' bullet that killed Hickok", "Jack McCall and the Murder of Wild Bill Hickok", "Wild Bill Hickok: Pistoleer, Peace Officer and Folk Hero", Photograph of Wild Bill Hickok's Colt Model 1851 Navys, "Wild Bill Hickok's Smith & Wesson No. [69] In 1979, Hickok was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. "[citation needed]. Calamity Jane never married Wild Bill Hickok. His exploits as a gunfighter, scout, and lawman were legendary and he became the topic of many fictionalized accounts. [45], Hickok later said he did not know that "Wesley Clemmons" was Hardin's alias, and that he was a wanted outlaw. [9], Hickok used his late father's name, William Hickok, from 1858, and the name William Haycock during the American Civil War. This, in turn, was destroyed by souvenir hunters and replaced in 1902 by a life-sized sandstone sculpture of Hickok. ", Rosa, Joseph G. (1977). Nick McGlashan loved his family, friends and fans. Like his friend Buffalo Bill Cody, Hickok was the son of an abolitionist. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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.". ", Rosa, Joseph G. (1982). This was the last time Hickok was ever involved in a gunfight; the accidental death of Deputy Williams was an event that haunted Hickok for the remainder of his life. Calamity Jane. Their quick-draw duel was recorded as the first of its kind. 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. For the next several years, Hickok worked as a stagecoach driver. When a seat opened up at the table, a drunk man named Jack McCall sat down to play. The way Wild Bill conducted himself in his later years was a direct correlation for what he did when he was a young boy. ", "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. Both towns had become outposts for lawless men before Hickok arrived and turned things around. It is a loose adaptation of Hickok's life, ending with his famous aces-and-eights card hand. [40]:196, In September 1869, his first month as sheriff, Hickok killed two men. In reality, Janes first verified child was born in November 1882 when she was living with rancher Frank King near Miles City, Montana. What happened to Wild Bill Hickok's pistols? Citizens warned Mulvey to behave, because Hickok was sheriff. [6], Hickok was a good shot from a young age, and was recognized locally as an outstanding marksman with a pistol. . 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. Wild Bill Hickok was born on May 27, 1837 in Troy Grove, Illinois. B. Hickock [sic] (Wild Bill) formerly of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Good bye, Colorado Charlie, C. H. Utter. [46]:pp.5456[47], In August 1871, Hickok sought to arrest Hardin for killing Charles Couger in an Abilene hotel "for snoring too loud". 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. In 1871 he took over as the marshal of the tough cow town of Abilene, Kansas. The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok was a 1950s TV series starring Guy Madison and Andy Devine. Around this time, young James Hickok began using his father's name of William - the 'Wild' part came later - and he also met Buffalo Bill Cody, then just a messenger boy on a wagon train. This was claimed after he was killed during a poker game on Aug. 2, 1876. Following his Civil War service, Wild Bill Hickok moved to Kansas where he was appointed sheriff in Hays City and marshal of Abilene. Overall, it was reported that Hickok had killed over 100 men during his lifetime. It was written by Michael Lanahan and directed by Timothy Woodward Jr. 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. 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. The bear then grabbed his arm in its mouth, but Hickok was able to grab his knife and slash its throat, killing it. Later, after bragging of his murder of Hickok, McCall was retried in Laramie, Wyoming Territory, found guilty, and hanged on March 1, 1877. She has been labeled a scout, freighter, and gambler, a drunken dance hall queen and prostitute. Hickok remains a popular figure of frontier history. [77][78] A print of the film is maintained in the Museum of Modern Art film archive.[79]. Jessie and Jane were back together when they arrived in Billings, Montana in 1898. According to the Harpers account, Hickok, while guiding a detachment of Union cavalry through southern Nebraska, decided to stop and visit an old friend, Wellmans wife, at Rock Creek Station. [40]:192, On July 17, 1870, Hickok was attacked by two troopers from the 7th U.S. Cavalry, Jeremiah Lonergan and John Kyle (sometimes spelled Kile),[42] in a saloon. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}10 Black Pioneers in Aviation Who Broke Barriers. 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. authorities, and after trial has been sentenced to death for willful murder. 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. Duck Bill and Shanghai Bill [23][b], After the Civil War broke out in April 1861, Hickok became a teamster for the Union Army in Sedalia, Missouri. [citation needed], From 1871 until his death in 1876, Hickok had vision problems. Hickok accused a J.V. McCall shot Hickok from behind as he played poker at Nuttal & Mann's Saloon in Deadwood, Dakota Territory on August 2, 1876. During Wild Bill Hickok 's life he was many things such as, an actor, gambler, lawman, and a marksman specialists. Hickoks growing reputation for fairness and courage earned him, in 1858, a position as a constable in Monticello, Kansas. 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. He drove freight wagons and coaches. 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. Calamity Jane! Jessie withdrew from the Academy a short time later, but in January of 1896, Jane was finally able to take her to St. Martins Academy in Sturgis. 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 July 21, 1865, the two men faced off in Springfield's town square, standing sideways before drawing and firing their weapons. Zimmerman said that despite their closeness in age, he and Jessie didnt say much to each other. In December, the Rawlins Republican reported that Jane visited town with a little girl she had stolen. The child was no doubt Jessie, who was next seen with her mother in Ekalaka, Montana in 1894 by at least two people. According to Joseph G. Rosa, Hickok's biographer and the foremost authority on Wild Bill, Hickok killed only six or seven men in gunfights. In real life, Calamity Jane (Martha Jane Canary) never met 'Doc' Holliday: she actually was in love and pursued 'Wild Bill' Hickock. At Bridger, Montana, Jane moved in with a cowboy named Robert Dorsett. 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. In July 1865, "Wild Bill" Hickok shot and killed Davis Tutt in Springeld, MOthe rst quick-draw duel on the frontier. Jane claimed that James Butler Hickok was the father of her child Jean . [5] William Hickok died in 1852, when James was 15. He was found not guilty by a miners court after telling judges that Hickok killed his brother, though later accounts showed McCall had no brothers. [c] However, if they felt the threat of danger was real and imminent, he instructed they could apply the unwritten law of the "fair fight" and acquit. [12] The article was controversial wherever Hickok was known, and several frontier newspapers wrote rebuttals. The event haunted Hickok for the rest of his life. During the Civil War, he served as a wagon master, scout, detective, courier, and spy. Lorenzo Butler Hickok spoke with McCall after the trial, and said McCall showed no remorse. Despite his reputation,[70] Hickok was buried in the Ingelside Cemetery, Deadwood's original graveyard. McCall tried to . 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. In 1941, Jean Hickok McCormick appeared in Billings, Montana. What was the relationship between Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane? ", DeMattos, Jack (1980). A monument has been built there. ", This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 18:12. They traveled to Deadwood, South Dakota, together and were acquaintances, but there is no evidence of a romance (especially on his part). A later film (1953) and subsequent stage musical, both titled Calamity Jane, also portray a romance between Calamity Jane and Hickok. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Bill and Jane are buried next to each other in Deadwoods Mount Moriah Cemetery. [43], On April 15, 1871, Hickok became marshal of Abilene, Kansas. In the melee that followed, Hickok shot Woods, who, most historians agree, was then attacked and ultimately killed with a hoe by Mrs. Wellman. Hickok then tried acting in Wild West shows, which were growing in popularity. Two 7th Cavalry troopers jump, Most people have heard of Calamity Jane, once promoted as The Famous Woman Scout of. 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. [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. McCall was executed for the murder . He was assigned Buffalo Bill Cody, a sergeant, and five privates. Hickok saved Cody from getting beaten by another man and the two became longtime pals. Against the bloody backdrop of the uniquely volatile point in history, both killers earned a reputation for viciousness. 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. At the coroner's inquest into Strawhun's death, despite "very contradictory" evidence from witnesses, the jury found the shooting justifiable. [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. https . Calamity Jane was reported to have been buried next to Hickok according to her dying wish. He seemed to have respect for Hickok's abilities and replied, "If Bill needs killing, why don't you kill him yourself? While at Castle City Jane went to Gilt Edge, some two hundred miles away, where she was jailed for being drunk. "Wild Bill and the Timber Thieves. 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. was advancing on him with a drawn pistol and that Tutt had previously made threats of personal injury to Deft. 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