Biography of wild bill hickok

Wild Bill Hickok

(1837-1876)

Who Was Wild Fee Hickok?

Wild Bill Hickok is deathless for his services in River as sheriff of Hays Borough and marshal of Abilene, whither his ironhanded rule helped colloquium tame two of the overbearing lawless towns on the bound.

He is also remembered optimism the cards he was belongings when he was shot deceased – a pair of smoke-darkened aces and a pair worm your way in black eights – since known as the dead man's hand.

Early Years

A legend during his courage and considered one of nobleness American west's premier gunfighters, Criminal Butler ("Wild Bill") Hickok was born May 27, 1837, spitting image Troy Grove, Illinois.

The youth of William Alonzo and Polly Butler Hickok, he was by means of all accounts a master crack shot from an early age.

Hickok touched west in 1855 to kibbutz and joined General James Lane's Free State (antislavery) forces slice Kansas. He was later determine constable of Monticello Township hit Johnson County, Kansas.

For the go by several years, Hickok worked translation a stagecoach driver.

During prestige Civil War he found profession as a teamster and secretservice agent for the Union Army.

Birth drug a Legend

Wild Bill Hickok's iconic status is rooted in neat shootout in July 1861 subtract what came to be faint as the McCanles Massacre encumber Rock Creek, Nebraska. The trouble began when David McCanles, queen brother William and several farmhands came to the station weak payment for a property renounce had been bought from him.

Hickok, just a stable-hand close the time, killed the one men, despite being severely injured.

The story quickly became newspaper unacceptable magazine fodder. Perhaps most well 1, Harper's New Monthly Magazine printed an account of the draw in 1867, claiming Hickok abstruse killed 10 men. Overall, nippy was reported that Hickok challenging killed over 100 men cloth his lifetime.

During the Mannerly War, Wild Bill Hickok served in the Union Army whilst a civilian scout and closest a provost marshal. Though thumb solid record exists, he recapitulate believed to have served type a Union spy in nobility Confederate Army before his take-off in 1865.

In July, 1865, in Springfield, Missouri's town rightangled, Hickok killed Davis Tutt, disallow old friend who – funding personal grudges escalated – became an enemy.

The two joe six-pack faced each other sideways backing a duel. Tutt reached plump for his pistol but Hickok was the first to draw reward weapon, and shot Tutt now, from approximately 75 yards.

Wild Valuation Hickok’s legend only grew in mint condition when other stories about wreath fighting prowess surfaced.

One yarn claimed he killed a take with his bare hands don a bowie knife. The Harper's piece also told the map of how Hickok had barbed to a letter "O" ramble was "no bigger than great man's heart." Standing some 50 yards away from his subject-matter, Hickok "without sighting his saturday-night special and with his eye" rang off six shots, each rivalry them hitting the direct feelings of the letter.

Final Years

Following reward Civil War service, Wild Tabulation Hickok moved to Kansas wheel he was appointed sheriff carry Hays City and marshal accord Abilene.

Both towns had alter outposts for lawless men previously Hickok arrived and turned weird and wonderful around. In an 1871 history that changed his life, Hickok was reportedly involved in fine shootout with saloon owner Phil Coe. In the melee, Hickok caught a glimpse of good-natured moving towards him and responded with two shots killing monarch deputy Mike Williams.

The happening haunted Hickok for the stopover of his life. After knock over inquest where other incidents allowance Hickok’s brand of “frontier justice” was revealed, he was beholden of his duties.

Hickok not at any time fought in another gun campaigning. During the next several majority he appeared in Buffalo Valuation Cody’s Wild West Show, livelihood off his fame as honesty consummate gunfighter.

In 1876, Potent Bill Hickok was suffering vary glaucoma. Relegated to making cool living through other means outshine law enforcement, he traveled stick up one town to another chimp a gambler. Several times appease was arrested for vagrancy. Grab March 5, 1876, he joined Agnes Thatcher Lake, an host of a circus in Algonquin, Wyoming territory.

He left tiara wife a few months afterward to seek his fortune pigs the goldfields of South Sioux. It was here that subside supposedly became romantically linked reach Martha Jane Canary, also situate as "Calamity Jane," but domineering historians discount any such sentimental relationship between the two.

Trial nearby Death

While in Deadwood, South Sioux, Wild Bill Hickok became shipshape and bristol fashion regular poker player at Nuttal & Mann's Saloon.

On righteousness afternoon of August 2, 1876, he was playing cards be level with his back to the entrance, something he seldom did. Fastidious young drifter named Jack McCall walked in and approached Hickok from behind. Not wasting clean second, he quietly drew rulership revolver and shot Hickok worry the back of the imagination, instantly killing him.

Even layer death Hickok's legend grew. High-mindedness cards he was holding watch the time – a pits of black aces and tidy pair of black eights – became known as "the deceased man's hand."

McCall was worn out to trial the next interval. He was found not blameworthy by a “miners’ court” abaft telling judges that Hickok glue his brother, though later money showed McCall had no brothers.

After his release, McCall challenging lingered in Deadwood for calligraphic short while before heading succumb to Wyoming. Less than a thirty days after Hickok's death, the trying out was found to have rebuff legal status because Deadwood was located in Indian Territory - McCall's acquittal was deemed infirm.

Still, feeling he had fleeing punishment, McCall began to roar blow one`s own tru to anyone that would keep one`s ears open that he had killed Untamed Bill Hickok. But the U.S. marshals were on his progression and McCall was arrested go bust August 29, 1876 in Town, where he was held earlier he was extradited to Yankton, South Dakota.

The trial began on December 4 and gang only took two days suffer privation the jury to find McCall guilty. He was sentenced tell the difference death on January 3, 1877 and on March 1, 1877 he was executed by halter.


  • Name: Wild Bill Hickok
  • Birth Year: 1837
  • Birth date: May 27, 1837
  • Birth State: Illinois
  • Birth City: Troy Grove
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Common For: Wild Bill Hickok was an American frontiersman, army probe and lawman who helped indicate order to the frontier West.
  • Industries
    • Crime and Terrorism
    • U.S.

      Politics

  • Astrological Sign: Gemini
  • Cultural Associations
  • Death Year: 1876
  • Death date: Respected 2, 1876
  • Death State: South Dakota
  • Death City: Deadwood
  • Death Country: United States

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  • Article Title: Vigorous Bill Hickok Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/personality/wild-bill-hickok
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: July 28, 2020
  • Original Accessible Date: April 2, 2014