Wild Bill Hickok
1837-1876

Wild Bill Hickok was born on 27 May 1837, in a small town of Troy Grove, Illinois State, the fourth among six children. His original name was James Butler Hickok, and later in his life sticking him to “Wild Bill” nickname, as an experienced and ruthless gunslinger. His father, William Alonzo Hickok was one of those people who were already taking their commitment to the abolition of slavery. James grew up in this spirit, and later joined his father, to evacuate fugitive slaves on chariots to a new life in freedom. Until 1855,  at the age of 18 years he worked on his father’s farm.

When he was nineteen, he set to the “Free State Army” at Kansas and Missouri border and fought in the Civil War under General Custer as a civilian. As a scout, he was often close to death. By the end of the war, Bill was well-known for his courage, loyalty and weapon-skills. There was nothing he was feared of, and he looked for danger recklessly.

After the war, he built a hundred and sixty acres bungalow’s farm, which was destroyed by slavery upholders. Hickok fell out with farmers and shopkeepers sometimes, resulting quick draw. As a result, he killed for the first time. He was arrested because of killing David McCanles, but confessed self-defense, so he was released.
In 1861 he is found in Hays (Kansas) as lawman. His reputation grow more when he caught criminal gang alone. He was a ruthless gunfighter, which was the reason for his nickname: “Wild Bill”. From there he was appointed county sheriff in 1869. Wild Bill Hickok became famous for his skill, so lots of vaolunteer gunfighter wanted to test his speed. Unfortunately, some of them haven’t survived the adventure. In 1871, Wild Bill Hickok was Police Judge in Abilene . His monthly salary was around $ 150, which is a major income.

With Wild Bill Hickok is difficult to separate the facts from the fiction of the stories told about him. Sure he made his work well in Kansas Hayes. The negative side of his job is that many people were killed, including three horsemen of the Seventh cavalry. This event caused a contrast with General Sheridan, so that he gave up his position . He wanted to become Marshall of Abilene (this town was wilder than Hayes). Hickok went everywhere heavily armed with two Colt 1851 Navy revolvers (at the end of each day, he shot and refilled them, to avoid any possible technical barriers), one sawed-off shotgun and a Derringerrel in his underwear.

He had an assistant in Abilene, but one night Wild Bill shot him accidentally (the contemporary records that he already had cataract in the eye). He was so upset about it and gave up his job, he left Abilene and he never wore badges after it. Completely turning away from the previous life of Wild Bill Hickok, he tried to join the Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show in 1872, then in 1873 teamed up with Calamity Jane and Deadwood of John Wesley Hardin at Dakota.

Not much later, the company dismissed him because he drank too often. Finally he moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where gambling became his livelihood. He got married Agnes Lake in 1876 to 5 March. After two week, and he went West in search of gold. He never saw his wife again. The last stage of his tour was Deadwood City in South Dakota, when he sought gold, playing and drank.

He played poker on 1876th August 2 in the Nuttall & Mann’s Saloon, in Deadwoodban. Unfortunately, he sat down back to the door. This proved to be a fatal mistake: as Jack McCall entered the saloon, and shot Bill with his double-barreled Derringer pistol. Jack was arrested, but later he acquitted from the charge.

But the story doesn’t end there. Jack McCall was arrested again for the killing of Wild Bill Hickok in a bar. There was a new negotiation. Soon was found guilty and hanged for Wild Bill Hickok killing.

Wild Bill Hickok with his extravagant dresses and long light brown hair was able to become an emblematic figure of this period. The recipe was relatively simple: kill the incorrigible, and force the others to the path of labour. However, I think that the country would not have developed without people like Wild Bill Hickok.

Page by Greyman.