The American Westerner: Wild Bill Hickok

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Welcome to Civics and Coffee, a history podcast. The show all about United States history, delivered to you and the time it takes to enjoy your morning cup of coffee. I'm your host, Alicia, a historian trained in United States history with a passion for telling both the known and unknown parts of America's past. So grab your coffee and get ready for some bite-sized history. Hey everyone, welcome back. When I left you last week, I indicated that I was not quite done in my exploration of the quote unquote wild west and the characters who walked the dusty roads, tussled in the card rooms, and hung up their hats in the local saloons. Several men who carved out an existence along the unsettled landscape lived through rich, incredible adventures. Their trials and tribulations and brushes with danger often inspired writers to spin yarns, turning their already remarkable lives into feats of legend about the American frontier that many have come to know and love. The stories of these lives, often all too brief, have been reimagined or retold in dime novels, folk songs, and dramatic reenactments, ensuring their placement in the American memory. In sending his requests, Darren named a host of characters he thought it might be fun to explore, including none other than the nationally renowned gunfighter, army scout, and lawman, James Wild Bill Hickok. Born in Illinois in 1837, Hickok rose to national prominence after a feature article when he was just 30 years old. He would be dead less than a decade later. Described by one author as the first post-war frontier star, Hickok wrestled with the national attention he received and struggled with settling in any one place for long, only to die by the same weapon that had made him so famous. So this week I am diving into the life of James Wild Bill Hickcock. Who was he? How did he become a household name? And where does he sit with the other men of the American West? Grab your cup of coffee, Peeps. Let's do this. The man who became known to friends and foes as Wild Bill was born James Butler Hickok on May 27, 1837, in Troy Grove, Illinois. He was the fifth child born to Father William and Mother Polly, who claimed deep roots to the country, with their ancestors' initial arrival dating back to the 1600s in Massachusetts. The family made their living from farming and were firmly committed to the abolitionist movement. It is believed that the elder Hickok used his home as a stop on the Underground Railroad to aid runaway slaves, and that this instilled a sense of equality and fairness in the future gunslinger. The family suffered a loss when William died in 1852, when James was just a teen. The young man grew restless, and while there are many tales as to the motivation behind his desire to move west, the truth seems to be far less dramatic. Like the invasive species that would be introduced to the country in the 1870s, Hickok seemed to be a tumbleweed, a wanderer who grew bored after spending extended periods of time in any one location. In 1856, joined with his brother Lorenzo, James headed west, and the duo made it to St. Louis before they split off. Lorenzo turning back upon hearing that their mother Polly was ill, and James continuing on toward the Kansas Territory. Now, as you might remember, the 1850s was a highly volatile time for the area, known as Bleeding Kansas, over debates about whether the area would enter the Union as a slave or free state. Perhaps influenced by his abolitionist upbringing, Hickok got swept up in the passions of the area and joined the Jayhawkers, an anti-slavery army established by Jim Lane. This was also when Hickok met the future Buffalo Bill Cody. Just a young boy at the time, Hickok managed to save the kid from a group of bullies, a kindness the future showman would remember and repay in the future. He briefly served as a constable in the town of Monticello in 1858, before moving on to work as a stagecoach and wagon driver for the Russell, Majors, and Waddle firm along the Oregon and Santa Fe trails. Out on the open road, Hickok came across a cinnamon bear, and after shooting at it in an attempt to kill it went haywire, Hickok and the beast got into a tussle, leading to a pretty significant injury to Hickok's left arm. After several months of recovery, Hickok next went to work as a stable hand with Horace Wellman at the Rock Creek Station in the Nebraska Territory. After several months of recovery, Hickok next went to work as a stable hand with Horace Wellman at the Rock Creek Station in the Nebraska Territory. It was a move that would contribute to his later national reputation. In April 1861, the Overland Stage Company wanted to buy the Rock Creek property from David McCannless. They offered McCannless one-third of the purchase price up front with the promise that the balance would be paid four months later. Only the follow-up payments never came through. McCannless, who was known as a bit of a hothead and a bully, showed up to the Rock Creek Station office to demand the overdue payments. He brought with him a shotgun, two men, James Woods and James Gordon, and his 12-year-old son, William. While there have been several variations about what exactly happened at the Rock Creek Station that day, according to author and hickcock biographer Tom Clavin, McCenless was first met by Horace Wellman's wife, who explained in no uncertain terms that they did not have the money to pay. McCannless did not accept this answer and continued to push to speak to Horace directly when Hickok appeared next. While Hickcock was known to be handy with a gun, he had not yet attained that notoriety, and so McCanless repeated his demand that he only wanted to deal with Horace Wellman and that Hickok should mind his business. As Hickcock made his way inside, McCannless apparently followed, and upon laying eyes on Wellman, continued his verbal assault and demands for payment. He then made a move with his hand holding the shotgun, and it was a fatal error. Before he could react, Hickok pulled his gun and fired, shooting McCannless through the heart, leaving his son, who had followed his father inside, bereft as he knelt next to his lifeless body. Hickcock next disposed of the two men who had come with McCannless and buried their bodies in shallow graves around the property, and he was arrested for murder just three days later. After the judge in the case determined that McCannless's son was too young to testify, the defense put up a story of self-defense, claiming that McCannless was on the attack, and that the shooting was only done in reaction to his actions. No doubt aided by McCannless's less than sterling reputation, Hickok was found not guilty. Hiccock did not let the dust settle on the verdict and quickly made his way toward Leavenworth to sign up for the Union, offering to serve as a scout in the Civil War due to his extensive travel experience. It was during his time in service that he earned his notorious nickname. Again, there are a number of stories about how Hickok earned the Wild Bill Moniker, but according to author Tom Clavin, the most likely and believable origin came from when Hickok decided to break up a fight in a saloon. According to the story, Hickok felt compelled to intervene when he witnessed an unfair fight in a bar when the bartender was outmatched, getting beat by several men. A man who felt that there was only honor in fair fights, Hickok had jumped into the fray in defense of the barkeep. Later, when he was walking down the street, a woman apparently yelled out of her window, Way to go, wild Bill, and the name stuck. Now, as for why he went by Bill and not Jim, well, that dates back to when he arrived in St. Louis with his brother Lorenzo in the 1850s. Lorenzo, who was the second in the family to carry the name, had apparently long gone by the name Bill. Somehow, when brother Lorenzo, also known as Bill, left to head back home, bystanders, who had overheard the brothers talking, took to calling James Bill. Either feeling too polite to correct them or looking for a change, Hickok adopted the moniker and despite signing legal documents as J.B. Hickok, he would answer to Bill for the remainder of his life. Throughout the Civil War, Hickok served as a scout, sharpshooter, and eventually spy. In 1862, Hickok went behind enemy lines, donning a Confederate uniform, and for two years reported out intelligence on enemy movements to help the federal government win the war. After the war, Hickok relocated to Springfield, Missouri. The local entertainment amounted to saloons and card rooms, and Hickok was known to enjoy a game or two. While living in Springfield, Hickok became acquainted with a Davis Tutt, a fellow war veteran and card player. Tutt, who had run into some legal issues as a result of his gambling, was nevertheless playing cards with Hickok in his room at the Lionhouse. At the end of the evening, Hickok was in debt to Tut some $35. But Hickok had previously loaned Tut some money, so he suggested that the real balance owed was only $25. The two debated over the final total due, with Tut somehow landing at a higher sum of $45. While Hickok could have argued, he realized he was not in a winning position. Tut had a longer history in Springfield and deeper roots. Now there are some discrepancies as to what exactly happened next. One source I read said Hickok willingly gave his watch as collateral to hold for his debt repayments, while another indicated that Tut snatched the watch from Hickok, which would be a sign of disrespect. Either way, Tutt took possession of the watch until the gambling debt, however much it was, was repaid. A mutual friend, Eli J. Armstrong, attempted to negotiate a settlement between the two men and convinced Tut to reduce the stated balance. Tutt refused. Despite the failed interventions and growing tension, Hickok expressed no ill will toward Tut and stated he wanted nothing more than to avoid a conflict. The two parted ways, only to be on the opposite sides of the town square later that evening, where things were not as calm and cordial as they had led others to believe. As Tut strutted about with Hickok's watch, a sign of disrespect, Hickok warned him not to come any closer. Tempting fate, Tut reached for his pistol and fired at Hickcock and missed. Hickcock drew his gun and fired in return. Tutt fell to the ground dead. Hickok was charged with murder, which was later reduced to manslaughter and released on a $2,000 bond. The trial began on August 3rd and lasted just three days. Because Hickcock had allowed Tut to fire first, there was an argument that he was acting in self-defense. After deliberating for mere minutes, the sources I reviewed ranged from 10 to 90, the jury came back with a verdict of not guilty. Hickok stuck around and tried to run for marshal and was defeated before deciding to move on to Fort Riley in 1866. But before he moved on, Hickok drew the attention of Brevet Lieutenant Colonel George Ward Nichols. Nichols, a journalist who served as an aide to camp during the war, was likely in Springfield on military business when he heard about the shootout. Sensing a potential story, Nichols decided to stick around and gather as much detail about the event and the notorious gunslinger at the center of it as possible. He spent the next several weeks preparing an article that would later be published in Harper's, and it remains under debate exactly how much involvement Hickok had in preparing the text of the piece. Hickok scholar Joseph G. Rosa postulates that Hickok must have had at least some involvement in the article, citing the extended quote attributed to Hickok about the McCanless affair that appears in the article. Regardless, when the article was published in February 1867 in Harper's New Monthly Magazine, A New American Legend was born. Making the cover and published under the title of Wild Bill, Nichols portrayed the young Hickok as a nearly unstoppable talent, a man so adept with the pistol who never met a man he couldn't take down. The stories of his exploits, filled with fiction and great exaggerations, propelled him into national fame and changed Hickok in ways big and small. For the rest of his years, Hickok would try to live up to the Wild Bill persona depicted in the article, not disputing sections of the article that may have been blown out of proportion, and even taking to repeating bits of it in saloons and around campfires. The article created a bit of a 19th-century media sensation, and Wild Bill did not know exactly how to handle such attention. Hickok took to putting on shooting expeditions for crowds to demonstrate his excellent aim at prowess, regardless of the hand carrying the pistol. And while this was no doubt done for the love of the show, there was likely a little self-preservation at play. Now that Hickcock was nationally renowned as the best gunfighter on the frontier, any man looking for fame or an opportunity to get rich might look at challenging quote-unquote Wild Bill to prove themselves worthy. When he wasn't showing off, Hickok served as a guide along the frontier, working with William Sherman during his tour of the West in 1866, and for Winfield Scott Hancock and George Custer in 1867 and 1868. Hickok also parlayed his weapon abilities into work in law enforcement, becoming the Sheriff of Hayes City, Kansas in 1869. But as a man who bored easily, Hickcock hopped into yet another profession, this time as a U.S. Marshal over an Abilene in 1871. While marshals were intended to be limited in scope, primarily responsible for crimes against the federal government or crimes conducted on federal land, the line got blurred on the frontier, where support and infrastructure was sparse. Hickok had cause to reach for his gun several times over, killing a few men, including his deputy, which led to his removal from the job. Hickcock was eventually reunited with the young boy he saved from bullies decades before, William Buffalo Bill Cody, where he tried his hand at acting in the increasingly popular stage shows. It was not something Hickcock enjoyed, and he lasted just a few months. Behind the scenes, Hickcock was also struggling with a debilitating problem, the loss of his eyesight. Beginning in 1871, Hickcock noticed he was having issues with his vision. He tried to seek out treatment, but there did not seem to be any remedy. Depressed at his failing health, Hickok began drinking heavily. In 1876, the man who seemed allergic to planting roots married former circus performer Agnes Lake Thatcher. Just a few months into their union, Hickok headed for the Black Hills in South Dakota, where he hoped to make some much needed money. Upon his arrival in Deadwood, Hickok was again put into the role of a law enforcement officer, likely due to his long history than his current ability. But just a month later, on August 2nd, 1876, during a poker game, Hickok, who violated his own rule by sitting with his back to the door, was shot in the back of the head by a man named Jack McCall. McCall's motives for the murder remain under dispute, and he was hanged on March 1, 1877. James Wild Bill Hickok was transformed from a lawman and scout into the Frontier's preeminent gunfighter who had the quickest draw in the West. He shot to the 19th century version of National Stardom based on outlandish tales of his life, some of which were perpetuated by the man himself. Hickcock never seemed to settle in life, bouncing from location to location, job to job, even woman to woman. Yet his story remains part of the lore that helped shape the enduring identity of the American West. He remains a man of legend and one of the era's icons, along with his contemporaries, Buffalo Bill Cody, Wyatt Earp, and Doc Holliday. My thanks again to Darren for recommending Wild Bill and the other cast of crazy characters. As a reminder, if you ever have a topic you want me to cover, just let me know. I love fielding your requests, and you can reach me via the social channels or my website at www.civixandcoffee.com. Thanks, peeps. I'll see you next time. Thanks for sitting down with me as I explored this chapter of American history. If you liked what you heard, be sure to subscribe and share with your friends. I look forward to our next cup of coffee together.