Upon hearing the name “Wild Bill” Hickok, many will immediately think of the Old West and its image of quick-draw shoot-outs in the middle of lawless Western mining towns. Hickok’s exploits and the exaggerated accounts written about his feats are both responsible for creating what is now a mixture of truth and myth regarding the American West. The two have become so intertwined that it is nearly impossible to separate one from the other, and so a true picture of the life of “Wild Bill” Hickok is elusive.
James Butler Hickok was born in 1837 to abolitionist parents in the state of Illinois. His father and mother participated in the Underground Railroad to help escaped slaves and when he was old enough, Hickok took up their cause and joined an antislavery militia in the Kansas Territory. Hickok sharpened his shooting skills as a member of the militia and then moved on to protecting stagecoaches and freight wagons from Indians and bandits. Hickok had already made a name for himself as an expert marksman, but it was his fight with a bear that seems to have brought him even more attention. The details of this encounter vary by account; in one version Hickok shot the bear in the head, but the bullet bounced off so he cut its throat. Regardless, Hickok emerged from the fight victorious, but suffered severe injuries.
After his recovery, Hickok had his first of many confrontations that resulted in a shoot-out. According to eyewitnesses, Hickok confronted David McCanles, his son, and two friends. Three of Hickok’s four adversaries died in the exchange of gunfire, with only McCanles’s son unharmed. Hickok was absolved of any crime on the grounds of self-defense. As he was already widely known in the West for his marksmanship and his bear encounter, his reputation grew after this incident. Later, as Hickok’s fame spread nationwide, writers looked back at this first confrontation and exaggerated the story, claiming that Hickok killed twelve of the worst criminals in the West. Embellishments like these fueled Hickok’s status as a legend.
“Wild Bill” Hickok (1837–1876) was a western gambler and adventurer turned lawman. Already a hero of the Civil War, Hickok became a legend in his own time after the killing of David McCanles at Rock Creek, Nebraska, in 1861 appeared in a dramatized version in an 1867 issue of Harper’s Weekly. A skilled marksman, Hickok came to represent for many an idealized view of the Wild West, with all of its dangers and romance. An icon of the western frontier even during his own lifetime, Wild Bill died in a manner which seemed destined to burnish his already legendary status: Hickok was gunned down from behind by a disgruntled card player on August 2, 1876. (Library of Congress)
Eventually Hickok became known in newspapers and magazines as “Wild Bill” Hickok. As with many issues regarding Hickok, there are variations on the story of his nickname’s origin. He seems to have first acquired it while serving the Union Army during the Civil War. Sources agree that Hickok intervened on behalf of a bartender who was about to be hanged by a drunken mob. Hickok fired two well-placed shots over the heads of the mob, at which point they left the bartender alone and began to disperse. One account says a woman exclaimed, “My God, ain’t he wild!” Another version has the woman yelling “Good for you, Wild Bill!” Either way, the name stuck.
Hickok’s reputation preceded him as he served in the Union Army. Stories of his deeds during the Civil War circulated widely and added to his legend. He served as a sniper, allegedly killing thirty-five men, and on one occasion he narrowly escaped from behind Confederate lines after being discovered as a Union spy. Upon his return he delivered vital intelligence to Union officers that enabled Union forces to drive the Confederates out of Missouri.
By the end of the war, “Wild Bill” was known far and wide. Eastern audiences especially wanted to hear more about his exploits and the deeds of others who were taming the West. To meet that demand, George Ward Nichols published an article called “Wild Bill” in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine in 1867. Nichols was not interested in facts or journalistic standards. Nichols was interested in sensationalism and exaggerated Hickok’s exploits, claiming that Hickok had killed hundreds of men. Contemporary readers may have recognized the article for what it was, but it was still widely read and helped inflate Hickok’s already legendary status. Other writers for newspapers and magazines back east took the same approach when writing about Hickok and his friends Calamity Jane and Buffalo Bill Cody, both of whom were also considered living legends.
Because of his deeds, both real and exaggerated, Hickok was the ideal candidate to fill a law enforcement role. He was hired as the deputy U.S. marshal at Fort Riley, Kansas. For the next several years, Hickok worked in law enforcement in several different locations throughout the West. In this period the list of men killed by “Wild Bill” grew along with his reputation. Because of the 1867 Harper’s article and others like it, Hickok had the unenviable task of living up to his status as a legend. His reputation was an asset in that he could often stop trouble before it started just by his mere presence, but it also invited constant challenges to his authority. As Hickok confronted lawlessness throughout the West, his exploits were reported and exaggerated by newspapers and dime novelists back east. By 1870, “Wild Bill” Hickok was one of the most well-known people in the United States.
In 1871, Hickok’s fortunes began to change. As marshal of Abilene, Kansas, Hickok had some trouble confronting rowdy cowboys, gamblers, and con men. During one shoot-out Hickok heard someone behind him; he turned and fired a shot. As usual he hit his target, but it turned out to be his deputy. Hickok had killed dozens of men, but all of them in the name of justice and law and order. Hickok wept over the accidental killing of his deputy and never forgave himself. The authorities in Abilene decided “Wild Bill” was not the man to tame their wild city and dismissed him.
Trying to capitalize on his fame, Hickok tried to break into show business by taking several buffalos, Indians, cowboys, and a bear back east to entertain audiences that eagerly read exaggerated accounts of settling the West. The show was a disaster and Hickok lost his substantial investment in the endeavor. Hickok’s old friend, Buffalo Bill Cody, had a Wild West show of his own and gave Hickok a starring role. Hickok performed for Cody, but without much talent or desire to entertain, he eventually departed. The entertainment business was not for him, but with few options and a new wife to support, Hickok found himself heading west once again.
In Deadwood, Dakota Territory, Hickok spent the final period of his life prospecting for gold by day and drinking and gambling by night. He wrote to his wife often; his letters reveal his dream of striking it rich so he could have his wife join him and settle down. Typically when playing poker, Hickok sat with his back to a wall so he could see any trouble coming his way. On August 2, 1876, however, he took the only seat available to him, which did not allow him to see what was going on in the saloon. It proved to be a fatal decision. Jack McCall, a man Hickok had badly beaten at cards the night before, walked up behind him and shot him in the head at point blank range. When Hickok was killed he held in his hand two aces and two eights; ever since his death this combination of cards has been known as “dead man’s hand.” Thus came to a violent end one of the Old West’s most colorful and legendary figures.
Paul Frazier
See also Calamity Jane; Cody, William F. “Buffalo Bill”; Custer, George Armstrong; Oakley, Annie
Further Reading
McLaird, James D. 2008. Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane: Deadwood Legends. Pierre: South Dakota State Historical Society Press.
O’Connor, Richard. 1997. Wild Bill Hickok. Old Saybrook, CT: Konecky and Konecky.
Rosa, Joseph G. 1974. They Called Him Wild Bill: The Life and Adventures of James Butler Hickok. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.
Weiser, Kathy. 2015. “Wild Bill Hickok & the Deadman’s Hand.” Old West Legends website. http://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-billhickok.html. Accessed November 3, 2015.