As
a marshal, Wild Bill Hickok took a hands-off approach. He spent most of his day gambling in the saloon
and his deputies knew where to find him if they needed him. And even though he policed some of the most
lawless towns out in the west, this technique worked more often than not. Even back then, his name and reputation were
enough to make other gunslingers think twice about causing trouble in the town where Wild
Bill was the law. A lot of the legend and mystique surrounding
Hickok was created by magazines (Harper’s Monthly, in particular), but there was a time
when Hickok might genuinely have been the most dangerous gunman in the Old West. His list of victims included a lot of violent
men (and one bear, but we’ll get to that in a minute). The tales about him may have been exaggerated
to an insane degree, and yet the real stories about Wild Bill Hickok were still full of
mayhem, murder, and adventure. Early Years He was born James Butler Hickok on May 27,
1837, in a little town called Homer, Illinois, which has since been renamed to Troy Grove. He came from a big family and had four brothers
and two sisters and his parents were William Alonzo Hickok and Polly Butler. If young James had a sense of justice and
bravery, they were likely instilled in him by his father who was a staunch abolitionist
and even worked with the Underground Railroad to smuggle slaves out of the South. In later stories, Wild Bill claimed that sometimes
he would accompany his father on smuggle runs and had his fair share of close calls with
the law. On May 5, 1852, William Hickok died, although
it is unclear if it was related to his abolitionist activities or not. James and his three older brothers now had
to take care of the farm and the family. From his early teens, Hickok proved himself
quite proficient with guns. As a teenager, he would often go hunting to
provide food for the family. James found his first job as a drover on the
Illinois and Michigan Canal, but soon enough he headed westward to look for better opportunities. This will be a recurring theme in Hickok’s
life as the man never seemed able to settle down in one place for long. According to some versions of the story, Hickok
left because he had to, not because he wanted to, after getting into a fight with another
drover named Charles Hudson. Hudson was a bully who often targeted the
younger James for his “practical jokes.” One day, Hickok had had enough and the two
began wrestling and ended up in the canal. When James emerged, his opponent was still
in the water and did not appear to be breathing. Fearing that he had killed him, Hickok ran
away from the scene and fled the state, although he later discovered that Hudson had survived
their encounter. It didn’t matter, anyway, as he soon found
something more to his liking. Hickok ended up in Kansas during the brief
seven-year period between 1854 and 1861 when it had been incorporated as a territory but
had not become a state yet. This period is generally known as Bleeding
Kansas because it was marked by violent confrontations between pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups
since that was the hot-button issue for the soon-to-be state. Unsurprisingly, Hickok was on the anti-slavery
side. He joined up with a militia led by future
Union General Jim Lane which was called the Free State Army, but became much better known
as the “Jayhawkers.” Allegedly, it was during this time that James
saved the life of a boy, no older than 11 or 12 years old, by the name of William Cody. He would grow up to be Buffalo Bill. Hickok’s reputation as a gunfighter slowly
began to build. He served as constable for Monticello Township
for a while, before accepting a position with the Russell, Majors, and Waddell Freight Company,
best known as the parent company for the Pony Express mail service. It was at this time that the legend of Wild
Bill Hickok almost ended before it got started when the gunfighter was mauled by a bear. Some versions of the story (including Hickok’s
own account) said that the stagecoach ran into a cinnamon bear blocking the road. Hickok got out and shot it, but failed to
kill the animal and a fight ensued. Another, less courageous telling asserts that
Hickok’s party was sleeping in the wild and the bear simply stumbled onto their camp
and attacked Wild Bill. Both stories ended the same way - Hickok managed
to kill the bear with his knife, but not before it did some serious damage. Bill had to recuperate for months and, afterwards,
he was sent to Rock Creek Station. The McCanles Massacre We arrive at, perhaps, the most controversial
episode from Wild Bill’s life, one that could potentially change the perception of
Hickok from gunfighter to cold-blooded murderer. Rock Creek Station, as its name implies, was
a station for the Pony Express and regular stagecoaches in the southeastern part of the
Nebraska Territory. It was built on land that used to be owned
by a man named David McCanles who sold his property to the freight company in installments. If we go by the popular version of the story,
McCanles was also an outlaw who led his own gang responsible for robberies, cattle rustling,
and even murder. At one point, the company was struggling financially
and failed to pay an installment on time. On July 12, 1861, McCanles and two henchmen,
James Woods and James Gordon, went to the station to get the money he was owed. There, he found the station manager, Horace
Wellman, and his two employees, a man called Brink and Hickok who worked there as a stock
tender. Also present was McCanles’ 12-year-old son,
Monroe. It is impossible to tell with any certainty
what the exact circumstances were. Some say that McCanles became verbally abusive
towards the station employees, or that he forced his way inside to look for money, or
that he pulled out a gun. Others say that McCanles and his men were
unarmed and that Wellman came out with a shotgun, or that Hickok opened fire without provocation. Because Wild Bill became a western icon, the
version that made him look like a hero was the one that circulated the most. Either way, the meeting turned into a confrontation
which turned into a gunfight. Soon enough, McCanles had been shot dead and
both his men were fatally injured. Nobody on the other side sustained serious
injuries. We don’t know for sure who shot who. Hickok usually gets the credit for killing
McCanles, although some versions say Wellman. Both men plus Brink were charged with three
murders, but were acquitted on the basis of self-defense and defense of company property. Interestingly, Monroe McCanles always sustained
that his father and his two men were not armed and were gunned down in cold blood, but he
was not allowed to testify at the trial due to his age. Here’s an interesting bit of trivia for
you. David McCanles might have been dead, but his
legacy continued on to great success. His descendants changed their name to McCandless
and included two decorated war heroes, as well as Captain Bruce McCandless II, the astronaut
who performed the first untethered spaceflight in history. After the episode at Rock Creek Station concluded,
Hickok enlisted in the Union Army in the Civil War. He first served as a teamster and wagon master. Afterwards, Bill joined up with an old acquaintance
of his, General Jim Lane, former leader of the Jayhawkers, who was now in command of
the Kansas Brigade. At this point, Hickok also reunited with an
old friend of his, Buffalo Bill Cody who was working as a scout. Hickok wore many hats during the war, going
where he was needed. He served as scout, spy, and sharpshooter,
among others, and distinguished himself at the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas. This might be the time when Hickok got his
“Wild Bill” moniker. As, arguably, the most famous nickname of
the Old West, many historians have wondered when and why James Butler Hickok became known
as “Wild Bill.” Multiple sources agree that the gunfighter
obtained the moniker during the war for his daring, but reckless ways, but the exact origins
are up for debate. Also uncertain is why he would be called Bill
in the first place since his name was James. According to documents of that era, for a
time, he went by the name William Haycock so that could be the explanation. Another possible alternative was that the
“Bill” wasn’t originally short for William, but rather “bill” as in the beak of a
bird. Before he was known as Wild Bill, he was sometimes
called Duck Bill because he had a long, sharp nose and a protruding upper lip. We know this for certain because he is referred
to as “Duck Bill” in the court documents for the McCanles trial. Hickok absolutely hated this nickname. He grew out his moustache to cover his lip
and it is feasible that he started going by William just so he’d have another reason
to be called Bill. The Gunfight that Defined the Wild West The event that turned James Butler Hickok
into Wild Bill Hickok, legend of the Wild West, occurred soon after the man arrived
in Springfield, Missouri, following the Civil War. If you have ever seen a quickdraw duel between
two men in a western movie, it is because of what happened here because they certainly
were not common in the real West. Hickok quickly developed an antagonistic relationship
with another fellow gambler named Davis Tutt, a former confederate soldier. According to some acquaintances, the two men
may have been friends at first, despite the fact that they served on opposite sides of
the Civil War. Whatever dispute came between them we don’t
know (some say it may have been a woman), but it caused plenty of bad blood between
the two gamblers. Some sources mention that Hickok refused to
play cards at the same table as Tutt so the latter started loaning money to other gamblers
and giving them tips on how to beat Wild Bill. Things weren’t going in Tutt’s favor on
the afternoon of July 20, 1865. In fact, Hickok had won around $200 of his
money. To try and put him off his game, Tutt began
taunting the gambler, reminding Hickok that he owed him $40 from a horse trade. According to witnesses, Wild Bill agreed and
settled his debt right then and there, but this wasn’t enough for Tutt. He then said that Bill owed him another $35
from a different transaction. Hickok disputed this claim, mentioning that,
according to his notes, he only owed $25 which he offered to pay. As you might imagine, because Tutt regularly
gave out loans to gamblers in need, he was a pretty popular guy. In fact, a lot of his friends were there that
night and they all had guns. Sensing that he had the upper hand, Tutt decided
to get cocky. He walked up to Hickok’s card table and
snatched his Waltham gold pocket watch in front of everybody. He then loudly proclaimed that he will keep
it as collateral until he got the other $10. Obviously, Wild Bill was furious, but there
was little he could do as he was completely outgunned. But the situation had other serious consequences
for him than just a public humiliation. At that point, his primary occupation was
gambling and he could not afford to develop a reputation as someone who was unable or
unwilling to settle his debts because nobody would want to play against him anymore. So Hickok allowed Tutt to walk away with his
watch, but warned him not to wear it in public. Looking back at it, this is where Tutt probably
should have called it a day and quit while he was ahead. It is unclear if he said this on the spot
or conveyed the message to Bill later through his associates, but word soon spread that
Tutt was planning to stroll through the town square the next day, proudly showing off his
new, shiny watch. Hickok replied that he would only do this
if “dead men can walk.” At this point, Tutt was backed into a corner. We can only speculate on his ideal outcome
of the matter. Did he actually want to goad Wild Bill into
a gunfight or did he simply want to humiliate him as much as possible? Whatever his intentions were, he pushed too
far. Everyone in Springfield knew what he did and
what he bragged that he was going to do so, if he backed off, he would have been seen
as a coward. The next morning, the two men met and, according
to witness testimony, neither one seemed eager for a fight. They argued for a while and, eventually, went
for a drink together. For a bit, it looked like the matter might
be settled amicably, but their little get-together ended with Tutt storming off angrily. What they said we will never know, but that
afternoon, Tutt could be seen in front of the Springfield courthouse with Hickok’s
watch. Word eventually reached Wild Bill who knew
that the matter had to end one way or another. At around 6 p.m., he walked out in the town
square and headed towards the courthouse and called out Tutt. Everybody else rushed off to the sides and
only the two gunslingers were left standing in the middle of the street. Just like in the movies. Hickok and Tutt exchanged a few words, hesitated
for a bit, but then pulled out their guns and fired at almost the exact same time. We cannot say who shot first. Some witnesses claimed Tutt shot as fast as
possible while Bill took the time to steady his aim. If this is true, then it paid off for Hickok
because Tutt missed, while he hit him between the ribs, causing Tutt to collapse and die. The shot itself was incredibly impressive
which is partially why it caused a sensation. The two men were allegedly standing 75 yards
apart, at a time when your average revolver began losing accuracy after 25 yards. The gunfight became the stuff of legends. It turned Wild Bill Hickok into an icon of
the Old West, but this did not happen overnight. In fact, it wasn’t until early 1867 that
an article in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine about the shootout propelled Hickok to national
fame. The article was written by George Ward Nichols
who, honestly, deserves about as much credit for creating the legend of Wild Bill as Hickok
himself. The article was incredibly sensationalistic
and was far more concerned with telling a compelling story than telling the truth. It contained several falsehoods including,
not in the least, naming the gunfighter Hitchcock instead of Hickok, but it got the job done. Nichols was also the man who sensationalized
the previous shootout with David McCanles to the point where Wild Bill fought off a
bloodthirsty gang of a dozen men single-handedly, armed only with a rifle and a Bowie knife. One part of the duel that you won’t often
see in the movies is the aftermath. Hickok had just gunned down a man in front
of the entire town so he was arrested and charged with murder. The charge was later downgraded to manslaughter
and Bill managed to post bail. His trial took place at the start of August
and, after hearing from 22 eyewitnesses, the jury acquitted him. This verdict was not popular with everyone
and the jury had been accused by multiple publications of conceding to the unwritten
frontier law of a “fair fight” instead of the government laws which would have clearly
found Hickok guilty. Marshal Hickok Now that the business with Tutt was dealt
with, Hickok thought about going into law enforcement. He first ran for city marshal in the same
city of Springfield, but lost the election. In 1867, he took a brief hiatus from his policing
ambitions and joined the Indian Wars, serving as a scout again. Here, he worked under General George Custer
who, a decade later, would gain infamy for his defeat at the Battle of Little Bighorn,
also known as “Custer’s Last Stand.” Hickok made a deep impression on the general
who went on to describe him as “one of the most perfect types of physical manhood I ever
saw...His skill in the use of the rifle and pistol was unerring...His influence among
the frontiersmen was unbounded; his word was law.” General Custer reported that Wild Bill had
two large ivory-handled revolvers which he always carried with him and that, at the time,
Hickok was responsible for at least six killings in shootouts and many other injuries, yet
he had always escaped untouched. In 1869, Wild Bill became the city marshal
of Hays, Kansas. At the same time, he was also serving as sheriff
of Ellis County after having been elected to finish the remaining term of the previous
sheriff who quit. It didn’t take long before Hickok began
setting down the law in his own way. He killed two men in his first month as sheriff. First was a troublemaker named Bill Mulvey
or Melvin who got drunk and began shooting out random windows in town and the other was
a man who got into a bar fight named Samuel Strawhun. Both men drew on Hickok...both men lost. Another violent encounter happened in 1870
when two drunk cavalry troopers attacked the marshal, prompting him to return fire. One of the men had his knee shattered while
the other died of his injuries the next day. It seemed that the people of Ellis County
weren’t very happy with Hickok’s tactics and he lost the next election. The gunfighter moved on and became marshal
in Abilene, Kansas, a city with a much wilder reputation. In fact, the previous marshal, a notable gunman
in his own right named Tom “Bear River” Smith, had not only been killed while serving
a warrant, but also decapitated. This was a city more suited to Hickok’s
trigger-happy disposition. In fact, soon after becoming marshal, he was
involved in a saloon shootout where two men were killed. Afterwards, the local newspaper published
an article defending the marshal, making it clear that that was the new standard procedure
from then on. It read: “There is no use in trying to override
Wild Bill, the Marshal. His arrangements for policing the city are
complete, and attempts to kill police officers or in any way create disturbance, must result
in loss of life on the part of violators of the law." During this time, Wild Bill had an encounter
with John Wesley Hardin. You may not have heard of Hardin. He wasn’t as famous as some other contemporary
outlaws like Jesse James or Billy the Kid, but he had a higher kill count. He proclaimed that he gunned down over 40
men, although other sources credited him with “only” 27 kills. He wasn’t as prolific when he visited Abilene,
although he was still an outlaw. We’re not sure exactly how the event unfolded
as we don’t have Hickok’s side of the story and Hardin gave differing accounts over
the years. What we do know happened was that Hardin killed
the man sleeping in the hotel room next to his for snoring too loud. When Wild Bill came to confront him, one of
two things probably took place (at least, according to Hardin). He either got the drop on the marshal, disarmed
him and left town, or the likelier version - he jumped out the window dressed only in
his undershirt, hid in a haystack, stole a horse and rode away. We never got a gunfight between Wild Bill
and Hardin, but we did get one between Hickok and Phil Coe, the owner of the Bull’s Head
Saloon in town. We’re not sure on the source of the animosity
between them, but it escalated to violence and Coe drew on Hickok during a street brawl. Hickok drew back, shot and killed Coe, but
then he made the worst mistake of his life. Wild Bill noticed some sudden movement and,
out of pure instinct, he shot and killed the man heading towards him. However, that man was Mike Williams, one of
his friends and deputies. The Dead Man’s Hand Unsurprisingly, Hickok was dismissed as marshal
for his lethal blunder and, to our knowledge, he never killed a man again. Besides his guilt for Williams’ death, he
was dealing with another big problem - he was losing his vision. Some say he had glaucoma, others ophthalmia,
but he would have probably gone blind if he would have lived longer. His gunfighting days were over. Wild Bill’s last few years were unbefitting
of a man once regarded as one of the greatest legends of the Old West. He was arrested for vagrancy several times. He married an older widow whom he left after
just a few months. For a while, he joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild
West Show, but found that he hated performing on stage and only lasted a couple of months
before being fired. In 1876, Wild Bill joined a man named Charlie
Utter and went prospecting for gold in Deadwood, South Dakota. On August 2, he was shot in the back of the
head while playing poker by a drunken gambler named Jack McCall. According to legend, he was holding the black
pairs of aces and eights which has since become known as
the “dead man’s hand.”
