{"id":119819,"date":"2020-04-04T22:07:57","date_gmt":"2020-04-05T02:07:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=119819"},"modified":"2020-04-04T22:07:57","modified_gmt":"2023-09-06T16:38:06","slug":"the-rugged-life-and-gory-death-of-wild-bill-hickok","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/the-rugged-life-and-gory-death-of-wild-bill-hickok\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rugged Life and Gory Death of Wild Bill Hickok"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"The
Wild Bill Hickok was the original Old Western gunfighter. Like most professional purveyors of violence, he left his mark but died both young and hard. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The fourth of six children, James Butler\nHickok was born in 1837 in Homer, Illinois, to parents William and Polly. William\nwas an abolitionist whose home was a station on the Underground Railroad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Hickok\u2019s generous nose spawned some serious ribbing from his peers. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

James was endowed with an unusually long nose and pouting lips, earning him the derisive moniker \u201cDuck Bill\u201d Hickok from some of the rough men with whom he eventually associated. James grew a bushy mustache to compensate and began calling himself \u201cWild Bill\u201d instead. When he was 21 years old he adopted his dead brother\u2019s name, William.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The exploits of the Old West gunfighters served as pulp entertainment for the masses back east. This image of Wild Bill in action was published in Harper\u2019s Magazine. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cheap western print serials were the\nreality TV of the day, and larger-than-life figures like Hickok frequently had\ntheir exploits wildly embellished. However, enough has been verified to\ndocument Wild Bill\u2019s ample adventure and mayhem. Just before\nthe onset of the American Civil War Hickok was very nearly killed by a bear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Hickok\u2019s career nearly ended before it got started when he got sideways with a grizzly bear. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 1860 at the age of 24 Wild Bill was driving a freight\nwagon from Missouri to New Mexico when he encountered a female grizzly with a\nbrace of cubs blocking the road. Hickok dismounted his wagon and shot the bear\nin the head with his pistol, bouncing the round off of its skull and enraging\nthe beast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
An adult grizzly is a formidable creature. Wild Bill Hickok ultimately killed this one with a knife but suffered grievous injury in the process. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The bear was on him in an instant, crushing his chest and\nmauling him severely. Hickok got off another shot into the bear\u2019s paw and\nretrieved his knife, slashing the beast\u2019s throat and killing it. Badly injured\nin the chest, shoulder, and arm, Hickok was bedridden for four months\nrecovering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soldier, Lawman, Manhunter, Spy<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"The
Wild Bill cultivated a lifelong friendship with Buffalo Bill Cody. Cody\u2019s Wild West show brought a taste of Western adventure to domesticated audiences across the country. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

William Hickok served in the Union Army during the war where\nhe developed a friendship with a young Buffalo Bill Cody. Cody enlisted at age\nseventeen as a teamster for the 7th<\/sup> Cavalry and ultimately won the\nMedal of Honor as a scout during the Indian Wars. Cody claimed to have seen\nHickok in the uniform of a Confederate officer during the war, furthering Wild\nBill\u2019s legend as a Union spy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Davis Tutt committed the unpardonable sin of making an enemy of Wild Bill Hickok. Those are some seriously spooky eyes. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After the war ended in 1865 Hickok made his way to Springfield, Missouri, to earn a living as a professional gambler. While there he fell out with a fellow gambler named Davis Tutt over unpaid debts and the affections of various women. Despite Tutt\u2019s Confederate service, the two men had been friends for a time. However, Wild Bill supposedly fathered a bastard child by Tutt\u2019s sister. Tutt was himself caught paying undue attention to Hickok\u2019s girl du jour, a local harlot named Susanna Moore. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Tutt seized Hickok\u2019s favorite gold watch claiming it as payment for a disputed gambling debt. The fact that he took the item in public meant that honor was now at stake. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Their acrimony came to a head after Tutt stole Hickok\u2019s\nfavorite gold watch during a card game. The two men refused to play each other\ndirectly, but Tutt advised and bankrolled several of Wild Bill\u2019s opponents in\nan effort at bankrupting him. During a heated high-stake game wherein Wild Bill\nwas ahead by $200, Tutt snatched Hickok\u2019s watch off the table claiming it as\ncollateral for a previous debt. Tutt\u2019s buddies were well-armed and numerous so\nWild Bill had no choice but to let Tutt leave with his property. However, when\nTutt boasted that he was going to wear the watch in public the following day\nHickok\u2019s fuse was lit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
At the time of the Hickok-Tutt showdown, there were more advanced sidearms available. However, Wild Bill preferred the reliability of the classic 1851 Colt Navy. Replicas such as this one are inexpensive and fun to shoot. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Despite the ready availability of cartridge-firing\nrevolvers, Wild Bill preferred the manual reliability of the classic\n.36-caliber 1851 Colt Navy. Quality control was not then what it is today, so\nfixed ammunition was not infrequently short-loaded or devoid of powder\naltogether. Using a cap-and-ball sidearm ensured that the weapon was charged\nproperly every time. Hickok retreated to his hotel room to clean and reload his\nmatched pair of Colts in anticipation of trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Guns<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"The
Samuel Colt was both an innovative designer and a master marketer. His revolvers revolutionized the gun world and helped tame the American West. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A young Samuel Colt served as a junior seaman on the brig Corvo<\/em>. During a voyage to Calcutta, he observed the function of the ratchet and pawl mechanism of the ship\u2019s capstan and resolved to adapt the design to a repeating firearm. While aboard the ship he built a wooden model of his proposed handgun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The 1851 Colt Navy brought six reliable shots where most weapons of the era only packed one. Compact, portable, and accurate enough, the Colt Navy found a ready market around the world. Sam Colt produced the gun both in the US and in London. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Between 1847 and 1850 Colt developed the Colt Revolving Belt\nPistol of Naval Caliber. He first wanted to call the gun the Ranger. However,\nthe title Colt 1851 Navy or simply Navy Revolver eventually stuck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Almost all original Colt Navy revolvers fired .36-caliber balls. They also sported an engraved Naval battle scene on their cylinders. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Colt Navy was a popular weapon on both sides during the\nCivil War and remained in production until 1873 when it was supplanted by the\nfamed Colt Single Action Army. Total American production numbered around\n215,000 copies with another 42,000 produced in Colt\u2019s London facility. Almost\nall Navy pistols were chambered in .36-caliber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The 1851 Colt Navy was relatively underpowered by today\u2019s standards. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The 1851 Colt Navy fired an 80-grain pure lead ball at about\n1,000 feet per second. This puts the gun solidly on par with a modern .380ACP.\nThe front sight was a brass cone set at the muzzle that mated with a notch cut\ninto the top of the hammer. Despite the relative crudity of this arrangement,\nas we shall see in a moment, the Colt Navy could be plenty accurate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The Colt Navy included a clever pivoting ramrod underneath the barrel to facilitate loading. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Wild Bill\u2019s fondness for the Navy was well documented. Other\nflamboyant figures such as John Henry \u201cDoc\u201d Holliday, Ned Kelly, Robert E. Lee,\nand Nathan Bedford Forrest used the weapon operationally as well. There is a\npivoting ramrod built into the action to facilitate seating the balls, and a\nsubsequent cartridge conversion extended the life of the weapons. It is\ncritical when loading the gun to slather a little grease across the ends of the\nchambers. I once had five rounds detonate simultaneously after I had been\nunduly stingy with the lube.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Shootout<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

There was a failed attempt at diplomacy the next morning that took place in the town square at 10 am. Tutt brandished the watch proudly and demanded a sum for its return that Hickok disputed. As they were both professional gamblers neither man could afford to lose face lest their reputations and subsequent livelihoods suffer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Wild Bill Hickok was not a man to suffer insult lightly. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mutual friends attempted to mediate, but Tutt dangled the pilfered watch in Hickok\u2019s face for all the townspeople to see. The two men agreed to share a drink, but by now the damage was done. A bit before 6 pm that same day Hickok approached the square from the south, one of his Colt revolvers dangling calmly in his right hand. Hickok typically eschewed holsters when he knew trouble was afoot, preferring to tuck his matched pistols into his belt butts forward cavalry style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Don\u2019t let the placid visage fool you. When Wild Bill Hickok arrived to settle a score, he was stone cold. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
These are purportedly Hickok\u2019s original ivory-handled Colt Navy pistols. One of these guns would have been used to kill Davis Tutt. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The assembled crowd saw the brandished weapon and scattered,\nleaving Davis Tutt alone in the northwestern corner of the square. Hickok\ncalled out flatly, \u201cDave, here I am.\u201d He then manually cocked his pistol and\ntucked it into his belt. At a range of 75 feet he then stated, \u201cDon\u2019t you come\nacross here with that watch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Hickok was an accomplished marksman. It is interesting that even in the heat of a gunfight he took his time and aimed carefully. When trouble was afoot he typically carried his revolvers lose in a sash or belt butt forward. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tutt uttered not a word but stood sideways with his hand\nresting on his pistol butt. Both men paused for a pregnant moment. Tutt then suddenly\nreached for his gun as did Hickok. An accomplished marksman, Wild Bill rested his\nColt across his left forearm and aimed carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Both men fired at roughly the same time. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Both men loosed a single round at essentially the same\nmoment. Tutt\u2019s shot went wide, but Hickok\u2019s connected on his opponent\u2019s left\nside between the fifth and seventh ribs. Davis Tutt called out, \u201cBoys, I\u2019m\nkilled,\u201d before running onto the porch of the nearby courthouse and then back onto\nthe street. There he fell, bled out, and died. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Wild Bill Hickok\u2019s shooting of Davis Tutt inspired countless Hollywood showdowns. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The gunfight between Wild Bill Hickok and Davis Tutt was the\nfirst documented instance of two gunmen settling their differences via an armed\npublic showdown on the Western frontier. This performance was repeated several\ntimes in violent towns like Tombstone and Deadwood. There have also been\ncountless iterations reproduced on screens both large and small. The depiction\nof a flint-eyed gunslinger defending his honor in single combat became part of\nthe fabric Western lore, and Wild Bill Hickok blazed the trail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rest of the Story<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"The
Wild Bill\u2019s acquittal led to a brief stint in show business. Here the famous gunfighter is seen on the left alongside his friend Buffalo Bill Cody. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Wild Bill was arrested two days later for murder, but the\ncharge was subsequently reduced to manslaughter. The Honorable Judge Sempronius\nBoyd presided over the three-day trial. Of twenty-two witnesses present on the\nsquare that day only four had their heads up so they could watch events unfold.\nAfter Judge Boyd issued confusing and contradictory instructions to the jury\nthey deliberated \u201can hour or two\u201d and acquitted Wild Bill of the crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Jack McCall was a failed gambler and a ne\u2019er-do-well. His inability to quit led to a fatal outburst. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Wild Bill Hickok likely killed at least six or seven men in his capacity as an affronted gambler and lawman. In August of 1876, Hickok beat a drunkard named Jack McCall badly at cards at the Nuttal and Mann\u2019s Saloon Number 10 in Deadwood, Dakota Territory. Hickok encouraged McCall to quit the game and even gave him money for breakfast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The cards that Hickok held when he was murdered included a pair of aces and a pair of eights. This combination has ever since been known as the Dead Man\u2019s Hand. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The following day McCall now thoroughly sober tracked down\nHickok who was again busy playing cards. McCall drew his .45-caliber Colt\nSingle Action Army and shot Hickok through the head at contact range. The\nbullet exited Wild Bill\u2019s right cheek and wounded riverboat Captain William Massie\nin the left wrist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
At the time of his death at age 39, Hickok\u2019s eyesight was failing. Possible causes ranged from unknown degenerative eye disease to syphilis. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The following March Jack McCall was hanged for the crime.\nFour years later McCall\u2019s body was exhumed when the cemetery was relocated. The\nnoose was found still around his neck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Here we see Calamity Jane hamming it up at Wild Bill Hickok\u2019s grave. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
This is purportedly the Smith and Wesson Number 2 revolver Wild Bill Hickok had on his person when he was killed. The gun was supposedly traded for burial expenses. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
Cartridge conversions breathed new life into countless old cap-and-ball Navy revolvers. This converted Navy reportedly belonged to Hickok. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica!<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wild Bill Hickok was the original Old Western gunfighter. Like most professional purveyors of violence, he left his mark but died both young and hard.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":126832,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_specdata_upc":"","_specdata_placement":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,257,772],"tags":[132,102,2204,752,1659],"featured":[],"hunt365":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-119819","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gunsamerica-authors","8":"category-historical-guns","9":"category-will-dabbs","10":"tag-buzz","11":"tag-feature-articles","12":"tag-gunfighting","13":"tag-historical-guns","14":"tag-wild-west-guns"},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/WildBillHickock-150x93.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119819"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119819\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":186573,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119819\/revisions\/186573"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/126832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119819"},{"taxonomy":"featured","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured?post=119819"},{"taxonomy":"hunt365","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hunt365?post=119819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}