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Not to be confused with William "Wild Bill" Hickok. Wild Bill Hickock Born James Butler Hickok May 27, 1837(1837-05-27) Troy Grove, Illinois, U.S. Died August 2, 1876 (aged 39) Deadwood, Dakota Territory, U.S. Cause of death Murdered (shot in the back of the head) by Jack McCall Resting place Mount Moriah Cemetery James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837 – August 2, 1876), better known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a figure in the American Old West. His skills as a gunfighter and scout, along with his reputation as a lawman, provided the basis for his fame, although some of his exploits are fictionalized. His nickname of Wild Bill has inspired similar nicknames for men named William (even though that was not Hickok's name) who were known for their daring in various fields. Hickok's horse was called Black Nell, and he owned two Colt 1851 Navy Revolvers. Hickok came to the West as a stagecoach driver, then became a lawman in the frontier territories of Kansas and Nebraska. He fought in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and gained publicity after the war as a scout, marksman, and professional gambler. Between his law-enforcement duties and gambling, which easily overlapped, Hickok was involved in several notable shootouts, and was ultimately killed while playing poker in a Dakota Territory saloon. Contents [hide] 1 Life and career 1.1 Early life 1.2 Constable 1.3 Civil War and scouting 1.4 Lawman and gunfighter notoriety 1.5 Death 1.6 Funeral and burial 2 "Dime novel" Life and career Early life Wild Bill Hickok was born in Homer, Illinois (name later changed to Troy Grove, Illinois) on May 27, 1837. His birthplace is now the Wild Bill Hickok Memorial, a listed historic site under the supervision of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. While he was growing up, his father's farm was one of the stops on the Underground Railroad, and he learned his shooting skills protecting the farm with his father from slave catchers. Hickok was a good shot from a very young age. In 1855, at the age of 18, Hickok moved to Kansas Territory following a fight with Charles Hudson, which resulted in both falling into a canal. Mistakenly thinking he had killed Hudson, Hickok fled and joined General Jim Lane's vigilante Free State Army ("The Red Legs") where he met 12-year-old William Cody, later to be known as "Buffalo Bill," who at that time was a scout for Johnston's Army.[1] At 19, Hickok was elected constable of Monticello Township. Due to his "sweeping nose and protruding upper lip," Hickok was nicknamed "Duck Bill."[2] In 1861, after growing a mustache following the infamous McCanles incident, and with some encouragement from himself, he was to become known by the nickname he is most famous for, "Wild Bill."[3] Constable | ||||
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