James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837 – August 2, 1876)—known as
"Wild Bill" Hickok—was a folk character of the American Old West.
Some of his exploits as reported at the time were fiction, but his skill as a
gunfighter and gambler provided the basis for his fame, along with his
reputation as a lawman.
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| James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837 – August 2, 1876)—known as "Wild Bill" Hickok— |
Hickok was born and raised on a farm in rural Illinois. He
went west at age 18 as a fugitive from justice, first working as a stagecoach
driver, then as a lawman in the frontier territories of Kansas and Nebraska. He
fought (and spied) for the Union Army during the American Civil War and gained
publicity after the war as a scout, marksman, actor and professional gambler.
Hickok was involved in several notable shootouts.
He was shot from behind and killed while playing poker in a
saloon in Deadwood, Dakota Territory (now South Dakota) by an unsuccessful
gambler, Jack McCall. The card hand which he supposedly held at the time of his
death (aces and eights) has come to be known as the "Dead Man's
Hand."
Credits: Wikipedia
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