Wild Bill's card game

Wild Bill was a genuine celebrity and historical figure in his own time. In the Civil War he was a union spy and was credited for a lot of kills and heroic deeds. It's hard to separate legend from fact because of all the press and popular writing that touted his deeds. After the war he served as a scout for Custer, and Custer wrote about him:   

General Custer Recalls Wild Bill Hickok

Whether on foot or on horseback he [Hickok] was one of the most perfect types of physical manhood I ever saw. Of his courage there could be no question: it has been brought to the test on too many occasions to doubt. His skill in the use of the rifle and pistol was unerring; while his deportment was exactly the opposite of what we expected for a man of his surroundings. It was entirely free of bluster and bravado. He seldom spoke of himself unless requested to do so. His conversation, strange to say, never bordered either on the vulgar or blasphemous. His influence among the frontiersmen was unbounded, his word was law, and many are the personal quarrels and disturbances which he has checked among his comrades by the simple announcement that "This has gone far enough," if need be followed by the ominous warning that when persisted in or renewed the quarreler "must settle it with me."

Wild Bill is anything but a quarrelsome man; yet no one but himself can enumerate the many conflicts in which he has been engaged, and which have almost invariably resulted in the death of his adversary. I have personal knowledge of at least half a dozen men whom he has at various times killed, one of these being a member of my command. [One of a group of cavalrymen who tried to gang up on Hickok in Hays City in the summer of 1870.]

Others have been severely wounded, yet he always escaped unhurt. On the plains every man openly carried his belt with its invariable appendages, knife and revolver, often two of the latter. Wild Bill always carried two handsome ivoryhandled revolvers of the large size; he was never seen without them. [Probably the handguns given to Hickok by Senator Wilson.]

Custer's wife also wrote:

Wild Bill as Mrs. Custer Remembered Him

Physically he was a delight to look upon. Tall, lithe and free in every motion, he made and walked as if every muscle was perfection, and the careless swing of his body as he moved seemed perfectly in keeping with the man, the country, the time in which he lived. I do not recall anything finer in the way of physical perfection than Wild Bill when he swung himself lightly from his saddle, and with graceful, swaying steps, squarely set shoulders and well pointed head, approached our tent for orders. He was rather fantastically clad but that seemed perfectly in keeping with the time and place. He did not make an armoury of his waist, but carried two pistols. He wore top-boots, riding breeches, and dark blue flannel shirt, with scarlet set in front. A loose neck handkerchief left his fine firm throat free. I do not at all remember his features but the frankly, manly expression of his fearless eyes and his courteous manner gave one a feeling of confidence in his word and in his undaunted courage."

Because of the fame built around him, he often was targeted by gunmen wanting a reputation, but the few who actually attempted an assault where shot or pistol whipped. Most never got up the courage.

Like several other of the toughest gunmen, he was assassinated from behind, most likely prompted by underworld figures in Deadwood who feared he was going to put on the badge. To me he is one of the most interesting men of the wild west period, short as it was.

On August 2 1876 US Marshal James Butler Hickok was murdered by the coward Jack McCall while playing poker in a Deadwood saloon. He had two aces and two eights in his hand at the time (the origin of the now-famous "dead man's hand").
In addition to his gambling Wild Bill was a deadly gunfighter who once shot a man through the heart at 50ft: an impressive feat as the crude cap-and-ball revolvers were heavy, inaccurate weapons. According to a book i read during my childhood Wild Bill gained his skills through years of practise. Legend has it he used his own playing cards as targets


Edited by Nick1986 - 24-May-2011 at 11:42