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James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok was one of the most legendary figures of the Old West. A renowned marksman and Civil War spy, Hickok was known for his skills with a pair of twin Colt revolvers, killing somewhere between eight and 100 men, depending on whose stories you believe.
As a deputy U.S. marshal, he was a veteran of many Indian battles and served as a scout to officers like George Armstrong Custer. He had been a marshal in Hays City, and then Abilene, Kansas, gaining a reputation as a man who could pacify an untamed community.
After touring the country in a Wild West show with the likes of Buffalo Bill Cody, Hickok drifted from place to place, drinking heavily and gambling even more. He traveled to Deadwood to stake a claim and earn some money for himself and his new wife, but the lure of the tables kept him from much prospecting.
He was murdered in Nutall's No. 10, shot from behind by Jack McCall. McCall was captured, but town leaders feared attention from the U.S. government, and he was found innocent.
Before he died, Hickok asked his new friend Seth Bullock to aid Alma Garret with her claim.
Discuss Wild Bill Hickock on the Deadwood Bulletin Boards.
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Deadwood Nuggets
It has been documented that in 1876, Deadwood's Gem Saloon was taking in $5,000 a night.
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