Of all the Old West figures whose images eventually found their way into our popular culture, none was better known than Wild Bill Hickok. This book, a companion volume to Joseph Rosa’s exhaustive biography, They Called Him Wild Bill, reproduces in one volume nearly all the known portraits of Wild Bill, together with photographs of his family, his friends, his foes, and the places that knew him.

“James Butler Hickok, generally called ‘Wild Bill,’ epitomized the archetypal gunfighter, that half-man, half-myth that became the heir to the mystique of the duelist when that method of resolving differences waned. . . . Easy access to a gun and whiskey coupled with gambling was the cause of most gunfights--few of which bore any resemblance to the gentlemanly duel of earlier times. . . . Hickok’s gunfights were unusual in that most of them were ‘fair’ fights, not just killings resulting from rage, jealousy over a woman, or drunkenness. And, the majority of his encounters were in his role as lawman or as an individual upholding the law.”--from Wild Bill Hickok, Gunfighter Wild Bill Hickok (1837–1876) was a Civil War spy and scout, Indian fighter, gambler, and peace officer. He was also one of the greatest gunfighters in the West. His peers referred to his reflexes as “phenomenal” and to his skill with a pistol as “miraculous.” In Wild Bill Hickok, Gunfighter, Joseph G. Rosa, the world’s foremost authority on Hickok, provides an informative examination of Hickok’s many gunfights. Rosa describes the types of guns used by Hickok and illustrates his use of the plains’ style of “quick draw,” as well as examining other elements of the Hickok legend. He even reconsiders the infamous “dead man’s hand” allegedly held by Hickok when he was shot to death at age thirty-nine while playing poker. Numerous photographs and drawings accompany Rosa’s down-to-earth text.

Wild Bill Hickok and Buffalo Bill Cody were considered heroes and the greatest plainsmen of their time. They were larger than life, legendary characters. They knew where to locate water, good grass for livestock, sheltered campsites, and game for hunting. They knew how to survive the blistering heat and terrific thunderstorms of summer and the subzero blizzards of winter. They could avoid Indians or act as trackers following the trails of Indians as well as desperados. They were expert marksmen and did not back down from a fight. They rushed in where others held back. Hickok, a frontier wagon and stagecoach driver, became a Union spy during the Civil War, furthering his reputation after the war as a frontier Army scout, gunfighter, and lawman. Cody, who claimed to ride for the Pony Express, served in the Union Army, and became legendary as an expert buffalo hunter and Army scout. Hickok and Cody were good friends and experienced a series of adventures together. Hickok traveled to Deadwood, Dakota Territory, during the 1876 Black Hills goldrush where he was assassinated by Jack McCall. Cody continued scouting for the Army and after the Battle of the Little Big Horn, won a one-on-one duel with a Cheyenne warrior, Yellow Hair. Cody went on to become one of the most well-known showmen in the world with his Buffalo Bill’s Wild West. Wild Bill Hickok and Buffalo Bill Cody: Plainsmen, the fourth book in the Legendary West series, explores the lives of these two well-known characters.

bibliography, index, eight-page photo essay

It has not been the purpose of this book to novelize Wild Bill Hickok. That has already been done, and rather effectively. The main purpose of this work is to find out what was real, and what imaginary, in the stories about him. Wild Bill was a fascinating personality to all who knew him. The mere mention of his name never failed to bring a crash of brasses from the orchestra. His friends never ceased to chant his praises as an honest man, an incredibly accurate pistol shot, and an individual who was without fear in the presence of danger._x000D_ Contents:_x000D_ The Prince of Pistoleers_x000D_ Ancestry and Early Manhood _x000D_ The Magnum Opus of Pistolry _x000D_ The Mccanles Mystery Solved _x000D_ Wartime Adventures_x000D_ Fight With Conquering Bear and a New Indian Romance _x000D_ The Duel With Dave Tutt_x000D_ A Blue Ribbon Outburst of Guns_x000D_ On the Plains With the Wilson Party_x000D_ Marshal of Hays City and Abilene_x000D_ Wild Bill Starts a Wild West Show_x000D_ Traits and Personal Appearance_x000D_ Three Shooting Stars _x000D_ A Visit to Cheyenne_x000D_ Romance and Marriage _x000D_ The Calamity Jane-Wild Bill Myth_x000D_ Last Days_x000D_ The Trial and Execution of Jack Mccall

It has not been the purpose of this book to novelize Wild Bill Hickok. That has already been done, and rather effectively. The main purpose of this work is to find out what was real, and what imaginary, in the stories about him. Wild Bill was a fascinating personality to all who knew him. The mere mention of his name never failed to bring a crash of brasses from the orchestra. His friends never ceased to chant his praises as an honest man, an incredibly accurate pistol shot, and an individual who was without fear in the presence of danger. Contents: The Prince of Pistoleers Ancestry and Early Manhood The Magnum Opus of Pistolry The Mccanles Mystery Solved Wartime Adventures Fight With Conquering Bear and a New Indian Romance The Duel With Dave Tutt A Blue Ribbon Outburst of Guns On the Plains With the Wilson Party Marshal of Hays City and Abilene Wild Bill Starts a Wild West Show Traits and Personal Appearance Three Shooting Stars A Visit to Cheyenne Romance and Marriage The Calamity Jane-Wild Bill Myth Last Days The Trial and Execution of Jack Mccall

At about 12 noon, August 2nd, 1876, James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok, entered the No. 10 Saloon in Deadwood City seeking entertainment and drinks.... three men were engaged in a game of draw poker cards and quickly invited Wild Bill to join them.... Hickok had an unobstructed view of the front door and could comfortably turn his head to see the rear door... Jack McCall entered the No. 10 Saloon ... when less than half a dozen feet from the rear door, McCall suddenly turned and fired one round... death was instantaneous.... This historical book includes the best available description of the No. 10 Saloon interior floor layout, and the physical placement of all the participants that were involved with the shooting of Wild Bill on August 2nd, 1876. A detailed analysis of the subsequent flight, capture, and trial of Jack McCall is also provided. Original photos and a new 1876 Deadwood City Main Street informational map are made available for review.

Profiles the life and exploits of William Hickok, the legendary Western sharpshooter known as Wild Bill.

Eulogised and ostracised, James Butler Hickok was alternately labelled courageous, affable, and self-confident; cowardly, cold-blooded, and drunken; a fine specimen of manhood; an overdressed dandy with perfumed hair; an unequaled marksman; and a poor shot. Born in Illinois in 1837, he was shot dead in Deadwood only 39 years later. By then both famous and infamous, he was widely known as Wild Bill.

A meticulously researched account about how an alcoholic prostitute was transformed into a Wild West heroine is presented in this biography of Martha Canary, the woman known as Calamity Jane.