Buffalo Bill Cody and Wild Bill Hickok are not the same person, but many people – including some of our visitors here at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West – often get them confused. William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, the showman (among other things), and James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok, the gunfighter (among other things), do have some shared history in both the factual American West and in the legends that draw people to the subject of the American West.
While Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill did know each other and even worked together early in their careers, their lives took rather different paths. Let’s take a closer look at these two larger-than-life men from the history of the American West.
Who is Buffalo Bill?
Buffalo Bill (1846 – 1917) was born in Iowa and went to work at a young age on a wagon train and then a freight hauling company that eventually ran the Pony Express. He was a frontiersman, and served as a scout for the Union Army during the last years of the Civil War, and as a Civilian Scout. He hunted buffalo to feed the work crews for the Kansas Pacific Railroad. He guided hunts for generals and royalty. Buffalo Bill began appearing in “dime novels,” which led him to a short career on the stage in Buffalo Bill Combination.
What is Buffalo Bill famous for?
Buffalo Bill’s early experiences as a frontiersman and scout make him intriguing to those fascinated with the historic American West and helped him become known. But it was his career as the founder and at the forefront of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, which began in 1883, that made him one of the most recognizable celebrities on the planet. The show ran for the next 30 years, touring both the United States and Europe, and ensuring Buffalo Bill’s status as the world-famous showman. In addition to making him famous, his Wild West show elevated the reputation and mythic status of the American West to a global audience.
Who is Wild Bill Hickok?
Wild Bill (1837 – 1876) was born on a farm in Illinois. As a young boy, he practiced shooting with a pistol until he became highly proficient in its use. He left home at age 17 and first worked as a canal boat pilot. Like Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill also served as a scout in the Army, as well as a spy and sharpshooter. He, too, worked for the freighting company of Russell, Majors, and Waddell as Buffalo Bill did, but as a teamster.
He sought out a livelihood that would capitalize on his skills with a gun. He is said to have shot down five desperadoes in Leavenworth, Kansas, when he was just 21. Wild Bill’s growing reputation as a gunfighter earned him the sheriff’s job in Hays County, Kansas, and soon after he was appointed marshal of the bustling cow town of Abilene, Kansas. In July 1876, he became a peace officer in Deadwood, South Dakota.
What happened to Wild Bill Hickok?
On August 2, 1876, Wild Bill was shot in back of the head during a poker game in a saloon in Deadwood by Jack McCall, who may have been hired to kill him. First acquitted of murder, McCall was later retried in Laramie, Wyoming Territory, found guilty, and hanged on March 1, 1877.
With Wild Bill’s already legendary status as a gunman of the American West, the hand of cards he was holding at the time of his death, “Aces and Eights” (with an unknown fifth card), became known as the “Dead Man’s Hand.”
Wild Bill’s ability as an excellent marksman made him the first really famous gunfighter of the American West. That and his reputation as a lawman earned him his enduring place in the fascination with the “Old West” that continues today.
The Relationship between Buffalo Bill & Wild Bill Hickok
William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody first met James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, when Hickok and Cody (nearly ten years younger than Hickok) worked for the stagecoach and wagon-freighting company of Russell, Majors & Waddell.
Hickok became Cody’s mentor during this time. Years later Cody became involved with stage acting and created the Buffalo Bill Combination to perform plays on stage. In those days a “combination” was the theatrical agreement between a star and the supporting actors during the “run” of a single play. In 1873, “Buffalo Bill” Cody asked his friend “Wild Bill” Hickok, to join his combination for the staging of a play written by Hiram Robbins titled Scouts of the Plains.
Hickok agreed. Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill Hickok first appeared on stage together in September, 1873, and during the next several months. The two demonstrated various skills of the frontier scouts/plainsmen—including the actual shooting of targets on stage.
On November 13, 1873, Scouts of the Plains by Hiram Robbins starring “Wild Bill,” “Buffalo Bill,” and “Texas Jack” Omohundro premiered in Buffalo, New York, and ran until June 1874. This was the only “show” in which James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok performed with William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody. The two remained friends until Hickok’s murder in Deadwood, South Dakota, on August 2, 1876, at the age of 39.
Frequently Asked Questions about Buffalo Bill & Wild Bill
Where is Buffalo Bill actually buried?
William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody is buried on Lookout Mountain near Golden, Colorado.
Who killed Wild Bill Hickok?
Jack McCall shot Wild Bill Hickok from the back in a saloon in Deadwood, South Dakota, in 1876.
How did Buffalo Bill get his name?
Buffalo Bill got his nickname during his time hunting buffalo for the Kansas Pacific Railroad, which hired him in 1867 to feed the crews working for them. He killed more than 4,000 buffalo for the railroad. Despite this, he later supported wildlife conservation efforts.
