Wild Bill – 1867 Harper’s Weekly Article

In February 1867, the pages of Harper’s New Monthly Magazine introduced the nation to a figure who would quickly transcend the boundaries of reality and become a cornerstone of American frontier lore: Wild Bill. Penned by George Ward Nichols, the article, titled simply "Wild Bill," presented a vivid, arguably embellished, portrait of James Butler Hickok, a scout and gunfighter whose name was already whispered with a mixture of awe and trepidation in the burgeoning settlements of the West. While the article is now in the public domain, its impact on shaping the legend of Wild Bill is undeniable, even if its accuracy has been debated for over a century.

Nichols, a former journalist and Union Army officer who served on the staff of Generals Fremont and Sherman, sought to capture the essence of this enigmatic figure, whom he encountered in Springfield, Missouri, in the summer of 1865. Springfield, as Nichols describes it, was a town still reeling from the Civil War, a place where tensions simmered just beneath the surface, and where the line between law and lawlessness was often blurred. The air was thick with suspicion, and the ever-present threat of violence hung heavy.

Nichols paints a picture of a society where men carried revolvers as casually as pocket watches, and where disputes were often settled with a swift draw and a deadly aim. He describes the town as a melting pot of "strange, half-civilized people," their attire a bizarre mix of homespun gear and animal hides, their lives dictated by the rhythms of barter and trade. Amidst this backdrop of frontier chaos, Nichols introduces us to Wild Bill, a man who seemingly embodied the spirit of the Wild West itself.

The author’s initial encounter with Hickok is meticulously detailed. Nichols sets the scene on a sweltering summer day, describing the lazy atmosphere that pervaded the town square. The languid air is abruptly shattered by the thunderous arrival of a horseman, who swiftly dismounts and is immediately identified as "Wild Bill" by Captain Honesty, an army officer who introduces Nichols to the legendary scout.

Nichols then provides a striking physical description of Wild Bill. He stands tall, over six feet in his moccasins, with a physique that Nichols likens to an "antique" statue, possessing the kind of manly proportions that a sculptor like Ward would be eager to immortalize. He is clad in a deerskin shirt, revealing a broad chest, and his waist is cinched by a belt holding two Colt Navy revolvers. His movements possess a singular grace and dignity, commanding attention wherever he goes.

But it is Hickok’s face that truly captivates Nichols. Beneath a wide-brimmed sombrero, a "quiet, manly face" emerges, one that seems to contradict the tales of violence and bloodshed that surround the man. His lips are thin and sensitive, his jaw not overly square, and a mass of dark hair cascades down to his shoulders. His eyes, now that Nichols is engaged in friendly conversation, are "as gentle as a woman’s." Yet, Nichols cannot shake the feeling that these are the same eyes that have guided countless men to their deaths.

Nichols’s article explores the seemingly contradictory nature of Wild Bill. He is portrayed as a man of immense strength and skill, a master marksman who can shoot a dime at a distance for sport. He is a fearless scout, whose knowledge of woodcraft is unparalleled. But he is also depicted as a man of surprising gentleness, a man who claims to have buried the hatchet after the Civil War and who only resorts to violence when "put upon."

One of the most sensational episodes recounted in the article is the story of Hickok’s duel with Dave Tutt, a returned Confederate soldier. Captain Honesty provides a detailed account of the events leading up to the shootout, explaining how a gambling debt and a stolen watch ignited a bitter feud between the two men. The duel itself is described as a tense, almost theatrical affair, with the entire town holding its breath as Hickok and Tutt faced off in the public square.

According to Captain Honesty, both men drew their pistols and fired, but Hickok’s shot was the more accurate, piercing Tutt’s heart. Without even waiting to see if his shot had hit its mark, Hickok whirled around and faced down Tutt’s supporters, who were poised to avenge their fallen comrade. His coolness and audacity quelled any further violence, and he was later acquitted of murder after a jury ruled that he had acted in self-defense.

Nichols also recounts Hickok’s exploits as a scout during the Civil War, including a daring mission in which he infiltrated Confederate lines disguised as a Texan ranger. In one particularly dramatic episode, Hickok is said to have swum across a river under heavy fire, after killing a Confederate sergeant who had grown suspicious of his true allegiance.

Perhaps the most controversial episode described in the article is Hickok’s alleged battle with the McCanles gang, a group of outlaws who terrorized the Nebraska frontier. According to Hickok’s account, he single-handedly fought off ten men, killing them all in a desperate struggle inside a small cabin. While Nichols acknowledges the improbability of this tale, he insists that he believed every word Hickok uttered, captivated by the scout’s "magnificent example of human strength and daring."

The article concludes with Nichols bidding farewell to Wild Bill, promising to write an account of his adventures for publication. Hickok expresses a heartfelt wish that the story would portray him in a positive light, so that his elderly mother in Illinois would know that her "runaway boy" had fought for the Union like a "true man."

Despite the enduring popularity of the article, it has been subjected to considerable criticism over the years. Contemporary newspapers, such as the Leavenworth Daily Conservative and the Springfield Patriot, were quick to point out numerous inaccuracies and exaggerations in Nichols’s account. Some critics accused Nichols of sensationalizing Hickok’s exploits for the sake of entertainment, while others suggested that Hickok himself had embellished his own story.

Regardless of its factual shortcomings, Nichols’s "Wild Bill" article played a pivotal role in shaping the legend of James Butler Hickok. It transformed him from a relatively obscure figure on the Western frontier into a national icon, a symbol of courage, skill, and frontier justice. The article, with its vivid descriptions and dramatic anecdotes, captured the imagination of the American public and helped to solidify the image of Wild Bill as one of the most enduring characters in the mythology of the Wild West.