Frontier Legends | Wild Bill Hickok | 2
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Imagine it's late evening in the fall of 1871 in the bustling cow town of Abilene, Kansas. You're the deputy marshal, and you've just rushed on horseback to a saloon called the Alamo to look for your boss, U.S. Marshal Bill Hickok. You push your way past the bar, weaving through people, dancing in front of the piano, and make your way to the back of the room where Hickok sits nursing a glass of whiskey. Sir, three men just came into town, and they're looking for you. Hickok takes a sip of his drink, seemingly unbothered. Well, not the first and won't be the last. This is no joke, sir. Apparently there's a price on your head. $10,000 being offered by the mother of that man you killed this summer, Phil Coe.
Well, I don't think I've ever had a bounty on my head that high before. Well, they're in the town square now. What should we do? Well, a shootout against all three doesn't seem wise, does it? Besides, I won't invite violence that way. Bystanders could get hurt. But if you don't confront them face to face, you risk being ambushed later on. They could get you when you least expect it. Well, that's nothing new. Damn fools are always looking to make a name for themselves by getting the better of me. That's why I always sit with my back against the wall, so I always have a clear view of the door. I always ride my horse through town, never walk. Gives me a higher vantage point. Better odds of spotting someone making a move.
That's all fine and everything, but this seems different. A $10,000 bounty means people will never stop coming after you. There are plenty of men who will want to crack at that kind of money, and they'll happily kill you to get it. Hickok casts his eyes down to the table for a moment, lost in thought. Then he looks back at you. Well, you know, you're right. I think it might be time for me to leave this place. What? Well, as long as people know I'm the marshal here in Abilene, I'll be a target, bringing more violence to this town than it has already, and it's got plenty. But where will you go? I'll see where the first train tomorrow is going and get on board. After that, I guess we'll just see. Hickok knocks back the rest of his drink, but you notice he looks defeated.
This damn notoriety I've acquired isn't all it's cracked out to be. You look at him surprised. You hadn't thought there was any downside to being Wild Bill Hickok, but now, as you look at him, you realize just how exhausted he seems. Not the kind of fatigue that will go away with a good night's sleep, either. This is a man who seems tired of being himself. Even if he does get on that train in the morning, you're not certain he'll ever really find peace.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–30:11
2
How did Wild Bill Hickok become famous after the Springfield quick-draw in 1865?
30:11–36:00
3
What was James Butler Hickok’s childhood and family background in Illinois?
36:00–43:29
4
How did Bleeding Kansas and early frontier life shape Hickok’s character?
43:29–44:41