Research Paper On Wild Bill Hickok

306 Words2 Pages
A widely recognized and romanticized figure from Old West legend and lore is Wild Bill Hickok (May 27, 1837 – August 2, 1876); Through Harper 's Magazine, exaggerated accounts of Wild Bill 's exploits served to inflame the publics ' imagination . On July 12, 1861, old Wild Bill Hickok was recorded to have engaged in his first gun battle. He was quoted afterward as saying, "I was wild and I struck savage blows." This statement ultimately led to his nom de plume of 'Wild Bill. ' Bill was born as James Butler Hickok on May 27, 1837 in Troy Grove, Illinois. By the age of 21, he embarked on a career as a peace officer in Monticello, Kansas. In 1864, after the Civil War, Hickok served as a personal scout and spy in Missouri and Arkansas