The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1872-04-04
WILD BILL.

l AmonGthe white SCOUTS were nun
: bercd some Of the most noted &c
: their class. The most promineI
man among them was "Vild Bill,
whose highly varied career was mad
the subject of an illustrated sketc
in one OF the popular monthly per-
odicals a few years ago. evil
Bin was a strange character, JUS
the one which a novelist might gloa
over. Hs was q Pl4insman in ever.
sense OF the word, yet unlike an,
other of his class. In person h
was about six feet one i'll height
straight as the strdighest OF WARRIOR
whose implicable foe ne was; broad
shoulders, well-formed chest aLc
limbs, and a face striking handsome
a sharp, clear blue eye, which stared
you straight in the face when in con
versation; a iinely-shaped nose, in.
clined to be aqui!ine; a woll-turned
mouth; with lips only partially con-
cealed by a handsome moustacho,
His ar nad complexion were those
Of the perfect blond. The former
was worn in uncut ringlets, falling
carelessly over his powerful formed
shoulders, Add TO this figure IL
costume blending the immaculate
neatness of the dandy with the ex-
,ravagant taste and style of the from
tiersman, and you have "Wild Bill"
then as now the most famous scout
on the Plains.
Whether on foot or on horseback,
he was one ofthe most perfect types
of physical manhood | ever saw. OF
his courage there could be no ques-
ton. it had been brought to the test
on too many occasionsto admit OF a
doubt. His skill in tho use of tie
rife and the pistol was %unerrins;
while his department was exactly
the opposite of what might be ex-
pected from o man OF his surround
ings, 1t was entirely free from all
buster or bravado. He seldom
spoke Of himself unless requested to
do so. His conversation, strange
to say, never bordered either on he
vulgar or blasphemous. His iohu-
crco with the fronticrsman WAS uu-
bounded, his word was law; snd
many are the personal ~quarrels and
disturbances which he has checked
among his comrades by his simple
announcement that "this has gone
f,r enough" if it need DO followed
by the luminous warning that When
persisted in or renewed the quarrel
Ter "must settle it with me-"
ovid Dill' is anything but a
luarrclsome man yet no Il but
can enumcrate the many
conflicts in which he has been en-
and which have almost inva-
iably resulted in the death of his
adversary. I have q personal
knowledge of at least half a dozen
men whom he has at various times
one Of these being at the
line a member Of my command.
others have been severely wounded,
yet he al ways escapes unhurt. On
he Plains every man openly carries
lis belt with it, invariable appen-
knife and revolver, often two
# the latter. "Nild Bill" always
two handsome ivoly-hondled
of the large size; he was
lever seen without them. Where
lis is the common custom, brawls
II personal difficulties are seldom if
yer settled by blows. The quarrel
not from a word to q blow, but
a word to the revolver, and he
Who can draw and fire first is the
'est man. No civil law re ches
i'm; mono is applied for. In fact l
here is nolaw reconized beyond the {
.ronti4r but that OF might makes
Should death result from the
quarrel, as it Il ually does, no coro-
Ier's jury is impanneled to learn
he causo Of death, and the survivor I
) not ar esttd. But instead of
bese old-fashioned proceedings, Il
n%eeting Of citizens takes place, the
u'viyor is requested to be present,
yhen the circumstances OF tn hom-
eide are inquired into, and the I'M
ailing verdict Of "justiiable," "self- J
efence," etc, is pronounced, and /
be law stands vindicAted. That Z
lstic5 is often deprived Of a victim l
here is not u doubt. Yet in all of o
le many affairs Of this kind in 0
'hich "Wild Bill" has performed a T.
art, and which have come to my e
nowledge, there is not a single in q
lance in which the verdict OF twelve s.
iir-mindel men would not be rro- S
ounced in his favor.-"My Life on tt
le Palms," By Gen. G. A.. Custer, IN s.
prH Galary. 81