River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-10-26


ing But he killed more than thirty in per-
sonal encounters He killed ten in one fight
single handed. That was when he wiped out
the McCandlass gang at Rock Springs, Kan,
in 1851, and 1t was the most heroic single
handed fight in all the history OF the frontier.
Imagination has not colored or enlarged his
record. 1t is a sure-enough record OF men
killed in fair, stand-up fights. If one cares to
search, one can find their graves with their
names neatly carved on little headstones scat
tered from the Missouri river to the foothills
of the Rockies"
Col William F. Cody, better known all over
the world as Buffalo Bill, in reminiscent
mood He paid this tribute to the proves OF
his dead comrade OF early days on the plains.
He was intimately associated with Wild Bill
He fought by his side in the Civil war; he
secuted with him in the Indian campaigns, he
shared the same blanket beside many lonely
camp fire. For years there was a bed and
chair and the table for Wild Bill at the ranch
of Buffalo BilPs mother near Fort Leavenworth,
and to the very end of his stormy and wander
ing career Wild Bill thought Of this spot as
home.
Buffalo Bill is himself one of the most pic
turesque characters Of the old west left to
these piping prosaic times. Though the pub
lie knows him chiefly as a Snowman, he is the
last of the great scouts His life has not been
all blank cartridges and calcium lights. Back
Of his spectacular career an exponent OF
wild west drama is frontier life OF daring
hardship and danger He is an old man now,
only few years the sunny side OF three
score and ten His sweeping mustaches and
imperial and his long hair that falls upon his
shoulders In the waving abundance OF early
years are as white as snow But his tall figure
is still stalwart and as straight a young
pine on the mountains his step is elastic and
his eye bright, and he still wears his white
sombrero tilted at a jaunty angle on the side
of his head as in the brave days OF his youth
81 was eleven years old when first met
Wild Bill in 1857" said Buffalo Bill. Il was
making my first expedition across the plains
1t was the expedition led by General Albert
Sydney Johnston, afterwards killed at Shiloh
against Brigham Young and the Mormons in
Utah | was connected with the supply train
as the driver of the extra cattle. big bully
in my mess seemed to think was meant to
be his servant and ordered me around at every
opportunity. | grew sulky and resentful under
his badgering, but I was mere kid and was
helpless. One evening were eating sup
per he ordered to get him another cup OF
coffee Get your own Coffee / said He
reached over from where he sat and slapped
me over. / rolled into the ashes at the edge
of the camp fire and narrowly escaped getting
badly burned. l ran to the big coffee kettle,
caught it up, and stepping up behind the bully
doused the scalding coffee over him from head
to foot He roared with pain. Then he rushed
for me. A young man stepped between u.s.
knew him casually Jim Hickok. The men
of the wagon train called him Jimmy.
Say he said, facing the bully squarely,
you leave that kid alone
MY unexpected champion about twenty
years old, tall, slender bronzed and athletic
looking The powerful brute he confronted
would have made two of him. The bully stopped
-f1 f6A nj linz with
glaace The inventory doubtless convinced him
he had nothing to fear,
What have you got to do with this?' he
beloved and he charged at the youth like a
mad bull
The men of the outfit expected to see
Hickok beaten to a jelly or killed He gave
us the surprise of our lives. He proved to be
the quickest man | ever saw. caxAnount
could not have been quicker. He steppesd into
the bully fearlessly. He was all over hds man.
He rocked his head with terrific blows. He
ripped punches into his midsection. He closed
his eyes, bIoodied his lips, knocked the teeth
down his throat He ended by dropping the
bully to his knees and making him blubber out,
I'VE got enough and beg for mercy After the
fight my ancient enemy was the worst battered
up man | ever saw. Hickok didn't show a
mark He walked away and sat down on a
wagon tongue and smoked a pipe serenely.
That was my introduction to the man after
ward known all over the west as Wild Bill.
and from that day were fast friends.
Il enlisted in the Un1Un army in 1853 and
was sent to Tennessee. | was employed. as a
scout and spy l was peculiarly fitted to play
the part of spy in Confederate camps. Most
of the people with whom l had been thrown
all my life on the plains were from Missouri,
Kentucky or Tennessee. 1t was second nature
for me to talk in the drawing lingo of the
south.
"On one of my excursions a spy 1 was
disguised as a Tennessee farmer boy with
a ragged hat, homespun shirt and pants Of
butternut jeans. / riding along q road
when l came to farm house. Hitched to the
palings of the fence fine horse, saddled.
Through window saw man in the uniform
of a Confederate officer sitting at a table eat
ing Something about his face looked familiar.
| dismounted and stepped to the door of the
house and asked for a drink of water. AS