Ken Valentine
04-27-2004, 03:01 PM
In late 1859, James Butler Hickock was employed as a teamster by the transport company Russell, Majors and Waddell.
In mid 1861, hickock was involved in an incident known as the "McCanles Massacre." The story was published in Harpers New Monthly Magazine in February 1867. According to the article, Hickock was attacked by ten armed members of the notorious McCanles Gang of cattle rustlers and horse thieves. Somehow, despite terrible wounds, Hockock managed to shoot, stab, and bludgeon all ten men to death before collapsing from exhaustion and loss of blood.
In reality, no such "massacre" occurred, there was no McCanles gang, and only three men were killed. According to his neighbors, David Colbert McCanles was a physically strong man with a rough sense of humor who tended to take matters into his own hands when he thought he was being cheated. Some referred to him as something of a local bully.
When Russell, Majors, and Waddell started their pony express in April of 1861, they naturally set up relay stations. One of these stations was at Rock Creek, Nebraska Territory, on property that was part of McCanles's "East-side Ranch." At first Russell, Majors, And Waddell agreed to rent the property, but later decided to buy it. The agreement with McCanles was that they would pay one third as a down payment, with the rest to be paid over the next three months. The agreement made, Russell, Majors, and Waddell took possession of the property.
In March 1861, Hickock was sent to Rock Creek Station to act as a stock tender, following an injury, the cause of which is still unknown (some claimed it was the result of a fight with a bear). Russell, Majors, and Waddell also sent Horace Wellman to act as station superintendent. He and his common-law wife arrived in early May. By the end of June, the company's payments to McCanles had stopped. McCanles convinced Wellman to go to see the company superintendent at Brownville to find out what was wrong. McCanles's 12 year old son went along to get supplies. Wellman learned that the company was in financial difficulties. They returned to Rock Creek on the eleventh of July. On the afternoon of July twelfth, McCanles, his son and two employees arrived at the station. McCanles demanded either his money, or the return of his property. Wellman told him that he had no power to do either, and went into the house. Mrs. Wellman started abusing McCanles, and was joined by Hickock who stood in the doorway of the house. McCanles warned Hickock to keep out of the way, as the argument was none of his business. Hickock is reputed to have replied, "Perhaps 'tis or 'tain't."
Some claim that McCanles was armed with a shotgun, others say that he was unarmed. To ease the tension, or perhaps to assess the situation, McCanles asked for a drink of water. Hickock nodded and stepped back inside to get it, leaving McCanles standing outside the door. Moments later, a shot was fired from inside the house. As McCanles lay dying, his son rushed to him, but was chased away by Mrs. Wellman. At the sound of the shot, McCanles's two employees rushed to the house from the barn, and Hickock shot them both. As one of them fell, Mrs. Wellman killed him with a grubbing hoe. The other man managed to escape into the brush, but was quickly found and shot by one of the other men at the station. Hickock, Wellman, and a pony express rider named J. W. "Doc" Brink were arrested on warrents sworn out by the McCanles family on July 15th and taken to Beatrice, Nebraska Territory. At a preliminary hearing the three pleaded self-defense in protecting company property, and were released.
Hickock's actual involvement is still not certain. Some say that the McCanles party was unarmed and that Hickock and the others shot them down in cold blood. Others say that Wellman shot McCanles, Hickock shot the other two and others in the party actually killed them. Either way, it was Hickock's prelude to fame.
I keep referring to him as Hickock, but at the time -- for some unknown reason -- he was going under the alias "Dutch Bill." Along with "Wellman and Dock" this was the name listed on the murder complaint sworn by Leroy McCanles on July 13, 1861. "(Their other names not known.)"
James Butler Hickock had a very prominent nose, and an out-thrust upper lip which he covered with a moustache. David McCanles had a rough sense of humor. Knowing him only as "Dutch Bill," McCanles mockingly referred to Hickock as "Duck Bill." After the Rock Creek shooting, some wag was reputed to have said of Hickock, "He's more like a 'Wild Bill'" -- the nick name stuck.
Delving into the background of Hickock and McCanles I've found other things which could have caused bad blood between the two men. When James Butler was a child, his parents, William Alonzo, and Polly Butler Hickock, were part of the "Underground Railroad" in Troy Grove, Illinois, helping escaped slaves make their way to Canada. Although he was actually from North Carolina, David Colbert McCanles was sometimes referred to as a "Missouri Ruffian," i.e., pro-slavery.
Much of the source for this account came from: "True Story of Wild Bill - McCanles Affray in Jefferson County, Nebraska, July 12, 1861." Published in Nebraska History Magazine, Vol. 10 (April-June) 1927.
I originally did the research for my father's cousin who was married to David McCanles's great nephew. That fictional article in Harpers Magazine caused the family to move to Colorado, and change the spelling of the family name to McCandles.
Ken V.
In mid 1861, hickock was involved in an incident known as the "McCanles Massacre." The story was published in Harpers New Monthly Magazine in February 1867. According to the article, Hickock was attacked by ten armed members of the notorious McCanles Gang of cattle rustlers and horse thieves. Somehow, despite terrible wounds, Hockock managed to shoot, stab, and bludgeon all ten men to death before collapsing from exhaustion and loss of blood.
In reality, no such "massacre" occurred, there was no McCanles gang, and only three men were killed. According to his neighbors, David Colbert McCanles was a physically strong man with a rough sense of humor who tended to take matters into his own hands when he thought he was being cheated. Some referred to him as something of a local bully.
When Russell, Majors, and Waddell started their pony express in April of 1861, they naturally set up relay stations. One of these stations was at Rock Creek, Nebraska Territory, on property that was part of McCanles's "East-side Ranch." At first Russell, Majors, And Waddell agreed to rent the property, but later decided to buy it. The agreement with McCanles was that they would pay one third as a down payment, with the rest to be paid over the next three months. The agreement made, Russell, Majors, and Waddell took possession of the property.
In March 1861, Hickock was sent to Rock Creek Station to act as a stock tender, following an injury, the cause of which is still unknown (some claimed it was the result of a fight with a bear). Russell, Majors, and Waddell also sent Horace Wellman to act as station superintendent. He and his common-law wife arrived in early May. By the end of June, the company's payments to McCanles had stopped. McCanles convinced Wellman to go to see the company superintendent at Brownville to find out what was wrong. McCanles's 12 year old son went along to get supplies. Wellman learned that the company was in financial difficulties. They returned to Rock Creek on the eleventh of July. On the afternoon of July twelfth, McCanles, his son and two employees arrived at the station. McCanles demanded either his money, or the return of his property. Wellman told him that he had no power to do either, and went into the house. Mrs. Wellman started abusing McCanles, and was joined by Hickock who stood in the doorway of the house. McCanles warned Hickock to keep out of the way, as the argument was none of his business. Hickock is reputed to have replied, "Perhaps 'tis or 'tain't."
Some claim that McCanles was armed with a shotgun, others say that he was unarmed. To ease the tension, or perhaps to assess the situation, McCanles asked for a drink of water. Hickock nodded and stepped back inside to get it, leaving McCanles standing outside the door. Moments later, a shot was fired from inside the house. As McCanles lay dying, his son rushed to him, but was chased away by Mrs. Wellman. At the sound of the shot, McCanles's two employees rushed to the house from the barn, and Hickock shot them both. As one of them fell, Mrs. Wellman killed him with a grubbing hoe. The other man managed to escape into the brush, but was quickly found and shot by one of the other men at the station. Hickock, Wellman, and a pony express rider named J. W. "Doc" Brink were arrested on warrents sworn out by the McCanles family on July 15th and taken to Beatrice, Nebraska Territory. At a preliminary hearing the three pleaded self-defense in protecting company property, and were released.
Hickock's actual involvement is still not certain. Some say that the McCanles party was unarmed and that Hickock and the others shot them down in cold blood. Others say that Wellman shot McCanles, Hickock shot the other two and others in the party actually killed them. Either way, it was Hickock's prelude to fame.
I keep referring to him as Hickock, but at the time -- for some unknown reason -- he was going under the alias "Dutch Bill." Along with "Wellman and Dock" this was the name listed on the murder complaint sworn by Leroy McCanles on July 13, 1861. "(Their other names not known.)"
James Butler Hickock had a very prominent nose, and an out-thrust upper lip which he covered with a moustache. David McCanles had a rough sense of humor. Knowing him only as "Dutch Bill," McCanles mockingly referred to Hickock as "Duck Bill." After the Rock Creek shooting, some wag was reputed to have said of Hickock, "He's more like a 'Wild Bill'" -- the nick name stuck.
Delving into the background of Hickock and McCanles I've found other things which could have caused bad blood between the two men. When James Butler was a child, his parents, William Alonzo, and Polly Butler Hickock, were part of the "Underground Railroad" in Troy Grove, Illinois, helping escaped slaves make their way to Canada. Although he was actually from North Carolina, David Colbert McCanles was sometimes referred to as a "Missouri Ruffian," i.e., pro-slavery.
Much of the source for this account came from: "True Story of Wild Bill - McCanles Affray in Jefferson County, Nebraska, July 12, 1861." Published in Nebraska History Magazine, Vol. 10 (April-June) 1927.
I originally did the research for my father's cousin who was married to David McCanles's great nephew. That fictional article in Harpers Magazine caused the family to move to Colorado, and change the spelling of the family name to McCandles.
Ken V.