This Day…

1861-Rock Creek, Nebraska-Gunman David McCanles, enraged at Hickok’s seeing his mistress, went to the Rock Creek station, standing outside the cabin and calling for Hickok to come outside. Hickok refused and McCanles went to a side door. It is unclear whether or not he pulled his six-gun. “Come out and fight fair!” McCanles shouted. Hickok did not step outside. Then McCanles shouted that he would go inside the cabin and drag Hickok outside. “There’ll be one less s.o.b. if you try that,” Hickok shouted back. McCanles then entered the side door of the cabin and Hickok shot him through the heart. McCanles’ 12-year-old son, Monroe, ran into the cabin to hold his dying father.

1890- Wyoming became the 44th state. Wyoming was named after an Algonquin Indian word meaning ‘large prairie place’. Appropriately, the Indian paintbrush that covers much of the large prairie is the state flower and the meadowlark, frequently seen circling the prairie land, is the state bird. Another Indian term, Cheyenne, is also the name of the state capital. Wyoming is called the Equality State because it is the first state to have granted women the right to vote (1869).

1876- Otterville, Missouri- Jesse and Frank James, Cole, Jim and Bob Younger, Clell Miller, Charlie Pitts, and Bill Chadwell were waiting for the Missouri Pacific as it slowed to cross an old railroad bridge east of Otterville. They took $15,000.

1881- Tombstone, Arizona Territory- Judge Spicer issues a warrant for the arrest of Doc Holliday for complicity in the murder of Bud Philpot, and the attempted stage robery near Contention several months before. Cochise County sherff John Behan arrests Holliday, who is immediately released on $5,000 bail put up by Wyatt Earp and the proprietors of the Alhambra saloon.

1888- Pinal, Arizona Territory- Wyatt Earp’s second wife, Celia “Mattie” Blaylock, committed suicide. Mattie had accompanied Wyatt to Tombstone and separated from the lawman after his Tombstone days and tragically wound up living in the seedy gold and silver towns as a prostitute.

1863- at age 23 George A. Custer is made brigadier general of Union Army volunteers.

1866- an Act of Congress authorized the creation of six regiments of Black troops, two of cavalry and four of infantry. These troops went on to play a major role in the history of the West, as the “Buffalo Soldiers.”

1867- Kansas- a detachment of the 7th cavalry fight with Indians on the south fork of the Republican River. Members of the 7th also battle Indians near Fort Wallace.

1867- Fort Laramie, Idaho Territory (present day Wyoming)- peace talks with Old Man Afraid, AKA Man Afraid of His Horses, who was representing 200 Ogallala Sioux lodges, break down when the chief requests ammunition.

1876- Missouri- James-Younger Gang get their biggest haul as they take $100,000 from a Missouri-Pacific express car near Ottersville.