Knee Deep in South Dakota Characters

 WE'RE IN A RAIN DELAY FOLKS.

While we are in a rain delay, let's talk about some of the characters that made up Deadwood in the day.

How many out there have heard of Seth Bullock? Seth was born in Canada, and following Horace Greeley's advice, headed west. He first settled in Helena Montana, made a name for himself, and was elected to the Territory State Senate for the State of Montana. While in Montana he went on an exploratory trip to Yellowstone. Discovering its magnificents, he proposed a resolution for protecting the land, and in March of 1872 it was declared a national park.

By 1874 Seth is a married man. He married a young lady, Martha Eccles, in Salt Lake City. 1876 rolled around and Seth and his business partner had the urge to relocate their hardware business to the booming gold town of Deadwood, in the Dakota Territory. Knowing Deadwood was a lawless town, Seth sent his wife and child to her family's home in Michigan.

Seth and his partner loaded up their wagons with Dutch ovens, fry pans, rope, chamber pots, all the things a mining camp needed, and when they got there, they unloaded their supplies by rope down the sandstone cliffs. They arrived in Deadwood August 1, 1876, the day before James Hickok was murdered.

With the killing of Hickok, there was clamoring about the lawlessness in the town. Somehow Seth Bullock was appointed Sheriff. His first act as Sheriff, according to his grandson, was to confront Wyatt Earp about the Sheriff position. Seth informed Wyatt that the position was filled, and requested that Wyatt leave town, Wyatt obliged.

Seth's strength of character, and his creativity helped to tame the untamed, and made it into a stable permanent community. His creativity was evident during a standoff between miners and the owners of the Keets Mine. The miners seized the mine in a dispute over wages. Sheriff Bullock was concerned that it could turn into a gun battle between the two sides. With some thinking Sheriff Bullock came up with a solution. He went to Deadwood's Chinatown and purchased sulphur. He lit a load of sulphur and lowered it down into the mine. The results were immediate, as the miners came streaming out, giving themselves up without a shot fired.

With Deadwood grasping law and order, Seth sent for his wife and child. Martha became a pillar of the city, bringing stability and culture to the city. The Bullocks were the founders of the Round Table Club, which is the oldest cultural club in the region.

In 1884 while on the range of his ranch Seth came across three riders that looked pretty travel weary. Being a Deputy U.S. Marshal, his curiosity was peaked, he felt a need to question the three riders. Seth learned that one of the riders was Theodore Roosevelt, a Deputy Sheriff from Medora. Bullock and Roosevelt being cut from the same cloth became good friends. In fact the friendship was so strong that Roosevelt sent his sons to visit Bullock on the ranch during summers.

When the Spanish American War broke out, Bullock volunteered with Teddy's Rough Riders, and named Captain of Troop A in Grigsby's cowboy regiment. After the war, Bullock, now called "Captain" organized a group of cowboys from Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska to attend Roosevelt's presidential inauguration in 1905. The group rode down the parade route, roping onlookers occasionally. They were greeted by Teddy at the White House.

Seth Bullock so admired Theodore Roosevelt, that he had a memorial dedicated to him. Teddy's death in 1919 was a blow to Seth. He enlisted the help of the Society of Black Hills Pioneers. The monument was erected on Sheep Mountain, later renamed Mt. Roosevelt. The monument was erected in 1919, Seth Bullock died a few months later in 1920. Seth Bullock is buried on a hill in Mt. Moriah Cemetery, looking across the gulch to the monument of his good friend.

This was the road to get to Seth's resting place. The hike was about a 1/4 mile uphill... one way anyway.

The hike down was a lot easier.

The Theodore Roosevelt Memorial, dedicated on July 4, 1919. The monument has an internal staircase that leads to the viewing deck. It was repaired in 2010 to provide a safe experience for visitors. It stands 30 feet tall, with a slim waistline of 12 feet. Today the monument stands as a silent reminder of a friendship between two prominent men that shaped the nation, and the south Dakota Territory.

This gentleman was Johnny Perrett, more commonly known as "Potato Creek Johnny". He was a prospector in the Black Hills, mining predominately around Iron Creek and Potato Creek. Johnny originally haled from Wales, arriving in the area in 1883. He is the miner that brought the largest gold nugget from these hills, and a replica is displayed in the Adams Museum. Johnny was a favorite among the people he met, either at his sites, or on The streets of Deadwood. Spending most of his life mining for gold, Johnny died in 1943, and is buried near "Wild Bill" Hickok and "Calamity Jane" in Mt. Moriah cemetery.

Henry Weston Smith, "Preacher Smith" did not arrive in Deadwood until 1876. Originally from Connecticut, ordained a minister at age 23. In 1861 he enlisted in the Army as the country was choosing its sides for the Civil War. After he left the Army he did not go immediately back to preaching, instead he studied medicine and began his practice in 1876. 

Henry moved his family to Kentucky. Hearing about the gold strikes in the Dakota Territory, he left Kentucky, and arrived in Deadwood May of 1876. Being a new community it was a tough time for the miners, but in the summer of '76 the Indians calmed down some. 

Henry got back his passion for preaching, and figured he would take the Divine Word to nearby mining communities. He left his cabin on 20 August 1876, pinning a note to the door that read "Gone to Crook City and if God willing, will be back at 2 pm". Unfortunately that afternoon he was ambushed by Indians. When his body was found, it was neither mutilated nor robbed. His hands were folded across his chest, his bible tucked underneath them. In his pocket was the sermon he planned to deliver to the miners at Crooked Creek. That sermon is read annually during memorial services for him here in the Black Hills churches.

Martha Cannary, better known to you as "Calamity Jane". Martha started out in Missouri as the oldest of six children. In 1865 her parents took the family to the Montana Territory, in Virginia City. The six siblings became orphans after their parents died in 1866 and '67. 

Martha move to the Wyoming Territory; this is where the real story began. She was a dance-hall girl, waitress, laundress, and a prostitute at railroad camps and millitary posts along the Union Pacific Railroad. By dressing like a man she able to find other work. Dressing like a man eventually defined her future persona.

It is not really clear how Martha got the name "Calamity Jane". One account says that a Captain James Egan, while at Goose Creek in Wyoming stated "I name you Calamity Jane, heroine of the Plains!". Her notoriety came largely from dime store novels, articles, even her own autobiography. All the stories had her being a crack shot, bullwhacker, expert scout, teamster, and western heroine. The truth of the matter was that she was an alcoholic, which may have prompted all the fanciful yarns about her. While in Deadwood she was known as a party girl, but few knew the other side of Martha. During the smallpox epidemic, Martha tended to the sick with total disregard for her own life. Many of the stricken miners called her "an angel".

By 1891 Martha is living in Texas, and marries a gentleman named Clinton Burke. Unfortunately she is getting sicker, and  decides to board a train for Terry South Dakota in 1903. When she arrived she rented a room at the Calloway Hotel, where she died August 1, 1903 from a combination of inflammation of the bowels and pneumonia, she was only 47 years old. Because she had a crush on James Hickok, Martha's last request was to be buried next to "Wild Bill". She is buried as Martha Burke, a.k.a. "Calamity Jane", next to "Wild Bill".

James Butler Hickok... that's right... "Wild Bill Hickok". James was born in 1837 in Illinois, and raised to be honest and fair.  His parents apparently believed all men were truly created equal, because his childhood family farm was a stopping point in the Underground Railroad.

Apparently farming wasn't his desired lifelong career, because at age 17 he left  home and worked as a canal boat captain in Utica Illinois, before heading to Kansas in 1856. The town he moved to was embroiled in a dispute over slavery. James joined the antislavery Free State Army of Jayhawkers. Skilled with a gun from youth, he was assigned as the bodyguard for General James H. Lanes. 

Destiny was about to create a lasting friendship. While serving in the Army, he stopped a man from beating an 11-year old boy... that boy grew up to be William Frederick Cody, better known as "Buffalo Bill Cody". 

A few years later, 1858, he was appointed as a Constable in Monticello, Kansas. Later that year he began working for the creators of the Pony Express as a teamster, driving freight wagons. James was not a rider, he was too tall, and weighed too much. His legend would grow during his time in Kansas. There was a story about him running freight, and a bear was blocking the road. James used his shooting skills and shot the bear... one problem... it only angered the bear. Supposedly he slit the bears throat, only after nearly being crushed by the bear. The truth of the matter was that James was in bed for several months after the attack. 

After healing James headed for southern Nebraska in the 1860s, ending up at the Rock Creek Pony Express station. His time there was not without troubles, the biggest was the "McCanles Massacre. James was not always known as "Wild Bill", early on he was known as "Duck Bill". He was called that because of his sweeping nose, and protruding upper lip. Anyway, there are several stories regarding the the shoot out between the McCanles' and Pony Express employees, which occurred before the start of the Civil War.

James fought on the side of the Union Army as a spy, scout, and sharpshooter. It is presumed during this time that James gave himself the name "Wild Bill". In 1866 "Wild Bill" was a guide for Gen. William T. Sherman while he toured the west. In In 1867-68 he was a scout for Gen. Winfield Hancock, and Lt. Col. George Custer.

"Wild Bill" was a favourite of Custer and his wife Libby, who described him "as a delight to look upon". You see Hickok was described as "six feet tall, lithe, active, sinewy, daring rider, a dead shot with a pistol or rifle, long locks, fine features and mustache, buckskin leggings, red shirt, broad-brim hat, twin pistols in belt, rifle in hand". How's that for a visual?

In 1869 "Wild Bill" was the Sheriff of Hays City, Kansas. In 1871 he assumed the duties as Marshal in the rough cow town of Abilene, Kansas. He was responsible for killing several men in shootouts as both sheriff and marshal. The accidental shooting of his deputy marshal in Abilene was cause for dismissal.

In 1873 "Wild Bill" tried his hand acting in Wild West shows, his own which failed, and the Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show. He was unhappy doing the shows and bowed out in 1874, and headed back west to Cheyenne Wyoming. While in Cheyenne in 1876 he met and married a young lady named Agnes Lake Thatcher, and after their honeymoon in Cincinnati, he left for the gold fields of the Black Hills in Dakota Territory.

He traveled to Deadwood via a wagon train, which by chance had a young lady by the name of Martha Cannary traveling to Deadwood as well. The town was definitely unruly, eventually "Wild Bill" became the law in July of 1876. I am willing to guess that he took the peace officer position with some reservation... his eyes were failing due to glaucoma. Unfortunately 1876 was not a good year for "Wild Bill". His hope was to earn enough money to bring his bride to Deadwood, but he was murdered while playing cards, August 2, 1876. He is buried in Mt. Moriah cemetery... several times. He is buried with all the other Deadwood celebrities.

As you can see, he and "Calamity Jane" are buried next to each other.

This is Jack McCall, the infamous murderer of "Wild Bill" Hickok. On the day of 2 August 1876 Jack walked up to "Wild Bill", and shot him point blank in the back of his head. His reasoning for shooting "Wild Bill", was to avenge the death of his brother, whom "Wild Bill" killed. On August 3rd a trial was held, and he was found innocent. 

Jack's downfall was his big mouth. While in the Wyoming Territory he bragged about killing "Wild Bill" so much, that a U.S. marshal arrested him. Here is why one should learn to keep their mouth shut after getting away with murder. It was determined that the trial held in Deadwood was illegal, because Deadwood was not in a legal territory. Jack was hauled over to Yankton, the capital of the Dakota Territory. His visit to Yankton was short lived, he was retried, convicted, and hanged in the spring of 1877. Jack was buried in an unmarked grave, probably in Yankton.

There are many other characters that made up Deadwood, with a little research on your own, try to find out who they were, someone may be a long lost ancestor.