Wild Bill Hickok

Mike Serpa

Major
Joined
Jan 24, 2013
I asking about the spots on James Butler Hickok's hand (red arrows). Are they just some of the many spots on this photo? Or, are they part of a strap of his gloves (green arrows)? Maybe the left red arrow is a pinkie ring and the other red arrows are spots? Wha chu think?
Source: http://www.mendotamuseums.org/WBH.htm
WBH.jpg


After the Civil War broke out in April 1861, James Hickok became a teamster for the Union Army in Sedalia, Missouri. By the end of 1861, he was a wagonmaster, but in September 1862 he was discharged for unknown reasons. He then joined General James Henry Lane's Kansas Brigade and, while serving with the brigade, saw his friend Buffalo Bill Cody, who was serving as a scout. There are no records of Hickok's whereabouts for the next year, although at least one source claims that he was a Union spy in Confederate territory during this time.[17]

In late 1863 he worked for the provost marshal of southwest Missouri as a member of the Springfield detective police. His work included identifying and counting the number of troops in uniform who were drinking while on duty, verifying hotel liquor licenses, and tracking down individuals who owed money to the cash-strapped Union Army.[citation needed]

In 1864, Hickok had not been paid for some time and was hired as a scout by General John B. Sanborn. In June 1865, Hickok mustered out and went to Springfield, where he gambled.[17] The 1883 History of Greene County, Missouri described him as "by nature a ruffian... a drunken, swaggering fellow, who delighted when 'on a spree' to frighten nervous men and timid women."[18] - wikipedia
 
The large spot on the right seems to sit uniformly across the gap between two fingers, so it at least looks to me to be more of a blemish on the image rather than an actual mark on his hand.

I'm not sure I follow your reference to a glove strap... I see the lines but wouldn't have thought glove strap... could be though I guess.
 
The large spot on the right seems to sit uniformly across the gap between two fingers, so it at least looks to me to be more of a blemish on the image rather than an actual mark on his hand.

I'm not sure I follow your reference to a glove strap... I see the lines but wouldn't have thought glove strap... could be though I guess.
Well, I'm not saying it is a strap but just mentioning the lines might be more than lines. I cleaned up this photo a couple years ago and deleted the spots and lines on his hand. Having second thought now.
I guess "Wild James" just doesn't have the same intimidating ring to it that "Wild Bill" does...:happy:
Wild James doesn't sound quite right.
 
I don't think the spots are on top of the image because of the way they are angled and flattened with perspective as they curl around the object below his hand.
Gloves? Handkerchief? Snakeskin? Holster?
 
HHHmmm... I see only surface spots on the image.
1. The hand clearly has nails showing, so he is not wearing a glove
2. The large spot on the right side (in the image) transverses two fingers and covers a gap between the fingers
3. The two spots on the left seem to be almost mirrored (at least in tone and texture) to two slightly below and to the left. Although the material (scarf and/or gloves) also has dots on it/them, these seem different to me.
Just my opinion, but that's what I see. :smile:
 
If you have a look at the vest he is wearing you will notice that it opens the opposite way that you would expect. This is most typical of the ambrotype of images popular at the time that caused a mirrored left/right image. If you flip the image horizontally some of this starts to make more sense.

He is holding a cigar in his right hand (not left) and these are rings on his left hand, which would also be more common.

My 2 cents:

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BTW, I actually carry an 1865 2 cent coin in my wallet that I bought 30 years ago just so that when I wanted to put in my 2 cents on something I could. :bounce:
 

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HHHmmm... I see only surface spots on the image.
1. The hand clearly has nails showing, so he is not wearing a glove
2. The large spot on the right side (in the image) transverses two fingers and covers a gap between the fingers
3. The two spots on the left seem to be almost mirrored (at least in tone and texture) to two slightly below and to the left. Although the material (scarf and/or gloves) also has dots on it/them, these seem different to me.
Just my opinion, but that's what I see. :smile:
I believe Mike is saying glove strap because that hand is holding a pair of gloves and he is wondering if there might be a strap that is between the fingers and laying over a couple? They appear more as gauntlets than gloves IMHO
 
I believe Mike is saying glove strap because that hand is holding a pair of gloves and he is wondering if there might be a strap that is between the fingers and laying over a couple? They appear more as gauntlets than gloves IMHO
Yes yes, I agree he is holding what looks like gaunleted gloves... I just couldn't tell if there is a pair of gloves and a scarf or ??? or something possibly altogether different.
 
I've always found Wild Bill to be a fascinating character. Great post by the way

... Wild Bill had his faults, grievous ones, perhaps ... He would get drunk, gamble, and indulge in the general licentiousness characteristic of the border in the early days, yet even when full of the vile libel of the name of whiskey which was dealt over the bars at exorbitant prices, he was gentle as a child, unless aroused to anger by intended insults. ... He was loyal in his friendship, generous to a fault, and invariably espoused the cause of the weaker against the stronger one in a quarrel.


-- Captain Jack Crawford, who scouted with Wild Bill before they both followed the gold rush to Deadwood.
 
Thanks for all your comments. I'm still thinking I should not have removed the spots and they go with whatever has the holes in the lower left part of the photo.
 
Couldn't you do that for nearly free with two pennies?

Sure, but not the same. It is more for the drama. Most people don't realize that there was ever a 2 cent piece, so when someone says "What's your 2 cents on this...?" I just reach in my wallet and pull out my 2 cents. If I just pulled out 2 pennies little to no reaction. I paid less than $5.00 (I think it was more like $2-3) for this, so I have gotten a lot of mileage out of it for the price. The one I have is a fairly low grade quality, but I specifically wanted one that was not a collector item so that if it got lost it would not be a big deal.

I just had a look on eBay and found ones still available in that price range. It's a good conversation starter and a fun thing to have. :smug:
 
Sure, but not the same. It is more for the drama. Most people don't realize that there was ever a 2 cent piece, so when someone says "What's your 2 cents on this...?" I just reach in my wallet and pull out my 2 cents. If I just pulled out 2 pennies little to no reaction. I paid less than $5.00 (I think it was more like $2-3) for this, so I have gotten a lot of mileage out of it for the price. The one I have is a fairly low grade quality, but I specifically wanted one that was not a collector item so that if it got lost it would not be a big deal.

I just had a look on eBay and found ones still available in that price range. It's a good conversation starter and a fun thing to have. :smug:
I was just joshin' you.
 
Couldn't you do that for nearly free with two pennies?

BTW, I also have a three cent piece, but I just leave that one at home. It's made of silver and has roman numerals for the three, so people don't make the connection to it being 3 cents. Also it is TINY. The 2 cent piece is much more fun.

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"Wild Bill" was born just north of where I live ( north central Illinois) in the little village of Troy Grove, IL. As a youth he worked on the Illinois Michigan Canal (near La Salle) and fled the area after a scrape with another worker.
 
There's that famous song written by Lemmy of Motorhead 'the Ace of Spades', during the song, Lemmy sings 'Read em and weep the dead mans hand again', I have only just found out that the dead mans hand was named after the cards Wild Bill died holding, a pair of black eights and a pair of black aces.
I've learnt something today.

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