By the way, do you believe that's the way they spoke back then? I truly wonder about that.
In outlaw mining camps, certainly. The show's producer deliberately wanted to over-do the foul language, but as someone who celebrates the late 19th Century gold mining culture, I can vouch for the accuracy of the use of Victorian-era language sprinkled with profanity used as punctuation.
There certainly was a more elaborate, even baroque, mode of speaking and writing among many in the 1800's. The script writing is often amazingly testured.
As for the foul language, it is hard to believe it was THAT bad. I am told that in one 40+ minute episode of Deadwood the F-word was used more than forty times not to mention the C-word about ten times plus countless sh-ts, c-cks and all the rest.
It is a great show but -- yikes!
Also, David Milch was a fraternity-mate of Bush's at Yale ... same time. I've watched seasons one and two several times. I'm hooked!