[DogByte6RER]

James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837 – August 2, 1876), better known as Wild Bill Hickok

[DogByte6RER]

Wild Bill's final poker hand (i.e., "Dead Man's Hand")

[M Kehoe]

Legend says that the hand Hickok was holding at the time of his death was two pair – black aces and black eights. The hand would forever be known as the "dead man’s hand."

I thought it was a full house of aces and eights. Ok, time to check snopes.com...

5.56mm

[DogByte6RER]

A few more links about Wild Bill Hickok:

http://www.linecamp.com/museums/americanwest/western_names/hickok_james_butler/hickok_james_butler.html

http://www.historynet.com/magazines/wild_west/3026831.html

http://www.theoutlaws.com/outlaws8.htm

[johnny7]

“Shouldn't touch another mans hat... ”

[DogByte6RER]

“Nonetheless, southern emigrants brought to the West a crude form of the “code duello,” a highly formalized means of solving disputes between gentlemen with swords or guns that had its origins in European chivalry. By the second half of the 19th century, few Americans still fought duels to solve their problems. Yet, the concept of the duel surely influenced the informal western code of what constituted a legitimate-and legal-gun battle.”

It would have been great if this code was in place a few summers ago when then Senator Zell Miller challenged Chris Matthews to a duel.

Watch it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmog5E1kdkU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1id5ZntaKk&mode=related&search=

[Old Seadog]

According to “The Straight Dope” the fifth card was the deuce of spades.

[Spktyr]

Hello, bad writing.

Hickock had served in the Union forces, Tutt was ex-Confederate.

[niteowl77]

Just another example of that old “southern code” roaring out of...

Troy Grove, Illinois.

Complete with commendable service as a Union teamster and scout.

(For those who care, Joseph Rosa’s recent bio of Hickok examines the Springfield incident in some detail, making good use of court records, etc.)

Mr. niteowl77