The Life of Hon. William F. Cody Known as Buffalo Bill; The Famous Hunter, Scout and Guide; An Autobiography, by Buffalo Bill

Published: Hartford, Conn., F. E. Bliss, Copyright 1879

CONTENTS:

INTRODUCTORY

CHAPTER I -- CHILDHOOD
Early Days in Iowa--A Brother's Death--The Family Move to a New Country--Incidents on the Road--The Horse Race--Our "Little Gray" Victorious--A Pleasant Acquaintance--Uncle Elijah Cody--Our New Home--My Ponies.

CHAPTER II -- EARLY INFLUENCES
Dress Parade at Fort Leavenworth--The Beautiful Salt Creek Valley--The Mormon Emigrants--The Wagon Trains--The Cholera--A Lively Scene--My First Sight of Indians--"Dolly" and "Prince"--A Long-Lost Relative Turns up--Adventurous Career of Horace Billings--His Splendid Horsemanship--Catching Wild Horses.

CHAPTER III -- BOY DAYS IN KANSAS
My Indian Acquaintances--An Indian Barbecue--Beginning of the Kansas Troubles--An Indiscreet Speech by my Father, who is Stabbed for his Boldness--Persecutions at the Hands of the Missourians--A Strategic Escape--A Battle at Hickory Point--A Plan to Kill Father is Defeated by Myself--He is Elected to the Lecompton Legislature--I Enter the Employ of William Russell--Herding Cattle--A Plot to Blow Up our House--A Drunken Missourian on the War-Path.

CHAPTER IV -- YOUTHFUL EXPERIENCES
At School--My First Love Scrape--I Punish my Rival, and then Run Away--My First Trip Across the Plains--Steve Gobel and I are Friends once more--Death of my Father--I Start for Salt Lake--Our Wagon Train Surprised by Indians, who Drive us off, and Capture our Outfit--I Kill my First Indian--Our Return to Leavenworth--I am Interviewed by a Newspaper Reporter, who gives me a Good "Send-Off."

CHAPTER V -- IN BUSINESS
My Second Trip Across the Plains--The Salt Lake Trail--Wild Bill--He Protects me from the Assault of a Bully--A Buffalo Hunt--Our Wagon Train Stampeded by Buffaloes--We are Taken Prisoners by the Mormons--We Proceed to Fort Bridger.

CHAPTER VI -- HARD TIMES
A Dreary Winter At Fort Bridger--Short Rations--Mule Steaks--Homeward Bound in the Spring--A Square Meal--Corraled by Indians--A Mule Barricade--We Hold the Fort--Home Again--Off for the West--Trapping on the Chugwater And Laramie Rivers--We go to Sleep In a Human Grave--A Horrifying Discovery--A Jollification at Oak Grove Ranch--Home Once More--I go to School--The Pike's Peak Gold Excitement--Down the Platte River on a Raft--I Become a Pony Express Rider.

CHAPTER VII -- ACCIDENTS AND ESCAPES
Trapping on Prairie Dog Creek--An Accident whereby we Lose one of our Oxen--I Fall and Break my Leg--Left Alone in Camp--Unwelcome Visitors--A Party of Hostile Sioux Call upon me and Make Themselves at Home--Old Rain-in-the-Face Saves my Life--Snow-Bound-A Dreary Imprisonment--Return of my Partner--A Joyful Meeting--We Pull Out for Home--Harrington Dies.

CHAPTER VIII -- ADVENTURES ON THE OVERLAND ROAD
Introduction to Alf. Slade--He Employs me as a Pony Express Rider--I Make a Long Ride--Indians Attack an Overland Stage Coach--Wild Bill Leads a Successful Expedition against the Indians--A Grand Jollification at Sweetwater Bridge--Slade Kills a Stage Driver--The End of the Spree--A Bear Hunt--I fall among Horse Thieves--My Escape--I Guide a Party to Capture the Gang.

CHAPTER IX -- FAST DRIVING
Bob Scott, the Stage Driver--The Story of the Most Reckless Piece of Stage Driving that ever Occurred on the Overland Road.

CHAPTER X -- QUESTIONABLE PROCEEDINGS
The Civil War--Jayhawking--Wild Bill's Fight with the McCandless Gang of Desperadoes--I become Wild Bill's Assistant Wagon-Master--We Lose our Last Dollar on a Horse Race--He becomes a Government Scout--He has a Duel at Springfield.

CHAPTER XI -- A SOLDIER
Scouting against the Indians in the Kiowa and Comanche country--The Red-Legged Scouts--A Trip to Denver--Death of my Mother--I Awake one Morning to Find myself a Soldier--I am put on Detached Service as a Scout--The Chase after Price--An Unexpected Meeting with Wild Bill--An Unpleasant Situation--Wild Bill's Escape from the Southern Lines--The Charge upon Price's Army--We return to Springfield.

CHAPTER XII -- A WEDDING
I Fall in Love--A Successful Courting Expedition--I am Married--The Happiest Event of my Life--Our Trip up the Missouri River--The Bushwhackers Come after me--I become Landlord of a Hotel--Off for the Plains once more--Scouting on the Frontier for the Government--A Ride with General Custer--An Expedition from Fort Hays has a Lively Chase after Indians--Cholera in Camp.

CHAPTER XIII -- A MILLIONAIRE
A Town Lot Speculation--"A Big Thing"--I become Half-Owner of a City--Corner Lots Reserved--Rome's Rapid Rise--We consider ourselves Millionaires--Dr. Webb--Hays City--We Regard ourselves as Paupers--A Race with Indians--Captain Graham's Scout after the Indians.

CHAPTER XIV -- EARNING A TITLE
Hunting for the Kansas Pacific--How I got my Name of "Buffalo Bill"--The Indians give me a Lively Chase--They get a Dose of their own Medicine--Another Adventure--Scotty and myself Corraled by Indians--A Fire Signal brings Assistance--Kit Carson.

CHAPTER XV -- CHAMPION BUFFALO KILLER
A Buffalo Killing Match with Billy Comstock--An Excursion party from St. Louis come out to Witness the Sport--I win the Match, and am declared the Champion Buffalo Killer of the Plains.

CHAPTER XVI -- A COURIER
Scouting--Captured by Indians--A Strategic Escape--A Hot Pursuit--The Indians led into an Ambush--Old Satanta's Tricks and Threats--Excitement at Fort Larned--Herders and Wood-Choppers Killed by the Indians--A Perilous Ride--I get into the wrong Pew--Safe, arrival at Fort Hays--Interview with General Sheridan--My ride to Fort Dodge--I return to Fort Larned--My Mule gets away from me--A long Walk--The Mule Passes In his Chips.

CHAPTER XVII -- AN APPOINTMENT
General Sheridan appoints me Guide and Chief of Scouts of the Fifth Cavalry--The Dog Soldiers--General Forsyth's Fight on the Arickaree Fork.

CHAPTER XVIII -- SCOUTING
Arrival of the Fifth Cavalry at Fort Hays--Out on a Scout--A little Skirmish with Indians--A Buffalo Hunt--A False Alarm in camp--A Scout on the Beaver--The Supply Camp is Surprised--Arrival of General Carr--The new Lieutenant and his Reception--Another Indian Hunt--An Engagement--A Crack Shot--I have a little Indian fight of my own--Return to Fort Wallace--While hunting Buffaloes with a small Party, we are Attacked by Fifty Indians.

CHAPTER XIX -- A TOUGH TIME
A Winter's Campaign in the Canadian River Country--Searching for Penrose's Command--A Heavy Snow-Storm--Taking the Wagon Train down a Mountain Side--Camp Turkey--Darkey Deserters from Penrose's Command--Starvation in Penrose's Camp--We reach the Command with Timely Relief--Wild Bill--A Beer Jollification--Hunting Antelopes--Return to Fort Lyon.

CHAPTER XX -- AN EXCITING CHASE
A Difficulty with a Quartermaster's Agent--I give him a Severe Pounding--Stormy Interview with General Bankhead and Captain Laufer--I put another "Head" on the Quartermaster's Agent--I am Arrested--In the Guard-House--General Bankhead Releases me--A Hunt after Horse Thieves--Their Capture--Escape of Bevins--His Recapture--Escape of Williams--Bevins Breaks Out of Jail--His Subsequent Career.

CHAPTER XXI -- A MILITARY EXPEDITION
The Fifth Cavalry is Ordered to the Department of the Platte--Liquids vs. Solids--A Skirmish with the Indians--Arrival at Fort McPherson--Appointed Chief of Scouts--Major Frank North and the Pawnee Scouts--Belden the White Chief--The Shooting Match--Review of the Pawnee Scouts--An Expedition against the Indians--"Buckskin Joe."

CHAPTER XXII -- A DESPERATE FIGHT
Pawnees vs. Siouxs--We strike a Large Trail--The Print of a Woman's Shoe--The Summit Springs Fight--A Successful Charge--Capture of the Indian Village--Rescue of a White Woman--One hundred and forty Indians Killed--I kill Tall Bull and Capture his Swift Steed--The Command proceeds to Fort Sedgwick--Powder Face--A Scout after Indian Horse-Thieves--"Ned Buntline"--"Tall Bull" as a Racer--Powder Face wins a Race without a Rider--An Expedition to the Niobrara--An Indian Tradition.

CHAPTER XXIII -- ADMINISTERING JUSTICE
I make my Home at Fort McPherson--Arrival of my Family--Hunting and Horse Racing--An Indian Raid--Powder Face Stolen--A Lively Chase--An Expedition to the Republican River Country--General Duncan--A Skirmish with the Indians--A Stern Chase--An Addition to my Family--Kit Carson Cody--I am made a Justice of the Peace--A Case of Replevin--I perform a Marriage Ceremony--Professor Marsh's Fossil-Hunting Expedition.

CHAPTER XXIV -- HUNTING EXPEDITIONS
The Grand Hunt of General Sheridan, James Gordon Bennett, and other Distinguished Gentlemen--From Fort McPherson to Fort Hays--Incidents of the Trip--"Ten Days on the Plains"--General Carr's Hunting Expedition--A Joke on McCarthy--A Search for the Remains of Buck's Surveying Party, who had been Murdered by the Indians.

CHAPTER XXV -- HUNTING WITH A GRAND DUKE
The Grand Duke Alexis Hunt--Selection of a Camp--I Visit Spotted Tail's Camp--The Grand Duke and Party arrive at Camp Alexis--Spotted Tail's Indians give a Dance--The Hunt--Alexis Kills his First Buffalo--Champagne--The Duke Kills another Buffalo--More Champagne--End of the Hunt--Departure of the Duke and his Party.

CHAPTER XXVI -- SIGHT-SEEING
My Visit in the East--Reception in Chicago--Arrival in New York--I am well Entertained by my old Hunting Friends--I View the Sights of the Metropolis--Ned Buntline--The Play of "Buffalo Bill"--I am Called Upon to make a Speech--A Visit to my Relatives--Return to the West.

CHAPTER XXVII -- HONORS
Arrival of the Third Cavalry at Fort McPherson--A Scout after Indians--A Desperate Fight with Thirteen Indians--A Hunt with the Earlof Dunraven--A Hunt with a Chicago Party--Milligan's Bravery--Neville--I am Elected to the Nebraska Legislature.

CHAPTER XXVIII -- AN ACTOR
I resolve to go upon the Stage--I resign my Seat in the Legislature--Texas Jack--"The Scouts of the Plains"--A Crowded House--A Happy Thought--A Brilliant Debut--A Tour of the Country.

CHAPTER XXIX -- STARRING
The Theatrical Season of 1873-74--Wild Bill and his Tricks--He Leaves us at Rochester--He becomes a "Star"--A Bogus "Wild Bill "--A Hunt with Thomas P. Medley, an English gentleman--A Scout on the Powder River and in the Big Horn Country--California Joe--Theatrical Tour of 1874 and 1875--Death of my son, Kit Carson Cody.

CHAPTER XXX -- A RETURN TO THE PLAINS
The Sioux Campaign of 1876--I am appointed Guide and Chief of Scouts of the Fifth Cavalry--An Engagement with eight hundred Cheyennes--A Duel with Yellow Hand--Generals Terry and Crook meet, and cooperate Together.

CHAPTER XXXI -- DANGEROUS WORK
Scouting on a Steamboat--Captain Grant Marsh--A Trip down the Yellowstone River--Acting as Dispatch Carrier--I Return East and open my Theatrical Season with a New Play--Immense Audiences--I go into the Cattle Business in company with Major Prank North--My Home at North Platte.

CHAPTER XXXII -- CONCLUSION
A Cattle "Round-up"--A Visit to My Family in our New Home--A Visit from my Sisters--I go to Denver--Buying more Cattle--Pawnee and Nez-Perces Indians Engaged for a Theatrical Tour--The Season of 1878-79--An experience in Washington--Home Once More.

The life and adventures of Hon. William F. Cody--Buffalo Bill--as told by himself, make up a narrative which reads more like romance than reality, and which in many respects will prove a valuable contribution to the records of our Western frontier history. While no literary excellence is claimed for the narrative, it has the greater merit of being truthful, and is verified in such a manner that no one can doubt its veracity. The frequent reference to such military men as Generals Sheridan, Carr, Merritt, Crook, Terry, Colonel Royal, and other officers under whom Mr. Cody served as scout and guide at different times and in various sections of the frontier, during the numerous Indian campaigns of the last ten or twelve years, affords ample proof of of his genuineness as a thoroughbred scout.

There is no humbug or braggadocio about Buffalo Bill. He is known far and wide, and his reputation has been earned honestly and by hard work. By a combination of circumstances he was educated to the life of a plainsman from his youth up; and not the least interesting portion of his career is that of his early life, passed as it was in Kansas during the eventful and troubleous times connected with the settlement of that state. Spending much time in the saddle, while a mere boy he crossed the plains many times in company with bull-trains; on some of these trips he met with thrilling adventures and had several hairbreadth escapes from death at the hands of Indians. Then, for a while, he was dashing over the plains as a pony-express rider. Soon afterwards, mounted on the high seat of an overland stagecoach, he was driving a six-in-hand team. We next hear of him cracking the bull-whacker's whip, and commanding a wagon-train through a wild and dangerous country to the far West. During the civil war he enlisted as a private, and became a scout with the Union army; since the war he has been employed as hunter, trapper, guide, scout and actor. As a buffalo hunter he has no superior; as a trailer of Indians he has no equal. For many years he has taken an active part in all the principal Indian campaigns on the Western frontier, and as a scout and guide he has rendered inestimable services to the various expeditions which he accompanied.

During his life on the plains he not only had many exciting adventures himself, but he became associated with many of the other noted plainsmen, and in his narrative he frequently refers to them and relates many interesting incidents and thrilling events connected with them. He has had a fertile field from which to produce this volume, and has frequently found it necessary to condense the facts in order to embody the most interesting events of his life. The following from a letter written by General E. A. Carr, of the Fifth Cavalry, now commanding Fort McPherson, speaks for itself:

* * * * *

"I first met Mr. Cody, October 22d, 1868, at Buffalo Station, on the Kansas Pacific railroad, in Kansas. He was scout and guide for the seven companies of the Fifth Cavalry, then under Colonel Royal, and of which I was ordered to take the command.

"From his services with my command, steadily in the field for nine months, from October, 1868, to July, 1869, and at subsequent times, I am qualified to bear testimony to his qualities and character.

"He was very modest and unassuming. I did not know for a long time how good a title he had to the appellation, 'Buffalo Bill.' I am apt to discount the claims of scouts, as they will occasionally exaggerate; and when I found one who said nothing about himself, I did not think much of him, till I had proved him. He is a natural gentleman in his manners as well as in character, and has none of the roughness of the typical frontiersman. He can take his own part when required, but I have never heard of his using a knife or a pistol, or engaging in a quarrel where it could be avoided. His personal strength and activity are such that he can hardly meet a man whom he cannot handle, and his temper and disposition are so good that no one has reason to quarrel with him.

"His eye-sight is better than a good field glass; he is the best trailer I ever heard of; and also the best judge of the 'lay of country,'--that is, he is able to tell what kind of country is ahead, so as to know how to act. He is a perfect judge of distance, and always ready to tell correctly how many miles it is to water, or to any place, or how many miles have been marched.

"Mr. Cody seemed never to tire and was always ready to go, in the darkest night or the worst weather, and usually volunteered, knowing what the emergency required. His trailing, when following Indians or looking for stray animals or game, is simply wonderful. He is a most extraordinary hunter. I could not believe that a man could be certain to shoot antelope running till I had seen him do it so often.

"In a fight Mr. Cody is never noisy, obstreperous or excited. In fact, I never hardly noticed him in a fight, unless I happened to want him, or he had something to report, when he was always in the right place, and his information was always valuable and reliable.

"During the winter of 1868, we encountered hardships and exposure in terrific snow storms, sleet, etc., etc. On one occasion, that winter, Mr. Cody showed his quality by quietly offering to go with some dispatches to General Sheridan, across a dangerous region, where another principal scout was reluctant to risk himself.

"On the 13th of May, 1869, he was in the fight at Elephant Rock, Kansas, and trailed the Indians till the 16th, when we got another fight out of them on Spring Creek, in Nebraska, and scattered them after following them one hundred and fifty miles in three days. It was at Spring Creek where Cody was ahead of the command about three miles, with the advance guard of forty men, when two hundred Indians suddenly surrounded them. Our men, dismounted and formed in a circle, holding their horses, firing and slowly retreating. They all, to this day, speak of Cody's coolness and bravery. This was the Dog Soldier band which captured Mrs. Alderdice and Mrs. Weichel in Kansas. They strangled Mrs. Alderdice's baby, killed Mrs. Weichel's husband, and took a great deal of property and stock from different persons. We got on their trail again, June 28th, and followed it nearly two hundred miles, till we struck the Indians on Sunday, July 11th, 1869, at Summit Spring. The Indians, as soon as they saw us coming, killed Mrs. Alderdice with a hatchet, and shot Mrs. Weichel, but fortunately not fatally, and she was saved.

"Mr. Cody has since served with me as post guide and scout at Fort McPherson, where he frequently distinguished himself.

"In the summer of 1876, Cody went with me to the Black Hills region where he killed Yellow-Hand. Afterwards he was with the Big Horn and Yellowstone expedition. I consider that his services to the country and the army by trailing, finding and fighting Indians, and thus protecting the frontier settlers, and by guiding commands over the best and most practicable routes, have been far beyond the compensation he has received. His friends of the Fifth Cavalry are all glad that he is in a lucrative business, and hope that he may live long and prosper. Personally, I feel under obligations to him for assistance in my campaigns which no other man could, or would, have rendered. Of course I wish him, and his, every success."

E. A. CARR, Lt. Col. 5th Cav., Brev. Maj. Gen'l U. S. Army. FORT McPHERSON, NEBRASKA, July 3d, 1878

* * * * *

Buffalo Bill is now an actor, and is meeting with success. He owns a large and valuable farm adjoining the town of North Platte, Nebraska, and there his family live in ease and comfort. He has also an extensive cattle ranch on the Dismal river, sixty-five miles north of North Platte, his partner being Major Frank North, the old commander of the celebrated Pawnee scouts. While many events of his career are known to the public, yet the reader will find in this narrative much that will be entirely new and intensely interesting to both young and old.

THE PUBLISHER.

ILLUSTRATIONS [not included in WebRoots online edition]:

THE AUTHOR, PORTRAIT, ON STEEL
YOUTHFUL ADVENTURES
SAMUEL'S FATAL ACCIDENT
BILLINGS AS A BOCARRO
BILLINGS RIDING LITTLE GRAY
EXCITING SPORT
STAKING OUT LOTS
MY FATHER STABBED
MY FATHER'S ESCAPE
LIFE OR DEATH
BOYISH SPORT
TWO TO ONE
KILLING MY FIRST INDIAN
A PRAIRIE SCHOONER
WILD BILL (PORTRAIT)
HOLDING THE FORT
CAMPING IN A SEPULCHRE
RAFTING OS THE PLATTE
RIDING PONY EXPRESS
SAVED BY CHIEF RAIN IN-THE-FACE
CHANGING HORSES
ATTACK ON STAGE COACH
ALF. SLADE KILLING THE DRIVER
THE HORSE THIEVES DEN
MY ESCAPE FROM THE HORSE THIEVES
BOB SCOTT'S FAMOUS COACH HIDE
"NEARLY EVERY MAN HAD TWO HORSES"
WILD BILL AND THE OUTLAWS
WILD BILL'S DUEL
GENERAL GEO. A. CUSTER (Portrait)
DEPARTING RICHES
TONGUES AND TENDERLOINS
THE INDIAN HORSE THIEVES
THE MAN WHO FIRED THE GUN
BUFFALO BILL
"DOWN WENT HIS HORSE"
THE FIRE SIGNAL
KIT CARSON (Portrait)
A GOOD HORSE
A BIG JOKE
AMBUSHING THE INDIANS
WHOA THERE!
DELIVERING DISPATCHES TO GENERAL SHERIDAN
THE TWO TRAMPS
CARRYYING DISPATCHES
GEN'L PHIL. SHERIDAN (PORTRAIT)
BATTLE ON THE ARICKAREE
BRINGING MEAT INTO CAMP
"INDIANS!"
GENERAL E. A. CARR (PORTRAIT)
A CRACK SHOT
A HARD CROWD
CAMPING IN THE SNOW
A WELCOME VISITOR
ANTELOPES
THE RECAPTURE OF BEVINS
ROBBING A STAGE COACH
INDIAN VILLAGE
THE KILLING OF TALL BULL
AN OLD BONE
A WEDDING CEREMONY
A RIDE FOR LIFE
PRAIRIE DOG VILLAGE
McCARTHY'S FRIGHT
FINDING THE REMAINS OF THE BUCK PARTY
SPOTTED TAIL (PORTRAIT)
GBAND DUKE ALEXIS (PORTRAIT)
INDIAN EXERCISES
TWO-LANCE KILLING A BUFFALO
AN EMBARRASSING SITUATION?
TEXAS JACK (PORTRAIT)
RIFLES
STUDYING THE PARTS
BEHIND THE FOOTLIGHTS
LEARNING THE GAME
GETTING SATISFACTION
A DUEL WITH CHIEF YELLOW HAND
SCOUTING ON A STEAMBOAT
CLOSE QUARTERS
ONE OF THE TROUPE