Bufallo Bill Cody
Bufallo Bill Cody
Like many other figures of the Old West during this time, William served time as a soldier during the Civil War. He served time as a scout in the Union’s Seventh Canvas Calvary towards the end of the war. After the war was over, Cody married Louisa Frederici and had four children. The monicker “Bufall Bill” came around when William hunted buffalo for the Kansas Pacific Railroad, his excellent shot earning him reputation amongst his peers.
It was because of this reputation that he was recruited once more into the United States Millitary, though this time to Kansas’s Fifth Cavalry. His skills from hunting buffalo made him both a skilled hunter and a great tracker. William went on to become one of a few citizen scouts that would win a Conressional Medal of Honor for his actions during the Indian Wars. Cody was also popular with the people, something that was noticed by U.S. Army General Philip Sheridan. Under his advice, William took dignitaries such as General George Amstrong Custer and Grand Duke Alexis on hunting expeditions in the plains.
It was during this era of history that pulp fiction and graphic arts were becoming popular. Many figures of the Old West, including Buffalo Bill, were shown in dramatic tales that could be found in magazines. A known novel writer, Ned Buntline, sought out William and encouraged him to try taking up showlife. The group he joined for this traveling show consisted of other known figures such as Bill Hickok and Texas Jack Omohundro.
Eventually William returned to the calvary life, where he once more proved why he was not just in fact a showman. It didn’t last long, not when he went on to create Buffalo Bill’s Wild West that toured all over the Univeted States and Europe, making Buffalo Bill a worldwide sensation. With the money and fame he gained on the tour, he became a business man and invested in things such as publishing, stock breeding, coal, mining, and so much more. He was also an early advocate for women’s suffrage!
William went on to be one of the most renowned figures of the Old West, given William F. Cody was arguably one of the most famous Americans in the world at the time.