Excerpt from Wild Bill
© 1999 ProofmarkJames Butler 'Wild Bill' Hickok
A RUNNING FIGHT WITH CONFEDERATES
After recovery from his wounds, Wild Bill left Rock Creek Station and went to Leavenworth where, shortly after his arrival, he was appointed wagon master of a train General John C. Fremont had ordered to Sedalia, Missouri. On the third day out, and as they were about going into camp for the night, the train was attacked by a company of Confederates and several of the wagons burned and the mules run off. Bill could offer little resistance, as he had less than a dozen men with him, all of whom surrendered at the beginning of the attack. Nevertheless, being mounted on an excellent horse, he gave battle single-handed and, when called upon to surrender, his reply was: "Come and take me." Knowing that Colonel Jameson was at Kansas City, he started for that place, pursued by more than fifty of the Confederates, who fired their pistols at him until they were distanced, but he escaped without a scratch; not so his pursuers, for four of the more advanced ones fell victims to his unerring aim.
Upon his arrival at Kansas City, Bill at once reported to Colonel Jameson, who immediately dispatched two companies of his command to the scene of the first attack and, on the following day, succeeded in recapturing most of the stock and repairing the damage to the wagons, so that the train was able to proceed to Sedalia. His valor in resisting the Confederates was acknowledged by his appointment as Brigade Wagon Master with General Curtis' army and, while serving in this capacity, he engaged in the battle of Pea Ridge, where he performed most valuable service as a sharp-shooter, killing no less than thirty-five men, it is stated, from a single position.
ENTERS THE ARMY AS A UNION SPY
After Bill's complete recovery he returned to the states and volunteered his services to General Curtis, who had command of the army in Missouri, as a scout and spy. He was enrolled in the early part of 1863, and at once sent upon a dangerous mission. General Price was preparing to enter Missouri, and it became very necessary for General Curtis to have reliable information of the intentions of the Confederate general. Bill went to Kansas City, where he was furnished a horse and allowed to exercise his judgment in reaching the enemy's lines. Accordingly, he rode through Kansas and the Indian Territory in order to reach Arkansas from the south. He assumed the name of Bill Barnes, and enlisted in a regiment of mounted rangers at a small town south of Little Rock. The regiment was attached to Price's command, and shortly afterwards he was made one of Price's orderlies. This gave him all the facilities desired to obtain information, which he managed, in many ways, to communicate to General Curtis. In 1864 Price began his retreat from Missouri and made his last stand by forming a junction with Shelby on Sugar Creek, about twenty miles below Newtonia, in McDonald County. General Curtis had, by forced marches, reached the creek at nearly the same time, and both forces were preparing for battle. It was now time for Bill to leave the Confederates, but no opportunity was presented. A river, or creek, lay between the two armies, and any effort to cross would certainly be detected.
On the 23rd of October, and the day Bill formed the intention of making a bold effort to cross the lines, General Price directed him to carry orders to General Shelby, instructing him where and when to make the attack on Curtis and how to conduct the movement. This instruction made matters worse for Bill, and he determined to take the chances of life or death in evading the Confederate army and placing the orders in General Curtis' hands. He rode furiously back and lost no time in challenging a braggadocio sergeant to ride with him, for a wager, nearest the enemy's lines. The sergeant tried to back out, but the boys began to hoot him so that their respective horses were wagered as to who could cross the open space and ride down to the creek. The two started off on a dash and soon the bullets from the Union forces were whistling around them. Bill kept as far from his partner as possible, and made his horse rear and plunge in order to attract the attention of the Union forces. They rode down to the creek together, when the Union men discovered Bill and shouted to him. This aroused the suspicion of the sergeant, who attempted to draw his pistol, but Bill's eye was on him and, in a flash, a ball went crashing through his brain. Bill grabbed the bit of the dead sergeant's horse and plunged into the stream, which at the time was considerably swollen. The Confederates now saw what was up and, although the Union forces commenced a brisk fire, the Confederates seemed determined to kill Bill, the bullets falling around him like hail, but he managed to reach the opposite shore with his own and the dead sergeant's horse without receiving any injury. Bill was taken into General Curtis' tent and afterwards publicly thanked for his daring and valuable services.
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