Wild Bill Hickok

Played by Keith Carradine

James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok was one of the most legendary figures of the Old West. A renowned marksman and Civil War spy, Hickok was known for his skills with a pair of twin Colt revolvers, killing somewhere between eight and 100 men, depending on whose stories you believe. As a deputy U.S. marshal, he was a veteran of many Indian battles and served as a scout to officers like George Armstrong Custer. He had been a marshal in Hays City, and then Abilene, Kansas, gaining a reputation as a man who could pacify an untamed community. After touring the country in a Wild West show with the likes of Buffalo Bill Cody, Hickok drifted from place to place, drinking heavily and gambling even more. He arrived in Deadwood to stake a claim and earn some money for himself and his new wife.