Biographical Notes
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody
In the spring of 1877 Cody purchased land on the South Fork of the Dismal River in Nebraska and briefly took up cattle ranching with Frank North. After a few months Cody left North in charge of the ranch and organized a new play based on the Mountain Meadow Massacre of 1857. He was once again successful, but Louisa, indicating a dislike of the incessant travel, returned to Nebraska and built a home on land Cody had purchased outside of North Platte, Nebraska. In 1879 Cody starred in "Buffalo Bill's Best Trail," another financial success and about that time Prentiss Ingraham started writing a series of widely read dime novels about "Buffalo Bill." Cody's fame was spreading Also Cody was himself writing "Buffalo Bill" novels and published an autobiography in 1879. Cody continued acting in various plays written for him through 1882. Summers were spent at home in Nebraska, but the rest of the time he was separated from his family. Personal relations with Louisa deteriorated, a divorce was contemplated, but the marriage continued. In 1882, North and Cody sold their ranch on the Dismal River, but Cody continued to buy land in and around North Platte.
Early in 1882 Cody met Nate Salisbury in New York and the basic concept for the Wild West was conceived. A few months later, Cody helped organize a festive Independence Day celebration in North Platte which further stimulated his imagination. On February 3, 1883, Cody played his last stage show as an actor in "Buffalo Bill's Pledge." On May 19, 1883, with Doc Carver as Cody's partner, the Wild West opened in Omaha, Nebraska. The Wild West's first season was well received by large crowds but was not a financial success. In subsequent years Salisbury replaced Carver as Cody's partner and operational procedures were refined. Annie Oakley joined and became the opening act. Several famous Indians participated in various acts and, in 1885, Sitting Bull joined. Cody got along well with the Indians in his show and counted Sitting Bull to be a personal friend. Famous people from home and abroad attended and commented favorably adding to the show's fame. The show grew in popularity and became highly profitable. Louisa remained in Nebraska for most of the time, but Cody became very comfortable in high society. In 1887 the Wild West traveled to Europe for the first time. It was as successful there as in the United States.
In January 1889, during a solar eclipse, the Paiute mystic, Wovoka, fell into a trance on the Walker Lake Indian Reservation in Nevada. When Wovoka awoke he announced that he had had a revelation that foretold the return of the buffalo, the disappearance of the white man, and the return from the grave of all dead Indians. He predicted that all of this would occur sometime in 1891. He also told his followers that they should perform the Ghost Dance to ensure that the prophesy would come true. Word spread rapidly and by the spring of 1890 Sioux Indians were performing the ghost dance in the Pine Ridge Reservation where Sitting Bull was living. Government leaders became concerned that Sitting Bull would lend his prestige to the movement. General Miles asked Cody to intervene with his friend Sitting Bull, but Indian Agent James McLaughlin insisted on arresting the Chief. The arrest was bungled and Sitting Bull was killed on December 15, 1890. The chief's death led directly to the Massacre at Wounded Knee and Cody was outspoken in the belief that he could have averted the trouble had he been permitted to meet with Sitting Bull. All of this was, of course, additional publicity for "Buffalo Bill."
On November 23, 1889, during the Ghost Dance scare, Cody had been commissioned a brigadier general and aide-de-camp for Governor John M. Thayer of Nebraska. His responsibility was to serve as a liason between General Miles and the Nebraska National Guard. Following the Wounded Knee massacre and the return of all hostile Indians to the reservation, Cody accompanied General Miles in reviewing the troops that had been assembled before their return to their duty stations. Cody appears to have been slightly embarrassed by this commission and never used the title general. On March 30, 1895, apparently at Cody's request, Thayer issued a new commission as colonel. From that point on, he always used the title of colonel and was so addressed for the rest of his life. In North Platte his land holdings continued to grow and his ranch became a showplace, but his domestic relations continued to be difficult and there were rumors of his infidelity.
In 1891 the Wild West was reorganized to include a new emphasis on horsemanship. It's name was changed to "Buffalo Bill's" Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World. During its run in Germany Kaiser Wilhelm II attended and German military officers were so impressed with the logistics involved in moving the show from place to place that they took notes. Lessons learned were used to Germany's benefit in subsequent military campaigns. In 1893 the Wild West established itself across the street from the main gate of the Columbian Exposition in Chicago. It consistently turned crowds away for lack of space, but the following year saw the beginning of a long decline in the show's fortunes. Salisbury was forced to leave the show due to illness and the financial panic of 1893 was beginning to adversely impact the income of the general public. In 1895 Cody attempted to mount a show called Black America which would depict the contribution of black Americans to the building of the country. It was not a success. By 1896 Cody was growing tired of the constant strain, but the Wild West continued to make enough money to keep his interest.
In 1898 Cody volunteered to participate in the Spanish American War. General Miles accepted Cody's offer and made him a part of his staff. He did not actually serve and remained with the Wild West throughout the short lived conflict. General Miles, however, did ride one of Cody's prize horses during his campaign in Puerto Rico. On August 31, 1898, Nebraska celebrated "Cody Day" in Omaha, Nebraska, during the Trans-Mississippi Exposition. In 1899 the show included some of the famous Rough Riders that had followed Theodore Roosevelt up San Juan Hill in Cuba. In the 1901 version of the show he included a skit related to the Boxer Rebellion in China. In 1903 Cody again began to seek a separation from Louisa, but she refused to agree. In 1904 he accused his wife of "nagging" and filed for divorce. He was unsuccessful, and relations between husband and wife continued to be difficult until a final reconciliation was brought about through their children in 1910.
In 1909 Cody merged the Wild West with Major Gordon "Pawnee Bill" Lille's show. The new production's official name was "Buffalo Bill's" Wild West and "Pawnee Bill's Wild East, but it was popularly known as the "Two Bill's show." In 1911 he considered running for senator in Arizona, but nothing came of it. Also during this time various mining investments that he had made turned out to have been misplaced and his financial position deteriorated badly. Profits from the show were down and he sold property to cover his expenses. He was tired and dispirited and began talking of retiring from show business altogether. In 1912, Cody and Lille formed the Buffalo Bill Film Company and produced The Life of "Buffalo Bill" staring Cody as himself. Later that year Cody borrowed money from Harry H. Tammen. In 1913 Tammen foreclosed on the Two Bill's show and Cody's financial position was irreparably damaged. Tammen required Cody to remain with the show in order to pay off his debt and when Tammen finally did agree to his departure, forced Cody to pay for the right to continue to use the name "Buffalo Bill."
In 1916 Cody joined the Miller & Arlington Wild West Show Company and put on The Military Pageant Preparedness with Buffalo Bill. Active duty servicemen were included in the show. At first it was fairly successful but Cody's salary did not cover his expenses combined with accumulated debts that needed to be paid. He was told that medal of honor recipients were entitled to a stipend and he applied to the War Department saying that he was on hard times financially. The War Department responded that there was no such provision and that furthermore only active duty military personnel were eligible to receive the medal of honor. Cody's name was stricken from the list of recipients. Although he continued with the show, his strength was steadily declining and he had difficulty with his performances. On January 3, 1917, he went to Glenwood Springs, Colorado in the hope that the mineral springs would restore his health. On January 5, after suffering a collapse, he went on to Denver where he stayed with his sister, May Cody Decker. He passed away on January 10, 1917, and was buried on Lookout Mountain above Denver. After his death his name was restored to the list of recipients of the medal of honor.
"Dear Mr. Cody,
I have seen your Wild West show two days in succession, and have enjoyed it thoroughly. It brought vividly back the breezy wild life of the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains, and stirred me like a war-song. Down to its smallest details, the show is genuine--cowboys, vaqueros, Indians, stage coach, costumes and all; it is wholly free from sham and insincerity, and the effects produced upon me by its spectacles were identical with those wrought upon me long ago by the same spectacles on the frontier. Your pony expressman was as tremendous an interest to me yesterday as he was twenty-three years ago, when he used to come whizzing by from over the desert with the war news: and your bucking horses even painfully real to me, as I rode one of those outrages once for nearly a quarter of a minute. It is often said on the other side of the water that none of the exhibitions which we send to England are purely and distinctively American. If you will take the Wild West show over there, you can remove that reproach.
Truly yours,
Mark Twain"
