Buffalo Bill

Buffalo Bill married Louisa Frederici in 1866. He was only 20 years old at the time of his marriage.

Buffalo had four children with his wife. Buffalo filed for divorce in 1904, after 38 years of marriage.

Buffalo died of kidney failure on January 10, 1917, at the age of 70. He was buried in Lookout Mountain in Denver, Colorado.

Bill Cody was born on February 26, 1846, in a farm near Le Claire in Scott County, Iowa. His father, Isaac Cody, was against slavery and often delivered anti-slavery lectures. His mother, Mary Ann Bonsell Laycock, was a teacher before she met Isaac.

In 1853, the Codys sold their land in Scott County, Iowa, and moved to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Territory. The family often received murder threats from the supporters of slavery. This made Cody’s father decide to live separately.

Bill’s father received a lot of hate while delivering a lecture at Rively’s store against slavery, and someone stabbed him twice. His father could not fully recover from that injury.

Bill once rode 30 miles to inform his father about his enemies’ plan to kill him while he was busy gathering supporters for the abolition of slavery. His father suffered a respiratory infection while returning from Cleveland, Ohio. This was caused by the earlier stabbing. He succumbed to his condition in April 1957.

After his father’s death, Bill had to take over the responsibility of his family. He took up his first job at the tender age of 11, which had him working with a freight carrier as a messenger.

In 1859, he heard about the Holcomb Valley “gold rush” in California and decided to try his luck. However, before reaching his destination, he got an opportunity to work with the ‘Pony Express.’

He left his job to be with his sick mother. He worked too many jobs, including that of a trapper, a bullwhacker, a stagecoach driver, and a hotel manager, until he decided to enlist himself as a soldier in the US army.

His wish to enlist himself as a soldier could not come to fruition, since he was too young to be enlisted. This made him work with the freight services, until he finally turned 17 and got enlisted in the army.

In 1863, he enlisted as a teamster and served as a scout for the ‘Union Army’s 7th Kansas Cavalry,’ until he was discharged in 1865. In 1868, after getting married, he went back to serve the army, as the chief of scouts for the ‘Third Cavalry.’

He fought 16 battles and was later awarded with a ‘Medal of Honor’ in 1872, for his dedication and bravery toward the nation.

A law that was passed later stated that only the “officers who demonstrated bravery above and beyond the call of duty” were to be awarded with the highest gallantry award. Thus, Cody’s medal was taken away after his death.

In 1989, after constant objection by Cody’s relatives, his honor was restored, when Senator Alan K. Simpson decided to intervene.