Wild Bill Hickok - Did General Custer Miss Him?

The following post was written by Gary Swanson.
 

When George Armstrong Custer died at the Little Big Horn, our country lost one of its greatest heroes.

 Just over a month later, James Butler (Wild Bill) Hickok was murdered in Deadwood, South Dakota.

He was shot in the back by Jack McCall, and the poker cards he held would forever be known as the "Deadman's Hand."  His fingers held two black aces, two black eights, and history still argues about the fifth card.

 "Wild Bill" Hickok lies in the Mt. Moriah Cemetery overlooking the town of Deadwood.

On his gravestone it is engraved:

"J.B. HICKOK

DIED Aug 2, 1876

AGED 39 years

CUSTER

WAS LONELY

WITHOUT HIM"

Mt. Moriah Cemetery is authorized by the United States Congress to fly the American flag in perpetuity.  Our country's flag is never lowered here, 

and it watches over the peaceful graves of our western history players.