Hello readers and welcome back to Pale Horse Revelations. where we explore significant people, places, and events in Old West history. While I make no promises, don't be surprised if some of these places, people, or events find their way into future Pale Rider adventures.
Last week we learned about one of the earliest recorded gunfights of the Old West era. Given his reputation as one of the Old West's greatest gunfighters, it should come as no surprise that Hickock was just getting started when he shot down Dave Tutt over a pocket watch. In this post we'll explore the 1871 gunfight between Hickock and another famous gunfighter, Phil Coe.
Before we dive into the particulars of the shootout, let's first spend a little time getting to know Phil Coe. Although not as widely known today as Hickock, Phil Coe was a renowned gunfighter in his own right. He was also a soldier, gambler, and businessman.
Born on July 17, 1839, in Gonzales, Texas, Coe's birth name was Hilio Houston Coe. He was the fourth of nine children born to Phillip Haddox and Elizabeth Coe. Little is known of his childhood. He appears in the historical record in March 1862 when he joined the Confederate forces lead by William L. Foster. Just three days later he was mustered in again, this time in San Antonio under E. W. Stevens. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant with Company F, 2nd Regiment Texas Mounted Rifles according to a roster dated September 21, 1862. Just three short month's later he was transferred again, this time with a rank of Private.
After the war, it is believed that he headed south to sell his services as a mercenary to Emperor Maximillian in Mexico. Here he met and befriended Ben Thompson, a notorious gunfighter in his own right. The two became fast friends with Thompson helping him hone his own shooting and gambling skills.
Coe arrived in Abilene, Kansas sometime in May of 1871. Thompson and Wild Bill Hickok were already there at the time. Hickok served as the city marshal. Coe and Thompson went into business together opening the Bull's Head Saloon. The establishment soon earned a reputation as being the wildest place in the already wild cowtown.
For whatever reason, Coe seemed to take an immediate dislike to Hickok. The feeling, it seemed, was mutual. The city marshal and the saloon owner had a number of disagreements and traded harsh words on multiple occasions. One of their more serious disagreements was over a painting of a bull. The painting in question was on the outside of the Bull's Head Saloon. What was the problem? The bull was painted with an erection and in stunningly accurate detail. As one might imagine, this did not sit well with the good people of Abilene who demanded that the image be altered to be less offensive.
Hickok, who served at the pleasure of the town, felt compelled to do something about this situation. In the end, Hickok ended up standing watch, armed with a shotgun, while the necessary alterations were made. Tensions were high, but the changes were made without incident.
As often happened in the Old West, the situation came to a head over a woman. Sometime after the "bull" incident Hickok and Coe began to court the same woman. Rumors began circulating that each planned to kill the other. The simmering feud came to its violent conclusion on the night of October 5, 1871.
Coe, along with several cowboy friends, were celebrating the end of cattle season, making their way from one saloon to the next. As they approached the Alamo Saloon a dog viciously attempted to bite Coe. Any angry and intoxicated Coe took a shot at the dog. Though he missed, the gunshot brought city marshal Hickok running to investigate.
Hickok demanded that Coe surrender his firearms (a city ordinance prohibited carrying them within the town limits). Coe, instead, opened fire on the marshal. Coe's shots missed, but Hickok's aim was true. He sent two slugs smashing into Coe's stomach. Coe suffered for four days before finally succumbing to his wounds on October 9th.
In a tragic twist of fate, Coe was not the only one fatally shot that night. Just as Hickok fired on Coe, he heard the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching from behind. Thinking that one of Coe's friends intended ambush him, Hickok whirled around and opened fire. He could do nothing but watch in shock as his own deputy, Mike Williams, slumped lifelessly to the ground. These would be the last two killings attributed to the legendary gunfighter. Shortly after this incident, Hickok was relieved of his duties as marshal. Those who knew him often said Hickok was never the same after the accidental killing of Mike Williams.
This brings us to the end of another edition of Pale Horse Revelations. I hope you found it to be both interesting and entertaining. As usual, I have tried to provide some interesting historical information while trying not to bog the casual reader down with too much detail. I encourage anyone interested in learning more to dig in and do a little research of their own.
As a reminder, I would love to hear your suggestions for topics to focus on in future editions of Pale Horse Revelations. If there's a particular location, person, or event that you would like to know more about, please let me know. Just fill out the Contact form found on the "Contact the Author" page of this website and indicate your desired topic in the message box at the bottom of the form. I look forward to hearing from you all.
Please be sure to check back next week for the next installment of Pale Horse Revelations and thank you for your continued interest and support.
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