A hint of being a criminal himself, which is a pretty predominant theme. Had it not been for one such harpers monthly magazine, no one would have known who wild bill was and no one wouldve cared. Months after the conclusion of the civil war, in july, 1865, James Butler Hickok shot and killed a former confederate soldier in springfield, missouri on the town square. The shooting was written about an harpers monthly magazine and painted hickok as a remit as a romantic figure. While in springfield we visited the Greene County archives and looked at Court Documents from the trial. Onlyring the war was the county in southwest missouri whose population went up. That had to do with the soldiers who were here, as well as the refugees that were coming in from all over southwest missouri, indian territory, arkansas, southern kansas, prior to the outbreak of the war it was a couple thousand people. It was the biggest it was the only urban center in southwest missouri. By the end of the war, there were probably 10,000 people in springfield. What makes that so unique is if you go, especially a county to the west, some of those counties depopulated between 60 and 90 during the war. Bushwhacking, weather conditions, people were starving, it was not a Pleasant Place to be. After the war, springfield is still under military occupation, there is a military court in addition to a civilian circuit court. There are a lot of x confederates here in addition to ask Union Soldiers and those that are still active soldiers. There are also a lot of refugees. Former unionists, former confederate refugees. Ended, had technically the surrender had occurred. There was still wild stuff going on. Hickok and taught were note tutt were known to be friends. Theof the stories is that other man was the better gambler. Where he was story going around and convincing people to up the stakes. The story goes, bill hickok lost and he lost big. Bill hickok approached tutt and said do not wear that in public, do not let anyone know you have won mywatch you have watch. Tutt said im going to wear it, this is my watch now. Weres got heated, words exchanged and bill hickok lay down the ultimatum, he told tutt i do not want to see you out in public with my watch on. He stood on the Public Square to come outor tutt from where he was and tutt came walking up the street and hickok drew and shot tutt in the chest. Under the missouri constitution and because we were still technically under military rule, any citizen of missouri had to take the oath of allegiance. It was basically you signed a document, raised your hand, and gave an oath to the appropriate military personnel that you are loyal to the state of missouri. In some cases, this is how prisoners were released, by taking the oath. Those that were exempt were usuallyin officers, federal soldiers. Anybody else that was not had to take this oath of loyalty. A lot of x confederates had to take it, you had to take it in order to preach in the church, you had to take it in order to teach in the school. A lot of former confederates refused to take the oath, refused to do it out of personal pride, personal conviction. If you are not taken the oath, you are completely disenfranchised. , you cannotote teach school, you cannot preach a sermon, you cannot sell liquor, cannot serve on a jury. You had no rights. You are still considered a rebel. Confederate and is an ex confederate and exok is and ask is an federal. Everyone who sat on the jury was a former unionist. The judge was a former unionist. Tony boyd was the judge. He later he was the ambassador to siam in the 1890s. Within 48 hours, an indictment is filed and a warrant is issued for his arrest. This is the original indictment. Dozens and dozens of subpoenas were issued to, in, the , they to come in subpoenaed them to give testimony for the coroners inquest. All of the documents coming to trial, all of the testimony, it happened quick and they acquitted him of manslaughter. Was the trial fair . Who is to say. At that time, what happened is exactly what would have happened. Everyone else was disenfranchised and all tutt was was another dead confederate. The back ofn everybodys mind, it was still part of who and what springfield was until that generation was gone. Now it is a novelty. The first shootout happened here. What is not understood is that it was not necessarily a quick draw shoot them up. Few this was a feud between members of different sides of a war that happen to play out when and where it did. Like i said, if it would not have been for the sensationalism in the harpers weekly, no one would have known. Our cities tour staff recently traveled to springfield, missouri to learn about its history. Learn more about springfield and other stops on our tour at cspan. Org citiestour. You are watching American History tv all weekend every weekend on cspan3. In 1960 seven, the Ford Corporation market 75th a 26ersary by producing minute film titled 1999a. D. The appliance and radio manufacturer looked ahead to the turn of the 21st century to imagine what life would be like in a family in a home maintained by a central computer and powered by fuel cells. National Film Preservation Foundation and the library of congress made this film available through their online collection