Buffalo Bill's Duel With A Friend

Buffalo Bill’s Duel With A Friend

"General Crook? Chief Yellow Hand has a message for you. He wants to fight Buffalo Bill. If Buffalo Bill kills the chief, the Cheyenne will surrender to the White Man and go back to the reservation. But if Yellow Hand wins, you must let us escape to Canada."

Buffalo Bill Cody was a dashing western character popularized by news stories in the east and in novels by writers like Nat Buntline. Buffalo Bill said some of the stories of his exploits were so dramatized and exaggerated that he scared himself! He told his Indian friend, Chief Red Fox, about a story where he killed Indians while riding the pony express. "After reading the story I was afraid of myself - killing three Indians with two shots. Frank Butler or his wife Annie Oakley could not have done that well, could they?"

That happened to a number of stories about Buffalo Bill. His true, larger-than life exploits became even bigger when published by the writers. One of those stories was his duel with Chief Yellow Hand, which he explained to Red Fox.

Television and portrays the duel as having been fought with knives. It wasn’t. Buffalo Bill explained his version of the story to Chief Red Fox, who preserved it in his personal memoirs.

When a band of Cheyenne left their reservation bound for Canada, General George Crook called for Buffalo Bill to scout for him. A Cheyenne warrior rode into Crook’s camp and offered a challenge from his chief, Yellow Hand, to Buffalo Bill. He wanted a personal fight with the cowboy. If Buffalo Bill won the challenge, the Cheyenne would return to their reservation. But if the Cheyenne chief won, the army was to let them go to Canada.

Buffalo Bill and Chief Yellow hand were friends, but Buffalo Bill accepted the challenge and the Cheyenne warrior returned to his band to let his chief know. Three days later the two men met for their duel.

The scene War Bonnet Creek in Wyoming in August, 1887. The officers and men of the U.S. Calvary were lined up on one side displaying a flag of truce. Chief Yellow Hand rode in with his warriors, also carrying the flag of truce. Yellow Hand threw a stick on the ground signaling he was ready for battle. Buffalo Bill threw his hat on the ground, accepting the challenge. Both men spurred their horses and raced in a circle as fast as they could. Yellow Hand fired first, striking the horn of Bill’s saddle. Buffalo Bill returned fire, striking and killing Yellow Hand’s horse. Buffalo Bill dropped to the ground and Yellow Hand fired again and missed again. Buffalo Bill’s second shot found it’s mark and Yellow Hand fell to the ground, mortally wounded.

I don’t know how Buffalo Bill felt about killing Yellow Hand. Since the two were friends I’m sure it grieved him. But, it is gratifying to think about all the soldiers on both sides, the Calvary and the Cheyenne, who didn’t have to die because these two men fought as representatives of their group, and all their followers agreed to the terms. Yellow Hand's offer to Buffalo Bill showed uncommon wisdom and concern for the safety of the people in his charge. It’s intriguing to wonder if we will ever see such courage among major leaders today.

Warren Baldwin