Letter from William F. Cody to Samuel Stone "Buckskin Sam" Hall, May 9, 1879 Johnston, Jeremy Christianson, Frank Seefeldt, Douglas, 1964- 2011 William F. Cody Archive University of Nebraska-Lincoln Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
319 Love Library University of Nebraska–Lincoln Lincoln, NE 68588-4100 cdrh@unlnotes.unl.edu
Lincoln, Nebraska
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE 68588-4100
wfc.css00044

No year inscribed; likely 1879: WFC was in California and Nevada in April 1879, referring below to just returning from the "Pacific Slope." Cody, William Frederick, 1846-1917 Letter from William F. Cody to Samuel Stone "Buckskin Sam" Hall, May 9, 1879 May 9 [1879] 2 pages McCracken Research Library, Buffalo Bill Center of the West MS6.0048a-b

2 hand-written pages

 Ruled paper 2 pages

Media: black ink

Texts Correspondence Hall, Samuel Stone, 1838-1886 North Platte (Neb.) Weakly, Laura K. Annotation encoding Weakly, Laura K. Initial Encoding Boyce, Gary Transcription Adams, Deb Original Transcription
North. Platte
May. 9th 1 My Dear Sam.

I wonder What Kind of an—ungrateful rooster you take me for. I have just returned from the Pacific slope. and found your letter awaiting me. I am quite ill and am writeingwriting this in bed. Your poem was immense.2 please accept my thanks until you are better paid. I trust your health is better. I have been very unfortunate with my cattle and horse business this season. had Sixty one head of horses stolen by the Indians and over a hundred head of cattle shot. besides have had the most severe winter ever knowenknown in this country. but cantcan't tell the loss till after the round up.

Well Pard

As I am feeling so miserable I will close until I get better. Write me. North Platte Neb. And beleivebelieve me Your Friend.

Bill. Cody Note 1: Cody did not include the year in the dateline of this letter, but contextual evidence points to the year 1879. See note 2 below. Note 2: Very likely the poem "Cody's Corral, or, the Scouts and the Sioux," which was later reprinted in programs for Buffalo Bill's Wild West as early as 1885. The 1885 program gave credit for the poem to "Buckskin Sam." In a letter to Hall dated May 23, 1879, Cody refers to the poem as "Cody's Corrall."