Making Davis Tutt Famous

[Smoke]

I want to be clear that I never claimed or tried to claim I know the answer. What I'm saying is I don't know and I can't seem to find anyone who can state authoritatively that they do.

The three contenders seem to be the .36 caliber Navy, The .44 Caliber Walker Colt and The Number 2 Army.

Here's an interesting video

 

[BillinAlamo]

Mike did a nice job with that one.

 

[walkin' trails]

My only black powder experience was with an off brand Italian 1860 replica sold thru Cabelas back in the early 90s really cheap. It would shoot a foot low at seven yards, so I was somewhat skeptical of the 75 yards distance of the fight. Then, speaking with others I realized that BP revolvers could be more accurate than in my experiences. I recall some magazine effort to shoot a quality Colt replica out to 75-100 yards and it could score hits at those distances.

One thing that has to be taken into account is that while there were apparently many witnesses, there seems to have been only one official account written up. I don’t recall Springfield, MO reporting any records, especially detailed records of the incident. The official account was picked up by someone and spread nation-wide.

Hickock was a Civil War veteran. He supposedly served as a scout and spy. He wouldn’t have been unfamiliar with the capabilities of his revolvers. It goes to say that with the popularity of the 1851 Navy on both sides, Hickock likely would have carried a pair. Hickock also went on to do a lot of scouting for the Army in the years to follow and purportedly had other handguns. My question has always been that since it never appeared that he had a permanent place to lay his head so where did he stash everything when he traveled? After his murder, they found that S&W .32 on him. The Navies were collected and sold off to cover his burial. The ones they say were his might really be them, nor not. Provenance wasn’t a big thing in 1876 frontier America.

75 yards from a BP revolver is an exceptional shot. A 75 foot head shot from a modern centerfire today is something that most who claim to shoot and carry is exceptional, especially when most are challenged to shoot accurately at the seven yards they claim they practice.

 

[Smith469]

The Greene County Archivist found some relevant court records:

https://www.thelibrary.org/post/the-shootout-on-the-square

The Wild Bill photograph shown below was taken in Springfield, 1865.

 

[Smoke]

Mike did a nice job with that one.

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say this but he is a member of THR

 

[Smoke]

The Greene County Archivist found some relevant court records:

https://www.thelibrary.org/post/the-shootout-on-the-square

The Wild Bill photograph shown below was taken in Springfield, 1865.

Can you tell what kind of gun he is carrying in that photo

 

[JD3006]

I live within five miles of the square in Springfield and have read a lot of books written about Wild Bill. I just counted and I currently own eight. I'm not an expert and certainly not a historian, but I don't remember reading any contemporary account of what revolver Wild Bill used in the fight with Davis Tutt. You all have motivated me to reread the accounts in the books I have.
The most recent book I've read was "the Wanderer" by Craig Crease published in 2024. I greatly enjoyed this book because the author looks at each of the legends of Wild Bill and offers evidence and his opinion on whether the legend is true or only a story. In the Wanderer Mr. Crease writes "It is believed that Hickok shot with an 1851 Navy Colt 36 Caliber cap and ball pistol." I think that if Mr. Crease had a witness account to back up that belief he would have quoted it at that time.

 

[Taj]

A Colt .36 Navy was what he was well known for carrying , two in a sash . The .36 is actually a .37 caliber as all I have ever owned took a .375 projectile. That is quite a bit bigger than the 9mm at .355-.356 . Also , would is not spelled "wood" .

I've heard the same, but not sure where. Not sure where I saw the photo but recall seeing him with a brace of Colt Navy's being carried in a sash, sort of cross draw style. I also seem to recall he preferred the Navy Colt's because they were lighter and easier to handle. All of this is from some faint memory, so..... duh!

 

[ISCS Yoda]

This is the picture - it's old so I do not think a copyright exists:

 

[Eddie Southgate]

I'm pretty sure I have seen a Hammond Bulldog .41 or .44 RF that belonged to him .

 

[Sgt. Buzzard]

Trouble is you can't tell anything from a photography studio photograph, which that is. They supplied the "props". Does anyone really think even someone known as Wild Bill really carried a 12" knife, stuck in the front of his belt? No sheath? What else was supplied?

It is a typical photograph of that time.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Other gunscribes have compared the ballistics of a Colt's Navy to those of a modern .380, rather than a 9.
The 'pair of Navies, in his sash' seems pretty standard; it's either true, or has been repeated enough that it's thought to be true.
I'll opine that a Walker seems unlikely, as a belt gun...they are a big sonafagun, and were normally carried in pommel holsters, rather than belt rigs. Dragoons aren't much better.
Again, the Navy was noted as the 'gunfighters' gun' for its relative handiness, compared to contemporary .44 revolvers.
Have a .36, and it does have a wonderful feel in the hand.
By the time of Hickok's death, cartridge arms were extant, though it's not clear to me how universally the guns, or their cartridges, were available in 1876. That Hickok was carrying a cartridge Smith at the time of his death, isn't surprising.
Interesting discussion.
Moon

 

[Eddie Southgate]

It is also said that he owned a 1860 conversion and a large caliber S&W of some form . The picture with the single gun with wood (?) grips could be the 1860 conversion. There was also the rifle that is said to have been buried with him.

 

[Eddie Southgate]

Trouble is you can't tell anything from a photography studio photograph, which that is. They supplied the "props". Does anyone really think even someone known as Wild Bill really carried a 12" knife, stuck in the front of his belt? No sheath? What else was supplied?

It is a typical photograph of that time.

I have no doubt that the Colts are his . As far as the knife , not unusual to carry a big knife but like you I think the knife in this picture is absolutely staged . No sheath , stuck where it is you would cut yourself about every 5 minutes unless you just sat still and didn't move your arms .

 

[walkin' trails]

Can you tell what kind of gun he is carrying in that photo

Based on my technical expertise in digital manipulation (two fingers on my phone screen to expand), I think they’re Colts. At least the one one his right somewhat resembles a Colt grip.

 

[WR Moore]

I've got a tattered copy of Cody's autobiography. The back portion is biographies of some of his contemporaries, including J.B. Hickok. I expect it was ghost written and also expect that it might not qualify for a G Washington level totally truthful account. However, Cody and Hickok were close friends. I'm not going to excavate the book and court allergies to find the exact wording, but it largely agrees with the account in the link in post 24. But, some details on the watch stuck in my mind. Cody's version has the watch given as surety for a card debt. However, the watch was supposedly an engraved watch presented by a Union General for his war service and Hickok was shamed at the loss. He supposedly asked Tutt to keep possession of the watch private as he was expecting funds. Tutt allegedly stated that he'd wear the watch to breakfast in the morning, Hickok allegedly stated that if he did, he'd kill him. Hickok was supposedly waiting for Tutt in the morning.

The account in post 24 casts some doubt on this version, if the accounts are accurate rather than something pieced together after the fact. Or, the ghost writer/Cody was exercising some dramatic license. I don't recall the range being mentioned, but handguns had a history of being used at ranges longer than we commonly believe.