 Jimmy
Hickok was the only son (he has two sisters) of an abolitionist father.
Though his father was apparently well-respected amongst his colleagues,
he was less than an ideal parent: young Jimmy was witness to at least one
brutal beating of his mother by the man. Leaving home at an early
age, Jimmy was taken in by Marcus Enright, a retired judge who liked to
be referred to AS "The Judge". He and another boy, Brad Taggart,
were trained as gunfighters under The Judge's harsh tutelage. The
Judge even refused to let Jimmy learn how to read as he "wouldn't need
that skill". It was The Judge who gave Jimmy the ivory-handled Colt
that became so identifiable with him; it was years later, when he was forced
to kill his childhood friend Brad (still in the Judge's employ) that he
recovered the match for the unique weapon.
Leaving
The Judge, Jimmy travelled West and joined the Pony Express. There,
he immediately challenged Kid to a shooting match; when Kid hit 6 for 6,
Jimmy attempted to call him out. Fortunately, cool heads prevailed.
Jimmy also quickly gained a reputation as hot-headed and quick to temper.
He did though, come to despise the quick-draw label hung upon him by a
hack novelist. The label stuck though, and Jimmy found himself continually
having to defend his reputation whether he liked it or not.
Emma Shannon
took all of the riders under her wing, and it may have been Jimmy who needed
the maternal affection the most. Having never had a positive female
influence in his later years, Jimmy confused this motherly affection for
love. It was his first 'rejection'.
Jimmy was
fortunate to know love many times. Perhaps his most endearing paramour
was Rosemary Burke. As the Civil War neared, Jimmy became more involved
in abolitionist activities... it was then that he met Rosemary, the wife
of the legendary Isiah Burke. The two fought their mutual attraction
and eventually parted, only to be reunited after Isiah's death. It
was unsure whether Jimmy intended to continue working for 'The Cause' with
Rosemary; we do know, however, that he was able to put aside any differences
between North and South for the marriage of his good friends, Lou and Kid.
Photo:
ABC Third Season promotional photo of Josh Brolin as "James Butler Hickok"
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