Wild Bill Hickman

William Adams "Wild Bill" Hickman (April 16, 1815 – August 21, 1883) was an American frontiersman. He also served as a representative to the Utah Territorial Legislature and wrote a public confession to committing several murders which he claimed were under orders from Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints prophet Brigham Young.

Early life Hickman was born in Warren County, Kentucky. When he was four years old he moved with his parents to the Missouri Territory, two years before Missouri statehood. He married his first wife, Bernetta Burchartt on 30 August 1832 at 17 years old.

Latter Day Saint While living in Missouri, Hickman encountered members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints traveling from Kirtland, Ohio to their new gathering place in Clay County, Missouri and ultimately agreed to be baptized into the religion in 1838.

Rising tensions with the gentiles In 1852, the Mormon-controlled Utah legislature passed a law granting Mormons the preferred right to run ferries over the Green River, increasing tensions with the Mountain Men who associated with Fort Bridger, who had been running the ferries over the river. Rumors began swirling that Jim Bridger was arming Native groups in the area, and affidavits were drawn up to that effect. Hickman was sent along with a posse of 150 Mormon militia who killed a couple of the mountain men and stole several hundred head of stock and whiskey they found at the fort, although Jim Bridger himself was not there. Hickman was appointed sheriff and county prosecuting attorney, assessor and collector by Judge Appleby in 1854 at Fort Supply, twelve miles south of Fort Bridger. In August 1854, Hickman was elected to the Utah Territorial Legislature for the area of Green River.

Hickman was an important figure in the Utah War. He torched Fort Bridger and numerous supply trains of the Federal Army.

Break with Brigham Young, excommunication, and later life Hickman, according to his autobiography, first began to break with Brigham Young during the latter's handling of the Morrisite War in 1863, claiming to put his name alongside those of many Utah non-Mormons to an ultimately successful petition to have the surviving prisoners of the minor sect released by a pardon from the (non-Brighamite) territorial governor. and seventh wife was Sarah Eliza Johnson, married to both women on 28 March 1855. Eighth wife was Mary Lucretia Horr, married in March 1856. Ninth wife was Martha Diana Case Howland, married 2 November 1856, and his tenth wife was Mary Jane Hetherington, married on 21 June 1859. Online genealogical records of the LDS Church show he fathered 36 children. Another source lists 39.

Hickman was the grandfather of author Annalee Skarin. Hickman was also the grandfather (through Minerva Emma Wade) of the artist Minerva Teichert. His is also the great-great-grandfather of speculative fiction author Tracy Hickman.

He died in Lander, Wyoming in 1883.

Hickman was re-baptized by proxy into the LDS Church on May 5, 1934.