author
Billy Dixon
1850–1913
A buffalo hunter, scout, and plainsman of the American West, he became one of the best-known figures of the Texas Panhandle frontier. He is remembered especially for his role at Adobe Walls and for receiving the Medal of Honor after the Buffalo Wallow Fight.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born on September 25, 1850, in what is now West Virginia, Billy Dixon was orphaned young and made his way west as a teenager. He worked on the frontier as a teamster, buffalo hunter, scout, and guide, building the kind of practical reputation that made him valuable in the rough country of the southern Plains.
Dixon became closely tied to the Texas Panhandle during the buffalo-hunting years and helped establish the settlement at Adobe Walls. He entered frontier legend during the Second Battle of Adobe Walls in 1874, where a very long rifle shot credited to him became one of the most famous stories of the era. Later that same year, his conduct in the Buffalo Wallow Fight led to the rare award of the U.S. Medal of Honor to a civilian.
In later years he ranches and farmed in the Oklahoma Panhandle and also recorded his memories of frontier life. He died on March 9, 1913, leaving behind a life story that sits at the crossroads of history and legend in the American West.