American frontiersman and entertainer (1846–1917). By the age of 15 Cody had already been a horse wrangler, Pony Express rider, and unsuccessful prospector. He became a scout for the Union army and after the war took a job for a company that supplied meat for railroad construction crews, killing 4,280 buffalo during 1867–68. Dubbed “Buffalo Bill” by writer Ned Buntline, Cody organized his famous Wild West Show in 1883 and met with great success during national and worldwide tours in the following decades. ALS signed “W. F. Cody,” three sides on two pages, 8.5 x 11, Col. Wm. F. Cody, Private Office letterhead (bearing an ornate Buffalo Bill 101 Ranch Shows logo), June 11, 1916. Cody writes from Boston to his lawyer, Henry Hersey. In part: “I don’t remember of ever being served with a copy of the summons and complaint in that suit. But at the time of the attachment and sheriff sale of the show, my heart was broke. I could not collect my thoughts. Tammen, Marko ... were flying around Tammen’s office with all kinds of papers. All talking at once, flaring papers before me to sign saying they were alright.... He [Tammen] said the damn thieving lawyers had stolen all the money. I told him that was no fault of mine. He said I was on the note personally. I told him he was a liar if I was on the note personally it was done through trickery—which he was a master at—I never signed that note personally.... If I had been I would have positively declined. The entire $20,000 was given to Lillie, and now he claims he is out of it. Tammen has done everything he could and is still trying to keep me from making an honest living.... He is using my old pictorial pictures of myself that the public all knows with his show for his own gain. Thereby deceiving the public obtaining money by false pretences and ruining my reputation. My one religion has been to keep my[self] loved with the public. What will the good people think of me now? They blame me for allowing my name to be used by another show.... Now he informs Arlington he has a judgement against me and what money I got from this show must go to him. If he succeeds in doing this. If he persists in ruining all I have got, an honest name - And succeeds in hounding me to my grave—and there is no law that can legally stop him. There is only one thing left for me—and I will do it. I will wait and see what you can do & pray God you may succeed. For the other way would end all. If I could only get him to shoot first. It would be easy....” In 1908 Cody had combined his show with Pawnee Bill’s under the title Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and Pawnee Bill’s Far East. In 1912, a strapped Cody needed financing for his show and went to Harry Tammen of Denver for a $20,000 loan. In the following year the combined show arrived for a Denver performance at the time the $20,000 loan was due. The show was seized by the sheriff and held to pay off the $20,000 debt. Since Cody did not have that much cash available at the time, and Tammen would not extend the loan, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and Pawnee Bill’s Far East was sold off at auction in Denver. Continuing to use the debt as leverage, Tammen then forced Buffalo Bill to appear in Tammen’s Sells-Floto circus. During the 1916–17 winter break, Cody returned to Denver, where he died on January 10, 1917. Though by the end of his life Cody had lost his fortune and was plagued with personal problems, his legacy in transforming the image of the Old West endures to this day. In fine condition, with intersecting folds (one through a single initial of signature) and some mild toning to second page. Auction LOA John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and R&R COA.
