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Philip Houston "Phil" Coe (July 13, 1839 Gonzales, Texas – October 9, 1871 Abilene, Kansas), was a soldier, Old West gambler, and businessman from Texas.[1] He became the business partner of gunfighter Ben Thompson in Abilene, Kansas, with whom he opened the Bull's Head Saloon.[2] He was killed by marshal "Wild Bill" Hickok in a street brawl.
Phil Coe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Philip Houston Coe July 13, 1839 Gonzales, Republic of Texas |
| Died | October 9, 1871 (aged 32) Abilene, Kansas, United States |
| Parents |
|
| Occupation | Soldier, gambler and businessman |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Confederate Army |
| Commands | |
| Battles/wars | |
Early life
editPhillip Houston Coe was born July 17, 1839 to Phillp Haddox and Elizabeth (Parker) Coe in Gonzales, Texas, one of the earliest settlements west of the Colorado River and was the fourth of 9 children.[3]
Military career
editPhilip Coe was enrolled on March 24, 1862 at Belmont (Gonzales Co. Texas) by William L. Foster and 3 days and 53 miles later was mustered in at San Antonio, Texas by E.W. Stevens at age 22. A roster of Company F, 2nd. Regiment Texas Mounted Rifles (Confederate Texas Troops) showed him as Lieutenant with a commission date of September 21, 1862. Coe was transferred on December 11, 1862 to William G. Tobin's Company F of Colonel C.L. Pyron's Regiment with a rank of Private. The sole document bearing Coe's signature was a pay voucher showing he received $100 for one month's service from March 31, 1863 to April 30, 1863: This document acknowledged payment from W.M. Wilby, Assistant Quartermaster, Confederate States of America and signed "P.H. Coe 1rst Leut co (F). 2 T M R [2nd. Texas Mounted Rifles]." It is possible Philip Coe fought under Emperor Maximillian of Mexico as a soldier-of-fortune with his friend Ben Thompson after his service in the Confederate Texas Troops, but no records can confirm so.[4]
Post-war
editAfter the war, Coe traveled through Texas. During his travels, he befriended gunfighter Bill Longley and Ben Thompson, the latter of whom he had served with in Mexico. He then settled in Salina, Kansas, where he became a saloon owner and gambler. In May 1871, Coe became Ben Thompson's business partner in Abilene, managing the Bull's Head Saloon. They outraged the townspeople of Abilene by painting a bull, complete with an erection on the outside wall of his tavern. He met many notable figures of the Old West, including John Wesley Hardin and Abilene's town marshal, Wild Bill Hickok. Coe took an immediate dislike to Hickok.[3]
On October 5, 1871, Coe shot Hickok twice following a street brawl, missing both shots. Hickok fired back, shooting Coe in the stomach. However, Hickok also mistakenly shot and killed his deputy, Mike Williams, who was running to his aid.[5][6] Williams was due to return to Kansas City that night.[7]
Phil Coe remained in the town for several days before dying on October 9, 1871. He was Hickok's last known killing. Coe's body was taken to Brenham, Texas, to relatives of his. He was buried there in Prairie Lea Cemetery.[3]
References
edit- ↑ Weiser, Kathy (September 2017). "Phil Coe – Gunfighter and Gambler". Legends of America. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
- ↑ Keys, Jim (January 28, 2013). "Wild Bill Hickok". The History Herald: 2. Archived from the original on December 27, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
- 1 2 3 Parsons, Chuck (June 12, 2010). "Coe, Philip Houston". Texas Handbook of History Online. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
- ↑ Chuck Parsons "Phil Coe- Texas Gambler
- ↑ "Special Deputy Marshall Mike Williams". Officer Down Memorial Page. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
- ↑ Trimble, Marshall (March 1, 2006). "Was Mike Williams an Abilene, Kansas, deputy at the time of the gunfight between Wild Bill Hickok and Phil Coe?". True West Magazine. Calhan, Colorado. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
- ↑ Trimble, Marshall (March 12, 2012). "Who was the man Wild Bill Hickok shot and killed in Abilene, Kansas?". True West Magazine. Salem, Oregon. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
Bibliography
edit- Parsons, Chuck (1984). Phil Coe, Texas Gambler. Wolfe City, Texas: Henington Publishing Company. p. 40.
- Rosa, Joseph G. (1964). They Called Him Wild Bill: The Life and Adventures of James Butler Hickok. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 278.
- Streeter, Floyd Benjamin (1957). Ben Thompson. New York: Fell.
- Walton, W. M. (1884). The Life and Adventures of Ben Thompson: The Famous Texan. Austin: Steck. p. 420. ISBN 9781530581283.
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