Davis Kasey Tutt (1836 – July 21, 1865) was an American

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

gambler Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three elem ...

and former soldier, best remembered for being killed during the

Wild Bill Hickok – Davis Tutt shootout Wild, wild, wilds or wild may refer to: Common meanings * Wild animal * Wilderness, a wild natural environment * Wildness, the quality of being wild or untamed Art, media and entertainment Film and television * ''Wild'' (2014 film), a 2014 A ...

of 1865, which launched

Wild Bill Hickok James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837August 2, 1876), better known as "Wild Bill" Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West known for his life on the frontier as a soldier, scout, lawman, gambler, showman, and actor, and for his involvement ...

to fame as a

gunfighter Gunfighters, also called gunslingers (), or in the 19th and early 20th centuries gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in gunfights and shootouts. Today, the t ...

. Tutt was born in

Yellville, Arkansas Yellville is a city and county seat in Marion County, Arkansas, United States. Yellville is located in the Ozark Mountains along the banks of Crooked Creek, and neighbors the small town of Summit to the north. The population was 1,178 at the ...

, son of Hansford Tutt, a member of a politically influential family in

Marion County, Arkansas Marion County is located in the Ozark Mountains in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The county is named for Francis Marion, the famous "Swamp Fox" of the Revolutionary War. Created as Arkansas's 35th county in 1836, Marion County is home to one in ...

, and his first wife. When he was a boy, Tutt's family became involved in the Tutt-Everett War, during which his father and other family members were killed. Enlisting in 1862 in Company A, 27th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, Davis Tutt fought for the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

in the Trans-Mississippi Theater during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. At its end, he decided to go west, stopping first in

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an estimat ...

, where he met Wild Bill Hickok. Despite serving on opposite sides during the war, they became friends and often gambled together. Tutt even loaned Hickok money on occasion. Historians have debated the amount, but Hickok himself stated he owed Tutt $25. The fall out between Tutt and Hickok was due to Hickok's failure to repay the money he owed, worsened by Tutt taking Hickok's watch as collateral. Hickok allowed Tutt to take it, but warned him to never wear it in public. Hickok approached the square and called out Tutt. Tutt responded and the two men faced each other fearlessly. Each fired one shot. Tutt missed, but Hickok's shot killed Tutt.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tutt, Davis American gamblers People from Marion County, Arkansas 1836 births 1865 deaths Deaths by firearm in Missouri People of the American Old West People of Arkansas in the American Civil War Confederate States Army personnel American duellists