George Ward Nichols

George Ward Nichols (1831–1885) was an American journalist, Civil War veteran, and music writer best known for creating the legend of Wild Bill Hickok through his 1867 Harper's New Monthly Magazine article. After serving as a lieutenant colonel in the Union Army under Generals Fremont and Sherman, he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he became president of the Cincinnati College of Music and authored books on art and pottery.