Courtney Ryley Cooper

Memories of Buffalo Bill . By Courtney Ryley Cooper

Louisa Maud Frederici (1843-1921) was the wife of William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody. Married on March 6, 1866 in St. Louis, Missouri and remained in a rocky relationship for 51 years until Cody's death in 1917. The couple had met when Cody traveled to St. Louis due to his Union Army duties at the close of the Civil War. The wedding was swift and took place shortly after their interactions in 1865, with Cody taking time out from scouting and horse-driving to marry Louisa. Louisa, often referred to as "Lulu" by her husband, was a proud woman who would not simply grant Cody a divorce in 1904, which led to trial in 1905. The case was given in Louisa's favor after a judge deemed "incompatibility was not a grounds for divorce.