USA > Wyoming > The history of Wyoming from the earliest known discoveries > Part 12
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General Ashley, by his strong personality, completely revolutionized the methods of trapping. From the infancy
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of the business in the Canadas and the rivers and lakes in the Northwest, the trapper had journeyed in canoes. Ash- ley mounted his men on horseback and he employed none but expert riders and those who could handle a rifle with deadly effect. Every man was expected to defend himself against Indians while he looked after his traps. This plac- ing of the trapper on horseback completely changed the white man as it had done the Indian before him. These trappers soon became as expert in horsemanship as the red- man, and being better armed, the Indian was no match for him, yet in spite of his advantage over the red man, the latter soon found means to wage a war almost to extermina- tion on the trappers. The savages learned to know the routes as well as the resorts of the white men on horseback, and they made war by waylaying them on their journey. They hovered about their camps and made life with them a perpetual warfare. This in time resulted in greatly deci- mating the ranks of the trappers. It is reported that three- fifths of all the men who served under Ashley, Sublette, Campbell, Bridger and Fitzpatrick were killed by Indians and the most of them were cut off while examining their traps, and yet the fascination of a mountain life kept the ranks recruited and the businss of fur trapping up to the full standard until the streams were depleted of fur-bearing animals.
To tell the story of General Ashley and his men while in the mountains would require numerous volumes. I have simply sketched some of the leading events in the life of this wonderful man, whose favorite trapping and trading grounds in the west were in Wyoming.
The American trappers and traders of Ashley and his followers had much to do with the early history of Wyoming. These intrepid men laid the foundation upon which was built in after years a magnificent civilization. I regret ex- ceedingly that so many of the brave men who followed these renowned leaders are unknown today. The names of a few of the many I have been able to rescue from oblivion, but the great army, the advance guard of civilization, the
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heroes who risked and often lost their lives in the moun- tains-even their names are forgotten. In these pages I shall present and give an account of various trapping and trading expeditions within the borders of what is now Wyo- ming, which I have been enabled to gather from many sources. They are all a part of our history and the story of their achievements and their sufferings rightfully belongs in these pages side by side with other heroes who completed the work of planting civilization in these mountains and on these plains. It might be claimed, and perhaps truly, that it was the "accursed thirst for gold" that induced these men to brave the dangers of a rigorous climate, the wild men of the mountains, hunger and thirst, but after all it was the beginning of all that came after. In all ages of the world gold has been the ambition of the race, and to secure it men have been willing to suffer every hardship, endure every privation and encounter every danger. The American trap- per followed an occupation fraught with great peril, and hundreds of these brave men met death along the many streams throughout our borders. Death stared them in the face every hour in the day and often at night, and yet they went forward with a splendid courage worthy of their citi- zenship. They crossed every mountain, traversed every val- ley, and it was largely through the reports of these trappers that our rich valleys and grand resources were made known. If these men fell by the wayside, their bones were left to bleach where they died. Few of them were even honored by having their names given to either mountain or stream, but in spite of neglect they were heroes, every one.
General William H. Ashley was born in Virginia and moved to Missouri while it was still called Upper Louisiana. When the state was organized he was elected Lieutenant- Governor and was made Brigadier-General of militia. He lived to a good old age and at his residence in St. Louis he always made his mountain associates welcome.
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CHAPTER XII.
FUR TRAPPERS AND TRADERS.
CAPT. WILLIAM SUBLETTE SUCCEEDS GEN. ASHLEY-HE ORGANIZES THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FUR COMPANY WITH JEDEDIAH S. SMITH, DAVID E. JACKSON AND OTHERS AS PARTNERS-BRILLIANT CAMPAIGNS PLANNED AND CARRIED OUT-NAMES JACKSON'S HOLE AND LAKE -INTRODUCES WAGONS INTO THE SERVICE IN WYOMING-CAPT. NA- THANIEL J. WYETH-BATTLE OF PIERRE'S HOLE-DEATH OF VAN- DERBURG-BRIDGER'S AFFAIR WITH THE CHIEF OF THE BLACKFEET- SUCCESS ATTENDS THE FUR TRADE.
It has been explained that General Ashley sold out his interests in the Rocky Mountain trapping and trading en- terprise in the year 1826. His was not an incorporated com- pany, and yet he had a number of partners, wealthy men of St. Louis, among which were Warndorf, Tracy, Campbell, Green, Biddle and some three or four others. General Ash. ley on his last trip to the rendezvous at Green River brought out from St. Louis with him a large amount of supplies, which were turned over to Captain Sublette and made a part of the deal. Jedediah S. Smith was the real promoter of the new company, for he it was who had talked the matter of the purchase over with not only Sublette but with General Ashley, and yet at the time the deal was consummated he was off on a trapping expedition and had not been heard from for nearly a year, but Sublette did not hesitate to act for his absent partner. The Rocky Mountain Fur Company had been organized during the previous winter, in anticipa- tion of the purchase of the Ashley interest. The three men who held a majority of the stock in the new company were David E. Jackson, Captain William Sublette and Jedediah S. Smith. There were other partners holding small inter- ests, the largest of which was Robert Campbell's.
Captain Sublette, finding himself at the head of a pow- erful organization and in a position suited to his tastes, did
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not hesitate to act promptly. With his great dash, execu- tive ability and fearless daring, he entered upon a cam. paign which was to be more extensive than any which had preceded it. He organized his force into thirty brigades and appointed the next rendezvous to be on Wind River near the mouth of the Popo Agie. Robert Campbell was one of his ablest leaders, and Thomas Fitzpatrick was next trusty lieutenant; then came Moses Harris, Jim Bridger and Jim Beckwourth. The latter was regarded as a brave young man, but reckless. He took great pleasure in scalp. ing an Indian and would often neglect the trapping part of the service to indulge in this sort of luxury. This season they trapped in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and far north into Montana. Upon the whole the campaign was a very successful one. The Snakes, Crows, Flatheads, Sioux and several other tribes brought in a large number of peltries which added to the general stock and made the shipment of furs that year very large.
The year 1827 was marked with still more activity. Sublette that season had under his command 400 trappers. He brought into the country a large amount of merchandise which he managed to dispose of at remunerative prices by operating on a grand scale in a large territory. A number of outside Indian tribes, for the sake of getting goods, showed a disposition to be friendly. These brought in furs and exchanged them for commodities of which they were in need. The Indians seemed to awake to a consciousness of the power of merchandise. They realized that furs would procure for their use many luxuries as well as necessities. The rendezvous this season was at Horse Creek, on Green River, and here assembled the largest gathering of Indians that had so far been known in the history of the fur trade. After the goods had been distributed, Sublette went to St. Louis to organize the campaign for 1828, but his able lieu- tenants, in his absence, pushed both trapping and trading. They penetrated far into the recesses of the mountains and made a good showing in peltries for the year.
In the springs of 1828 Captain Sublette made a rapid
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movement toward the mountains, bringing with him the usual amount of merchandise. After the rendezvous, he ac- companied Bridger up Snake River and for the first time beheld the beautiful valley and lake over which the Grand Tetons stand as sentinels. He named both the valley and the lake after his partner, David E. Jackson, and thus we have on the map of Wyoming Jackson's Hole and Jackson's Lake.
The following season the rendezvous was at the mouth of the Popo Agie and the gathering was a large one. Cap- tain Sublette brought out that year fourteen wagons loaded with merchandise. The wagons were drawn by mules and the load for each vehicle was 1,800 pounds. This mode of hauling goods into the mountains produced a decided sen- sation among the trappers, and the Indians looked upon the long train as something quite beyond their comprehension.
Here we have the first wagons brought into Wyoming. They followed the North Platte and the Sweetwater but did not cross the continental divide; yet they proved that ve- hicles could go as far west as the Wind River Valley. These were loaded with peltries and returned to St. Louis, making a successful trip. There were stormy times that season with the Blackfeet. These marauders that autumn managed to cut off a number of small parties of trappers of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. Robert Campbell, with thirty-one men, had a desperate fight with the Blackfeet at the junction ' of Guy's Fork and Salt River and succeeded in killing a large number of them without sustaining any great injury. Jim Bridger, during this same season, at the head of about two hundred trappers, attacked a large force forty miles west of the Green River crossing, and after a pitched battle the In- dians were defeated. Fitzpatrick that same year had a num- ber of Indian difficulties and lost some of his men. The In- dian situation had become, upon the whole, very annoying and while at the rendezvous that year Captain Sublette gave it as his opinion that the time had come to declare a war of extermination against all troublesome Indians, and for the purpose of waging such a war successfully, he went to St.
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Louis to recruit for his service one hundred Kentucky rifle- men. These were brought the next year and they had abun- dant opportunity during 1830 to display their marksman- ship. The trapping brigades were increased in size and strict watch was kept upon the movements of all suspicious Indians. The Blackfeet, Sioux, Cheyennes and some of the more western tribes were placed upon the list as Indians who were not to be trusted. That year the Crows, while they did not make open war, gave more or less trouble. They would watch Campbell's men set their traps along Powder River and its tributaries and then go and steal them. At last two trappers were killed, and this brought the cli- max. The Crows had been in the habit of visiting Camp- bell's camp, and when they were told of the trap stealing that was going on they charged it to the Cheyennes, wlio they said were in the country north of the Powder River. When the trappers were killed they charged these murders to the same tribe. Jim Bridger, who was present, gave it as his opinion that the Crows were not only the thieves but the murderers, and he was in favor of bringing swift retribution to that tribe. Campbell was evidently of the same opinion as Bridger, but he did not care to act hastily, as the Crows were numerous. He preferred not to bring on an open war, so he sent for a number of the chiefs and told them that some of his men felt certain that the Crow Indians were responsible for all the troubles and that while he was not altogether satisfied he feared that his men would kill every Indian they saw prowling around, no matter whether they were Crows or Cheyennes. This he said would be very bad, for the long guns of the trappers would shoot a great dis- tance. He hoped that the chiefs would assist him in keep- ing the peace, which could only be done by preventing the stealing of traps and the killing of trappers.
The chiefs said they were absolutely certain that the Crows had not done the mischief, and they were equally certain that the Cheyennes were the guilty parties. They proposed to protect the trappers against these bad Indians and to this end they would send out scouting parties, locate
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the Cheyennes and then with sufficient force drive them from the country. After that Campbell's trappers suffered no more from Indian depredations. ' The incidents of that summer are too numerous to even mention. Every band of trappers had their story of adventure to relate at the ren- dezvous. The American Fur Company, of which Mr. Astor was the head, had established a post on the Yellowstone and had distributed many trappers up the various streams, reaching even the southern borders of Wyoming. With these Sublette made common cause against the Indians and for a time held the marauding bands in check, and thus the fall of 1830 passed.
The two companies were represented in the mountains by what were called resident partners. Fitzpatrick and Bridger were the partners of the Rocky Mountain Fur Com. pany and in consequence of their position remained in the mountains the year round, and Vanderburgh and Dripps were the resident partners of the American Fur Company. Fontenelle was also a leader of this company.
The rendezvous in 1831 was at Pierre's Hole* for both the American Fur Company and the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. The Indians were not disposed to be entirely peaceable, but the year passed by without any serious en- counter. To the practiced eye of William Sublette, and also Robert Campbell, there was trouble ahead; but as they were prepared to meet it, were content to await results. Sub- lette and Campbell spent the winter of 1831-32 in St. Louis and returned to the mountains in the early spring.
The year 1832 was one of great activity in Wyoming among the fur traders and trappers. Several hundred men were engaged in this calling along our various streams. Captain Bonneville came that season with his 110 men. The American Fur Company gave employment to fully as many more within our borders. The Rocky Mountain Fur Com.
*The name " Pierre's Hole" is derived from an incident that occurred in the early part of the century. A party of Iroquois hunters in the employ of the Hudson Bay Company wandered into that locality and were there attacked by a fierce band of Blackfeet. Many were killed on both sides and the chief of the Iroquois, Pierre, was among the slain. He was a noted man among the Indian tribes and a firm friend to the whites. In consequence of the death of this chieftain in this valley his name was given to the locality. It is now called Teton Basin.
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pany kept about 150 men within the territory that is now Wyoming, and in addition to these there were a dozen bands of free trappers numbering from fifteen to thirty men each. The competition was great, but when there were savages to fight they acted as brothers in one common cause. The vari- ous tribes who followed trapping added to the sum total of the men engaged in exterminating the fur-bearing animals.
The caravan of Captain Sublette and Robert Campbell started that year from Independence, Missouri. There were sixty men in the outfit, nearly all of them being recruits. As they were about ready to leave, a company from Boston, commanded by Nathaniel J. Wyeth, arrived, bound for the Columbia river. Captain Sublette's men were much amused at the sight of these "down-easters." They had heard of them before. The newspapers of St. Louis had given an account of the plans and purposes of the Wyeth expedition. They had started out of New England with twenty-two per- sons and with a vehicle that was only half vehicle; that is, it ran on wheels on the land, and when water was reached it was intended to be turned upside down and the top form a boat; but this half land and half water combination had been abandoned at St. Louis. Not one of Captain Wyeth's company had ever been west or had seen a wild Indian, and being city-bred were unaccustomed to the use of fire-arms, nor had they any experience in horsemanship. They were men of theory, not practice, but many of them were college graduates. Two of Mr. Wyeth's brothers, John and Jacob, were members of his company. I am particular to mention these New Englanders, as they are to be heard from in a few short weeks in Wyoming. Mr. Wyeth furnished the capital to fit out the expedition, and his purpose was to es- tablish a post on the Columbia river and trade for salmon and furs. He made up in enterprise for what he lacked in experience, and like most educated New England men, soon "caught on" and found no difficulty in being of use to him- self and others in the west. He possessed ability of a high order and his courage was soon to be tested in the wilds of Green River and Pierre's Hole. Captain Sublette evidently
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had great respect for this man from Boston and he invited him to go in convoy of his train, which was ready to depart for the annual rendezvous in Pierre's Hole. The combined party started out and pursued the now well worn route up the Platte. On the way west Captain Wyeth and his men picked up many ideas regarding conditions in the Rocky Mountains and they learned something of horsemanship and how to shoot buffalo and other wild animals, and what is equally important, they learned of the treacherous charac- . ter of the wild tribes who infested the mountains.
Robert Campbell in 1835 gave Washington Irving an account of this trip and what befell the party when they reached the mountains, so I will use this story of Campbell, taking up the narrative after the cavalcade had come to the eastern border of Wyoming.
"In the course of their march, Mr. Fitzpatrick, the part- ner of the company who was resident at that time beyond the mountains, came down from the rendezvous at Pierre's Hole to meet them and hurry them forward. He traveled in company with them until they reached the Sweetwater; then taking a couple of horses, one for the saddle and the other as a pack-horse, he started off express for Pierre's Hole to make arrangements against their arrival, that he might commence his hunting campaign before the rival company. Fitzpatrick was a hardy and experienced mountaineer, and knew all the passes and defiles. As he was pursuing his lonely course up the Green River Valley, he descried several horsemen at a distance and came to a halt to reconnoitre. He supposed them to be some detachment from the rendez- vous, or a party of friendly Indians. They perceived him, and setting up the war whoop dashed forward at full speed. He saw at once his mistake and his peril-they were Black- feet. Springing on his fleetest horse and abandoning the other to the enemy, he made for the mountains and succeed- ed in escaping up one of the most dangerous defiles. Here he concealed himself until he thought the Indians had gone off, when he returned into the valley. He was again pur- sued, lost his remaining horse, and only escaped by scramb- ling up among the cliffs. For several days he remained lurking among rocks and precipices and almost famished, having but one remaining charge in his rifle, which he kept for self-defense.
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"In the meantime, Sublette and Campbell, with their fellow-traveler, Wyeth, had pursued their march unmo- lested and arrived in the Green River Valley, totally uncon- scious that there was any lurking enemy on hand. They had encamped one night on the banks of a small stream which came down from the Wind River Mountains, when about midnight a band of Indians burst upon their camp, with hor- rible yells and whoops, and a discharge of guns and arrows. Happily no other harm was done than wounding one mule, and causing several horses to break loose from their pickets. The camp was instantly in arms; but the Indians retreated with yells of exultation, carrying off several of the horses under cover of the the night.
"This was somewhat of a disagreeable foretaste of mountain life to some of Wyeth's band, accustomed only to the regular and peaceful life of New England; nor was it altogether to the taste of Captain Sublette's men, who were chiefly Creoles and townsmen of St. Louis. They continued their march the next morning, keeping scouts ahead and upon their flanks, and arrived without further molestation at Pierre's Hole.
"The first inquiry of Captain Sublette on reaching the rendezvous was for Fitzpatrick. He had not arrived, nor had any intelligence been received respecting him. Great uneasiness was now entertained lest he should have fallen into the hands of the Blackfeet who had made the midnight attack upon the camp. It was a matter of general joy, there- fore, when he made his appearance conducted by two Iro- quois half-breed hunters. He had lurked for several days among the mountains until almost starved; at length he escaped the vigilance of his enemies in the night, and was so fortunate as to meet the two Iroquois hunters, who, being on horseback, conveyed him without difficulty to the rendez- vous. He arrived there so emaciated that he could scarcely be recognized.
"The valley called Pierre's Hole is about thirty miles in length and fifteen in width, bounded to the west and south by low and broken ridges, and overlooked to the east by three lofty mountains called the three Tetons, which domi- neer as landmarks over a vast extent of country.
"A fine stream, fed by rivulets and mountain springs, pours through the valley towards the north, dividing it into nearly equal parts. The meadows on its borders are broad and extensive, covered with willow and cottonwood trees,
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so closely interlocked and matted together as to be nearly impassable.
"In this valley was collected the motley populace con- nected with the fur trade. Here the two rival companies had their encampments, with their retainers of all kinds; traders, trappers, hunters and half-breeds assembled from all quarters, awaiting their yearly supplies and their orders to start off in new directions. Here also the savage tribes connected with the trade, the Nez Perces or Chopunnish In- dians, and Flatheads, had pitched their lodges beside the streams, and with their squaws awaited the distribution of goods and finery. There was, moreover, a band of fifteen free trappers, commanded by a gallant leader from Arkan- sas named Sinclare, who held their encampment a little apart from the rest. Such was the wild and heterogeneous assemblage, amounting to several hundred men, civilized and savage, distributed in tents and lodges in the several camps.
"The arrival of Captain Sublette with supplies put the Rocky Mountain Fur Company in full activity. The wares and merchandise were quickly opened and as quickly dis- posed of to Indians and trappers; the usual excitement and revelry took place, after which all hands began to disperse to their several destinations.
"On the 17th of July a small brigade of fourteen trap- pers, led by Milton Sublette, brother of the Captain, set out with the intention of proceeding to the southwest. They were accompanied by Sinclare and his fifteen free trappers; Wyeth, also, and his New England band of beaver hunters and salmon fishers, now dwindled down to eleven, took this opportunity to prosecute their cruise in the wilderness, accompanied with such experienced pilots. On the first day they proceeded about eight miles to the southeast and encamped for the night, still in the valley of Pierre's Hole. On the following morning, just as they were raising their camp, they observed a long line of people pouring down a defile of the mountains. They at first sup- posed they were Fontenelle and his party, whose arrival had been daily expected. Wyeth, however, reconnoitered them with a spy-glass and soon perceived they were Indians. They were divided into two parties, forming in the whole about one hundred and fifty persons, men, women and chil- dren. Some were on horseback, fantastically painted and arrayed, with scarlet blankets fluttering in the wind. The greater part, however, were on foot. They had perceived the
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trappers before they were themselves discovered, and came down yelling and whooping into the plain. On nearer ap- proach they were ascertained to be Blackfeet. One of the trappers of Sublette's brigade, a half-breed named Antoine Godin, now mounted his horse and rode forth as if to hold a conference. He was the son of an Iroquois hunter who had been cruelly murdered by the Blackfeet at a small stream below the mountains, which still bears his name. In com. pany with Antoine rode forth a Flathead Indian, whose once powerful tribe had been completely broken down in their wars with the Blackfeet. Both of them, therefore, cherished the most vengeful hostility against these maraud- ers of the mountains. The Blackfeet came to a halt. One of the chiefs advanced singly and unarmed, bearing the pipe of peace. This overture was certainly pacific; but Antoine and the Flathead were predisposed to hostility, and pre- tended to consider it a treacherous movement.
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