USA > Wyoming > The history of Wyoming from the earliest known discoveries > Part 22
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62
242
History of Wyoming.
ming. It is fifty-three years since it was published by Con- gress and few of the rising generation have ever had an op- portunity of seeing it, as it has been out of print for more than forty years. During the rush to Oregon, Utah and California in 1847-8-9 this report was in great demand and thousands of copies were distributed by members of Con- gress to their constituents. In those days every party of emigrants was supplied with these reports and the book was consulted daily by persons crossing Wyoming. The report reads as follows, commencing with a description of the old Adams fort at the mouth of the Laramie River:
"Like the post on the South Fork (St. Vrain), it was built of earth and still unfinished, being enclosed with walls (or rather houses) on three of the sides and open on the fourth to the river. A few hundred yards brought us in view of the post of the American Fur Company, called Fort John, or Laramie. This was a large post, having more the air of military construction than the fort at the mouth of the river. It is on the left bank, on a rising ground some twen- ty-five feet above the water; and its lofty walls, white- washed and picketed, with the large bastions at the angles, gave it quite an imposing appearance in the uncertain light of evening. A cluster of lodges, which the language told us belonged to the Sioux Indians, was pitched under the walls, and, with the fine background of the Black Hills and the prominent peak of Laramie mountain, strongly drawn in the clear light of the sky, where the sun had already set, the whole formed at the moment a strikingly beautiful pic- ture. From the company at St. Louis I had letters for Mr. Boudeau, the gentleman in charge of the post, by whom I was received with great hospitality and an efficient kind- ness which was valuable to me during my stay in the coun- try. I found our people encamped on the bank, a short dis- tance above the fort. All were well; and, in the enjoyment of a bountiful supper, which coffee and bread made luxuri- ous to us, we soon forgot the fatigues of the last ten days.
"I walked up to visit our friends at the fort, which is a quadrangular structure, built of clay, after the fashion of the Mexicans, who are generally employed in building them. The walls are fifteen feet high, surmounted with a wooden palisade, and form a portion of ranges of houses, which entirely surround a yard of about one hundred and thirty feet square. Every apartment has its door and window-
243
Fremont's Explorations in Wyoming.
all, of course, opening on the inside. There are two en- trances, opposite each other, and midway the wall, one of which is a large and public entrance; the other smaller and more private a sort of postern gate. Over the great en- trance is a square tower, with loop-holes, and, like the rest of the work, built of earth. At two of the angles, and diag- onally opposite each other, are large square bastions, so arranged as to sweep the four faces of the walls.
"This post belongs to the American Fur Company, and at the time of our visit was in charge of Mr. Boudeau. Two of the company's clerks, Messrs. Galpin and Kellogg, were with him, and he had in the fort about sixteen men. As usual, these had found wives among the Indian squaws; and with the usual accompaniment of children, the place had quite a populous appearance. It is hardly necessary to say that the object of the establishment is trade with the neigh- boring tribes, who, in the course of the year, generally make two or three visits to the fort. In addition to this, traders, with a small outfit, are constantly kept amongst them. The articles of trade consist, on the one side, almost entirely of buffalo robes, and on the other of blankets, calicoes, guns, powder and lead, with such cheap ornaments as glass beads, looking glasses, rings, vermilion for painting, tobacco, and principally, and in spite of the prohibition, of spirits, brought into the country in the form of alcohol, and diluted with water before sold. While mentioning this fact, it is but justice to the American Fur Company to state that throughout the country I have always found them strenu- ously opposed to the introduction of spirituous liquors. But, in the present state of things, when the country is sup- plied with alcohol, when a keg of it will purchase from an Indian everything he possesses-his furs, his lodge, his horses, and even his wife and children-and when any vaga- bond who has money enough to purchase a mule can go into a village and trade against them successfully, without with- drawing entirely from the trade, it is impossible for them to discontinue its use. In their opposition to this practice the country is sustained, not only by their obligation to the laws of the country and the welfare of the Indians, but clearly, also, on grounds of policy; for with heavy and ex- pensive outfits, they contend at manifestly great disadvan- tages against the numerous independent and unlicensed traders who enter the country from various avenues, from the United States and from Mexico, having no other stock in trade than some kegs of liquor, which they sell at the
244
History of Wyoming.
modest price of thirty-six dollars per gallon. The differ- ence between the regular trader and the coureur des bois is, that the latter has no permanent interest, and gets what he can, from every Indian he meets, even at the risk of dis- abling him from doing anything more at hunting.
"The fort had a very cool and clean appearance. The great entrance, in which I found the gentlemen assembled, and which was floored, and about fifteen feet long, made a pleasant, shaded seat, through which the breeze swept con- stantly; for this country is famous for high winds. In the course of conversation I learned the following particulars, which will explain the condition of the country. For sev- eral years the Cheyennes and Sioux had gradually become more and more hostile to the whites, and in the latter part of August, 1841, had had a severe engagement with a party of sixty men under command of Mr. Frapp of St. Louis. The Indians lost eight or ten warriors, and the whites had their leader and four men killed. This fight took place on the waters of Snake River; and it was this party, on their re- turn under Mr. Bridger, which had spread so much alarm among my people. In the course of the spring two other small parties had been cut off by the Sioux-one on their return from the Crow nation, and the other among the Black Hills. The emigrants to Oregon and Mr. Bridger's party met here, a few days before our arrival. Division and misunderstandings had grown up among them; they were already somewhat disheartened by the fatigue of their long and wearisome journey, and the feet of their cattle had become so much worn as to be scarcely able to travel. In this situation they were not likely to find encouragement in the hostile attitude of the Indians, and the new and un- expected difficulties which sprang up before them. They were told that the entire country was entirely swept of grass and that few or no buffalo were to be found on their line of route; and, with their weakened animals, it would be impossible for them to transport their heavy wagons over the mountains. Under these circumstances, they disposed of their wagons and cattle at the forts, selling them at the prices they paid in the states, and taking in exchange coffee and sugar at one dollar a pound, and miserable worn-out horses, which died before they reached the mountains. Mr. Boudeau informed me that he had purchased thirty, and the lower fort eighty head of fine cattle, some of them of the Durham breed. Mr. Fitzpatrick, whose name and high reputation are familiar to all who interest themselves in the
245
Fremont's Explorations in Wyoming.
history of the country, had reached Laramie in company with Mr. Bridger, and the emigrants were fortunate enough to obtain his services to guide them as far as the British post of Fort Hall, about two hundred and fifty miles beyond the South Pass of the mountains. They had started for this post on the 4th of July, and immediately after their de- parture a war party of three hundred and fifty braves set out on their trail. As their principal chief or partisan had lost some relations in the recent fight, and had sworn to kill the first whites on his path, it was supposed that their in- tention was to attack the party, should a favorable oppor- tunity offer, or, if they were foiled in their principal object by the vigilance of Mr. Fitzpatrick, content themselves with stealing horses and cutting off stragglers. These had been gone but a few days previous to our arrival.
"The effect of the engagement with Mr. Frapp had been greatly to irritate the hostile spirit of the savages; and im- mediately subsequent to that event, the Gros Ventre In- dians had united with the Ogalallas and Cheyennes and taken the field in great force-so far as I could ascertain to the amount of eight hundred lodges. Their object was to make an attack on a camp of Snake and Crow Indians, and a body of about one hundred whites, who had made a rendezvous somewhere in the Green River Valley, or on the Sweetwater. After spending some time in buffalo hunt- ing in the neighborhood of Medicine Bow Mountain, they were to cross over to the Green River waters and return to Laramie by way of the South Pass and the Sweetwater Valley. According to the calculation of the Indians, Mr. Boudeau informed me that they were somewhere near the head of the Sweetwater. I subsequently learned that the party led by Mr. Fitzpatrick was overtaken by their pursu- ers near Rock Independence, in the valley of the Sweet- water; but his skill and resolution saved them from sur- prise, and, small as his force was, they did not venture to attack him openly. Here they lost one of their party by an accident, and continuing up the valley, they came suddenly upon the large village. From these they met with a doubt- ful reception. Long residence and familiar acquaintance had given to Mr. Fitzpatrick great personal influence among them and a portion of them were disposed to let him pass quietly ; but by far the greater number were inclined to hos- tile measures; and the chiefs spent the whole of one night, during which they kept the little party in the midst of them, in council, debating the question of attacking them the next
246
History of Wyoming.
day; but the influence of the 'Broken Hand,' as they called Mr. Fitzpatrick (one of his hands having been shattered by the bursting of a gun), at length prevailed, and obtained for them an unmolested passage; but they sternly assured him that this path was no longer open, and that any party of whites which should hereafter be found upon it would meet with certain destruction. From all that I have been able to learn, I have no doubt that the emigrants owe their lives to Mr. Fitzpatrick.
"Thus it would appear that the country was swarming with scattered war parties; and when I heard during the day the various contradictory and exaggerated rumors which were incessantly repeated to them, I was not sur- prised that so much alarm prevailed among my men. Car- son, one of the best and most experienced mountaineers, fully supported the opinion given by Bridger, of the dan- gerous state of the country, and openly expressed his con- viction that we could not escape without some sharp en- counters with the Indians. In addition to this, he made his will; and among the circumstances which were con- stantly occurring to increase their alarm, this was the most unfortunate, and I found that a number of my party had become so much intimidated that they had requested to be discharged at this place. I dined today at Fort Platte, which has been mentioned as situated at the junction of Laramie River with the Nebraska. Here I heard a con- firmation of the statements given above. The party of war- riors which had started a few days since on the trail of the emigrants was expected back in fourteen days, to join their village, with which their families and the old men had re- mained. The arrival of the latter was hourly expected; and some Indians have just come in who had left them on the Laramie Fork, about twenty miles above. Mr. Bissonette, one of the traders belonging to Fort Platte, urged the pro- priety of taking with me an interpreter and two or three old men of the village; in which case, he thought, there would be little or no hazard in encountering any of the war parties. The principal danger was in being attacked before they should know who we were.
"They had confused ideas of the number and power of our people, and dreaded to bring upon themselves the mili- tary force of the United States. This gentleman, who spoke the language fluently, offered his services to accompany me so far as the Red Buttes. He was desirous to join the large party on its return, for purposes of trade, and it would suit
247
Fremont's Explorations in Wyoming.
his views as well as my own to go with us to the Buttes; beyond which point it would be impossible to prevail on a Sioux to venture, on account of their fears of the Crows. From Fort Laramie to the Red Buttes, by the ordinary road, is one hundred and thirty-five miles; and, though only on the threshold of danger, it seemed better to secure the ser- vices of an interpreter for the partial distance than to have none at all.
"So far as frequent interruption from the Indians would allow, we occupied ourselves in making some astro- nomical calculations, and bringing up the general map to this stage of our journey; but the tent was generally occu- pied by a succession of our ceremonious visitors. Some came for presents, and others for information of our object in coming to the country; now and then one would dart up to the tent on horseback, jerk off his trappings and stand silently at the door, holding his horse by the halter, signify- ing his desire to trade. Occasionally a savage would stalk in with an invitation to a feast of honor, a dog feast, and deliberately sit down and wait quietly until I was ready to accompany him. I went to one; the women and children were sitting outside the lodge, and we took our seats on buffalo robes spread around. The dog was in a large pot over the fire, in the middle of the lodge, and immediately on our arrival was dished up in large wooden bowls, one of which was handed to each. The flesh appeared very glutin- ous, with something of the flavor and appearance of mutton. Feeling something move behind me, I looked around and found that I had taken my seat among a litter of fat young puppies. Had I been nice in such matters, the prejudices of civilization might have interfered with my tranquillity; but fortunately I am not of delicate nerves and continued qui- etly to empty my platter.
"The morning of the 18th was cloudy and calm and dur- ing the day the expected village arrived, consisting princi- pally of old men, women and children. They had a consid- erable number of horses, and large troops of dogs. Their lodges were pitched near the fort, and our camp was con- stantly crowded with Indians of all sizes, from morning until night, at which time some of the soldiers generally came to drive them all off to the village. My tent was the only place which they respected. Here only. came the chiefs and men of distinction, and generally one of them remained to drive away the women and children. The numerous strange instruments applied to still stranger uses excited
248
History of Wyoming.
awe and admiration among them, and those which I used in talking with the sun and stars they looked upon with es- pecial reverence, as mysterious things of 'great medicine.' Of the barometers which I had brought with me thus far successfully, I found that two were out of order, and spent the greater part of the 19th in repairing them-an operation of no small difficulty in the midst of the incessant interrup- tion to which I was subjected. We had the misfortune to break here a large thermometer, graduated to show fifths of a degree, which I used to ascertain the temperature of boiling water, and with which I had promised myself some interesting experiments in the mountains. We had but one remaining, on which the graduation extended sufficiently high; and this was too small for exact observations. Dur- ing our stay here the men had been engaged in making nu- merous repairs, arranging pack saddles, and otherwise pre- paring for the chances of a rough road and mountain travel. All things of this nature being ready, I gathered them around me in the evening and told them that I determined to proceed the next day. They were all well armed. I had engaged the services of Mr. Bissonette as interpreter, and had taken, in the circumstances, every possible means to insure our safety. In the rumors we had heard I believed there was much exaggeration, and they were men accus- tomed to this kind of life and to the country, and that these were the dangers of every day occurrence, and to be ex- pected in the ordinary course of their service. They had heard of the unsettled condition of the country before leav- ing St. Louis, and therefore could not make it a reason for breaking their engagements. Still, I was unwilling to take with me, on a service of some certain danger, men on whom I could not rely; and as I had understood that there were among them some who were disposed to cowardice, and anxious to return, they had but to come forward at once and state their desire and they would be discharged with the amount due to them for the time they had served. To their honor be it said, there was but one among them who had the face to come forward and avail himself of the per- mission. I asked him some few questions, in order to expose him to the ridicule of the men, and let him go. The day after our departure he engaged himself to one of the forts, and set off with a party for the Upper Missouri. I did not think that the situation of the country justified me in taking our young companions, Messrs. Brant and Benton, along with us. In case of misfortune, it would have been thought,
249
Fremont's Explorations in Wyoming.
at the least, an act of great imprudence; and therefore, though reluctantly, I determined to leave them.
"July 21 .- A portion of our baggage, with our field notes and observations, and several instruments, were left at the fort. One of the gentlemen, Mr. Galpin, took charge of a barometer, which he engaged to observe during my absence; and I entrusted to Randolph, by way of occupa- tion, the regular winding up of two of my chronometers, which were among the instruments left.
"We were ready to depart; the tents were struck, the mules geared up and our horses saddled, and we walked up to the fort to take the stirrup cup with our friends in an excellent home-brewed preparation. While thus pleasantly engaged, seated in one of the cool chambers, at the door of which a man had been stationed to prevent all intrusion from the Indians, a number of chiefs, several of the power- ful, fine-looking men, forced their way into the room in spite of all opposition. Handing me the following letter, they took their seats in silence:
"'Fort Platte, July 1, 1842.
"'Mr. Fremont: The chiefs having assembled in coun- cil, have just told me to warn you not to set out before the party of young men which is now out shall have returned. Furthermore, they tell me that they are very sure they will fire upon you as soon as they meet you. They are expected back in seven or eight days. Excuse me for making these observations, but it seems my duty to warn you of danger. Moreover, the chiefs who prohibit your setting out before the return of the warriors are the bearers of this note.
" 'I am your obedient servant, " 'JOSEPH BISSONETTE, " 'By L. B. Chartrain.
"'Names of some of the chiefs .- The Otter Hat, The Breaker of Arrows, The Black Night, The Bull's Tail.'
"After reading this, I mentioned its purport to my companions; and seeing that all were fully possessed of its contents, one of the Indians rose up, and, having first shaken hands with me, spoke as follows:
"'You have come among us at a bad time. Some of our people have been killed, and our young men, who have gone to the mountains, are eager to avenge the blood of their relations, which has been shed by the whites. Our young men are bad, and, if they meet you, they will believe that you are carrying goods and ammunition to their ene- mies, and will fire upon you. You have told us that this
250
History of Wyoming.
will make war. We know that our great father has many soldiers and big guns, and we are anxious to have our lives. We love the whites, and are desirous of peace. Thinking of all these things, we have determined to keep you here until our warriors return. We are glad to see you among us. Our father is rich, and we expected that you would have brought presents to us-horses and guns and blankets. But we are glad to see you. We look upon your coming as the light which goes before the sun; for you will tell our great father that you have seen us, and that we are naked and poor and have nothing to eat; and he will send us all these things.' He was followed by the others to the same effect. "The observations of the savages appeared reasonable; but I was aware that they had in view only the present ob- ject of detaining me, and were unwilling I should go further into the country. In reply, I asked them, through the in- terpretation of Mr. Boudeau, to select two or three of their number to accompany us until we should meet their people; they should spread their robes in my tent and eat at my table, and on our return I would give them presents in re- ward for their services. They declined, saying that there were no young men left in the village; and that they were too old to travel so many days on horseback, and preferred now to smoke their pipes in the lodge and let the warriors go upon the war-path. Besides, they had no power over the young men, and were afraid to interfere with them. In my turn, I addressed them: 'You say that you love the whites. Why have you killed so many already this spring? You say you love the whites and are full of many expres- sions of friendship to us; but you are not willing to undergo the fatigue of a few days' ride to save our lives. We do not believe what you have said and will not listen to you. What- ever a chief among us tells his soldiers to do, is done. We are the soldiers of the great chief, your father. He has told us to come here and see this country and all the Indians, his children. Why should we not go? Before we came, we heard that you had killed his people, and ceased to be his children; but we came among you peaceably, holding out our hands. Now we find that the stories we heard are not lies, and that you are no longer his friends and children. We have thrown away our bodies, and will not turn back. When you told us that your young men would kill us, you did not know that our hearts were strong, and you did not see the rifles which my young men carry in their hands. We are few, and you are many, and may kill us all; but there
251
Fremont's Explorations in Wyoming.
will be much crying in your villages, for many of your young men will stay behind, and forget to return with your warriors from the mountains. Do you think that our great chief will let his soldiers die, and forget to cover their graves? Before the snows melt again, his warriors will sweep away your villages as the fire does the prairie in the autumn. See! I have pulled down my white houses, and my people are ready; when the sun is ten paces higher, we shall be on the march. If you have anything to tell us, you will say it soon.'
"I broke up the conference as I could do nothing with these people, and, being resolved to proceed, nothing was to be gained by delay. Accompanied by our hospitable friends, we returned to the camp. We had mounted our horses, and our parting salutations had been exchanged, when one of the chiefs (The Bull's Tail) arrived to tell me that they had determined to send a young man with us; and if I would point out the place of our evening camp, he should join us there. 'The young man is poor,' said he; 'he has no horse and expects you to give him one.' I described to him the place where I intended to encamp, and shaking hands, in a few minutes we were among the hills, and this last habita- tion of whites shut out from our view.
"The road led over an interesting plateau between the North Fork of the Platte on the right and the Laramie River on the left. At the distance of ten miles from the fort, we entered the sandy bed of a creek, a kind of defile, shaded by precipitous rocks, down which we wound our way for several hundred yards to a place where, on the left bank, a very large spring gushes with considerable noise and force out of the limestone rock. It is called 'the Warm Spring,' and furnishes to the hitherto dry bed of the creek a considerable rivulet. On the opposite side, a little below the spring, is a lofty limestone escarpment, partially shaded by a grove of large trees, whose green foliage, in contrast with the whiteness of the rock, renders this a picturesque locality. The rock is fossiliferous, and, so far as I was able to determine the character of the fossils, belongs to the carboniferous limestone of the Missouri River, and is prob- ably the western limit of that formation. Beyond this point I met with no fossils of any description.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.