- Joined
- Feb 2, 2011
- Messages
- 2,093
JJDESIGNS NEWS UPDATE 30th MAY 2022
THE FUR TRADE
THE MOUNTAIN MEN
HUGH GLASS
Hugh Glass (c. 1783-1833) was an American frontiersman, fur trapper, trader, hunter and explorer. He is best known for his story of survival and forgiveness after being left for dead by companions when he was mauled by a grizzly bear.
There are no official records of his origins but it is believed he was born in Pennsylvania to Irish/Scots parents. His life story has been the basis for two movies. “Man In The Wilderness” in 1971, and the more recent “The Revenant” in 2015.
Both movies portray the survival struggle of Glass, who crawled and stumbled 200 miles to Fort Kiowa, South Dakota, after being abandoned without supplies or weapons by fellow explorers and fur traders during General Ashley’s Expedition of 1823.
Despite the story’s popularity, its accuracy has been disputed. It was first recorded in 1825 in “The Port Folio”, a Philadelphia literary journal, as a literary piece and later picked up by various newspapers. There is no writing from Hugh Glass himself to corroborate the veracity of it.
In 1822, many men responded to an advertisement in the “Missouri Gazette”, which was placed by General William Henry Ashley. It called for 100 men to “ascend the river Missouri” as part of a fur trading venture. This group of men would later become known as “Ashley’s Hundred”.
Hugh Glass, however did not join the group until the following year. In June 1823 he met up with the group, and were attacked by Arikara warriors.
Glass was apparently wounded in the leg, and the survivors retreated downstream and waited for reinforcements. The survivors would eventually return to Fort Kiowa to regroup, and under the command of Andrew Henry, Ashley’s partner they would set out overland to the Yellowstone River.
Near the forks of the Grand River, near present day Shadeville Reservoir, while scouting for game for the expedition, Glass surprised and disturbed a mother grizzly bear with two cubs.
The bear charged, picked him up, bit, slashed and lacerated his flesh, severely wounding Glass.
Despite still managing to kill the bear, with the help from his trapping party, he was badly mauled.
The men were convinced Glass would not survive his injuries, nevertheless, they carried Glass on a litter for two days, but doing so it slowed the pace of the group’s travel
Andrew Henry asked for two volunteers to stay with Glass until he died and then bury him.
John S. Fitzgerald and a man later identified as “Bridges” stepped forward, and as the rest of the party moved on, began digging a grave. The two men were to claim that they were interrupted by attacking Arikara. They grabbed the rifle, knife and other equipment belonging to Glass and took flight.
Fitzgerald and “Bridges” later caught up with the party and incorrectly reported to Ashley that Glass had died.
There is a debate whether Bridges was actually the famed mountain man Jim Bridger.
Despite his injuries Glass regained consciousness, but found himself abandoned without weapons or equipment. With a broken leg, and deep cuts that exposed his bare ribs, Glass lay mutilated and alone, more than 200 miles from the nearest settlement at Fort Kiowa, on the Missouri River.
Glass set the bone of his own leg, wrapped himself in the bear hide his companions had placed over him as a shroud, and began crawling back to Fort Kiowa.
Glass crawled southwards towards the Cheyenne River, where he fashioned a crude raft and floated downstream to Fort Kiowa.
The journey took him 6 weeks. He survived mostly on wild berries and roots.
After recovering from his wounds, Glass set out again to find Fitzgerald and “Bridges”. He eventually traveled to Fort Henry on the Yellowstone River but found it deserted. A note indicated that Andrew Henry and company had relocated to a new camp at the mouth of the Bighorn River.
Arriving there, Glass found “Bridges”, but apparently forgave him because of his youth, and then re-enlisted with Ashley’s company.
Glass later learned that Fitzgerald had joined the army and was stationed at Fort Atkinson in present day Nebraska. The army captain in charge prevented Glass from killing Fitzgerald. However the Captain insisted that the stolen rifle be returned to Glass.
Before departing the army camp, Glass warned Fitzgerald never to leave the army, or he would still kill him.
Glass was to eventually meet his death along with two of his fellow trappers in the spring of 1833. They were attacked by the Arikara on the Yellowstone river.
Best wishes and many thanks,
john jenkins
THE FUR TRADE
THE MOUNTAIN MEN
HUGH GLASS
Hugh Glass (c. 1783-1833) was an American frontiersman, fur trapper, trader, hunter and explorer. He is best known for his story of survival and forgiveness after being left for dead by companions when he was mauled by a grizzly bear.
There are no official records of his origins but it is believed he was born in Pennsylvania to Irish/Scots parents. His life story has been the basis for two movies. “Man In The Wilderness” in 1971, and the more recent “The Revenant” in 2015.
Both movies portray the survival struggle of Glass, who crawled and stumbled 200 miles to Fort Kiowa, South Dakota, after being abandoned without supplies or weapons by fellow explorers and fur traders during General Ashley’s Expedition of 1823.
Despite the story’s popularity, its accuracy has been disputed. It was first recorded in 1825 in “The Port Folio”, a Philadelphia literary journal, as a literary piece and later picked up by various newspapers. There is no writing from Hugh Glass himself to corroborate the veracity of it.
In 1822, many men responded to an advertisement in the “Missouri Gazette”, which was placed by General William Henry Ashley. It called for 100 men to “ascend the river Missouri” as part of a fur trading venture. This group of men would later become known as “Ashley’s Hundred”.
Hugh Glass, however did not join the group until the following year. In June 1823 he met up with the group, and were attacked by Arikara warriors.
Glass was apparently wounded in the leg, and the survivors retreated downstream and waited for reinforcements. The survivors would eventually return to Fort Kiowa to regroup, and under the command of Andrew Henry, Ashley’s partner they would set out overland to the Yellowstone River.
Near the forks of the Grand River, near present day Shadeville Reservoir, while scouting for game for the expedition, Glass surprised and disturbed a mother grizzly bear with two cubs.
The bear charged, picked him up, bit, slashed and lacerated his flesh, severely wounding Glass.
Despite still managing to kill the bear, with the help from his trapping party, he was badly mauled.
The men were convinced Glass would not survive his injuries, nevertheless, they carried Glass on a litter for two days, but doing so it slowed the pace of the group’s travel
Andrew Henry asked for two volunteers to stay with Glass until he died and then bury him.
John S. Fitzgerald and a man later identified as “Bridges” stepped forward, and as the rest of the party moved on, began digging a grave. The two men were to claim that they were interrupted by attacking Arikara. They grabbed the rifle, knife and other equipment belonging to Glass and took flight.
Fitzgerald and “Bridges” later caught up with the party and incorrectly reported to Ashley that Glass had died.
There is a debate whether Bridges was actually the famed mountain man Jim Bridger.
Despite his injuries Glass regained consciousness, but found himself abandoned without weapons or equipment. With a broken leg, and deep cuts that exposed his bare ribs, Glass lay mutilated and alone, more than 200 miles from the nearest settlement at Fort Kiowa, on the Missouri River.
Glass set the bone of his own leg, wrapped himself in the bear hide his companions had placed over him as a shroud, and began crawling back to Fort Kiowa.
Glass crawled southwards towards the Cheyenne River, where he fashioned a crude raft and floated downstream to Fort Kiowa.
The journey took him 6 weeks. He survived mostly on wild berries and roots.
After recovering from his wounds, Glass set out again to find Fitzgerald and “Bridges”. He eventually traveled to Fort Henry on the Yellowstone River but found it deserted. A note indicated that Andrew Henry and company had relocated to a new camp at the mouth of the Bighorn River.
Arriving there, Glass found “Bridges”, but apparently forgave him because of his youth, and then re-enlisted with Ashley’s company.
Glass later learned that Fitzgerald had joined the army and was stationed at Fort Atkinson in present day Nebraska. The army captain in charge prevented Glass from killing Fitzgerald. However the Captain insisted that the stolen rifle be returned to Glass.
Before departing the army camp, Glass warned Fitzgerald never to leave the army, or he would still kill him.
Glass was to eventually meet his death along with two of his fellow trappers in the spring of 1833. They were attacked by the Arikara on the Yellowstone river.
Best wishes and many thanks,
john jenkins
