Mountain Men and Merchants Essay Example

He had discussed his maps with Brigham Young and even drew a map of the region in the dirt for him. Stanley Vestal explained this situation when he said that Brigham only had Colonel John C.'s maps to rely on.

Old Jim was not familiar with divine guidance and criticized the maps of Fremont. According to him, Fremont only knew about the well-traveled roads and Bridger claimed to be able to correct all published maps of the western world. These valuable resources allowed the dissemination of information and detailed drawings onto other pieces of parchment. They could also be communicated orally and written down in journals or other mediums. Osborne Russell's book, Journal of a Trapper, contains nine highly detailed maps and routes that depict his journeys from 1834-1843.

His maps and drawings demonstrate his dedication to the work he was doing, as well as the attention to detail and chronology. For example, in Osborne's journal entry from June 19, 1835, he mentioned the lack of timber in the country except for the quaking Asp, which grew in small scrubby groves in the nooks and ravines among the hills. On the 20th, they departed from Gray's Creek and crossed a low area in the mountain, heading eastward and reaching a small stream that flowed into Lewis' fork after a distance of 10 miles. On the 21st, they continued traveling east, following this stream until they reached its mouth after approximately 15 miles, which was about 30 miles below the mouth of Salt River.

"3 The mountain men and trappers relied on hunting and survival skills, which were essential for their daily existence. They followed unspoken rules and guidelines,

forming the ethos they lived by. Trust was only given to those they knew and had fought alongside, while outsiders were met with skepticism. The mountain men rarely sought assistance, preferring to uphold their own standards and earn their livelihood independently. Their expertise extended to setting up and dismantling campsites, constructing resilient survival shelters and out buildings that could withstand harsh winters.

Mountain men were skilled in hunting game and were known for their resourcefulness and efficiency in utilizing every part of a kill. Weber recounted a story about Huddart, who, driven by thirst, drank the blood of a freshly killed buffalo by sticking his head inside its carcass. This tale continued to be shared on the trail for years. Frontiersmen, hunters, and trappers always carried essential items on their person or nearby, including moccasins, buckskins, a Russell Green River knife commonly found at trading posts or rendezvous points, a reliable horse, a sun-shielding hat, a "possibles bag" containing rifle care and fire-starting equipment, and a dependable hunting rifle. Osborne explained the contents of his personal kit, which typically consisted of an animal or two with padded buffalo robe rectangles (epishemores) under the saddle for comfort, along with a riding saddle and bridle, six beaver traps in a sack, a blanket and extra moccasins, a powder horn and bullet pouch attached to a belt carrying a butcher knife, a wooden box filled with beaver bait, a tobacco sack with smoking accessories and fire-making tools, and sometimes a hatchet fastened to the saddle's pommel.He wears either a flannel or cotton shirt as his personal dress. If he is lucky enough to acquire one, he may use antelope

skin as a substitute for an over or undershirt. His attire also includes leather breeches and leggings made from blanket or smoked buffalo skin. To keep warm, he wears a coat made of blanket or buffalo robe. For headwear, he opts for a hat or cap made of wool, buffalo, or otter skin. His socks are simply pieces of blanket wrapped around his feet. He uses moccasins made from dressed deer, elk, or buffalo skins to cover his feet. With his long hair flowing freely over his shoulders, this completes his uniform. Lastly, he mounts his horse and places his rifle in front of him on the saddle.

The American Indians provided assistance to the mountain men and trappers in survival and hunting, while also introducing them to forged metals. In return, the Indians traded for game traps and acquired hunting rifles and knives from the American Indian.

Notes

1. Utley, Robert. A Life Wild and Perilous: Mountain Men and the Paths to the Pacific (New York: Henry Holt and Co., 1998), 155.
2. Vestal, Stanley. Jim Bridger Mountain Man a Biography (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1970), 160.
3. Russell, Osborne. Journal of a Trapper: In the Rocky Mountains Between 1834 ;1843, ed. Aubrey L. Haines (Santa Barbara: The Narrative Press,2001),14.
4. Weber, David J.The Taos Trappers(Norman:
   University of Oklahoma Press,
   1971),73.
   Russell,
   Osborne.
   
   Voices fromthe Wilderness:
   
   the Frontiersman’s Own Story,
   
   ed."

   Thomas Froncek (New York:

McGraw-Hill, 1974), 321.

Bibliography

1. Morgan, Dale. Jedediah Smith and the Opening of the West (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1953).
2. Russell, Osborne. Journal of a Trapper: In the Rocky Mountains Between 1834 & 1843, ed. Aubrey L. Haines (Santa Barbara: The Narrative Press, 2001).
3. Russell, Osborne. Journal of a Trapper: or, Nine years in the Rocky Mountains, 1834-1843:
   being a general description of the country,
   climate,
   rivers,
   lakes,
   mountains etc.,
   and a view of the life by a hunter in those regions by Osborne Russell,
   ed. L.A.

York (Boise: Syms-York, 1914).

The University of Oklahoma Press published the book "The Taos Trappers" in 1971. For additional information, please visit http://www.mountainsofstone.com/rendezvous.

htm http://westernexplorers.us/FurTrade.html http://www.uintahbasintah.com

org/usmountainmen.htm