Dreaming of the Ocean

The rendezvous of 1833 drew 350 white trappers, traders and tourists along with about 500 Indians.  Camps were strung out for 10 miles along the Green River and Horse Creek all the way to Fort Nonsense.  

Cerre was getting ready to take Walker's furs back to Missouri to sell and agreed to stop in Washington to deliver Bonneville's message to the navy that he would need 2 more years of leave in his task of exploration.


Walker meantime was visiting other camps of his friends and acquaintances - he was a considerable figure, having earned the reputation by his performance that spring and winter.  Walker also made a point of showing up at these affairs with some big, fast horses which he raced, bet on, and usually won almost daily.

Walker also passed the word that he wanted to recruit 40 good men for an expedition from the Green River all the way to the Pacific Ocean.  The response was enthusiastic even though no one knew much about California, except the rumors that it was a warm, golden, natural Eden.  

Next time...Separate Ways One Last Time   

Final Count

During this time, Bonneville figured out that the trappers were more interested in injuring their rivals than actually doing any trapping.  Nevertheless, the final count of the 1832 fur trapping season was 62 packs of fur for the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, 51 packs for the American Fur Company, and 30 for the free trappers.  

Bonneville's men cashed in 22 1/2 packs with $15,000 which was quite respectable for 40 men in the early 1800s west.

By the time Bonneville got to the rendezvous, Walker had already been there a month before.  The Snake chief had provided Walker with an escort of 200 men for protection and Walker had dug up the stored furs at Fort Nonsense and begun trading.  Once that task was done, Walker took 6 men and hit the trail again.
 
Walker's conduct and success in the 1832 fur trapping season indicates that he was already an experienced furman.  The ease and assurance with which he moved and maneuvered in the central Rockies in 1832-33 suggests that he may have been there before - maybe with the Tais trappers as a younger man?

Next time...Tourists and Trappers

Moving On

In November 1832,  Walker and Bonneville reunited but only for a few days.  With rations short, Walker took 20 fresh men and traveled south to Blackfoot River near the junction of the Snake River in southern Idaho where they waited out the heavy snows.

In the spring, Walker traveled south again for the spring hunt around Bear River Lake in Shoshoni territory.  Shoshoni were also called "Snake Indians"  The Shoshoni were constantly at war with the Blackfoot Indians.

Walker went on to develop close ties with the Snake Indians and it is believed that he married the Chief's daughter.

Next time...Final Count  

Ambush!

Ironically while the fur companies were playing tag, Walker's men were the only ones actually trapping.  By October they had 2-3 packs of beaver pelts at 100 pounds each. They headed back up the Salmon River to meet up with Bonneville.

Along the way they were surprised by some Blackfoot Indians while they camped by a creek.  Walker and his men were playing "Sledge" a popular frontier gambling card game.  Hearing Blackfoot war cries coming up from behind them,  the men quickly jumped to their feet, but by the time they had grabbed their guns and readied for the attack, they found the raiders had already mounted.  Walker and his men were able to force them back with bullets and the Blackfoot hid in the brush, holding off the trappers until the Blackfoot were finally able to escape.

No one was killed and only 2 horses were stolen, but Walker recalled it as the single most humiliating experience of his frontier career and never played Sledge again!

Next time...Moving On.  

A Parisan on the Frontier

Benjamin Bonneville was a Brigadier General in the United States Army stationed at Fort Gibson.  Born in Paris in 1796, Bonneville moved with his family to America during the French Revolution.  His original plan was to take a temporary leave of absence from the army for a fur trapping expedition into the central and northern Rockies.

John Jacob Astor, the wealthiest man in America at that time financed the expedition under the American Fur Company.  Actually Bonneville had little interest in fur trapping itself and spent most of his time mapping, setting up temporary forts and investigating routes to the Pacific Ocean.  So much time, that when he reported back to the Army, he said he would need two more years to finish his mission.

Then he met Joseph Walker...next time.