James Beckwourth

JAMES BECKWOURTH, EARLY FRONTIERSMAN
by Jim Armstead, PhD, LL.D., J.D.

The annals of the American West contain many exciting stories of adventurous frontiersmen, but none are more varied than that of the early Black mountain man, James Pierson Beckwourth.

James P. Beckwourth was born in Virginia in 1798 and moved with his family to Missouri at age 8. His father was an officer in the Revolution and his mother a former slave. His family settled near St. Charles, Illinois along the Mississippi River at a place still known as Beckwith's [sic] settlement, farming and raising a large family. At age 10, "Young Jim" as he was then called, was sent to school in St. Louis for a few years and later apprenticed to a blacksmith in the same city. His adventurous nature, however, exhibited itself while he was yet a young man and Jim joined a fur trapping expedition to the Rocky Mountains led by General William H. Ashley when only 19. Beckwourth had already been on a "treaty" expedition to Galena, Illinois to make peace with local Indians and had taken a "river steamer" to New Orleans, but his real interests lay west in the fur rich Rockies, where an enterprising young man could obtain fortune and adventure. He was a child of the land and came to appreciate the richness and variety of the American landscape, eventually becoming an explorer, hunter, fur trapper, farmer, rancher and Army scout. He knew America in the first half of the nineteenth century as few men did; traveling from his home near St. Louis to the Montana territory and living on the frontier with Native Americans, fighting in the Seminole Wars in Florida, visiting New Orleans, residing variously in Santa Fe, San Francisco and eventually Denver. He understood the vastness of the North American continent and the variety of its opportunities.

Jim Beckwourth worked for General Ashley's Rocky Mountain Fur Trading Company for several years, making a number of successful trips across the Great Basin. Almost immediately he became respected as a scout and hunter and learned several Indian languages, which would prove useful as he became as a skilled fur trader among the western tribes. He had many adventures with his fellow trappers, including skirmishes with numerous Indian tribes and once becoming lost in a severe blizzard, nearly freezing to death. But the profits made in two years work in the fur trade made city life back in St. Louis unthinkable for this man of action. In 1821 he signed on again for another expedition, having earned $3,000 and a reputation as a mountain man. The life of adventure and travel now began in earnest.

Because of his mulatto coloring and his easy way with Indian culture, Beckwourth became a favorite with the Indian allies of the fur tradesmen. During a particular encampment with the Crow tribe, it was "revealed" that Beckwourth was a Crow who had been captured as an infant by a Cheyenne war party then ransomed by white settlers who raised him and he had now returned. Several Crow families had lost sons about Beckwourth's age and "looked over" the "white brave" to see if he were really a prodigal Indian returned to his people. Since he had recently been involved in a great battle with the Blackfeet, long time foes with the Crow people, he was at once popular with the Crows and soon identified by a Crow woman as her long lost son. Beckwourth's new family immediately named him Morning Star in recognition of his rediscovery by his people and he was soon married off to a young Crow woman named Still Waters. He was soon to be a member and later a leader of a powerful band of young worthies known as the "Dog Soldiers". This unplanned episode, however, began a fourteen year stay with the Crow people (somewhat of a misnomer as the Crows called themselves the Sparrowhawks) He both understood and respected the Crow way of life and introduced subtle changes when the opportunity presented itself.

Not all of James Beckwourth's adventures were confined to being an Indian fighter and hunter on the Great Plains. He took part in the Seminole War in Florida in the spring of 1837. During one of his infrequent returns to St. Louis to visit his family and to replenish his trading stocks for his numerous enterprises, he was recruited by the Army. General Edmund P, Gaines was in St. Louis to recruit men familiar with Indian style warfare and was referred to Beckwourth by Andrew Sublette, his employer at the American Fur Trading Co. Beckwourth was enticed to form a company of sixty-four mountain men, to which he was appointed Captain. The company set out by river boat for New Orleans and then transferred by packet to Florida where they saw service in several battles over the next 10 months until the surrender of Alligator, a prominent Seminole war chief. Beckwourth was cited for his bravery in carrying important dispatches through hostile Indian territory and worked closely with the future President of the United States, Zachary Taylor who was commander of troops in Florida during the period of Beckwourth's service.

Beckwourth spent parts of 1847 and 1848 in the desert southwest. He was still involved in fur trading but from time to time engaged as a scout for the Army in its effort to pacify both marauding Indians in the area as well as Mexican citizens who had not taken easily to American rule. Several incidents took place which excited tensions between the local American settlers and the Mexicans but none more so than the massacre of all the American settlers in Taos on January 20, 1847. Beckwourth was recruited into a punitive expedition by the military authorities in Santa Fe. He marched with the military force under the command of Colonel Sterling Price and participated in the campaign Beckwourth then proceeded to make two round trips to Ft. Leavenwourth to carry military dispatches which he did successfully in the shortest possible time across dangerous territory.

Beckwourth's adventures continued in the far west. In 1854 he discovered the Beckwourth Pass and made an attempt to convert that discovery into a commercial success, ultimately approaching Mayor S. M. Miles of Maryville who enthusiastically supported the building of a road that would greatly benefit the growing city. Beckwourth set about the endeavor but by the time the road was finished Maryville had suffered a serious fire and the town was unable to reimburse Beckwourth for his labors or expenses which amounted to more than $1,600. In 1862 Beckwourth settled into ranching in the valley which still bears his name. However, his business acumen did not desert him as he also continued as a trading post and hotel operator. It is said that the hotel was the only one between Salt Lake and Sacramento at the time. He remained in California until late 1858 when he entered into a new enterprise with his former fur-trading colleague Louis Vasquez; Beckwourth and Vasquez traveled from Kansas City to Denver in 1859 where they established a trading post. Beckwourth also farmed near Denver during this period and again resumed his diplomatic duties between the settlers and the surrounding Indians when conflicts arose. He seems to have had some success with business ventures and became a prominent citizen of Denver. During the Civil War Beckwourth again answered his country's call to arms and joined the Colorado volunteers. He served as a scout from 1862 to 1865. After the War Beckwourth continued intermittently as an Army scout as he did not wish to return to farming and storekeeping. In 1866 he was dispatched by Colonel Harry B. Carrington to entreat his former tribe to reestablish peace. The Crows agreed to sent 200 braves to help fight the Sioux but Beckwourth would not return from this final mission. He died on the trail at the age of 68, in the western vastness he so loved, and was buried by the Crow with full honors as Chief Medicine Calf.