In Search of Hugh Glass

Travel the Rocky Mountain West to discover the truth about the legendary mountain man.

- CANDY MOULTON

If he had to do it over, there's a chance Hugh Glass would never have followed the Missouri River across South Dakota once, let alone returned.

Since this is True West, I should add this preface: everything in this story is true. Perhaps. Well, kinda. At least it is mountain man-true...you know, part of it might be a tall tale, or a windy, or a yarn, but the truth is in there somewhere. The story is 200 years old and has had lots of embellishments along the way, beginning within days of pivotal events.

In 1822, William Ashley and Andrew Henry ran an advertisement in a St. Louis newspaper calling for 100 enterprising young men to ascend the Missouri River and engage in the fur trade. Before long the fur traders headed upriver, building Fort Henry at the confluence of the Yellowstone River with the Missouri. Ashley then returned to St. Louis to recruit more men including James Clymer, William Sublette, Thomas Fitzpatrick and Hugh Glass.

Up the Missouri River

The trip upriver in 1823 was a grueling start as the men used ropes to haul-or poles to force-keelboats against the current, enroute to Fort Henry some 2,000 river miles upstream. They were just north of the confluence of the Grand River with the Missouri near the present border between North and South Dakota, in late May when they anchored the keelboats near a large Arikara village.

Ashley entered the village, successfully trading guns and ammunition for some horses. He then put Jedediah Smith and Hugh Glass in charge of the horse herd. The intent was for them to drive the horses to Fort Henry, while others in the party continued their journey by boat.