Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-10-09
Last Trapping
Trip Yielded
Indian Scalps

Montana was not one Of the
favOrite and frequent hunting
grounds of Kit Carson, one Of the
most noted of the VESTS trapperx.
( traders, Indian fighters and scouts
who r0amed the Great plains and
the Rocky mountains from about
1920 until late in the 1868. He
did, however, make at least one
trip into this area, a trip which he
announced at his home In Taos,
N. M, before the start, was to be
his last one. The expedition was a
total failure from a financial
standpoint so far as Montana was
concerned, the total take Of Carson
and his companions north of the
Yellowstone river being Indian
scalps, rather than beaver skins,
the hope of which had brOught
them north.
After numerous encounters with hos
tile Indians both before and after
reaching Fort Benton, Carson and his
companions circfed through the Gal
latin and Madison countries to Fort
Hall, Idaho and then on to the Green
river country in Wyoming, where they
spent the winter.
Carson was familiar with Wyoming
Colorado, New Mexico, old Mexico
Arizona, Utah, Nevada and California
For many years a free trapper, his
favorite trading headquarters was
Bent's fort on the Arkansas river in
southeastern Colorado, a trading post
which was to the southwest what old
Fort Union at the mouth of the yell
lewiston, and Fort Benton, were to the
northwest BentS fort was centrally
located to the mountains and the
plains of Kansas, Nebraska and Texas.
The men who traded in and out of it
we're familiar with all of that territory
They were plainsmen and buffalo
hunters as well as trappers and noun
5aineers.
It was during the summer of 1856
that Carson, while at his Taos home,
decided to make one last big trapping
and trading expedition and that it
should be into the country north of
he Yellowstone and around the head
waters of the Missouri river, he had /
)een told by men who had been there, (
we're rich in beaver.
The party ne organized for the trip
vas not large, but it was strong in
and experience. Besides
Carson himself, it was composed Of
i'm Bridger, jim Beckwith and Capt.
v. F. (BilD Drannan.
Their experiences during the trip
7ere recounted by Drannan in a book
e wrote entitled ''Thirty-one Years on
The Plains and In The Mountains"
They started from CarSon's home at
'aos in August, 1856, each man with
string of five pack horses in addi-
ion to his saddle horse, a total of "a
orses. They carried with them their
rapS and provisions and supplies as
ell as stock of goods for trading /.
18th the Indians should the opportun-
y occur. From Taos, N. NJ, they
eaded north through the Colorado
0untry, crossing the Platte river where
leaves the mountains in northern
dorado.
From there by easy stages they trav- !
ed across the plains until they reached :
lie North Platte river, where they en- !
,untered a detachment of soldiers !
1der General Harvey, engaged in !
lmpaign against hostile Sioux Indians. :
here they stopped few days. Just !
here Harney'S troops were located, 7
rannan does not say, but they were /
'obably somewhere in the vicinity I
mere Capser, Wyo., is now located for 9
Irson. Bridger and Beckwith had been !.
this region many times and were !
ldoubtedly familiar with the route ;
lich they proposed to follow beyond n
e Yellowstone.
They undoubtedly were in the region t.
tween the Powder and the Big Horn a