The Gunfight Reenacting Discussion Archive Re: John Coulter?Posted By: Leon Buckshot Roberts <ltroberts@ubtanet.com> John Coulter was hired by Lewis and Clark as a hunter. On the return trip to Missouri he had jumped off with a friend to run a trap line. This was in the area of the Milk to the Yellowstone River area. This area at the time was in the holds of the Blackfoot Indian. The Blackfoot consisted of three tribes Piquot, the Gros Vante (name stood for Big Belly) and the Blackfoot. They were captured and Coulter's partner was as refered to by Coulter a pincushion before he could raise his rifle. They strippped Coulter, and kept asking him if he could run. He was one of the fastest people in the Kentucky region. He told the Blackfoot that he was slow, that a snail could move faster than him. He loped out real slow for about 200 yards, and then broke out on a run. After about two miles of running there was only one runner that was keeping up with him. Coulter stopped real fast, the warrior almost tripped over him. He quickly dispatched the warrior. Coulter made it to trade post, for supplies. Somewhere along the line he traveled through the Yellowstone region. When he described what he had seen, the response was treated like a joke. And the place was refered to as Coulters Hell. The lake in the Yellowstone was named after him. He made it back to St louis, and made a return trip to the trapping areas. I believe he was under the employment at this time of Manuel Lisa, and The Upper Missouri Company. This I believe was in the time period of 1808. Again he was captured by the Blackfoot. He prayed this time if he escaped he would return to St Louis and never return to the Mountains. He escaped at went to farming, neighbors to Daniel Boone. He married and in 1813 contacted Jaundice, and died. To answer your question about others in the area, yes there were others in the west. I have found accounts of James MacKay, who mapped from the area of St Louis to the Yellowstone, and had a trading post in the area of the Ponca State Park in Nebraska. John Evans who was sent to explore the Missouri River, made it to the Mandan village and was turned back by the Minnecongue Sioux. All this occured in 1795, including MacKays exploration. As far back as the Revolutionary War, there were trappers and hunters going up the Missouri. As early as 1789 Sir Alexander MacKenzie went from Ft Chippewa to the Arctic Ocean, and in between the years of 1792-1795 from Montreal to the Pacific Ocean. Understand this that Metis, (a mixture of French and Indian, and Celtic and Indian. Presumably Cree or Ojibwa.) traveled through Canada and the central plains of U.S. One account stated they never greased their wheels, so they could aggravate not only the Sioux but also members of the Hudson Bay Company. This was carried on from the years of 1785 to 1870's. The Metis followed the buffalo herds, and the pemican they made was traded to the military posts. The Metis and other trappers were recorded in the Lewis and Clark Journals, on both their going and return trips. I hope this answered your question. Messages in This Thread
|