on>
Zenas Leonard, Joseph Meek
The Adventures of Zenas Leonard, Fur Trader & Trapper
(1831-1836)
Trapping and Trading Expedition, Trade With Native Americans, an Expedition to the Rocky Mountains
Published by
Advanced Digital Solutions & High-Quality eBook Formatting
[email protected] 2018 OK Publishing ISBN 978-80-272-4024-1
Table of Contents
PREFACE
The title of the following work sufficiently explains itself; however, before presenting it to the public, in its present form, the publisher deems it necessary to accompany it with a. few remarks explanatory of the motives which induced 1 the author to commit his adventures to paper:
Mr. Zenas Leonard (the author) is a native of Clearfield county, Pa., where his parents and other relatives still reside; and it may not be improper here to remark, that they are well known as among the most respectable inhabitants of the county.
After receiving the advantages of a common English education, and being possessed of strong mental faculties and a vigorous constitution, Mr. Leonard left his parental roof in the spring of 1830, and after spending the succeeding year in a mercantile house in Pittsburg, Pa.,1 ventured to embark in an expedition across the Rocky Mountains, in the capacity of Clerk to the company. The last letter received by his parents, left him at the extreme white settlement, where they were busily occupied in making preparations for the expedition to the mountains—from whence he promised to write at short intervals; but one misfortune after another happening the company, he was deprived of all sources of communication — so that no tidings were received of him until he unexpectedly returned to the scenes of his childhood, to the house of his father, in the fall of 1835 — after an absence of 5 years and 6 months!
In the interval, and at various times, rumors and answers to letters written by his friends to different individuals on the route up the Missouri, were received, which represented the major part of the company he was with, as having perished, and that he was not among the number who survived. The grief of his parents from that time until his joyous return, can only be imagined. They had long mourned him as lost forever, and all hope of again meeting him this side the grave ceased to exist. The Scriptural phrase, that “the dead's alive, and the lost is found,” in a temporal point of view, was never more beautifully illustrated; nor was ever grief and mourning changed to inexpressible joy and gladness more unexpectedly and triumphantly.
After again mingling with his former comrades and old acquaintances, so great was the curiosity manifested by them to hear him relate his adventures, that he was continually beset by crowds of anxious inquirers where-ever he happened to be. But few were satisfied with a partial account, and finding that it would consume too much of the time he purposed spending among his former friends, ere he should again embark for the west, to repeat the whole story on every occasion, he finally yielded to the importunities of his friends to adopt Franklin’s notion of “saying grace over the whole barrel of beef at once, in order to save time,” and he prepared a narrative of his travels for publication in the newspapers of the county, that all might have an equal opportunity to read it. It was for this purpose, and under these circumstances, that he wrote it out — but from various causes it was never published entire, until we procured the manuscript last winter and gave it to the public through the columns of a public newspaper2 during the past season. The great interest the public took in it, was satisfactorily illustrated by the increase and demand for the paper in which it was published. A number of persons sent in their names as subscribers from all the adjoining counties, besides others more distant — many of whom we were unable to accommodate. From this evidence, as well as the repeated solicitations from every quarter, we have been induced to re-print it, and now offer it to the public in a more convenient form.
Our author kept a minute journal of every incident that occurred, but unfortunately, a part of his narrative was stolen from him by hostile Indians; still, however, he was enabled to replace the most important events, by having access to the journal kept by the commander of the expedition. His character for candour and truth, among his acquaintances, we have never heard suspected; and, indeed, among the many who heard the narrative from his own lips, we have yet to hear the first one say they disbelieve it. At all events, in its persual, the reader will encounter no improbabilities, much less impossibilities -.— hence it is but reasonable to suppose that in traversing such a wilderness as lays west of the Rocky Mountains, such hardships, privations and dangers as those described by Mr. Leonard, must necessarily be encountered.
He remained at home but a short time, when he returned to the west, and now resides in Jackson county, Mo., where he is surrounded with competence — being at present engaged as a merchant and trader with the different companies employed in the fur trade of the mountains.
THE PUBLISHER.
NARRATIVE
Of the adventures of a company of 70 men, who left St. Louis in the Spring of 1831, on an expedition to the Rocky Mountains, for the purpose of trapping for Furs, and trading with the Indians, by one of the company, Mr. Zenas Leonard, of Clearfield county, Pa .— comprising a minute description of the incidents of the adventure, and a valuable history of this immense territory — not from maps and charts, but from personal observation.
The Company under the command of Capt’s. Gant and Blackwell, left St. Louis on the 24th of April, 1831. Each man was furnished with the necessary equipments for the expedition — such as traps, guns, &c.; also horses and goods of various descriptions, to trade with the Indians for furs and Buff aloe robes. We continued our journey in a western direction, in the state of Missouri, on the south side of the Missouri river, through a country thinly inhabited by the whites and friendly Indians, until we arrived at Fort Osage the extreme point of the white settlement. Here we remained several days and purchased and packed up a sufficiency of provision, as we then thought; for our subsistance through the wilderness to what is called the Buffaloe country; a distance of about 200 miles. From thence we proceeded up the Missouri until we arrived at the mouth of the Kansas river, where we again tarried two or three days, for the purpose of trading some goods to the Kansas Indians for corn, moccasins, &c.
This tribe of Indians live in small huts, built of poles, covered with straw & dirt, and in shape are similar to a potatoe hole. They cultivate the soil quite extensively, and raise very good corn, pumpkins, beens and other vegetables. The principal chief is called ‘‘White Ploom .”—The nation is supposed to contain 800 warriors.
From thence we proceeded on our journey up the river. We found the country here beautiful indeed