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Show Old Bill Wiliiams Williams -7 7 - , , Trapper7 Master Trapper _ VL _ _ . By ELMO SCOTT WATSON WATSONALTHOUGH WATSONLTHOUGH . . . _ . . . . _ _ _ , - - " " - - - ' - 1n- 1n 1nt * - t ? .1 1 - - - .1 1 ,1 1 LTHOUGH LTHOUGHcdediah Jededlah cdediah Strong Smith IS commonly regarded regardedas ALTHOUGH [ M V- V Vas - as the best claimant to the title of "American American " UIsses Ulysses Ul > ) sses"there ssesthere sses"thereas , " there \\as as has \ \ as once another who , in in many respects , , i\as i as has \ as a better pro- pro protot prototy pro-tot pro tot - tot toty ) pe pc Pa of the legendary Greek hero "Red-Headed "Red Red Headed "Rcd-Ileaded "Rcd Rcd Ileaded " - Shooter " the theOsages theOsages theOsages Osages b named Inm lum him . . uParsonVIlhams "Parson Parson uParson " \ Williams \VIlhams VIlhams " he became when , as a ayouth ab ayouth ayouth youth youthof ofse of se\ se se se\cntccn se cntccn secnteen \ cnteen , he left his 1115 home in Missouri to ride the cir- cir circuit circult cir circuit - cuit cult as a Baptist preacher , threatening threatenmg hell-fire hell fire hen-fire hen - and brimstone to tothe tothe tothe the unrepentant . "Old Old " Solitaire " his I11S fellow trappers called him him.But himBut . But frontier history has written wntten him down asHOld asOld as "Old Old HOld /Old " / ! Bill BillVIl Wil \VIl- VIl Williams \ Villlams VIlIIams - liams IIams llams , " , , " one of the most picturesque picturcsque figures that ever galloped gallopedacross gallopedacross gallopedacross across the stage of the Great West vVest in an era when strong individualitY indi indi- individuahty individuality - viduality viduahty viduahtyand vidualitYand and picturcsqucness picturesqueness picturcsqucnessere n \ \\ere ere \ \ ere the rule rather than theehceptlon theexception the ehceptlon exception . Along with history , legend has hasalso hasalso ( . also marked him hun hint for its 0 o own ' tin " n , , as asnitness aswitness .itness itness nitness , . a quotation quobtion from a abook abook abook book published pubhshcd recently by theUniversity the theUmverslty theUniversity Umverslty University of North Cmohna Carolina CmohnaPress CarolinaPress CaiolinaPress Press It isuOld is "Old Old uOld " Bill WJltiams Williams WilliamsMountain , 1\fountain 1 fountain Mountain \ Man , " written byAlpheus by byAlpheus byAlpheus Alpheus H . Favour Faour Fatiour Fa\ Fa \ our , , who says : "Fiction Fiction uFlctIon " and fact have been beenso beenso beenso so : mixed mlXed m the fragmentary ac- ac account ac- ac account ac account - - count we ha\ ha ha\e ha e hae have \ e of the life hfe of ofBill ofBill ofJ3dL Bill Williams WJl1Jams on the plains pla111s and upon many phases phn'lcs phnlcs ' of ot our na.tlonal natlonal national na.tlonalgrowth nationalgrowth nationalgrowth . growth from trom the time of ot the Revo Revo- Revolutionary Revolutlonary Revolutionary - lutionary lutlonary war WLr : to the end of ot the west west- westward westward westward - ward expansion His parents lived livedIn livedin livedIn In a part of ot the country where here doubtind doubt doubtInd 1.nd 1nd Ind ' . misunderstanding of ot the leaders leadersot leadersof leadersof ot of our country had become the tha com- com common common com common - mon attitude attltudo of ot the tho people toward towardthe towardthe towardthe the co go , crnment ernmcnt ernntent . . . His kinfolk klntolk were wereamong wereamong wereamong among the Regulators Reguhtors Itegulltors of ot North Car- Car Caroll Carolinl Car-ollm Car ollm - oll olinl n 1 ' . , , . and his father tather , although a aRe aReiolutionary aRevolutionary Re Reiolutionary , olutlonary ' soldier 'Ioldler Ioldler with icira yelrs e\rs e rs ' \ ot of otserlce ofsertice ofservice serlce sertice , ernlgrited emlgr"l.ted emlgrl.ted emlgrlted " . Into whatnas what -nas nas 'as as nasthen 'asthen - ' wasthen then a n foreign torelgn land landBorn landBorn landBorn Born In the tha early davs days da ) s of ot the theAmerican theAmerican theAmerican American republic . , , he ho lived under ) y ' $ ' } ' 4 / j k i iyt d 4tiV - , ro e is tiV M .ba ba . .bav v re re"h "h h " Mtt tt > ire 1 . yt yt"F "F F "F.ba " \ Jr t ty e ' y : $ Rt b Srf Srfh h Klet , , y S 3 a 4 " C , , ! " . 4 x xJ t ' _ g J vi + s r ryi r c a at ' aea ea eaa t a G a m d sS ; r tl + . ,1 1 , \ Ali t , t l . L ' A w-r w r wrstir - } -stir stir - 44 44I'REMONT'S rREl\IONT'S rREl IONT'S IONTS I'REMONT'S IREMONTS ' \ ' PARTY PAItTY SNOW-BOUND SNOW BOUND - IN TIlE TIlESAN TILESAN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS m the western mountains mountams that thatalthough , , although he stands out m in mos1of most mostof mostof ; of them as a prominent promment moun moun- mountam mountam mountain - - tain tam man and master trapper , m in mmany inmany mmany many ways he has come to be beregarded beregarded beregarded , regarded as a legendary character charac- charac charactel charac-tei charac tei - - tel ter . Certain Certam of his characteristicsare charactenstlcsare charactenstlcs characteristics are always ahrays ah'ia ahia ' 's s ' emphasized m in the therecords therecords therecords records of his doings domgs : his earl earlcalling early earlycalImg earlycalling calling calImg as an itinerant Itmerant preacherm preacherin preacher m in Missouri ; his Jus efforts as a mIS- mIS mrs- mrs mISsIonary mrsstonary mis'sionary missionary - ' sIonary stonary among the Osages ; hISeccentnc hiseccentric his hiseccentric ; eccentric eccentnc habits ; his d1 dimkmg drmkmg mkmg o\quantities o quantities of ofquantities \ quantities of strong liquor hquor ; Ius his Iusabll1ty hisability hi ; ability abll1ty to speak many dIfferent dIfferentIndian differentIndian differentIndian Indian tongues , and finally niscapability nis niscapablhty niscapability capablhty capability as a hunter and his hispecuhar hispeculiar hispeculiar ' pecuhar peculiar method of Indian fight fight- fightmg fighting fighting - ' ing mg ing"Search mg"Search "Search Search " the records as you youmay youmay youmay may . , Old Bill Williams never neverseems neverseems nevciseems ' seems to have had any youth youthfor , for he is usually referred to as a atrapper atrapper trapperho trapper who \\ho ho oho \ \ had been many manyyears manyyears man manyears ' years m in the West A number of ofdlfIerent ofdifferent o : ! different dlfIerent versions of his deatihave death deathhave deathhave have been given , ranging rangmg from iceremonial a aceremomal aceremonial ceremomal ceremonial execution e.ecutIon eecutIon . as a medl- medl medi- medi medlcme medicine medicine - cme cine man of the Utes m in the theSouthwest theSouthwest thSouthwest ( ' Southwest to a violent death at atthe atthe athe \ . the hands of the Blackfeet In Inthe inthe uthe the Northwest The stories stones told toldof toldof tolcof of Williams Wllhams are more varied vaned thaithose than thanthose thanthose those of any other man of hIS hISt1II1e histime hi ; time t1II1e , and leave the casual read- read reader reader reader - er in m uncertainty uncertamty as to the reaman real realman realman man , or m in doubt , indeed mdeed , if 1f . there thereever thereever thenever 1 ever did exist such a character characteroutsIde characteroutside characteoutside " outsIde of fiction fictlOn " However , Mr . Favour's Favours ' re- re researches re- re researches researches - - searches into mto the avaIlable avaIlablesource availablesource availablisource 2 source material has set at rest restany restany resany t any such doubts and has givci gIven givciGEN givenw w hR hRr r > r rt t r r't 't t ' l C Cy y I 3 3GEN GEN . JOHN C . FREMONT FREMONTus us the first full-length full length - - biographof bIography biograph bIographyof y of this thl3 famous frontiersman It Ittraces I Itraces ] [ t traces his career from his bIrth bIrthon birthon birton r on January 3 , , 1787 , , on Horscreek Horse Horsecreek Hors Horscreek e countyNorth creek m In Rutherford county count ; , North Carolina CaroIma , , to his Ius death a athe ithe at atthe t the hands of the Utes on the Up- Up Upper Upper Uiper p- p - > - - per Rio Grande in southern Col Colrado Colo- Colo Colorado < - rado on March 14 , 1849 , and re- re repOl reports r rpoits - < - . pOl poits ports ts m In as much detail detau as c cpossibily can canpossiblly capossibily an possiblly possibily otOld oOld be done the Odyssey ot o ( t Old Bill WilliamsInterestmg WilliamsInterestmg Williams WilliamsInteresting Interesting Interestmg as ns an mdlvldual individual , mdividuaWilliam mdlvldualWillIam individualWilliam WillIam Shelley Sherley Wl1l1ams-such Wl1l1ams such Wl1l1amssuchwas Williams-suc Williams suc Williamssucwas Williams - suev/as suev as h was / Old Bill's Bills ' ' full name name-l3 name l3 name-is is - - is moiimportant more moreunportant mor morimportant e unportant important as a type as , a sym- sym - - synbol symbol symbob bol bob of an era m in American his lus- lus - hitory lustory history tory , the like hke of which can never neve nev < ? r be nevbe neverbe nevebe bIOgrapher duplicated dupl1cated For , , sa sas sav } s his bIOg- bIOg biorapher , - rapher ' ' Hia His life Ute coincides with and Ilnd touch touche touches s Spanish "I.uthorltys " . authority "I.uthorlty I.uthorlty Iuthorlty ' \ as \s s Qs a boy , , andI andstarted andstarted and I started his own career at the timeJefferson time timeJefferson I Jefferson Livlngston Llvlns-ston Llvlns ston Livingston - and Monroe et- et ef- ef ettected effected ef effected - fected tected the Louisiana Purchase In Inmanhood Inmanhood Inmanhood manhood he became a n . part of ot theUte thelife the life Ute of ot the plains and mountains mountLlns : He Hesaw Hesaw Hesaw saw the Indians pushed bacK bad . , theNew theNew the theNew New Mexicans Melc"l.ns Melcl.ns Melclns Mecdesns " ! : " . dispossessed and nnd California Cal- Cal CalItornla Cal California - ifornia Itornla taken-aU taken aU taken-all all taken - all In one lifetime lICetime . . . As we follow tollow him through life Hte we wetlnd wefind wefind tlnd find him a member of ot an average averageearly averageearly averageearly early American family , then a trap tr'tp- tr'tp trtp tr'tpper tr trapper ' lp- lp lpper - per : and Lnd hunter , finally flnally tlnall ) emerging Into Intoone Intoone Intoone one of ot the most noted of ot the mount mount"lln moun- moun mountain - tain t"lln tlln t " tln men L'lkewise Llkewise Likewise ' kewlse vv tit " e a can follow tollow Inhis In Inhis inhis his career the changes and de det develop developments , elopments elop- elop elopmenta - ments menta of ot the West fr01Ta fr01Tn from fr01T\ fr01T \ a -n n - ' wildernessof Ilderness liderness Ildernessot lidernessof ot of the Louisiana Loulslan'l Loulslanl ' . Purchase of ot 1803 1503 1803Into 1503Into 1803Into Into a n . compact section of ot our country coun coun- country country - try at the time of ot his deathThe death eath eathThe The \ wanderings andermgs aandermgs \ of this AmerIcan American Amer- Amer American - ican Ulysses becomes more understandable un- un understandable un understandable - derstandable when we considerhis consIder consIderhIS considerhis hIS ancestry He came of a lineof hneof line hne of Welshmen , restless and inde mde- mde inde- independent mdependent independent - - pendent , , who migrated to Vir Vlr- Vlr Vir- VlrgmIa Virgmia Virginia - ginia gmIa , then moved to South Carolina Carolma Caro- Caro Carolina - lina lma and , , failing fallmg to find the prosperity prosperity pros- pros prospenty - - penty perity hoped for there , crossed crossedthe crossedthe the mountains mountams to the western westernpart westernpart part of North Carolina Carolma WhenWillIam WhenWilliam When Wilham WillIam Sherley was seven years yenrs yenrsold yearsold old the urge to move struck hisfather hIS hISfather hisfather father again agam and the WIllIams WIllIamsfamily Williamsfamily family started west - throughTennessee through throughTennessee Tennessee , Kentucky , southernIllinois southern southernIll11101S Illinois Ill11101S , , finally arriving arrIvmg m in the theSpanISh theSpanish Spanish country a \ west \ est of the Mississippi Mis- Mis Ml5- Ml5 Ml5SISSIppl Mississippi - - sissippi SISSIppl and settling settlmg m a vIllage vIllageof of less than 1,000 1000 , inhabitants mhabltants mhabltantscalled inhabitantscalled called St Louis Lours There on September September Sep- Sep September - - - tember 23 , 1795 , , another son sonJohn , , John W , , was born to Joseph andSarah andSarah and Sarah W Williams-the Williams the Williams hams-the hams the - the first American Amen- Amen Ameri- Ameri American - - can white child chl1d bom born m in that city . , Even at that early earl period St StLoUIS StLouis Louis was the center of the fuitrade fur furtrade furtrade trade and young Williams saw"French saw saw"French saw"French sawFrench "French French " voyageurs with their theirkeel theirkeel thenkeel keel boats and barges going gomg upand uiand up upand and down the river , within wlth111 sIght sIghtof sightof sigh'of sighof ' of the Williams Wllhams home The cou- cou coureurs coureurs coureurs - reurs de bois bOls boss traveled over theold the theold th thold < old Trace past the Williams Wllhams cab- cab cabm cabin cabm - m in , going gomg into mto the trapping trappmg coun- coun country country country - try and returning returmng to St LOUI LoUIs LoUIsladen Louisladen ; laden with their packs of fursAll furs . All youngBill this became part of young younBill { Bill Williams Wllhams ' ' life He grew up , from upfrom his first remembrance m mthe mthe uthe the atmosphere of that trade . . " ' He also grew up in a rehglous religious rehglousatmosphere religiousatmosphere religiou.atmosphere religiouatmosphere . ' atmosphere , for Sarah William Wllhams Williams Wllhamswas Williamswas ; , ' was a recognized recogmzed authority on onthe onthe 01the 1 the Bible among the Amencan American Amencansettlers Americansettlers Amencalsettlers settlers Although restrictionswere restrictIons restrictIonswere restrictionwere were placed upon freedom of religion re- re relIgIOn religion - lIgIOn by the Spanish Spamsh rulers of ofthe ofthe othe ' , the country , they were removedwhen removed removeiwhen - . when the Upper Province Provmce of Lou- Lou LouISiana " - isiana , including mcludmg St . . LOUIS Louts ! , ' , passed from the control of Spam Spamto Spamr to France and immediately unmedIately to tothe the United Umted States in 1804 A re- re relIgIOus religious - ! " - ligious revival , then sweepmg sweeping sweepmgacross helpedfoster across the Middle West , helpci helped foster more interest mterest in m spl.I'ltual spl.Iltual splIltual spiritual spl.I'ltualmatters . ' matters So it was not so un- un tin- tin unusual tinusual " - usual that young Bill Wl1hams Williams ' , with his religious rehglous framing trammg training and andlus his lus gift gilt for speech ( he is dcscribed de- de descrIbed described ' - ' - scrIbed readytalker at the time asua as "a a ua " ready talker , , witty and quick at repar- repar ' " - preachWlthm tec tee " ) should begin begm to preacl- preacl preach - Within Wlthm a short time he was riding rld- rld rid- rid rldmg - - ing mg a regular circuit and Wl1- Wl1 Wil- Wil Wl1hams Wilhams - - hams once said of himself that thathe l he v/as v as was / so well known that even eventhe the chickens at the farms which whichhe whichhe whic whiche he visited knew him and would wouldexclaim exclaim : "Here Here " comes Parso Parson Williams WJl1Jams I ! One of us must beready be beready beready I ready for dinner dmner . . " i . After five years , however , Wil WIl- WIlhams Williams Williams - liams hams gave up his lus circuit ndmg riding ndmgand ridingand ridingand and settled among his hl3 boyhoodfriends boyhood boyhoodfrIends boyhoodfriends frIends , the Osage Indians , as a |