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1839 Green River (Siskeedee-Agie) Rendezvous: Pierre Chouteau
did decided to take the risk and send a supply caravan to the mountains in
1839. On May 4th of
that year the caravan left Westport under the leadership of Moses
“Black” Harris. The supply
train this year was very small in comparison to previous years, consisting
of 27 persons, nine of whom were employed by the fur company, a party of
missionaries, while the remainder were individuals who elected to travel
to the mountains with the caravan. The
supplies and goods bound for the mountains were carried in four
two-wheeled carts, plus 50-60 mules or horses.
The supply train arrived at Fort Laramie
(formerly known as Fort William) on the morning of June 14th
and left for rendezvous on June 15th.
Again there was confusion as to the location of this years
rendezvous, because at the break up of the previous years rendezvous it
was not even certain that there would be another rendezvous this year.
Some trappers, such as Osborne Russell,
were not even present for rendezvous this year because they were not aware
it was being held. In fact
Harris didn’t even seem to know where it was because when the supply
train was in the vicinity of New Fork, Harris sent out men to find the
site. They returned with
Andrew Drips and Joseph Walker who informed Harris that the trappers were
gathering again at the confluence of Horse Creek and the Green River.
(Map)
The supply train arrived at rendezvous on July 5th.
A party of 14 Hudson’s Bay Company men from Fort Hall under the
leadership of Francis Ermatinger were again present at rendezvous,
continuing to put commercial pressure on the American Fur Company.
According to one
of the men traveling with the pack train, Dr. Frederick A Wislizenus, the Indians present at
this rendezvous had few beaver skins for trade, and he wrote that the “the
diminution in the beaver catch made itself noticeable at this year’s
rendezvous in the quieter behavior of the trappers.
There was little drinking of spirits, and almost no gambling.
Another decade perhaps and the original trapper will have
disappeared from the mountains.” Most of the
missionaries would leave rendezvous on July 9th accompanied by
the Hudson’s Bay Company men. Robert
Newell would also accompany this party to Fort Hall.
Kit Carson indicates that the rendezvous broke up sometime in
August, but no details are given as to the number and types of furs
returned to St. Louis. Andrew
Drips appears to have returned with the furs and skins to St. Louis, while
Moses Harris remained in the mountains.
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