STORY OF HUGH GLASS

THE TRUE STORY OF HUGH GLASS-

In this Post I thought I would write the true story of Hugh Glass, then add a bit about the Movie the Reverent. I haven't seen the movie but it looks very good. I have always like history and true story type if they are done well. And it would seem that since Leonardo DiCaprio finally got an Oscar for his role in best Actor, I believe that it must be a great film. But let get into the heart of the story. The man 'Hugh Glass'' who inspired the film. The story starts out like it always does with the attack of the Grizzly Bear. I guess because it was so brutal. They say that any man that saw Huge Glass after the attack was Gone! They only had to look at what little the she-grizzly 3-inch claws had left of the old trapper (Hugh Glass). At least what they could make out through the blood, which was everywhere.

His shredded scalp, face, chest, arms and hand. To see how she-grizzly chewed into his shoulder and his entire back too. They had only to listen to the blood bubble from the rip in his throat with his every breath Hugh tried to take. What astonished them all was that he breathe at all. Again. And yet again, again And again...Tough as they'd found the old coon-(a term mountain men used to describe themselves) to be that summer of 1823 as they challenged the Upper Missouri tribes to reach the beaver streams for the furs. Major Andrew Henry and his nine trappers would have been incredulous if they'd known how indestructible Huge Glass was and his story had proved to be... That he would become the subject of controversy would not have surprised them at all! That some men would even call him a liar and accuse him of slandering a gallant comrade might have puzzled them all. It would seem back in the days of 1823, his companions felt the notion that it was impossible to think that Hugh Glass could crawl into American as a legend, & to become an epic hero of a story and poetic would have made them all laugh. To them looking at him, after the she-grizzly attack he was going to die, any minute, any fool could see that! During those times of 1823 they were dealing with hostile natives which had already finished off 17 of their brigade. Arikara (also known as Ree). Indians had killed 15 in a June 2, 1823 attack that forced them off their Missouri River keel-boats and that route to the mountains closed-set them trudging west up the Grand River valley. As anyone can see it was a rough live for both groups of people. The Native American Indians were just trying to survive as they were here first and of course the Trappers were also trying to make a living too. But both believed that each were taking their land and their people. In August two-thirds of the trappers were gone, yet several of them still nursed their scars from the battles, including Old Glass, who'd taken a ball in his thigh.

That hadn't stopped him still from his trade TRAPPING FURS. However, it was the she-grizzly that had finally done him in. Since the attack, Glass was concerned old compared to most of his fellow mountain men. Nearing in his early 40's. Glass was old enough to be the father of young men like Jim Bridger, who was beginning his second year as a trapper. However, the young trappers would all call Glass 'old' but with a measure of affection and respect. Glass was a loner, who often insisted on going his own way. His willful foray up the draw for ripe plums, which had ended in “Old Ephraim's ' embrace, was typical for Glass. But his skills and courage had served them all well. He was Tall and powerfully built, he wasn't a man to run away from any fight. This could be a good/bad trade on Glass personality being that he ended in many fights and the last one was a Grizzly Bear that almost killed him. It would seem that one or two of the somber groups that ringed his (Glass) dying ground thought Glass deserved to lose this battle with the Grizzly. He'd exposed them all to greater risk. By the U.S. Army had made a sham of punishing the Arikara village (American Indians) for the devastating June attack. If a couple of frustrated trappers hadn't torched the Arikara village on their own, the Rees could have laughed in their faces. They were uncowed and on the prod. Henry had ordered his small crew to stick close together as they hurried cross the country toward his fur post in the Yellowstone River. He allowed only two designated hunters and wanted no unnecessary gunfire. This of course is leading up to Glass encounter with the Grizzly Bear attack. Even with all the precautions that were made, they would lose two more men in a recent night attack. Plus others suffered wounds. You see they don't realize how smart the Indians are. These people have been having to protect their own for thousands of years so they know what to do when it comes to tackle war moves. When the attacking warriors proved to be usually friendly Mandarins, the trappers knew the Ree contempt was spreading to the – Assiniboines, Sioux, and Hidatsas could well emulate the Blackfeet who already considered any white man fair game. To draw any more attention would me death. However, the gunshots were needed to finish off the Grizzly & her tow yearling to safe Glass life that was echoed through the gully. So, too did the screams of Glass. They had to get their 18^th fatality underground and move. Now..... The amazing thing was Glass was still breathing.

Even Thought Glass knew he was dying, he nursed the wounded John Gardner. Gardner had entrusted Glass with his last message to his family back in Virginia, if something were to happen to him. Being such a young man, Glass felt it was up to him to write something to his family. So even in much terrible pain in which Hugh Glass was in he wrote these messages to the young men to their families that their young boys died at battle. So in his writing Glass had gained enough education to express himself clearly and gracefully in writing. Glass had proved more than just an equal to his sensitive task. This is what Glass wrote to the family of John Gardner; “My painful duty it is to tell you of the death of your son..., 'Glass wrote the young man's father. ‘He lived a short while after he was shot and asked me to inform you of his sad fate. We brought him to the ship where he soon died. Mr. Smith a young man of our company made a powerful prayer which moved us all greatly and I am persuaded John died in peace...”

To the amazement of his crew, the scribe himself would not oblige and follow them. They tore strips from shirts and wounds as best as they could, they all were sure that Glass would be dead by morning. So when the sun woke them all, Glass was still breathing.

I did find an interesting know historical run down of the life of Huge Glass that you all might find to be interesting. I know I have myself....In 1823, Glass went up into the Missouri River with a party led by William Ashley, then split off with another group led by Ashley's partner Andrew Henry. Andrew Henry brought them all to Yellowstone River. There on the Grand River on the borders between North and South Dakota, is where Glass encountered a Grizzly bear in a thicket while he was sent ahead to hunt for the nightly meat for dinner. Hugh Glass

encounter the Grizzly bear while looking for meat for the groups’ dinner. He was ripped wide opened & was left clinging to life not really knowing if he would live through the night. They all feared that the Arikaras Indians would find their party if they stayed, too long. So Henry leader of the group left only a few men (2) it is said in history, though not definitely either – There is Jim Bridger and a companion by the name of Fitzpatrick with Hugh Glass, to bury him when he inevitably dies. The two left after five days, when their fear overcame them; convincing themselves that Hugh Glass was on his way to death at any time, They took Glass's rifle and possibility all his survival supplies too. They showed Henry their leader these items as proof of Hugh Glass death. Well, after the men deserted Glass to their fear that the Native Indians would come for them and they truly believed that he would die. Glass woke up and rested by a spring day for nearly ten days. He then crawled 350 miles to Fort Kiowa, on the Missouri River, in the southeastern part of present-day South Dakota. He then traveled to Henry's Post at the Junction of the Bighorn River and the Yellowstone.


By then Glass seemed to drop the idea of avenging himself, he only held a grudge against Fitzpatrick not Bridger though no one will ever know why? So, Glass headed for Fort Atkinson in search for Fitzpatrick, but his quarry had enlisted and was protected by the Army at the Fort. So Glass go back his rifle, and that was the end of that matter. However, it seems that Fitzpatrick was killed by the Arikaras Indians near the Missouri River in 1833. It would seem beyond that, most of the tale is put together by what they think what happen to Glass. Lots of speculation of what happened when Glass encountered the Grizzly. What we do know is it was a Mother Grizzly. The question was? Did the bear have two young cubs with her? There were a lot of questions that were un-answered. 1) Did Ashley offer the men money to stay with Glass? 2) Did Bridger go on to become a famous mountain man? However, who was Fitzpatrick? 3) What was Bridger's & Fitzpatrick's relationship with Glass/? These are just a few questions that some have tried to answer in his historical life and in the Hollywood movie too. It would seem that most of the details of Glass life came from a Book called' MAN, A BEAR, AND THE RISE OF THE AMERICAN NATION' this book takes the scant details of the life of Huge Glass and explains what the man might have meant to be like in the 19th-century Americans.

What you will be reading next is the true saga of Hugh Glass life after his attack of the grizzly that was pieced together by several of his contemporaries that wrote each their own version of what had happen in respect to the Mountain Man Hugh Glass. It is said that a respected mountain man by the name George C. Young had the opportunity to talk with Glass directly, while writing his memoirs. As well as with a trapper by the name of Allen (Hiram Allen was one of Major Henry's in 1823 Brigade) Later Glass had record have changing his name to Dutton I believe. However, it is hard to read some of the history so I don't know if this is truly true?

Allen recalled that Major Henry ordered branches to be cut for a stretcher that they carried the groaning Glass, for at least two days or more. Whatever the distance it was, too little and too late, plus too painful and took too long in the opinion of the men carrying the very injured

So in the year 1824 when Glass staggered up to the pickets of the new stockade of the mouth of the Bighorn River there was no cannon boomed welcome? No one threw open the gates either. All the men inside, warm and woozy form passing the New Year’s keg, were focused on the disbelief on the emaciated ruin. What could be only a gaunt, frozen corpse walking into their midst carrying a rife. Terror gripped their hearts for a moment. But only a moment. This frozen corpse talked. Identified himself too. Incredibly they found out it was Old Hugh Glass ALIVE! Well, guess who was there! Indeed Fitzgerald was there, but he had enlisted in April, and the Army declined to let a civilian to execute a solder. Glass had to be satisfied with the knowledge that he’d shamed his betrayer, purse collected by sympathetic troopers and the solid weight of his rifle again in his hand. Before long, Glass joined a trading party heading for Santa Fe

and for nine more years Glass continued as a free trapper always independent living life on his own terms.  However in the early 1833, The Arikaras Indians finally succeeded in ending his life. And this is how it went down… Glass and two other trappers were caught while walking down the iced over Yellowstone. So that is how the life of Hugh Glass ended. At least he was able to live his life freely for almost 10years. And the way he wanted,  as a Mountain trapper. I never did find out if he had a Indian wife or a son like it stated in the movie. But It seems unlikely. 

 LEONARDO DICAPRIO'S IN THE REVENANT-

Through snow and ice, frozen rivers and temperatures, plunging into 40 degrees below, Leonardo DiCaprio suffered for nine agonizing months filming his latest movie, the Revenant. 'I can name 40 sequence's that were some of the most of the difficult things I've ever had cone in my filming as an actor, 'said the 40-year old of Titanic & The Wolf of Wall Street, that was up for an Oscar nomination for best Actor in a Film.(which he did win)

He had said, 'Whether it was up for an Oscar nomination for best Actor in a film or not, It was going in and out of frozen rivers or sleeping in animal carcasses or what I ate on the set; he would grimaces, recalling the raw liver torn fresh from a bison. 'Enduring freezing cold and possible hypothermia constantly! Filming was so grueling that many of the crew members had quit and the director Alejandro Inarritu, who won this year's Oscar for Birdman, admits 'it was very scary and very challenging too. Once crew member, called it 'A living Hell'. Yet DiCaprio's nightmare

Filming experience was a walk in the park compared with the real life ordeal of the 19th century frontiersman whose traumatic adventure DiCaprio portrayed. Being savaged by a Grizzly bear and left for dead, Glass dragged his broken body across the South Dakota's wilderness, through forest and rivers, traveling more than 200miles while clinging to life.Trying to find safety at the most remote frontier settlements. His
incredible will to survive made Glass a frontier legend and while DiCaprio's film takes some dramatic liberties, Glass's true exploits are no less extraordinary. Glass was born in Pennsylvania  to Irish parents around 1783. Glass found adventure as a sailor and pirate.

The only bit of information that I could find about Hugh Glass, maybe living with the Pawnee Indians was when it was later rumored that he was captured by the leaders in the tribe, then whom he lived for several years. There he became quite skilled with their talents/ as scouts and hunters. It is said he might have eventually wed a Pawnee woman. Traveled to St. Louis in 1821, accompanying several Pawnee delegates that were invited to meet with the United States authorities. This is the only information that I could find that links Huge to a wife. However I could find nothing that links him to a son. In August 1823

Hugh had wandered ahead of his party that he had joined, hunting deer and buffalo for the trappers to eat when he accidentally stumbled upon a Mother-Grizzly & her cubs. Hugh Glass nearly ended his days with that encounter as meat for the Grizzly; says historian Professor Jon Coleman, author of Here Lies Hugh 'A female Grizzly bear attacked him. She caught him as he scrambled up a tree, slicing a gash with a forclaw from scalp to his hamstring. 'She had bit Glass head, punctured his throat and ripped a hunk from his rear. The Grizzly tore him nearly to pieces and she actually swallowed a few mouthfuls before Glass's associates managed to shoot and kill her! Glass ribs were visible through the gaping wounds in his backside.

His face was terribly slashed, his neck ripped wide open and his broken leg was crippled. So basically Glass seemed doomed. In August of 1823 Glass's companions left him for dead after a horrific grizzly bear attack. The trappers laid Glass shattered body on a litter and dragged him with them up to 3days, but he posed great danger to the party's progress through very hostel Indian Territory. Why you might ask? Because they

had to move dangerously slow. And all were very worried that the indians were going to kill them or even worst scalp them. So the Veteran Trapper John Fitzpatrick and the 17-year old Jim Bridger volunteered to stay with Glass until his two companions became to fearful for the Indians attacking them. Sadly through their fear they threw Glass barely conscious body in the grave - but still alive and lift him for dead. Showing what cowards they were, they even took Glass priced gun, ammunition, knives, flint and steel. They basically condemned Glass to almost certain death by taking all his protection against the elements of the harvest lands that he was left on, plus the fact that he was without any form of medications to help with infections that will come very soon with his deep gashes. Even with all these odds against him. Glass refused to die. After setting his badly broken leg in a makeshift splint by himself,

Huge began to crawl across hostile indian Territory towards Fort Kiowa. DiCaprio's Frontiersman drags himself for weeks through an unforgiving winter wilderness and Glass feat is no less astonishing despite the fact that he was actually attacked by a female grizzly bear in the summer and they battled heat rather than than cold. Glass's wounds had festered appallingly and faced with life-threatening gangrene. So Glass decided to apply handfuls of maggots from rotting animals carcasses that he would find crawling in the forest to eat the necrotic flesh that was on his entire backside and his neck too. Well, it may be completly gross but it did save his life. You would be amazed the thinks that you would to safe you own life.Glass was also tormented by very high fevers too. This probably do to the gangrene and massive infections all over his body. It took him over two months to crawl the 100miles to the Cheyenne River.

How he did this  is by surviving on insects, roots, berries and rattlesnakes. He even chased a pack of wolves away from a freshly -killed bison calf. allowing him to feast on the meat, a scene that made DiCaprio gag eating raw bison liver during the filming. Glass spent his days, drying strips of the meat he found and regaining his strength before limping on head. He had honed his resilience with a lifetime of adventures. A sailor in his youth, he was captured by the notorious Louisiana Pirate Jean Lafitte and forced to join his crew experiencing 'Cruel Murders' that were a daily thing. After

two bloodthirst years under the skull and crossbones, Glass eventually jumped ship in the Gulf of Mexico, swimming two miles to freedom in hostile Louisana territory. So he fleed north, Glass was captured by the Wolf Pawnee tribe who planned his execution. But they ultimately adopted him. He lived, hunted and even fought with the tribal wars with the Pawnee for four years, learning the wilderness survival before departing to become a fur trapper. His venture up the Missouri River had barely begun when his party was attacked by the Arickara Indians, were the ones that attacked their party. killing 14 trappers and wounding 10 of them including Glass, who was shot in the leg. Some would say that Glass was best described as in his forties as 'Bold, daring and reckless and eccentric to a high degree. However, he was nevertheless a man of great talents and intellectual as well as bodily powerful - A superman if you will. His bravery was conspicuous beyond all his other qualities for the perilous life he led....After his Grizzly attack Glass was driven by a thirst for revenge on the two trappers who had left him for dead. Still fresh in his mind of crawling across the wilderness, narrowly escaping death in a buffalo stampede and was nearly caught by an Arickara Indian war party. Then finally reaching the Cheyenne River Glass crafted a crude raft from a fallen tree and floated downstream. An encounter with a friendly Native American trible probably saved his life. They tended to his wounds, feeding him ans sheltering Glass as he recovered before continuing downriver to Fort Kiowa. Glass spent many months recovering with the friendly Native Americans tribe before setting out to seek revenge on the men who deserted him. It took him over a year to track them down. First was Bridger, arriving in the depths of winter frost-encrusted like a Revenant - someone who has returned from the grave. Bridger pleaded for his life, vowing that he had been near death and that the hostile Indian war parties had been nearby. Showing a compassion that had been denied him, Glass spared the teenager because of his youth and went in search of Fitzpatrick who still had Glass stolen gun. Yet by that time Glass caught up with Fitzpatrick had joined the US Army. Realizing that he would face the death penalty for killing a US soldier Glass spared his life as well but recovered his gun. Glass returned to his love of fur trapping, exploring the wild West from New Mexico to Oregon for almost 10years living free as he always loved. But in 1833 his life of freedom and living would truly come to an end by the hard Warriors Arickara Indians, who had finally catch up with him. It would seem that while crossing the frozen lakes he wasn't as keen watching his surroundings as he was as a younger man. And while he crossed the froze lake; Big Horn River Montana he was the age of 53 killed and scalped by these Indians.. He was then buried in a unmarked grave. However, it would seem that later he was lay to rest in a much nicer grave site. Some say the Hugh Glass was a myth that endured throughout history. I say it was true history of a mountain man, who endured throughout history, But survied a Grizzly attack that most don't live to tell the tale. In his later years he became more of a lover since that day of the attack. I believe that DiCaprio has added even more drama to Hugh Glass legend and his life that was hard, violent life, and violently portrayed tool The Actor Dicaprio has done many brillent movies and this is one of his best. He has been up

for many OSCAR'S AND HE FINALLY RECIVED ONE FOR REVENANT. Although I still remember his first big movie and he did great on that one to even though he was young. I also included two images of a real grizzly paw so that you all can get the idea on how big this paw is as it clawed down Hugh Glass head to toe....

Well, I hope that you all enjoyed my version of the story of Hugh Glass and Leonardo DiCaprio's Oscar proformance in Revenant. 

Your friend always

WENDY