The Strange Case of Hiram Scott

 January 24, 2022

Wyoming Fact & Fiction

The Strange Case of Hiram Scott – We live in eastern Wyoming, and for us, a trip to Scottsbluff, Nebraska, is an almost weekly affair. It's only an hour away, and the closest Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and Menards are all located there. Statistically, 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart store. Humm – we live 62 miles from our closest. That must mean we live in a nearly perfect place. I agree.

The city of Scottsbluff is named after Hiram Scott and his time in Wyoming was both tragic and historic. Scott had come west with General Ashley's party and served as a Captain under Colonel Leavenworth.

In 1827 Scott and his group went back on the North Platte River for a downstream trip to Saint Louis when their canoe overturned. Among the group's losses were all of their ammunition – too wet to ever be of use again. With the ability to hunt lost, the men lived on whatever berries, roots, and shoots they could find. It didn't take long before Scott was ill. We could speculate on why, but lack of food or bad food would lead the list of possibilities.

In the movies, trappers are mostly displayed as loyal and fateful to their companions. Not sure if that was ever true, but it certainly was not in this case. Hiram Scott was thought to be on his death bed and was abandoned by his companions near the site of what would become Fort Laramie. His men, meanwhile, started their long walk east toward civilization.

The following summer, the men who abandoned Scott were back in the west and found what they identified as Scott's remains near present-day Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Fort Laramie is nearly 50 miles from Scottsbluff. According to Washington Irvin, Scott had crawled and stumbled for days to reach where he died.  

Fort Laramie last summer - still looking good.

Wyoming Trivia – two questions today

Q1 – Fort Laramie was the third name for the famous post. Can you name one of its earlier names?

Q2 – Fort Laramie was located on two famous rivers – name them?

Q3 – Wyoming became a state in 1890. What year did neighboring Nebraska become a state? Leeway on this one – within five years.

Answers

Q1 – Fort William & Fort John

Q2 – North Platte River – Laramie River

Q3 - 1867

 

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The Strange Fate of Hiram Scott

The Tale of Hiram Scott

Living in east-central Wyoming, we often travel the 60, or so, miles to Scottsbluff Nebraska. The city was named after Hiram Scott (1805-1828) a Captain under Colonel Leavenworth, a trusted leader in the western fur trade working for William Henry Ashley and the famous Rocky Mountain Fur Company.

While in a canoe traveling down the North Platte River Scott’s canoe overturned. The well know trapper saying, “Keep your powder dry,” was upturned along with the canoe. The powered was wet and useless. The small group of men walked on toward the area that would one day become Fort Laramie living on what they could forage along the way, mostly roots and berries.

North Platte River Upstream From Fort Laramie

Scott, who reportedly had been ill, was left behind as the rest of his group, fearful of Indians wanted to push on. The next year another group found what was left of his body near Scottsbluff. Although sick and with no way to hunt or protect himself, he had managed to travel fifty miles east following the river. It is believed he crawled most of the way, being too weak to walk. One odd thing about this tale is that somehow he managed to cross the river. His body was found on the opposite bank of where he was supposedly left behind.

Laramie River on the Grounds of Fort Laramie

All of this makes a great story but begs the question, why was a 23-year-old man in such poor health. Much has been speculated as to why, but most believe he had been wounded in a fight with the Blackfoot somewhere near and around the time of the 1828 Rendezvous. Like so many early tales of the west, lots, and lots of loopholes remain, but most interesting. Seems, if nothing else, he lived quite a bit in his 23 years, traveling west from Missouri, attending three Rendezvous, battling with Indians, fighting for his life, and having a west Nebraska town named in his honor.

Chatting at the Rendezvous - This one a re-creation at Fort Laramie - summer 2015

From My Writing Site - Christmas is over, and now we are counting down to the New Year. Each year I make a few resolutions, and each year they seem to go quickly by the wayside. Last year I decided, for the first time, to keep track of how many words I wrote and published. I did it, but am not sure I will keep track this year, seemed to put too much pressure on me, and I started worrying about the days I didn’t write. Sometimes that causes a bit, or a whole bunch of bad writing, not worth saving. 

Oh, for the record, I wrote a tad less than a quarter of a million words this year. Quite a bit for me but partly because I wrote quite a lot recently, trying to finish up last year's goals.

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