Other than trapper impressions.

[leatherstocking]

Been away from this board for some time.........but been thinking lately about returning to the "fur trade era" after a near 30 year departure. When I left fur trade back in the 80's I got interested in 1840's Dragoon impression and of all historical impressions I have put together, my dragoon impression was perhaps my most complete including original Hall carbine and '36 Johnson pistol. Upon reflection of another era impression, I thought considerable on the 1832-33 "U.S. Mounted Ranger Battalion". Not unlike militia of colonial times, this Federal unit was made up of frontiersmen from all walks of life, but particularly those who either as guides or trappers had a certain amount of experience on the frontier and in Indian warfare. Observing the following painting of " Col. 'Major' Henry Dodge" as he was supposed to apear during his one year command of the "Battalion", I realized that though much older than Dodge, never the less I have all the clothing including a buckskin (elk) coat, period sword, top hat, "Jefferson boots" and rest of period clothing. What I don't have is half stock flint rifle and brace of pistols.

The Battalion was then transferred into the U.S. Regiment of Dragoons in 1833. This is a period in U.S. military history generally overlooked.

My reason for posting is to see if there was anyone else out there either presently or contemplating a non-trapper impression.



Additionally and to stir further thought and discussion I have thought also an impression of a "Sir William Stewart" or Maximillian impression....i.e. upper class adventurer.

[luke]

Don't know if its different enough, but Im gravitating more to the Hunter/Interpreter rather than the trapper impression. What's the difference clothing wise? Not really much at all.

Im also intrigued by the AMFC boatmen, and their issued uniform of a yard and a half of stroud and a check shirt......Heck Everyone ought to be a boatman to start out, cant get much easier to do than wool clout and leggings and a shirt....

[leatherstocking]

Luke

Back in the day when I first started doing "living history", I always saw myself more in the "hunter" venue rather than trapper....mostly because all my early "real life" youth attempts at trapping, pretty much sucked! I think there might be some small differences in the hunter compared to the trapper. First, I expect that a company employed hunter might be salaried and thus might have more advanced credit at rendezvous, making it possible for him to have a slightly better kit and equipment.  One would think that the tools of the trade would certainly differ...i.e. firearms. A trapper employed by the co. might be simply equipped with a smooth bore (just musing) while the hunter would need to be equipped with a rifle for doing more precision work rather than merely protection......I know there would be many exceptions. I would expect a hunter employed out of the settlements to already be armed with a weapon that has garnered him with a reputation. I would expect a hunter to travel more lightly, either on foot or horseback......i.e. would he need a pack horse/mule or if he did wouldn't one be enough?  As an example I wouldn't expect a hunter to wear wool blanket bottom trousers that were rolled up when wading in the streams.....as a slight example. If employed in a saddle most of his time, I wouldn't expect him to wear merely a clout and leggings, but rather full trousers. He might carry a finer knife for field dressing and skinning....might even carry with him a "sharpening steel" which apparently go back at least to the 17th Century.

Again not speaking from a position of specific documentation, I would expect if I were going to do an early hunter's impression for the early part of the western fur trade. I'm not sure my impression would look that much different than a "long hunter" of the previous century. I would certainly be carrying an heirloom long rifle with which perhaps I obtained from my father or grandfather....one with which I had already got a reputation with as an expert hunter and marksman. If I was an old codger doing late fur trade, I might have converted my flinter to caplock....maybe picked up in St. Louie one of those Hawken rifles, but I would expect to be "slightly better outfitted" than a company trapper and especially a "free trapper".....but that's just how I would make up my personal story if I was developing my impression of a hunter in the western fur trade.

[Chuck Burrows]

As I've gotten older I've adapted to the changes and have currently worked myself into the role of an ex-trapper living and working in the SW who is now a fairly successful semi-sedentary trader, black smith, and leather worker amongst the So Utes and Jicarilla in the early 1850's. This is based on where I live, (the So Ute rez south of Durango along the Rio de las Animas - four miles north of an old Adobe trading post now lost to a fire a few years ago), what I do for a living now - knife maker/leather smith, and on a gun I acquired from a friend of my brothers back in 1973, that has a history to this part of the country.
The gun is a cut down Potsdam musket - here's a pic:


This gun was built in 1820 per the date on the buttplate, and was factory converted to percussion in 1843 per the barrel markings. Family history has it coming west in 1846 with my friend's ancestor who was part of Doniphan's Missouri Regiment that came to fight in the Mexican-American War. The gent decided to stay in the Northern New Mexico/Southern Colorado as a trader to either the So Utes or Jicarillas after marrying into the tribe, per family history (the family was not sure of which tribe). At some point the front stock piece went missing and the barrel was cut down to 30", making the big 11 bore much more usable for hunting buffalo on horseback. At one time I had a photo of one of the original owners mixed blood sons or grandsons sitting on horse back with this gun in hand - unfortunately, time and many moves later it has been lost. The tacks are steel shank, but are definitely original since they were on the gun in the photo. Steel shank tacks show up in the western archeological and historic record in the early 1870's and the clothing/beadwork being worn in the photo was of that period or slightly later. FWIW - Since the young man I got it from had no real knowledge of such things and was not even aware of the RMFT re-enacting/buckskinning of the early 1970's that along with the photo evidence convinced me the tacks were not a 1970's add-on. I used this gun a fair amount back in the 1970's and early 80's for hunting big black bears in western Washington and it sure did the job!
Anyway while I don't do this anymore for the public or only very little anyway, I still like to ponder on such things and that's where I've wound up since starting down this trail some 50 long years ago - although some days it feels like yesterday and there are times I miss the ole days of the 1970's hard core buckskinners like long lost friend Blue Jacket Sanders, Ken and Judy McDowell, and the good doctor Andy Baker from Cincinatti, whose canoe I used in 1974 to crash and burn along with Bill Horst and Al Fleming at what Andy named pork eater's slip on the mighty Roche Jaune west of Big Timber in 1974 (some time I'll relate the whole story).

Clothing and other gear has been updated a bit. Although I still prefer a clout and leggings at least when out and about and that fits in with my trader's living arrangements since I am married to an NDN, but otherwise I have also begun wearing either buckskin trousers or the Spanish calzoneros style pants over cotton pantalones along with either a short northern New Mexico charro style jacket, or a SW style thigh length buckskin coat over a cotton or linen shirt. Unfortunately I have to rebuild my wardrobe since I lost a hundred pounds and for now with limited funds it will be a while - but I've got something to look forward to anyway. Since I do have to remake it all, I have been considering using this description as a basis:
Here's how James Kirker was described by one of Doniphan's Missouri Regiment in 1846:
"Fringed buckskin shirt and breeches, heavy broad Mexican hat, huge spurs (not the thick short shank Chiahuaha style but the more refined Spanish colonial style), all embellished and ornamented with Mexican finery......In addition to a Hawkens rifle elegantly mounted and ornamented with silver inlaid on the stock (think of the Atcheson rifle - see below), he was armed with a choice assortment of pistols (since for me it's post 1851 I include a Colt square back guard Navy) and Mexican daggers - I do love my New Mexican belduque........."
The heavily silver mounted Atcheson Hawken was built in 1836 for a river boat captain and Kirker's rifle would have more than likely have been a bit later style similar to the Mariano Medina rifle (I'll still keep my flinters around)-


My belduque, representing a locally made product by me in my black smith role, with rawhide reinforced mule deer bone handle

[leatherstocking]

Chuck

I have learned a great deal more on creating a persona based on a "story"..............all in historical context of course from Lloyd. I had employed the concept early on but having real history makes the creation much more interesting. I look forward to seeing your progress, knowing the talent that will undoubtedly go into it's creation.