American Frontiersman

IN 1779, Colonel John Donelson informed the citizens of Halifax County, Virginia, that the government had offered a bounty of land near French Lick on the Cumberland River to any male 21 years of age and upwards who would become a citizen, build a cabin, raise corn and be willing to encounter danger and privations. It was the best of plans; it was the worst of plans! During the summer of 1779, a group of pioneers living near Fort Patrick Henry on the Holston River began meeting to organize their move to a paradise. Their destination held the promise of rich bottom lands that they could own. The location was French Lick, sometimes called French Salt Spring or Big Salt Lick. Longhunters had been to French Lick and had reported that…

When you're on horseback, it’s not a matter of if the wreck will happen it’s a matter of when it will happen... Nothing can be taken for granted when you are traveling new or rough country on horses. The same problems that faced the old-time mountain men back in the day still face those who try to recreate their lifestyle today. Horses will get spooked, buck, run off, fall down, roll over on the load and engage in all sorts of unpredictable behavior. If your gear cannot stand the test, you will find yourself in a rough situation petty quickly, just the same as our forefathers did during the time of the Rocky Mountain fur trade. Recently, the opportunity presented itself for me to take part in several mounted fur-trade events. I…

Nothing more invokes the ideals of the pioneering spirit of the American frontier than the horse, a venerable mode of transportation across the prairies, a silent companion on those lonely nights and a rugged pack animal used to pull the plow, the wagons and the travois. The picturesque wild stallion, unbridled and running through a rugged landscape under an orange sunset, has long been the symbol of the American West, of cowboys and of freedom. These are echoed in old Westerns of the silver screen and literature that underwrites the idea of America as a bold new land. The horses we see today are all examples of selective breeding over hundreds of years, but they’re also a shared part of America’s mixed native and immigrant histories. Horses allowed people to travel…

Versatility is often discussed when talking about wilderness survival. Oftentimes, people credit versatile tools as being more valuable assets than specialized tools. General thinking seems to be that one tool capable of doing five jobs decently is better than five tools that each do one job very well. Interestingly, the conversation about versatile tools versus specialized tools is one that people have been having for quite a while. In fact, in the early 19th century, Rocky Mountain trappers faced a similar dilemma. These nomads traveled the expanse of the West trapping beaver, making meat and fighting for survival. Just as people do today, they faced challenges of space and weight. Simply put, they couldn’t pack every specialized tool that would have made their lives better. Often, their tools and equipment had…

When the miniseries Into the Wild Frontier was launched in 2022 by the INSP entertainment network, the producers very wisely opened each episode by elevating terrain into a starring role. Large images of vast unspoiled wilderness open each story. Then, the frontiersmen quickly move into action—exploring, trapping and hunting. Despite the majestic beauty that surrounds them, the frontiersmen faced dangers that put them on the raw edge of survival. If the wilderness and its beasts and challenges did not kill them, the hostile Native Americans were still waiting. Heroes—iron men with resolve and the skills to back themselves up—emerged from the frontier challenges. Men that fit this description have their stories told in the first eight episodes of Into the Wild Frontier: Daniel Boone, Lewis and Clark, John Colter, Jim Bridger,…

Robert Ruark was an American writer and outdoorsman whose name will be forever associated with the phrase, “Use enough gun!” Ruark hunted for much of his life in various places, but he is best known for big-game hunting in East Africa in the mid-20th century with famous guide John Henry “Harry” Selby. His experience convinced him that a hunter had to use a gun and cartridge with a sufficient caliber, energy and penetration to deliver a single, telling blow on the animal being hunted, thus reducing the chances of being injured by a wounded animal. Ruark was probably not the first person to advise others to use a firearm that was “enough gun.” From the late 1700s up until the advent of smokeless powder, it was common for hunting rifles to…