Mountain Man vs. Comanche Warriors : The Killing of Jedediah Smith 

Thank you for this ,makes a change to talk about real life and not the pathetic so called celebs that are rammed down our throats.Excellent .

"There has never been a more expansive or interesting american life", "like one star among billions in the night sky" yup

Great story. I've read everything about Jedidiah Smith since I was 12. Well done, as always.

Brave Men never die unless they are Forgotten! Thankyou for your efforts!

Living in NW South Dakota, where the Sioux lived and hunted for centuries before I was born, this sort of true history is so very welcome. All around me the current "experts" on Indian life tell us that we must honor their past, and should be giving up our lands to return them to the surviving Sioux, your history answers NO! We fought hard for this land in the past, our ancestors knew the Indian for what they were, and fought them where necessary to tame this land and make it ours. All around the world, if you study History, you will find that the Strong push the weaker peoples from the land and take it as their own. This is the way of man, and must be remembered.

" Half alligator, half preacher!" A quote from a mountain man that knew him....

Great video on the legendary Moutain Man. Truly he lived an incredible life in his short 32 yrs. To see what he saw with his own eyes. That would have been incredible. 💪🏻🙏🏻✨

Great documentary, well done! One inconstancy I find is the story says he left the Comancheros heading south for a few miles to Wagon Bed Springs. The Cimerron river runs East to West pretty much at that place. Looking west from the river it heads slightly Southwest. The point to all this is the Wagon bed Springs is only a quarter of a mile South at best from the river. Can't imagine the river had changed course over the years as it has been mostly dried up for years, and all the land around it is several hundred feet higher in elevation. I pass by this every week in my travels and is located about 7 miles South of present day Ulysses, KS. The state has put up a historical maker next to the highway commemorating the event. Always when I drive by I always look towards the West and think of him...

This is probably the best and most accurate accounting I have seen on RU-vid about the death of Jedidiah Smith. I have read and researched the history of the fur trade and the mountain men for my own interest in the subject as well as accuracy in my work (artist). One of my best friends and his wife live on the Shoshone/Arapaho reservation at Fort Washakie, Wyoming and my friend, a sculptor who's work can be seen at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center and Museum, The Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum and the U.S Congressional Hall of Statues. Richard Greeves was also a noted historian on the fur trade, mountain men and especially the Native Americans who were his main subject. I would stay with them on my trips during the summer while researching, painting on location and photographing most of the places where the fur trade did so much of their exploring and trapping. I was privileged to learn so much from Richard and his bringing all the books to life. For anyone interested, there are a few books I do recommend. "A Majority of Scoundrels" by Don Berry. This has a lot of the Ashley-Henry men and a lot of Jedediah Smith. The history book "Across The Wide Missouri" by Bernard DeVoto (Not the fictional book made into a movie many years ago). Osborne Russell Journal Of A Trapper . Osborne Russell gives a first hand account of the fur trade but he came west after Smith was dead, but there is some excellent accounts of other events that happened, as well as some interesting observances on some tribes the Fur trappers encountered. Russell was a fairly well educated man for his time period. "Bill Sublette Mountain Man" by John E. Sunder. And of course "Jedediah Smith No Ordinary Mountain Man" by Barton H. Barbour University of Oklahoma Press. These are only a small amount of excellent books on mountain men and the fur trade. Most can be found in different university press. I can't say which ones without going through my personal library which is quite extensive. Sorry, but maybe Amazon or www.abebooks.com or Thrift books. And two great books for background of this period of history are " Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee" and "Black Elk Speaks" and if you really want to get into this period of American history of course is "The Journals Of Lewis and Clark" All of these are great reads and have real accounts better than anything Hollywood can come up with.

Absolutely awesome video, I always enjoy and feel inspired by your stories of the mountain men . Smiths story is such a fantastic tale of adventure and courage that I feel it should be told to all young men around the world. What a true example of what a man should be . It's difficult to imagine a man like that living and dieing any other way . Thank you for your great work , God bless you brother.

Thanks for the story of jedadiah smith, i knew of him by reputstion but never knew he came to such a sad end. An amazing man to have done a he did so young. Greetings from Kilkenny, R.O.I 🇮🇪

These videos are great 👍🏻 so happy I just found this channel.

Is there anything more fascinating than History? Is there any History more fascinating than the American West? Greetings from the Land Downunder! 🇦🇺❤️🇺🇸.

I live about ten minutes from the Smith River in Northern Cal. and about half an hour from Jedediah Smith State Park in the Redwoods. Jed Smith traveled by foot and horseback over some of the hardest ground on the planet for years. walking around in the woods here and blazing your own trails is absolutely ball busting hard work. it's sad that he survived so much just to be taken out at the end of his labors. bad luck to be caught in the open just before he was soon to cash in on the European and Eastern American lecture circuit. but he pissed off a whole lot of Indians in his travels and lifted a few scalps as well as inadvertently cost some of his companions to lose their hair too. hell of a story Hoss, many thanks.

One important element of Comanche and Kiowa violence was the fact that in 1800, a mission paid them a ransom to return captured individuals. This created a culture of capture and ransom that continued until the U.S. ended its side of it in 1866. This led to more violent captures and the resultant Indian Wars throughout the West. Not that violent captures had not occurred previously. They had. The Cynthia Parker case is famous but there were many that were bad or worse. Cynthia Parker saw her family raped and butcher b before her eyes before being carried off as a child. A very good record of Indian Capture history is "A Fate Worse than Death," by Gregory and Susan Michno.

Look forward to your drops, always perfect.

Thank you for this. Merry Christmas Sir and family. Best Wishes ~

Thank you for keeping this country connected to it’s past when it seems the current powers that be seek to sever us from any sense of National identity

Your channel is superb and this story is full of sought after details about Jedediah Smith, one of my all time great favorite characters. Thanks a million for your great coverage and details. I’m subscribed, thanks.

Very thorough and interesting research....TY

Great documentary. I often drive down to Santa Fe from MN and try to imagine what it was like just 15 decades ago. The biggest trials I have are where to get coffee, where to pee, or where to find a nice motel that will let my corgi stay overnight with me.

Another entertaining episode H.OK.C. Inspiring too. In so far as I've added American Western History to my book collection. And I must say, I am amazed, at the quantity/quality available. I stick primarily to Primary Source material, as I've found modern history books are too much hard work. For every nugget of information, I had to sift through about 2 metres (whatever that is in your feets and incheses) of undiluted 'sludge'. Relatively inexpensive books too. Although don't get me started on postage costs. Any'ow, again, well done to all.

Many people dont realize how the Comanche tribe was formed. It started as a Band of Eastern Shoshone, that migrated to the Southern Plains from Wyoming. They were not a tribe originally from the Southern Plains.

Another good video bro. Keep them coming bro.

5:34 First known picture of Keith Richards.

Well-written. Along with Joseph Walker, William Henry Ashley, Wm. Sublette, David Jackson, Jim Beckwourth, Jim Bridger, Hugh Glass and probably another dozen others whose names are lost to posterity, Jedediah Smith’s name and story remains etched into the annals of Rocky Mountain, Far West and SW US History. Even as a traveler among legendary trappers and explorers, Smith stood Head & Shoulders above his peers. A Life Wild and Perilous by Robert Utley is a very good history of these people and their exploits.

A very sad & lonely end, but a tale **most eloquently** told… That was a genuine privilege to watch & listen to… THANK YOU VERY MUCH for researching it & sharing it. 🤝

Colorado Springs has a Jedidiah Smith Street in a nice subdivision

And at least he took out the highest value target he could on the way out. ‘I’m not sayin’ I can’t be had….. ……but I’m expensive.’

I wonder if we have people like this anymore. As I sit here and listen, I think we still have them. They are just in places where we don't notice. Should things go bad for America, they will come to the fore.

A fascinating story. An equally entertaining true tale written a few years later was Life in the Far West, by George Frederick Ruxton. The best ever in my opinion and true too.

Your narrative is amazing ! So eloquent ! Thank you for the fascinating stories.

Another great interesting historical story, much appreciated from an Aussie fan ❤

Wagon bed springs is about 10 miles south of my hometown of Ulysses, KS. It is on the Cimmarron river. Not really much there. We used to go camping out there when we were kids. I think he (Jed Smith) was actually killed 2-3 miles east and south of there.

I would love to know more about the man mentioned named Jackson. He could be the man that the creek through my grandfathers ranch is named after that flows south into the Beaver River. The Grove across the river is named Hollands Grove and the story told to me at 2 men were killed by Comanche and that is how the creek and grove got there names!!

Great story love the American wild west stories Australia has its own stories as well probably not as colorful as the wild west but it was just as hash for the explorers love your work

Thank you for telling his story.

Excellent vidya!! +1 subscriber

The Comanche ran one of the largest trade networks on the plains. Horses and slaves were traded all over the plains and Mexico.

Fantastic video What's the song you play in your vids?

these great series deserved a major channel on TV..but since this is not a 'reality' show that will not happen..but i extend my gratitude and likes to your research and efforts..

Crazy how Jedidiah Smith didn't follow the Humboldt River across Nevada yet still made it...

I'm not sure.But he killed a chief, and they killed him quickly. They're notorious for being cruel but killed him quickly, I wonder if he gained any respect for killing their chief. that made them not kill him in the most sadistic manner

All the tribes believed in manifest destiny. They exercised it on each other all the time. That's how the Sioux ended up in the Dakotas. They were pushed out NW, and eastern Mn into them. They in turn conquered their way west much to the displeasure of the Crow and other tribes that were already there. Americans were just another tribe in the contest albeit and far more technilogicly advanced one.

Man o man!!! Another amazing documentary. Thank you for your hard work. God bless

Smith was always wanted his men to travel in groups when they went away from the main party in order to be safe in case of attacks by Indians. Never made sense why he broke his own rule especially in territory controlled by the Comanche.

It seems like, the Comancheros offered him no water and only pointed him to a spring a few miles away.

Another great story to tell !

Great story…! Jeremiah Johnson & The Revenant ( Hugh Glass Reference) 2 of my favorite movies…. Well Done……Thank you !

A legendary end for a legendary person. If only everyone could be so fortunate. Thanks for the video!

What an adventure his life has been

Ho, the best one I saw about Jed Smith on RU-vid. 😮 I know he was killed with spears or lances .There was a old television series in Germany translated hell journeys and they named the Kiowa as killers .Tom Fitzpatrick the broken hand ? Hope you survived Munnich .Best Regards Ludwig .

Heroes, I dont think so, they were colonists who went on to kill as many natives as they could, put them in reservations until gold was found, broke so many treaties, carried out atrocities then cried when the natives did the same.

Comanche did not know what a wheel was till wht man showed up .😅

Well told and moving. That was excellent thank you.

Jeddidiah Smith is an icon

Well done. 👍

Great story cheers .

The Jedidiah Smith statue is in San Dimas CA.

Where did you find all the artwork for the slideshow? Who are the artists and photographers? Every image is eye-catching

The heartless cruelty of the Comanches is horrible. I'm amazed at how nonchalantly we listen to stories of their atrocities and aren't moved to grieve the victims and don't feel outrage at the senselessness of it. I don't think any group should get a pass on systemic cruelty to others.

Love your work! Thank you! I have a question that I'd like to get to the bottom of. I read Crow killer when I was a kid and it told the story of Jeremiah Johnson. It claimed he died in Redlodge Montana in 1904 but another book, Mountain Men, told a story of Sam something and claimed that the story of liver eating Johnson was partially based on Sam and that he was the real Crow killer. The story of Sam is one hell of a story. Jedediah Smith is also a great story.

Definitely one of, if not the best there is, when it comes to western history... amazing work!

When the Comancheros say you will not be able to avoid them. What do you do? He had the presence of mind at least to take out their leader. "Corroborated with their own eyewitness accounts." Complex dynamic that the comancheros could trail him, being allowed to do so by the Comanche. They knew he would not survive, and if he did, they wanted to see it.

P.S. To avoid confusion, there exists a SMITH RIVER in Northern California, AND another SMITH RIVER near Reedsport, OREGON.

My early American hero has always been Jim Bowie, very interesting and exciting life.

what great story, my thoughts and prayers for his family, someone needs to write a book about the adventures he went through during a bygone time when the law of the land led people into the new era

He lived an epic life. Prayers to him and his family.

How ironic and sad . A true " real " American !

Great History / Story telling ..... Excellent. Thank you.

Interesting video! Jedediah Smith had a wonderful experience in his travels and discoveries. One can sense when another have bad intentions. No man would allow another man in his house embracing that man without knowing his intentions. A Stranger is a stranger no matter how you look at it. The Native Indians only were protecting their Families, properties and integrity. You cannot trust the man beside you, much less a stranger. Don't forget who the BEASTS were in those days. The Whiteman in those days were not to be trusted, they only talk peace until they could get their hands on background (Vast Territories and Minerals) of their confrontation with the Natives. Whiteman sent groups of scout into the Native territories to get information on the Natural Resources out there so they could enrich themselves and their families. They searched for anything that could bring them wealth so they could buy more properties and gain more Power over their own kind. The Native were only protecting their people and the Whiteman interpreted that as the Natives were Monsters in order to fool people so that they were terrified of the Natives. The Natives wanted to live like any other Race of Humans on Earth!

@13:13 Is this the same Fitzpatrick that left Hugh Glass alone to die?

Why would the Comanche give up firearms? That sounds like a cover story invented by the Comanchero's.

This entire channel gives Blood Meridian vibes!

The force is strong with this one

Crazy and scary to think that a Native American band was so lethal and deadly . The rulers of the Great Plains were in fact the Comanche . Not just the plains . From Wyoming to New Mexico all way down to Durango Mexico they raided and hunted and traveled . My wife’s family is from Nazas Mexico . There are towers there still where there was Mexican American war and also the wars against Comanche when they raided.

It’s strange how those who came to loot plunder and pillage seem to be made the heroes.

He was in the wrong place at the right time......

Jebediah Smith, an adventuring man with yondering his being..

It seems the policy of manifest destiny against the savage tribes was considered justified by the acts of those tribes.

Just found your channel! Real joy....... More please

It ain't forgotten anymore mate. I'm in tassie on the other side of the world, and I've learnt heaps more about smith's, glass an bridges type hombres from these type of podcasts. Even the youngin's love it once ya get 'em interested. Gotta tell 'em bout the bears an "Indians" first, get em excited.

Another well presented an exciting story of the American western frontier

A Warrior's death is its own reward. Smith lived a man and died a man. Which is the best any soldier can hope for. "One glorious crowded hour of glory is worth an age without a name." Lt.Col. William Barrett Travis, Alamo Commanding Officer.

If only he returned after the warning from the Comancheros. What a life lived regardless!

I first heard of Jedediah Smith from “into the west” mini series.

You tell a great story.

I’d sooner bump into the Taliban vs the Comanche or Apache.

Brig. Gen. Stand Watie, (CSA), Principal Chief Native American slave ownership cherokee, chickasaw,choctaw,creek,seminole "Five Dollar Indian"

We live near the mouth of the Umpqua River, near Reedsport, Oregon. on the Umpqua River. Deported as an illegal alien from Los Angeles, California, Jedediah Smith's traveling group was massacred there by the UMPQUA tribe. He escaped, as i learned, because he was reconnoitering up the Smith River by canoe as the killing and looting took place. Somehow he managed to canoe eastward, upriver, then portage overland to the Row River, then float it north to the Willamette River and continue, northward, to float all the way to the Columbia River and the Hudson Bay Company fort at Vancouver, Washington (directly across the river from present day Portland, Oregon)! Jedidiah Smith's exploits are well worth researching and sadly end on the trail to Santa Fe.

The lower Umpqua Indians only attacked one time, that was Smith and his party. They played it off as if the tribe just went crazy because they wanted everything the party had. I believe the tribe attacked because someone crossed a line. Possibly raped a girl? The lower Umpqua and Siuslaw people did not take slaves and did not force marriages. These peoples believed in personal rights. And the only time these tribes were engaged in war was against a Chinook slave raiding party where the confederated tribes killed almost every Chinook raider who came that day. Years later the Chinook wanted peace and the Siuslaw refused as they were now mortal enemies because the Chinook had attempted to steal their loved ones. So I imagine someone in Smiths party crossed a line and the entire party was nearly killed.

This would probably be the best channel on RU-vid even without the music. But the soundtrack is so good, it makes it undisputed. Been listening since November and it already feels nostalgic. Keep it up plz!

Smith was a prolific explorer who though plagued with bad luck, did manage to become a millionaire by todays standards and lose many of his men to the depredatations of Indians in the process. Being in his employ was hazardous to your health.

Well done , perfect narration 🤠👍

True legend

Some reports say Jedidiah was able to kill the leader of the 3 commancheros In sante Fe his personal affects were identifable and purchased..but no firearms..knives..blackpowder horn patchball pouch etc

Very well done! Liked and subscriberd for more episodes.

He even lived to tell about spanish imprisonment in California

GREAT NARRATION

As Always, Fascinating and Illuminating!!!!