Liver Eating Johnson?

[Carl Fowler III]

Have watched the movie many times and was always bothered by him buying a genuine hawken in .30 cal. I assumed Hollywood just made another gaff on research...but having looked into Johnson's history he really did start out with a 30 cal hawken! This seems like a really small caliber to head into the back country of the rockie's with especially for taking larger game! Anyway this is one of my favorite movie's...also liked The Mountain Men with Heston and Keith. Sure wish Hollywood would make mini-series of the life and times of the american mountain men! :wink:

 

[MacRob46]

They probably will not do that but I would like to see it done too. Hawken made some small caliber rifles but in general they were entirely too light to be taken to the Rockies by trappers. What reference did you find that told you he started out with a .30 cal.? I read a book years ago and still have it around here somewhere about Johnson but do not recall much discussion of his firearms untl they got to the point where he began to use a Springfield trapdoor, late in his Indian-fighting career.

 

[Beerd2]

only a guess on my part but maybe it was a 30 bore. that would make it about .54 caliber.
..

 

[Carl Fowler III]

This was related through White-Eye Jack Anderson as told to him by Del Gue, one of Johnson's friends that he trapped with and told to Raymond Thorpe during interviews during the Winter/Spring of 1940/41.The name of the book: Crow Killer by Thorpe and Bunker copyright,1958.

 

[Rod Lassey]

You might want to take a look at this:
http://johnlivereatingjohnston.com/

Also, if you can find a copy of the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade Journal, volume 1, there's a very good paper on Johnston. The RMFT Journal is published yearly by the Museum of the Mountain Man. Unfortunately, vol. 1 is out of print, if you can locate a copy, hang onto it.
http://www.museumofthemountainman.com/

Rod

 

[Shifty]

Hey Rod L thanks for pointing us at these two sites.

 

[Claude Mathis]

Hawken made some small caliber rifles but in general they were entirely too light to be taken to the Rockies by trappers.

Hmm, what caliber would be suited to trap a beaver? :grin:

 

[mooman76]

Centennial was a good series that started with the mountain men and I thought they were coming out with a mini series this spring but maybe it's something else ML related. I do like them movies though and to the point that when I try to watch them(Patriot too) the wife goans, not again.