1833: A Rabid Wolf Attacks Rendezvous - Primary Sources
Primary sources tell the story of when a rabid wolf attacked the summer rendezvous.
Trappers of the 1830’s faced loads of dangers. There were grizzly bears, blizzards, dehydration, Indians, horse accidents, and many, many others. Fortunately, for those of us interested in history, we don’t have to guess at what those dangers were. We can just go right to the primary sources to get the story. This is particularly true for events that happened at rendezvous. Rendezvous was the one time a year when all the trappers, and friendly tribes, would come together all in the same spot to conduct business and blow off a little steam. It was at the rendezvous of 1833 where something out of the ordinary happened.
For a series of nights, trappers and Indians were apparently surprised by the unexpected attacks of a rabid wolf. Here are four records of the incident.
Warren Ferris - Life in the Rocky Mountains
About this time we learned that two persons, who were bitten by a wolf, at last rendezvous, had died or disappeared suddenly. The circumstances during the hurry and bustle of business at rendezvous were by mistake not recorded in my journal, though they produced great excitement at that time. They were as follows: whilst we were all asleep, one night, an animal, supposed to be a dog, passed through camp, bit several persons as they lay, and then disappeared. On the following morning considerable anxiety was manifested by those who were bitten, under the apprehension that the animal might have been afflicted with the hydrophobia, and several of them took their guns and went about camp, shooting all suspicious looking dogs; but were unable to determine that any one was positively mad. During the day information came from the R. M. F. Co., who were encamped a short distance below us on the same side of the river, that several men were likewise bitten in their camp during the night, and that a wolf supposed to be rabid, had been killed in the morning. The excitement which this affair originated, however, gradually subsided, and nothing more was heard of mad-dogs or wolves. In the fall subsequent, one the persons who had been bitten, a young Indian brought from the council Bluffs by Mr. Fontenelle, after having given indications of the hydrophobia, disappeared one night from camp and was heard of no more. The general impression being, that he wandered off while under its influence, and perished. Another individual died of that horrible malady, after having several violent spasms, while on his way from the mountains to St. Louis, in company with two others. Whether there have been any more instances of the kind, I am not informed.
Charles Larpenteur - 40 Years a Fur Trader on the Upper Missouri
A day or so later we learned that a mad wolf had got into Mr. Fontenelle's camp about five miles from us, and had bitten some of his men and horses. My messmates, who were old hands, had heard of the like before, when men had gone mad. It was very warm, toward the latter end of July; we were in the habit of sleeping in the open air, and never took the trouble to put up the tent, except in bad weather; but when evening came the boys set up the tent. Some of the other messes asked, "What is that for?" The reply was, "Oh, mad wolf come — he bite me." When the time came to retire, the pack saddles were brought up to barricade the entrance of our tent; the only one up in camp, excepting that of the boss. After all hands had retired, nothing was heard in the camp except now and then the cry of "All's well," and some loud snoring, till the sudden cry of, "Oh, I'm bitten!" — then immediately another, and another. Three of our men were bitten that night, all of them in the face. One poor fellow, by the name of George Holmes, was badly bitten on the right ear and face. All hands got up with their guns in pursuit of the animal, but he made his escape. When daylight came, men were mounted to go in search, but nothing could be seen of him. It was then thought that he had gone and was not likely to return, and no further precaution was taken than the night before. But it seems that Mr. Wolf, who was thought far away, had hidden near camp; for about midnight the cry of "mad wolf" was heard again. This time the animal was among the cattle and bit our largest bull, which went mad afterward on the Big Horn, where we made the boats. The wolf could have been shot, but orders were not to shoot in camp, for fear of accidentally killing some one, and so, Mr. Wolf again escaped. But we learned afterward that he had been killed by some of Mr. Fontenelle's men.
Check out this audio version of these two accounts.
Washington Irving - The Adventures of Capitan Bonneville
“During this season of folly and frolic, there was an alarm of mad wolves in the two lower camps. One or more of these animals entered the camps for three nights successively, and bit several of the people.
Captain Bonneville relates the case of an Indian, who was a universal favorite in the lower camp. He had been bitten by one of these animals. Being out with a party shortly afterwards, he grew silent and gloomy, and lagged behind the rest as if he wished to leave them. They halted and urged him to move faster, but he entreated them not to approach him, and, leaping from his horse, began to roll frantically on the earth, gnashing his teeth and foaming at the mouth. Still he retained his senses, and warned his companions not to come near him, as he should not be able to restrain himself from biting them. They hurried off to obtain relief; but on their return he was nowhere to be found. His horse and his accoutrements remained upon the spot. Three or four days afterwards a solitary Indian, believed to be the same, was observed crossing a valley, and pursued; but he darted away into the fastnesses of the mountains, and was seen no more.
Another instance we have from a different person who was present in the encampment. One of the men of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company had been bitten. He set out shortly afterwards in company with two white men on his return to the settlements. In the course of a few days he showed symptoms of hydrophobia, and became raving toward night. At length, breaking away from his companions, he rushed into a thicket of willows, where they left him to his fate!”
Nathanial Wyeth - Journal of Captain Nathaniel J. Wyeth’s Expeditions to the Oregon Country; First Expedition -1832
“18th to the 24th remained at the same camp during which time the weather was pleasant and warm for several nights we were an(n)oyed by mad dogs or wolves which I cannot say but believe the latter as one was killed. I think one animal did the whole mischief as when men were bitten at one camp none were at the other about nine persons were bitten at Dripps & Fontenelles camp and three at ours. D.&Fs. camp is 4 miles above us on the same side of the river we hope he was not mad as no simtons have yet appeared.”
There you have it, four primary sources on the time a rabid wolf attacked the rendezvous of 1833. As you can see, not all of the stories match up perfectly but do tell a similar tale. When examining primary sources it is important to note that some people stick to the facts when recording, and some people tend to embellish. You can see that in the preceding accounts. If nothing else, all of these journals describe the event and give us a better insight into the lives of mountain men.
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