Pierre’s Hole, known today as Teton Basin, stands as a breathtaking oasis amidst the rugged mountains of Idaho, flanked by Wyoming’s majestic Grand Tetons. This expansive valley, measuring 30 miles long and 5 to 15 miles wide, appears as a broad, flat prairie, with trees primarily lining its principal river and various tributaries. In the summer of 1832, this serene landscape became the stage for a dramatic and often brutal confrontation known as the Battle of Pierre’s Hole, a pivotal event in the history of the American fur trade and westward expansion.
The annual rendezvous was a cornerstone of the fur trade, a time when trappers, traders, and various Native American tribes gathered to exchange furs, resupply, and socialize. The 1832 rendezvous, held in the upper part of Pierre’s Hole, about 12 to 15 miles from Teton Pass, saw the convergence of several key players. The Rocky Mountain Fur Company, demonstrating their characteristic efficiency, arrived first with their annual provisions. William L. Sublette led a party of about 60 men, arriving on July 6. Accompanying him were Nathaniel Wyeth and the remnants of Jefferson Blackwell’s and John Gannt’s parties. From the rival American Fur Company, William Vanderburgh and Andrew Drips were present, though Lucien Fontenelle and Captain Benjamin Bonneville, also bound for the rendezvous, were still considerable distances away.
Pierre’s Hole: A Vital Rendezvous Location
Beyond the white trappers and traders, the valley of Pierre’s Hole was also home to hundreds of Native Americans, predominantly from the Salish and Nez Percé tribes. However, the presence of the Gros Ventre, a tribe consistently hostile to white trappers, added an element of tension. This year, the Gros Ventre were particularly troublesome, especially around the headwaters of the Snake and Green Rivers. Despite the recent establishment of Fort Piegan in Blackfeet country, this aggressive tribe’s ferocity remained untempered. They were returning from a visit to their Arapaho kin, and their journey had already involved skirmishes. Thomas Fitzpatrick, having ridden ahead of Sublette’s main party, suffered a severe encounter, being unhorsed and forced to wander for five days without food before reaching the rendezvous.
The Spark of Conflict
As the rendezvous concluded, a party of trappers, led by Milton G. Sublette, set out on July 17, heading southeast towards the central Snake River. Nathaniel Wyeth and the remaining members of his party, who intended to continue to the Pacific Coast, joined them, eager for a strong escort through potentially hostile Blackfeet territory. The combined party traveled only a short distance, six to eight miles, before encamping for the night. The following morning, as they resumed their journey, they spotted a group of horsemen approaching. Initially uncertain whether they were white or Native American, they soon identified them as a band of Gros Ventre and Blackfeet, numbering approximately 150 men, approaching in two distinct groups. According to Zenus Leonard, these Indians carried a British flag, reportedly captured from a recently defeated Hudson’s Bay Company trapping party. Milton Sublette, recognizing the immediate threat, dispatched two men back to the main rendezvous for reinforcements.
A Treacherous Truce and the Escalation
Meanwhile, a tragic act of revenge unfolded on the plain. The Blackfeet, realizing the force before them was larger than anticipated, attempted to signal peace, reportedly displaying a white flag. However, their reputation for disloyalty was well-known, and their overtures were met with deep distrust. Within the white camp were two individuals who harbored intense animosity towards the Blackfeet: Antoine Godin, whose father had been murdered by the tribe on Godin Creek, and a Salish chief whose people had endured countless wrongs at their hands. As these two advanced to meet the Blackfeet chief, a prearranged act of vengeance transpired. The Salish chief shot the Blackfoot leader dead the moment Godin grasped his hand in a feigned gesture of friendship. Seizing the chief’s distinctive scarlet robe, Godin and his companion made a swift, yet safe, retreat.
Following this act, the Indians retreated into a nearby patch of timber, dense with willows, where they quickly entrenched themselves. They dug rifle pits and constructed breastworks of timber, primarily with the labor of their women, while maintaining a skirmish line. Milton Sublette’s trappers contained the Indians within the woods, while Wyeth fortified his camp, instructing his men to hold their positions. Upon receiving news of the attack, William Sublette and Robert Campbell immediately left the main rendezvous, arriving swiftly on the field with a substantial force of white trappers and allied Native Americans.
The Battle Commences
William Sublette assumed command of the escalating conflict. He wisely forbade Wyeth’s men and his own inexperienced recruits from directly engaging, relying instead on his seasoned trappers and the allied Indians. Wyeth, however, remained present for part of the engagement. Faced with an overwhelming force, the Blackfeet withdrew deeper into their entrenchments. The combined white and allied Indian forces initiated their attack with random firing into the thicket, a tactic that proved largely ineffective, allowing the Blackfeet to return fire with greater precision. It became clear that a more decisive measure was needed to dislodge them, prompting William Sublette to propose storming the breastworks.
Despite his men’s apprehension regarding the danger, Sublette insisted. Approximately 30 whites and numerous allied Indians joined him, pushing their way cautiously through the tangled willow thickets. Sublette, Campbell, and Alexander Sinclair of Arkansas spearheaded the advance towards the Blackfeet’s rudimentary “fort.” Anticipating dire consequences, Sublette and Campbell, and likely others, had already made their wills. After crawling through the dense willows, they emerged into more open ground, where the Blackfeet fortifications became visible, exposing them to intense enemy fire. Sinclair was killed instantly, and Sublette suffered a severe wound. On the opposite side of the fort, Wyeth and some allied Indians had also advanced, where one Indian near him was tragically killed by a stray shot from Sublette’s own party. Despite being significantly outnumbered, the besieged Blackfeet remained well-protected within their defenses, suffering minimal losses at this stage.
A Clever Ruse and Retreat
The assault continued for most of the day without significant progress due to the enemy’s strong defensive position and the attackers’ reluctance to launch a full-scale charge. Finally, Sublette resolved to burn them out, a decision that went against the wishes of the friendly Indians who hoped to plunder the fort. As a train of wood was being laid to ignite the defenses, a pivotal incident occurred. One of the allied Indians, fluent in the Blackfeet language, engaged in a brief conversation with the besieged. The Blackfeet, through this interpreter, claimed that while the whites might kill them, a massive force of 600-800 warriors was imminent and would soon arrive to engage the whites in battle. Crucially, they were coerced into implying this larger force was targeting the main rendezvous. Such an attack, if true, would be catastrophic without the concentrated fighting force, leading the whites to swiftly abandon the assault and rush back to the rendezvous site without verifying the intel. By the time the ruse was discovered, it was too late to resume the attack. The next morning, the Blackfeet fort was found deserted. The battle’s casualties included five whites killed, among them Alexander Sinclair, and six wounded, including William Sublette. The allied Indians suffered seven killed and six wounded. The exact loss for the Blackfeet was never fully ascertained, but nine dead warriors were found in their abandoned fort, along with 25 horses and most of their baggage. Later reports suggested a total of 26 Blackfeet warriors had perished.
Important Aftermath and Continuing Vengeance
The Battle of Pierre’s Hole had significant repercussions. On July 25, just days after the main battle, seven members of Wyeth’s party, including Alfred K. Stephens, a Mr. More of Boston, a Mr. Foy of Mississippi, and two grandsons of Daniel Boone, set out to return East. They had intended to travel with William Sublette, but his wound delayed his departure by about ten days. Impatient, these men continued eastward, only to be ambushed the following day in Jackson’s Hole, Wyoming, by a band of approximately 20 Blackfeet. More and Foy were killed, and Stephens was wounded. Stephens returned to the rendezvous, where he lingered until July 30, dying just after departing for St. Louis, Missouri, in the company of William Sublette. His possessions were sold, and his furs sent to St. Louis. On July 30, Sublette, with his party of about 60 men and their year’s collection of furs, finally left the rendezvous. On August 4, the day after crossing the Snake River, they encountered the large band of Blackfeet that had been mentioned during the battle’s ruse. These Indians had been harassing Lucien Fontenelle and Benjamin Bonneville’s camps but had not risked an attack. Their recent experience at Pierre’s Hole made them hesitate to attack Sublette’s well-armed party, allowing him to pass unmolested. This Blackfeet band eventually departed the area via the Wind River Valley, where they were attacked and routed by Crow Indians, suffering 40 casualties and scattering the remainder as fugitives.
The cycle of vengeance stemming from Pierre’s Hole was not yet complete. Antoine Godin’s killing of the Blackfoot chief in retaliation for his father’s death was still an open account for the Blackfeet. Between September 1834 and September 1835, a party of Blackfeet, led by James Bird, a former Hudson’s Bay Company employee who had defected to the tribe, appeared opposite Fort Hall, Idaho, on the Snake River. Bird, now an influential Blackfoot chieftain, requested Godin to cross the river to trade furs. Godin, unsuspecting treachery, complied. As he sat smoking with the group, Bird signaled his warriors, who shot Godin in the back. While Godin was still alive, Bird scalped him and carved Wyeth’s initials, “N.J.W.,” onto his forehead. This brutal act marked the tragic and final chapter of the revenge associated with the events of Pierre’s Hole.
Conclusion
The Battle of Pierre’s Hole in 1832 stands as a testament to the volatile and often violent nature of the fur trade era. What began as a routine gathering quickly devolved into a complex conflict fueled by long-standing tribal animosities, personal vendettas, and the intense competition among fur companies. This brutal engagement, characterized by a clever ruse that saved the besieged Blackfeet, had far-reaching consequences, extending beyond the immediate battlefield to involve further attacks and retaliatory killings. The events at Pierre’s Hole underscore the precarious existence of trappers and Native Americans alike during a period of rapid expansion, highlighting the harsh realities of life on the American frontier where survival often depended on both strategic alliances and deadly confrontations. It remains a poignant reminder of the intricate tapestry of human ambition, conflict, and endurance that shaped the early American West.
