Wilderness Nation

By John W. Newton

This is the story of a young frontiersman and Lakota maiden who marry and establish a trading post in the northwest region of the Louisiana Territory during the mid-1800s. It's about dealing with their very real feelings of love and hate, strength and fear, joy and sadness as they face numerous challenges in bridging the gap between two seemingly incompatible cultures. It's a story about fulfilling a dream and the perseverance it takes to accomplish it.
Additionally, Wilderness Nation describes the expansive beauty and wonders of nature and the undeniable unity that exists among all creatures of life, all people, and God.
The book further offers a unique and profound philosophy of life that's championed by an enlightened group of Native Americans confined to a single village of a few hundred people. The Lakota philosophy takes a very realistic approach to the world. It accepts all its good aspects, including the joys of life, sound health and happiness, and justice when served. But it also understands the world with its numerous bad features of floods and bitter cold weather, the dangers of illness, and the violence and death that results from hostile enemies. In living a good life, each Lakota villager will eventually be united with the Great Spirit of Life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Release date: Jul 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9781532688171

John W. Newton

John Newton lives in Rochester, NY, with his wife Sharon. He was employed more than thirty-eight years at Eastman Kodak Research Labs, where his career centered in silver halide crystal technology. He has a strong interest in the essence of God and the scope of Existence, including the universe with its vast collection of galaxies, stars, and planets. John pursued a lifelong desire to write about the meaning of life, specifically man's innate nature and purpose in life, and the value of the human experience on Earth. He is the author of A Pen Named Man: Our Purpose, A Pen Named Man: Our Essence, and A Pen Named Man: Our Destiny.

Book preview

Introduction

As in any narrative there is a host of people who influence the way the story unfolds. All of us have a number of family members, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances with whom we interact. These are people who help shape our personality and effect whom we eventually become. These are the people we love and those we dislike. It includes the ones who teach us how to be good citizens and the others whom we disagree with relative to their objectives and methods of behavior. They all have an influence. They all teach us a lesson, whether for good or bad.

This story is no exception. It’s about a Lakota village, a unique society of Native Americans, set in the Dakota wilderness of the Louisiana Territory in the 1800s.

The main characters are given here. Bart Lennon is an adventurous frontiersman who befriends a Lakota tribe and builds a trading post in the region. Mark Lennon is the son of Bart. His early years are spent at the trading post, but once his father is killed Mark moves in with the Lakota tribe. Several years later, Mark rebuilds his dad’s trading post. White Feather, who is a member of the Lakota tribe, is Mark’s best friend. Early Mist is a young Indian maiden who eventually marries Mark. Summer Spring is Early Mist’s best friend and she marries White Feather. Jake Stark is a gun runner who continually stirs up trouble in the region. He’s responsible for the original destruction of the trading post.

Running Stag is the older brother of White Feather and he’s in charge of the Lakota warriors. Running Stag will one day become chief of the Lakota tribe. Red Fox is the current chief of the tribe and the father of White Feather and Running Stag. White Cloud is the spiritual leader-medicine man of the tribe. He has a decisive role in the spiritual and physical well-being of the villagers.

This is their story. It tells how they influence one another in good and not-so-good ways as they become key players in an emerging civilization.

A second theme of Wilderness Nation deals with the fundamental beliefs of a secluded community of Indians that’s hidden deep within the forests of the Louisiana Territory. Although the society is confined to a single village of a few hundred people, it’s profound in the philosophy of life by which it lives.

The philosophy is specific to a single Lakota tribe, yet it’s consistent with the philosophy of the greater Sioux nation in a number of ways. Their beliefs acknowledge the innate union of man with all aspects of Nature including the water, the soil, and the wind. It also recognizes the special kinship of all types of life. This includes the fish in the water, the wildlife roaming the land, and the birds soaring in the sky. It further recognizes man’s relationship to the sun, the moon, and the stars of the nighttime sky.

What makes this Lakota philosophy unique is the fact that it takes a very realistic approach to interpreting the world as it is. It accepts the world with all its good aspects, including the joys of life, sound health and happiness, beauty, and justice when served. But it also understands the world as typified by its numerous bad features including forest fires, floods, blinding windstorms, and bitter cold weather. Further, it accepts the dangers of illness, which can kill many of the village’s inhabitants in a few weeks’ time. It’s also concerned with the violence and death that results from conflicts between hostile tribes throughout the region.

This philosophy recognizes that both goodness and evil are part of their world. If the Lakota villagers choose goodness in the actions of everyday life, they believe that each one of them will be united with the Great Spirit of Life when they die.

Chapter 1

Exploring the Wilderness

The saga begins in the summer of 1808 in the Sioux territory of the vast stretch of land known as Louisiana. President Jefferson had recently purchased this wilderness from France.

It’s late August, just two years after the Lewis and Clark expedition that took explorers from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean. A small expedition of soldiers under the command of Major Larson sets out from St. Louis, Missouri in the springtime to explore this new region. The expedition is commissioned to survey land, mark the boundaries of rivers and mountain ranges, and draw up maps. They’re also given the task of engaging the native Indian tribes in a peaceful manner. They are to offer gifts including trinkets, clothing, and hand tools in an attempt to foster good will to the extent possible. They are also charged with documenting the resources of both wildlife and minerals with the knowledge that fur traders, coal and lumber companies, and settlers will follow in their footsteps.

The expedition is deep inside Sioux territory. It is very early in the morning and the expedition stopped the night before to set up camp on a ridge about twenty-five miles from where the Yellowstone River flows into the Missouri. A few of the soldiers are still sleeping, the ones who stood guard overnight. The rest are up, packing their gear, and getting ready to eat breakfast.

George Lennon has already packed up his two mules with belongings and most of his surveying equipment. He takes them down to the creek to drink and afterwards tethers them to a nearby tree. George then walks back to the campsite and sits down to eat breakfast. With the figures and numbers still fresh in his mind, George decides to examine his charts and maps, and evaluate the surveying he completed the day before. He just finishes eating when he’s suddenly startled by the sound of gunfire. Everyone is darting about, some are gathering their belongings while others grab their rifle and gunpowder. All end up running toward the nearby creek where the gunfire is coming from.

Indians have been following the expedition quite closely for the past week and have engaged it in minor skirmishes. They’ve never attempted to attack the entire expedition, but whenever one or two soldiers became separated from the main body the hostile natives didn’t hesitate to harass them as best they could. Now, the Indians become bolder as they drive off the two pack mules into the woods. As the Indians attempt to get away with the mules, a couple of soldiers sound the alarm and begin to shoot. Initially the Indians have control of the mules, but when they sense the soldiers are getting close they abandon the mules altogether. Several of the soldiers chase the intruders for nearly two miles. When they give up the chase and head back to the camp, they aren’t able to locate the mules. Unfortunately, one of the pack mules is carrying nearly all of the surveying equipment that belongs to George Lennon.

The expedition has to move on, so Major Larson approaches George.

You and Jack Benton can search for the mules. The expedition will set up camp and wait for two days at the junction of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers. We’ll do some surveying and explore the region for valuable minerals. If you don’t find the mules by nightfall, then you better forget it and catch up with us before the Indians in the area decide to cut you off completely.

George agrees. He and Jack set off on their horses over the ridge while the expedition heads southward down into the valley.

Benton is a rugged frontiersman, and except for Major Larson himself, he’s the most respected and bravest man on the expedition. Benton is an excellent tracker and he’s able to follow the trail the two mules have taken. He and George Lennon catch up with the mules about three o’clock in the afternoon. However, they encounter more than they expected.

After they had been tracking the mules for a couple of hours, Benton discovers that three horses are now travelling with the mules. Unknown to them, someone else had found the mules earlier in the day and now have them in their possession. Cautiously, George and Jack follow the trail trying not to be discovered by whoever has their mules. Eventually they see a small clearing ahead, and as they get closer they hear talking coming from the other side. Jack and George dismount from their horses and creep up to within ten yards of the clearing.

Across the field are three young braves who earlier had been hunting deer in the forest and eventually came upon the pack mules. The braves led the mules to this spot and were now standing around the animals and examining the compasses, levels, chains, and other surveying equipment that George had used the day before.

Jack whispers, Let’s shoot two of ‘um and then we can rush the other.

George thought for a moment and then quietly says, Gunfire is sure to bring others. They’re pretty occupied right now, maybe if we get closer we can take them by surprise, jump them without using our guns. Seems like two old soldiers can handle three young bucks.

Okay Benton nods in agreement.

They begin to sneak closer when suddenly they heard a war whoop! Jack and George quickly dive beneath a pine tree as seven Crow Indians jump the three young braves.

No sense doing anything now George. Might as well let ‘um kill each other off.

The young braves fight desperately, but they are outnumbered and inexperienced. The seven warriors subdue the three young braves. They tie their hands behind their backs and put a rope around each of their necks. The Crow then mount their horses and make their captives walk behind.

Somethin’ seem strange to you George? asks Jack.

Yeah. How come those fellows didn’t outright kill those lads and scalp ‘um. You know, those seven, them’s probably the ones who chased off our mules earlier this mornin’. Only thing I figure is those young lads are important, maybe the sons of a chief; or else they just want to take them back to the village and torture them. What we gonna’ do now?

Well, we’re gonna’ have to use gunfire if we want to get those mules back now. Jack replies. There’s seven of them. Three are busy with the captives and two others are tote’n the extra horses and our mules. That leaves just two that can bother us at the start. We’ll get ahead of them and then jump them like they jumped those young ones.

So George and Jack mount their horses and work their way ahead of the Indian procession. When they get far enough ahead, George dismounts and crouches behind a tree. Jack rides a little farther ahead and waits. In five minutes time the Indians arrive.

Just as the last Crow Indian passes, who’s leading a pack mule, George jumps out and thrusts his knife into the Indian’s side. Before the shrilling yell ceases, a rifle cracks at the front of the party. Seconds later, George’s pistol cracks as another Indian falls from his mount. The four remaining Indians, including the ones who are leading the captives, are afraid for already three of their companions have fallen to the ground. They drop the ropes around their captives’ necks and begin to flee. They’re bearing down on Jack as fast as they can. Jack fires his pistol, but misses. He can’t get out of the way in time. As the horses come thundering by, the last Crow rides his mount into Benton who goes flying to the ground. The four Indians ride off into the forest. George comes running up and helps Jack to his feet.

Are you hurt bad? George asks.

I don’t know, my left arm . . . It’s broke I think.

George Lennon and Jack then cut the binds on the Indian lads’ hands. Immediately, the lads crouch down together, their elbows bent with fists raised. Slowly they rise to their feet, not knowing whether they should attempt to outrun the two white men or stay and fight. Jack and George appear matter-of-fact, and when the lads realize these white men aren’t going to harm them, they begin to relax. In their own way, they try to communicate their thanks. The young lads then help Jack and George round up the horses and pack mules.

Curiosity gets the best of the young Indians as they point to the packs wanting to know what the equipment is used for. George gives the Indian lads a few of the surveying pieces including a small compass, a couple of rulers, pencils, and chart paper; things that the expedition has plenty of. He tries to show them how to look through a surveying telescope.

By way of dress and the markings on the arrows, George and Jack know that the warriors who captured the boys were Crow. Based on their gestures, the three Indian youths are able to convey that they’re members of a Lakota Sioux tribe. As best as Jack can tell, one of the lads is a chief’s son.

Through sign language, the boys indicate they want the two white men to come to their village in order to meet their chief and celebrate with a feast. Much as Lennon and Jack indicate they’d like to go, they know they can’t. They have to get back to the main body, and Jack’s arm needs the attention of a doctor, not some medicine man. After having a bite to eat and taking a short rest, Jack and George begin to set out. The chief’s son, on bidding farewell, takes a magnificently etched gold medallion off his neck and gives it to George. On one side of the metal are etched some stalks of wheat or corn, an elk and what looks like a beaver, a river, and an overhead sun. On the other side of the coin are etched a small island in the middle of a lake, a couple of trees, and what appears to be the moon and several stars above. The etchings, though somewhat primitive, obviously were done by someone who took great care in providing fairly good detail.

The next day Jack and George catch up with the expedition. They relay their encounter to Major Larson and the rest of the men. As it turns out Jack’s arm isn’t broken, but is injured enough so that it has to be put in a sling. It takes nearly a week before it feels normal again.

The fight with the Indians is an indication of how dangerous the mission has become. The expedition continues on for several more months and during that time there are eight more encounters where bloodshed occurs. In those fights, the expedition loses six men. Three are killed outright and three others die of infections from the wounds they suffer.

Nonetheless, the expedition is a success. Throughout their trip, the explorers meet with a number of Indian groups from various tribes including the Sioux, Cheyenne, Blackfoot and Crow. Although there’s a lot of mistrust and fear, most of the meetings with the Indians are of a cordial nature. Some trading takes place and useful information is learned about the land they are exploring.

Chapter 2

Return to Wilderness

It was 1808 when George Lennon, at the age of thirty-two, encountered the incident with the three Indian youths. When he returned home to St. Louis in 1809 he told of this experience, as well as many others, to his wife and six year old son Bart.

Some nineteen years later, in 1828, Bart Lennon at the age of twenty-five is planning on travelling through the same territory his father surveyed while a member of the Larson expedition. From his father’s personal notes and collection of maps, Bart will be able to proceed through the Indian country with greater guidance and assuredness available to him than what’s available to numerous other fur traders and trappers entering the territory. All they have to go by are the general maps put out by the U.S. government.

Bart Lennon is a self-assured individual who isn’t afraid to take risks. He’s a person who likes new adventures and wishes to see with his own eyes the vastness of the land his dad, George, told him about. Bart is eager to traverse this untamed wilderness originally called the Louisiana Territory, but now known as the Missouri Territory, and experience its widespread beauty with its diverse animal life and never-ending forests. He’s also inquisitive about the Indians who live a secluded and rustic existence in this country. Based on his knowledge of Indian culture, Bart believes these Native Americans are a people who view themselves as Nature’s residents, but not its owners.

Bart will make this first trip alone to see if he can locate a site somewhere within the territory that’s suitable to his interests. Then he’ll return to St. Louis and work out plans regarding what he needs in the way of supplies and resources to go back and establish a permanent presence. This has been Bart’s dream, which he developed over the years while growing up and listening to the stories that his dad and various frontiersmen related to the people back in St. Louis.

Bart wishes to find a way of preserving Nature’s majesty in all its aspects, if possible. In his mind, Bart is committed to making a difference. His goal is to establish a trading post at the crossroads of two civilizations, the white man’s and Indian’s worlds. He believes it’d be a place where he can teach Indians the white man’s ways, and introduce them to new and useful products being developed by the people living in the cities of the East. At the same time, Bart can deliver to the people back home the furs, jewelry, and works of art that the Indian culture has to offer. Further, he’ll be there to greet new settlers from the East. As a friend in the wilderness, he can help them adjust to life on the frontier as they migrate westward in their attempts to homestead and establish new communities.

Before Bart leaves home, his father gives him two items of value to take with him. One is a commemorative, initialized knife that George received as a gift for his participation in the Larson expedition of 1808 to 1809. He tells Bart, I have no use for this knife. You can have it; it might come in handy on your trip into Indian country. The other item is the Indian medal he received from the three young lads whose lives Jack Benton and he saved. George tells his son, Should you ever wish to establish trade agreements with the Indians, you might better seek out that tribe to which the three youths belonged.

George Lennon had prepared maps and kept a careful diary of the habits of the Indian tribes he had met along the way. He learned when they hunted buffalo, where they settled at different times of the year, and whom they considered as their enemies. Bart finds the notes his father kept on various tribes very useful. He’s able to follow the maps and thereby stay relatively free of encountering an unfriendly Indian menace.

It’s late in the afternoon in the spring of 1828 when Bart Lennon comes upon the ridge where Major Larson encamped that night before the two pack mules were driven off. Here, Bart makes camp to spend the night. As he falls asleep, he relives in his mind some of the stories his dad had told him many times before.

In the morning he climbs to a high spot on the ridge and looks down in the direction of the valley where the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers meet. In his mind, Bart can visualize Major Larson’s expedition heading down toward the valley while big Jack Benton and his father, George Lennon, set off after the mules.

Bart then heads northward in the direction he thought Jack Benton and his dad had gone. Bart hasn’t seen any Indians for days, although he knows they may be nearby based on the markings on the maps his dad gave him. Depending upon the tribe of Indians he might encounter, Bart wonders what his chance of survival would be.

What if the Indians are Crow, Lakota, or Blackfoot? What should I do? Does it depend on the tribe? Should I fight and defend myself? Or, should I try communication first? Are any of them friendlier than the others? Well, I guess I won’t know until I’m actually face to face with them. Trying to keep his anxious and random thoughts under control, Bart forges on.

Bart travels northward for three more days without encountering any Indians face-to-face.

He follows along the eastern bank of an unmarked river until he comes to a fork where a small creek from the north flows into it. Where the river and creek meet is flat land, however, there is a large cliff at the back of the junction. The river makes a sharp turn to the west, so Bart decides to proceed northward along the creek for a few more miles until he can find a convenient place to crossover. About four miles north of the junction Mark crosses the creek and goes up a steep bank to a spacious plateau. He immediately turns southward staying in sight of the creek until he comes to the brim of a precipice, which is the elevated site overlooking the union of the creek and river below. It’s a beautiful view. Mark stands in the high, flowing grass and looks down on the flat piece of land lying between the two waterways. Then he scours the river valley beyond, the valley that he traversed through for most of the day.

With only an hour and a half of daylight left, Bart decides to camp for the night in a group of poplar trees located just a few hundred yards back from the overlook site. He ties his horse to one of the trees and collects a pile of small braches and thick grass to make a bed for himself. Bart then builds a small fire to cook the rabbit he killed earlier in the afternoon. He lays the sheath to his knife on the ground, skins the rabbit, and places it on the spit. A few minutes later Bart picks up his knife to cut off a hind leg from the rabbit.

He’s just taken a bite out of the rabbit’s leg when three deer dash through the middle of his campsite and run into a nearby thicket. Before he realizes what’s happening, four Indian braves run from nearby pines toward the thicket. This startles Bart and he drops the knife to the ground next to the fire.

When they see Bart, the hunting party gives up its pursuit of the deer and surrounds him with bows and arrows drawn. Lennon slowly tries to stand with hands up in surrender, but he’s immediately pushed back down to his knees with one of his captors holding a knife to his back. Bart makes some friendly gestures pointing to the two beaver pelts he had taken two weeks earlier. One Indian who seems to be in charge motions to one of his companions to get the pelts. After examining them he grunts his approval, admiring how soft and in good shape they were. The leader motions to the others to gather everything, and after doing so, they tie Bart’s hands together and lead him deeper into the forest. As they leave, one of the braves scatters the burning embers with his foot, grabs the reins to Bart’s horse, and quickly follows along.

Bart is led to their hunting camp, where another fifteen Indian warriors are waiting. They tie Bart to a tree and begin to search through his gear. Just before nightfall the leader instructs them to prepare a large bonfire. The leader wants to see how courageous this white man is. Bart is untied and made to stand. They then form a gauntlet of eight braves on each side and motion for him to run through. When the leader rips the shirt from Bart’s back, the Indian medallion that his father had given him falls to the ground. One of the Indians picks it up and examines it. They pass the medal from one brave to another. They look at Bart and point to the medallion, seemingly asking him where he got it. As best he can, Bart tries to tell them in sign language how the medal was given to his father for saving the life of a chief’s son. At that point, the leader decides not to harm him. Instead, the following morning they take Bart to the Lakota village to meet their chief.

The chief, Red Fox, looks at the medal and keeps turning it over and over in his hand, recalling a time long ago when he was an Indian lad. He realizes it was almost twenty years earlier when George and Jack Benton rescued him and his two friends from the Crow warriors. Chief Red Fox remembers giving the gold medallion to George Lennon. He smiles and nods, looking at Bart and knowing this man is the son of one of his rescuers of years ago. Now is a time for celebration!

Bart is relieved and treated with high respect. He feels he’s safe among this Lakota tribe. He spends the next two and a half months at the village learning much of the Lakota language and customs. In turn, Bart teaches them some English, and they begin to form a lasting friendship built on trust and respect.

During this time, Bart has many meetings with the chief. They discuss issues of village life, survival, and the sacred relationship that exists between Nature and all types of life. They discuss other Indian tribes, particularly the neighboring Crow and their constant skirmishes with them. Additionally, of great concern to Red Fox is the increasing presence of the white man.

Red Fox tells Bart, We are fearful that the white man will one day invade our territory and cause many problems. He will not respect our way of life which has been passed down over many generations.

The discussions with Red Fox weigh heavily on Bart’s mind. As the weeks go by, Bart becomes more and more concerned about the welfare of these rustic people and their ability to maintain their Lakota legacy.

Chapter 3

The Lakota Village and Island

The village is located at the mouth of Broken Creek on the edge of a large and deep lake known to the Lakota as Clear Mountain Lake. About a half a mile distance from the village toward the middle of the lake is a large island with rocky, non-scalable cliffs. When Bart first arrives in Indian country there are over four hundred and sixty Lakota villagers living at Clear Mountain Lake.

Over the years this Lakota Indian tribe has taken control of the entire land bordering the lake. They hope their village will grow and someday expand into two or three similar-sized villages, equally spaced, along the lake’s edge. In the meantime, they send regular patrols along the lakeside to assure themselves that no enemy tribes will attempt to move into the territory. Thus far, the Lakota have extended their presence some fifty miles directly southward from the village along Broken Creek. Relative to the rest of the lake, the Lakota have extended their presence some twenty to twenty-five miles inland into the surrounding forests. During Bart’s stay at the village he finds that the general area is rich in resources. Besides the abundance of lumber in the surrounding woods, he locates two caverns containing major reserves of coal. There are several mineral deposits in the region as well; in particular, there’s a nearby gorge that has a broad, deep vein of iron ore. Also, there are huge populations of wildlife and