 |
John (Liver-Eating) JohnsonAmerican Mountainman
Country:
 USA |
Content:
Biography of John Johnson
John Johnson, also known as 'Liver-Eating' Johnson, was an American mountain man and one of the early pioneers of the American West. Born in 1824 near Little York, New Jersey, he later changed his name to John Johnson after deserting the military during the Mexican-American War.
Life in the American West
Like many fortune seekers of his time, Johnson headed west in search of gold in Montana. However, he ended up becoming a supplier of firewood for steamboats instead. Standing at around 6'2" and weighing 250-265 pounds, Johnson was a muscular man without an ounce of fat.
One of the most famous legends about Johnson tells the story of how he married a woman from the Crow Indian tribe, who was later killed by a young Crow warrior and his hunting companions. This personal tragedy led Johnson to declare a personal war against the entire tribe. According to the legend, Johnson killed every Crow he encountered, carving out their livers and consuming them. This gruesome act was seen as an insult to the Crow, who believed that without their livers, the deceased could not peacefully transition to the afterlife.
Another story recounts how Johnson, or possibly another mountain man named Boone Helm, was captured by Blackfoot warriors in the middle of winter while transporting whiskey to his Flathead Indian relatives. The Blackfoot decided to sell him to the Crow, his mortal enemies, for a hefty sum. They stripped him to the waist, bound him with leather straps, and placed him under the care of an inexperienced guard. However, Johnson managed to break free from his restraints, overpower the guard, and scalp him. According to the most daring versions of the legend, Johnson also amputated the guard's leg and consumed his flesh on the way to a friend's hunting cabin, a journey of about 200 miles.
Eventually, the Crow, having lost many warriors, decided to make peace with 'Liver-Eating' Johnson. They accepted him as a 'brother,' and the 25-year vendetta came to an end. However, the Wild West remained a deadly place for a long time, especially during the Indian Wars in the mid-19th century.
Legacy and Death
The information about Johnson's life is based on legends and tales passed down by Western hunters until they became terrifying folk tales. Author Vardis Fisher wrote a fictional novel called 'Mountain Man' based on these legends. The more reliable sources are the diaries of Lee and Kaiser, who traveled along the Missouri River in 1868.
In 1864, Johnson joined the Union Army during the Civil War and served as a private in a cavalry regiment. He was honorably discharged after a year of service. In the 1880s, he served as a deputy sheriff in Coulson, Montana, and as a town marshal in Red Lodge, Montana. Interestingly, his height was recorded as 6'0" in official records, even though legends describe him as taller.
Johnson lived a varied life, working as a sailor, scout, soldier, gold prospector, hunter, trader of whiskey, firewood, and furs, guide, deputy sheriff, and builder. He passed away on January 21, 1900, at the age of 76, in a veterans hospital in California, where he had been admitted a month prior.
Johnson's tales inspired the film 'Jeremiah Johnson' (1972), directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Robert Redford.
