Life And Adventures Of Calamity Jane
By Herself
My maiden name was Marthy
Cannary. I was born in Princeton, Missouri, May 1st, 1852. Father and
mother were natives of Ohio. I had two brothers and three sisters, I
being the oldest of the children. As a child I always had a fondness for
adventure and out-door exercise and especial fondness for horses which I
began to ride at an early age and continued to do so until I became an
expert rider being able to ride the most vicious and stubborn of horses,
in fact the greater portion of my life in early times was spent in this
manner.
In 1865 we emigrated from our homes in Missouri by the
overland route to Virginia City, Montana, taking five months to make the
journey. While on the way the greater portion of my time was spent in
hunting along with the men and hunters of the party, in fact I was at
all times with the men when there was excitement and adventures to be
had. By the time we reached Virginia City I was considered a remarkable
good shot and a fearless rider for a girl of my age. I remember many
occurrences on the journey from Missouri to Montana. Many times in
crossing the mountains the conditions of the trail were so bad that we
frequently had to lower the wagons over ledges by hand with ropes for
they were so rough and rugged that horses were of no use. We also had
many exciting times fording streams for many of the streams in our way
were noted for quicksands and boggy places, where, unless we were very
careful, we would have lost horses and all. Then we had many dangers to
encounter in the way of streams swelling on account of heavy rains. On
occasions of that kind the men would usually select the best places to
cross the streams, myself on more than one occasion have mounted my pony
and swam across the stream several times merely to amuse myself and have
had many narrow escapes from having both myself and pony washed away to
certain death, but as the pioneers of those days had plenty of courage
we overcame all obstacles and reached Virginia City in safety.
Mother died at Black Foot, Montana, 1866, where we
buried her. I left Montana in Spring of 1866, for Utah, arriving at Salt
Lake city during the summer. Remained in Utah until 1867, where my
father died, then went to Fort Bridger, Wyoming Territory, where we
arrived May 1, 1868, then went to Piedmont, Wyoming, with U. P. Railway.
Joined General Custer as a scout at Fort Russell, Wyoming, in 1870, and
started for Arizona for the Indian Campaign. Up to this time I had
always worn the costume of my sex. When I joined Custer I donned the
uniform of a soldier. It was a bit awkward at first but I soon got to be
perfectly at home in men's clothes.
Was in Arizona up to the winter of 1871 and during that time
I had a great many adventures with the Indians, for as a scout I had a
great many dangerous missions to perform and while I was in many close
places always succeeded in getting away safely for by this time I was
considered the most reckless and daring rider and one of the best shots
in the western country.
After that campaign I returned to Fort Sanders,
Wyoming, remained there until spring of 1872, when we were ordered out
to the Muscle Shell or Nursey Pursey Indian outbreak. In that war
Generals Custer, Miles, Terry and Crook were all engaged. This campaign
lasted until fall of 1873.
It was during this campaign that I was christened
Calamity Jane. It was on Goose Creek, Wyoming, where the town of
Sheridan is now located. Capt. Egan was in command of the Post. We were
ordered out to quell an uprising of the Indians, and were out for
several days, had numerous skirmishes during which six of the soldiers
were killed and several severely wounded. When on returning to the Post
we were ambushed about a mile and a half from our destination. When
fired upon Capt. Egan was shot. I was riding in advance and on hearing
the firing turned in my saddle and saw the Captain reeling in his saddle
as though about to fall. I turned my horse and galloped back with all
haste to his side and got there in time to catch him as he was falling.
I lifted him onto my horse in front of me and succeeded in getting him
safely to the Fort. Capt. Egan on recovering, laughingly said: ``I name
you Calamity Jane, the heroine of the plains.'' I have borne that name
up to the present time. We were afterwards ordered to Fort Custer, where
Custer city now stands, where we arrived in the spring of 1874; remained
around Fort Custer all summer and were ordered to Fort Russell in fall
of 1874, where we remained until spring of 1875; was then ordered to the
Black Hills to protect miners, as that country was controlled by the
Sioux Indians and the government had to send the soldiers to protect the
lives of the miners and settlers in that section. Remained there until
fall of 1875 and wintered at Fort Laramie. In spring of 1876, we were
ordered north with General Crook to join Gen'ls Miles, Terry and Custer
at Big Horn river. During this march I swam the Platte river at Fort
Fetterman as I was the bearer of important dispatches. I had a ninety
mile ride to make, being wet and cold, I contracted a severe illness and
was sent back in Gen. Crook's ambulance to Fort Fetterman where I laid
in the hospital for fourteen days. When able to ride I started for Fort
Laramie where I met Wm. Hickock, better known as Wild Bill, and we
started for Deadwood, where we arrived about June.
During the month of June I acted as a pony express
rider carrying the U.S. mail between Deadwood and Custer, a distance of
fifty miles, over one of the roughest trails in the Black Hills country.
As many of the riders before me had been held up and robbed of their
packages, mail and money that they carried, for that was the only means
of getting mail and money between these points. It was considered the
most dangerous route in the Hills, but as my reputation as a rider and
quick shot was well known, I was molested very little, for the toll
gatherers looked on me as being a good fellow, and they knew that I
never missed my mark. I made the round trip every two days which was
considered pretty good riding in that country. Remained around Deadwood
all that summer visiting all the camps within an area of one hundred
miles. My friend, Wild Bill, remained in Deadwood during the summer with
the exception of occasional visits to the camps. On the 2nd of August,
while setting at a gambling table in the Bell Union saloon, in Deadwood,
he was shot in the back of the head by the notorious Jack McCall, a
desperado. I was in Deadwood at the time and on hearing of the killing
made my way at once to the scene of the shooting and found that my
friend had been killed by McCall. I at once started to look for the
assassin and found him at Shurdy's butcher shop and grabbed a meat
cleaver and made him throw up his hands; through the excitement on
hearing of Bill's death, having left my weapons on the post of my bed.
He was then taken to a log cabin and locked up, well secured as every
one thought, but he got away and was afterwards caught at Fagan's ranch
on Horse Creek, on the old Cheyenne road and was then taken to Yankton,
Dak., where he was tried, sentenced and hung.
I remained around Deadwood locating claims, going from camp
to camp until the spring of 1877, where one morning, I saddled my horse
and rode towards Crook city. I had gone about twelve miles from
Deadwood, at the mouth of Whitewood creek, when I met the overland mail
running from Cheyenne to Deadwood. The horses on a run, about two
hundred yards from the station; upon looking closely I saw they were
pursued by Indians. The horses ran to the barn as was their custom. As
the horses stopped I rode along side of the coach and found the driver
John Slaughter, lying face downwards in the boot of the stage, he having
been shot by the Indians. When the stage got to the station the Indians
hid in the bushes. I immediately removed all baggage from the coach
except the mail. I then took the driver's seat and with all haste drove
to Deadwood, carrying the six passengers and the dead driver.
I left Deadwood in the fall of 1877, and went to Bear Butte
Creek with the 7th Cavalry. During the fall and winter we built Fort
Meade and the town of Sturgis. In 1878 I left the command and went to
Rapid city and put in the year prospecting.
In 1879 I went to Fort Pierre and drove trains from
Rapid city to Fort Pierre for Frank Witc then drove teams from Fort
Pierce to Sturgis for Fred. Evans. This teaming was done with oxen as
they were better fitted for the work than horses, owing to the rough
nature of the country.
In 1881 I went to Wyoming and returned in 1882 to Miles
city and took up a ranch on the Yellow Stone, raising stock and cattle,
also kept a way side inn, where the weary traveler could be accommodated
with food, drink, or trouble if he looked for it. Left the ranch in
1883, went to California, going through the States and territories,
reached Ogden the latter part of 1883, and San Francisco in 1884. Left
San Francisco in the summer of 1884 for Texas, stopping at Fort Yuma,
Arizona, the hottest spot in the United States. Stopping at all points
of interest until I reached El Paso in the fall. While in El Paso, I met
Mr. Clinton Burk, a native of Texas, who I married in August 1885. As I
thought I had traveled through life long enough alone and thought it was
about time to take a partner for the rest of my days. We remained in
Texas leading a quiet home life until 1889. On October 28th, 1887, I
became the mother of a girl baby, the very image of its father, at least
that is what he said, but who has the temper of its mother.
When we left Texas we went to Boulder, Colo., where we
kept a hotel until 1893, after which we traveled through Wyoming,
Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, then back to Montana, then to
Dakota, arriving in Deadwood October 9th, 1895, after an absence of
seventeen years.
My arrival in Deadwood after an absence of so many years
created quite an excitement among my many friends of the past, to such
an extent that a vast number of the citizens who had come to Deadwood
during my absence who had heard so much of Calamity Jane and her many
adventures in former years were anxious to see me. Among the many whom I
met were several gentlemen from eastern cities who advised me to allow
myself to be placed before the public in such a manner as to give the
people of the eastern cities an opportunity of seeing the Woman Scout
who was made so famous through her daring career in the West and Black
Hill countries.
An agent of Kohl & Middleton, the celebrated Museum men
came to Deadwood, through the solicitation of the gentleman who I had
met there and arrangements were made to place me before the public in
this manner. My first engagement began at the Palace Museum,
Minneapolis, January 20th, 1896, under Kohl and Middleton's management.
Hoping that this little history of my life may interest
all readers, I remain as in the older days,
Yours,
Mrs. M. Burk
Better Known As Calamity Jane
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