“Old Bill” Williams – Mountain Man and Explorer
William Sherley Williams, more widely recognized by his moniker "Old Bill," was a quintessential figure of the American West. He embodied the spirit of adventure and resilience, carving a name for himself as a mountain man, explorer, army scout, and frontiersman. His life, etched into the annals of Western lore, tells a story of adaptability, survival, and a deep connection with the untamed wilderness.
Born on June 3, 1787, on a humble farm in Polk County, North Carolina, Williams was the fourth of nine children born to Joseph and Sarah Musick Williams. His early years were spent in a rural setting, but the winds of change soon carried his family westward. In 1795, the Williams family relocated to a small settlement known as Owen’s Station in Missouri, a location approximately 16 miles northwest of the burgeoning city of St. Louis. This move signaled the beginning of a life increasingly intertwined with the frontier.
Despite the rugged environment, young William received a surprisingly comprehensive education. He demonstrated an aptitude for languages, becoming fluent in French and Spanish, and acquiring a working knowledge of Greek and Latin. He was also an avid reader, suggesting a curious and intellectual mind that belied the rough-and-tumble image he would later cultivate. This early education set him apart from many of his contemporaries on the frontier.
At the age of seventeen, Williams embarked on a path quite different from that of a typical frontiersman. He became a traveling preacher, a profession he pursued for approximately five years. This period likely honed his communication skills and provided him with a deep understanding of human nature, qualities that would prove invaluable in his later interactions with both settlers and Native American tribes. This early chapter in his life reveals a man of diverse talents and interests, not solely defined by the wilderness.
However, the allure of the wild proved too strong to resist. Williams transitioned from preacher to trapper and frontiersman, embracing a life of adventure and self-reliance. It was during this period that he acquired the nicknames "Old Solitaire" and, more famously, "Old Bill Williams." Descriptions of him from this time paint a striking picture: a tall, lean figure standing six feet one inch, with piercing blue eyes, distinctive red hair, and a perpetually full beard. His appearance alone spoke of a man weathered by the elements and seasoned by experience. The persona of "Old Bill" Williams was taking shape, a figure that would become synonymous with the rugged individualism of the American West.
Williams’ early experiences in the West involved close interaction with the Osage Indians in Missouri. He integrated into their society, learning their customs and language. This familiarity proved useful when he served as a sergeant and scout with the Mounted Rangers in the War of 1812. However, by December 1813, he had returned to the Osage village, signifying a deeper connection to their way of life. He married an Osage woman named A-Ci’n-Ga, and together they had two daughters. Tragedy struck when his wife passed away, and he made the decision to send his daughters to attend school in Kentucky, demonstrating a commitment to their education and future opportunities.
From 1817 to 1818, Williams served as an interpreter for George C. Sibley, an Indian Agent and Factor at Fort Osage, Missouri. His linguistic skills and understanding of Osage culture made him an invaluable asset in facilitating communication and trade between the U.S. government and the tribe. In July 1821, he took on a similar role at another trading post located near the mouth of the Marias des Cygnes River, further solidifying his reputation as a trusted intermediary. His dedication to the Osage language extended beyond mere interpretation. By the end of that year, "Old Bill" Williams had compiled a 2,000-word Osage-English dictionary and translated portions of the Bible and several hymns into the Osage language, showcasing his intellectual capacity and cultural sensitivity.
The lure of the more distant and challenging landscapes of the Rocky Mountains eventually drew Williams westward. He ventured into the Northern Rocky Mountains, where he trapped near the Hudson’s Bay Company’s Salish House in northwestern Montana. During the winter of 1824-25, he worked as a free trapper, joining a brigade of trappers under the leadership of Jedediah Smith, another iconic figure of the mountain man era. These experiences further honed his skills as a trapper, hunter, and survivor.
In 1825-26, Williams participated in a surveying party led by George C. Sibley, tasked with marking a significant portion of the Santa Fe Trail and negotiating rights of way with various tribes inhabiting the Indian country. This expedition provided him with valuable knowledge of the terrain, the Native American tribes who called it home, and the challenges of navigating the expanding American frontier.
Following his involvement with the Santa Fe Trail survey, Williams returned to his independent life as a trapper and trader. His travels took him across vast stretches of the West, from Yellowstone country to California and south into Texas. During these years, he lived among the Ute Indians, mastering several Indian languages and earning the moniker "Lone Elk" from numerous Native American tribes. His ability to adapt to different cultures and environments, coupled with his renowned tracking and hunting skills, solidified his reputation as a legendary mountain man. "Old Bill" Williams’s knowledge of the land and its people was unmatched.
In 1833, Captain Benjamin Bonneville tasked Joseph R. Walker with leading a party, which included "Old Bill" Williams, from the Green River to explore the Great Salt Lake and search for an overland route to California. This expedition added to Williams’s already extensive knowledge of the Western landscape and further cemented his reputation as a seasoned explorer.
Upon his return, Williams focused his activities along the Santa Fe Trail. By 1837, he was exploring the Colorado River in Arizona, venturing into territories that were still largely unknown to American settlers. In 1841 and 1843, he participated in expeditions exploring the Northwest and New Mexico, continuing to contribute to the mapping and understanding of the American West.
Perhaps one of the most infamous episodes in Williams’s life occurred in 1848 when he joined John C. Fremont’s fourth expedition as a guide at Bent’s Fort, Colorado. Despite Williams’s vast experience and knowledge of the terrain, Fremont disregarded his advice and led the group toward the headwaters of the Rio Grande during the harsh winter months. The expedition turned into a disaster, with eleven men succumbing to cold and starvation. The survivors eventually retreated to Taos, New Mexico, where Fremont, seeking to deflect blame, accused Williams of being responsible for the tragedy. This incident tarnished Williams’s reputation in some circles, despite his long and distinguished career.
In 1849, seeking to clear his name and perhaps driven by a sense of responsibility, Bill Williams, accompanied by another survivor, Dr. Benjamin Kern, retraced parts of the ill-fated expedition. Tragically, they were attacked and killed by a band of Ute Indians on March 21, 1849. He was buried by the very people who ended his life near the Del Norte River in lower Colorado.
Despite the controversial end to his life, "Old Bill" Williams remained a respected figure among mountain men. He collaborated with numerous prominent figures of the era, including Uncle Dick Wooton, Joe Walker, Alexis Godey, George Nidever, Zenas Leonard, Antoine Leroux, Lucien Maxwell, William Thomas Hamilton, Jedediah Smith, Dick Owens, Kit Carson, and, of course, John C. Frémont. As an Indian fighter, he had notable encounters with Blackfeet, Apache, Comanche, and Modoc Indians, demonstrating his willingness to defend himself and his companions in the often-dangerous frontier environment.
Albert Pike, a prominent figure in his own right, described Williams as "about six-feet-one, gaunt, redheaded, with a hard weatherbeaten face, marked deeply with smallpox… a shrewd, acute original man, and far from illiterate… the bravest and most fearless mountaineer of them all." This description captures the essence of "Old Bill" Williams – a man of contradictions, both rugged and intelligent, a product of the unforgiving landscape he called home. His legacy lives on in the stories and legends of the American West, a testament to his remarkable life as a mountain man and explorer.