William E. Mathewson – The Other Buffalo Bill – Legends of America
While William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody often springs to mind when the moniker "Buffalo Bill" is mentioned, history reveals another remarkable figure who first bore the title: William E. Mathewson. A fearless explorer, skilled hunter, astute Indian scout, and formidable fighter, Mathewson played a pivotal role in paving the way for the westward expansion of the United States.
Born on January 1, 1830, in Triangle, New York, William was the seventh of eight children born to Joseph and Eliza Stickney Mathewson. The family resided on a farm, where they diligently toiled. However, from a young age, William harbored a deep yearning for the untamed, adventurous life of a frontiersman, gravitating towards the allure of the wilderness and the thrill of the hunt.
Following his father’s passing, William remained with his mother until the age of ten, attending local country schools. He then spent three years living with an older brother. At the age of 13, he ventured into the lumber regions of Steuben County, New York, and subsequently found employment in the lumber and mill industry in western Pennsylvania until he reached the age of 18.
During this period, William embarked on extended hunting expeditions each fall, venturing into Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Canada before returning home in the spring. He also spent time scouting pinelands in Wisconsin and Minnesota. On one occasion, he served as a guide for a group of land buyers through the uncharted territories of the West, showcasing his growing expertise and knowledge of the frontier.
In 1849, Mathewson seized an opportunity presented by the North West Fur Company, headquartered at Fort Benton, Montana. As an employee, he journeyed alongside other trappers through Nebraska, the Dakotas, and Wyoming, engaging in trade with friendly Native American tribes and engaging in combat with hostile ones. During one particularly perilous encounter, the party found themselves surrounded by a band of Blackfeet Indians, unable to leave their stockade to engage in battle. However, after a fierce struggle, they successfully drove off the attackers, demonstrating their resilience and fighting prowess.
After nearly two years with the North West Company, Mathewson joined a hunting party led by the renowned frontiersman Kit Carson in 1852. This party included several other notable figures of the time, such as Lucien Maxwell, James and John Baker, and Charles and John Autobee. Together, they journeyed south to the head of the Arkansas River in Colorado, traversing the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Their route took them across the headwaters of the Little Big Horn River, where General George Armstrong Custer would later meet his demise, as well as the north and south forks of the Platte River. They eventually made their way down to present-day Denver, Colorado.
Later in 1852, Mathewson accepted a position at Fort St. Vrain Trading Post, situated at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Here, he engaged in trade with various Native American tribes, including the Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache. In the fall of 1856, he formed a partnership with Horace Green, employing additional trappers to work along the headwaters of the Arkansas and Republican Rivers. By the spring of 1857, they had amassed a considerable collection of pelts, which they transported to Independence, Missouri, to sell.
Having traversed the vast, unsettled region between the Missouri River and the Rocky Mountains, Mathewson recognized the imminent influx of immigrants across the Missouri River boundary. He foresaw the rapid settlement of Kansas and regions further west. Inspired by this vision, he resolved to establish a trading post along the Santa Fe Trail in Kansas, a venture that no one had yet dared to undertake so far from military protection.
In the summer of 1858, in partnership with Asa Beach, Mathewson established a trading post on Cow Creek, which served as their headquarters until 1861. From this base, he embarked on trading expeditions among various Native American tribes. It was during this time that Mathewson earned the moniker "Buffalo Bill." During the harsh winter of 1860-1861, a severe drought had devastated the settlers’ crops, leaving them without a reliable food source. Mathewson stepped in to alleviate their plight, providing them with buffalo meat free of charge. It is said that he single-handedly killed as many as 80 buffalo in a single day to feed the settlers. In addition to his humanitarian efforts, he also accommodated the overland mail route from Independence, Missouri, to Santa Fe, New Mexico, further contributing to the development of the region.
In 1861, Mathewson had a confrontational encounter with Kiowa Chief Satanta, the boldest and most influential leader of the Kiowa tribe. Satanta, accompanied by a small band of warriors, entered the trading post and declared his intention to take Mathewson’s life in retaliation for the death of one of his braves, who had been killed while attempting to steal a horse from the post. In a swift response, Mathewson overpowered Satanta, delivering a severe beating. Satanta’s followers, driven from the house at gunpoint, were forced to carry their defeated leader back to their camp.
Humiliated by this defeat, Satanta swore revenge. Upon learning of Satanta’s intentions, Mathewson, determined to resolve the matter once and for all, rode out alone onto the prairie in search of his adversary. Aware of Mathewson’s pursuit, Satanta fled and did not return for over a year. When he finally reappeared, he acknowledged Mathewson as his superior and entered into a treaty with him, offering a number of his finest Indian horses as a symbol of his subservience. From that day forward, Mathewson became known in every Native American camp on the plains as "Sinpah Zilbah," which translates to "long-bearded dangerous white man."
In the summer of 1864, when Native American tribes launched a warpath, terrorizing settlers in Kansas, Satanta warned Mathewson of an impending uprising three weeks in advance. He implored Mathewson to leave, explaining that in retaliation for being fired upon by a regiment of soldiers, the Native Americans intended to leave no white man, woman, or child alive west of the Missouri River.
Refusing to flee, Mathewson instead sent all the settlers to safety and fortified his trading post with a small group of brave men. These men were armed with the first breech-loading rifles ever used on the Kansas plains. On the morning of July 20th, 1,500 Native American warriors surrounded the Mathewson post and launched a relentless assault that lasted for three days. However, they were repeatedly forced to retreat when they came within range of the deadly fire from the breech-loading rifles. The Native Americans suffered heavy losses, with approximately 160 horses and numerous warriors killed or wounded, before finally withdrawing.
Upon receiving the initial warning of the Native American uprising, Mathewson immediately contacted the Overland Transportation Company and Bryant, Banard & Company, advising them to halt wagon trains from heading west. In response, Bryant, Banard & Company informed him that they had already dispatched a train loaded with modern rifles, appealing to Mathewson to save the train, as it was carrying crucial arms and ammunition.
On the fourth day of the siege, an overland train consisting of 147 wagons, laden with supplies from government posts in New Mexico and manned by 155 men, arrived on the scene. Unaware of the Native American uprising, the train had approached within three miles of the post. On the morning of the fourth day of the battle, Mathewson noticed that the Native Americans had departed during the night. He climbed to the highest point of the post and, using his field glasses, spotted the government train three miles to the east, arranged in a typical half-circle camp and surrounded by Native Americans.
After assessing the situation, Mathewson asked his most trusted man if the stockade could be defended in his absence. Receiving assurance that it could, he rode out alone, armed with his Sharp’s rifle and six Colt revolvers. Reaching the wagon camp, he charged into the midst of the chaos, guns blazing. He quickly mounted one of the wagons, broke open the boxes, and distributed rifles and ammunition to the men. Instantly, a barrage of well-aimed fire was directed at the astonished and bewildered Native Americans, who, after a brief exchange, retreated in haste, leaving behind many dead and wounded.
To secure the victory, Mathewson organized and mounted the teamsters, leading a chase that drove the Native Americans miles away. Following the battle, the dead were buried, the damage was repaired, and the train continued on its journey to its destination.
In August 1864, William married an English woman who had immigrated to the United States with her parents. She quickly became proficient in the use of rifles and revolvers, becoming her husband’s companion among the Native American tribes. The couple would eventually have two children.
Later in 1864, Mathewson joined General James G. Blunt’s expedition as a scout, serving until the end of the Civil War. Following the war, the government deployed troops to subdue the Native American tribes. However, orders were later issued to the commander of the Western Department to find someone who could approach the Native Americans and persuade them to enter into peace negotiations. Mathewson was ultimately selected for this mission and duly commissioned.
He departed from Larned, Kansas, heading towards the mouth of the Little Arkansas River. On the fourth day of his journey, he encountered the Native American camp. He successfully negotiated with the tribes, leading to a council between government commissioners and Native American leaders.
In May 1866, the Overland Transportation Company presented Mathewson with a beautiful pair of six-shooters with carved ivory handles, silver-mounted and inlaid with gold, in recognition of his bravery in saving 155 men and 147 wagons of government supplies.
In 1867, Native American tribes once again took up arms, and Mathewson served as a mediator. He traveled to Junction City and telegraphed Washington, requesting General Hancock’s recall and offering to handle the Native American situation himself. His request was granted. He convened the tribes for another treaty, known as the Medicine Lodge Treaty, after which they ceded all their rights and title to lands in Kansas and Colorado to the government and returned to their reservations.
For several years, Mathewson traveled with various tribes as part of the Quaker commission, eventually settling near Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he remained until 1876. Possessing a thorough understanding of Native American customs and languages, he was the only man who could travel among them without fear, as they both feared and respected him. During his years living among the Native Americans, he mediated internal disputes and did everything in his power to ensure their well-being. Between 1865 and 1873, he saved 54 women and children from death at the hands of Native American warriors.
In 1868, Mathewson acquired a homestead near the Arkansas River, which would later become the heart of Wichita. He built a home and embarked on a successful career as a civic leader and banker. His first wife passed away on October 1, 1885, and he remarried in May 1886 to Mrs. Tarleton of Louisville, Kentucky.
In his later years, Mathewson suffered from asthma. He passed away on March 22, 1916, and was buried at Highland Cemetery in Wichita. At the time of his death, he was hailed as "the original Buffalo Bill." Shortly after his passing, his son, William Mathewson Jr., received a letter from William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, the more famous scout-turned-showman. In the letter, Cody expressed his condolences and acknowledged that William Mathewson was indeed the first "Buffalo Bill."
Despite his remarkable accomplishments, Mathewson remained relatively unknown on a national level. This was a deliberate choice, as he was a modest man who did not view his life as extraordinary. He simply did what he believed needed to be done. Although approached by numerous newspaper and magazine writers and dime-novel authors who sought to chronicle his life on the Western frontier, he consistently declined their offers.
See Also:
- Explorers & Frontiersman List
- Historic People of Kansas
- Santa Fe Trail in Kansas
- Who’s Who in American History
Sources:
- History.net
- Kansapedia
- Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Chapman Brothers, 1888
- William Mathewson Obituary