Historedia
AmericasEvent

Hugh Glass mauled by a grizzly on the Grand River

When
1823
Where
Forks of the Grand River; Overland route to Fort Kiowa
Episodes
2

Hugh Glass, an American frontiersman, was mauled by a grizzly bear near the Grand River in South Dakota in 1823. After being left for dead by companions, he crawled approximately 200 miles to Fort Kiowa, surviving through determination and resourcefulness.

Episodes

  1. 1823 · Forks of the Grand RiverMauling on the Grand River

    Glass disturbed a mother grizzly bear near the Grand River, resulting in severe injuries and abandonment by his companions.

  2. 1823 · Overland route to Fort KiowaCrawl to Fort Kiowa

    Glass crawled over 200 miles to Fort Kiowa, setting his broken leg and using a bear hide as a shroud.

Background and detail

Background. Hugh Glass was an American frontiersman, fur trapper, trader, hunter, and explorer known for his survival story. In 1823, he joined General William Henry Ashley's fur-trading venture, ascending the Missouri River. The party faced attacks from Arikara warriors, leading to a regrouping at Fort Kiowa before setting out overland towards the Yellowstone River.

The Mauling. Near the forks of the Grand River in present-day South Dakota, Glass disturbed a mother grizzly bear with two cubs while scouting for game. The bear mauled him severely. His companions, Fitzgerald and "Bridges," left him for dead, claiming they were interrupted by Arikara attacks, and took his equipment before fleeing.

Survival and Rescue. Glass lay mutilated and alone, more than 200 miles from Fort Kiowa. He set his broken leg, wrapped himself in a bear hide, and began crawling south. Using Thunder Butte as a landmark, he reached the Cheyenne River, fashioned a raft, and floated downstream to Fort Kiowa, eventually rejoining the party.

People involved

Sources

  1. Hugh Glass Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-20

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.