Show Notes: Life with Indians – Chapter III

This episode finds the author establishing himself in the "mine country" of Missouri, meeting the architects of American westward expansion, and launching a daring solo expedition into the untamed Ozark Mountains. From the high-society "old school" manners of the Austin family to the rugged survivalism of Kentucky hunters, this chapter highlights the diverse characters shaping the frontier in 1818.

Key highlights of this episode include:

• The Austin Connection: Upon arriving in Herculaneum, the author is introduced to Moses Austin, the "elder". Austin, a sophisticated Virginian who had secured large mining grants from the Spanish, shares his enthusiastic—and then secret—plans for founding an American colony in Texas.
• A Grueling Trek to St. Louis: Choosing to travel on foot to better observe the geology, the author and his companions endure a "pelting storm" in the Merrimack valley, where they are saved from being lost in total darkness by the distant sound of a cow bell.
• St. Louis as a Future Titan: The author predicts that St. Louis, with its secure limestone foundation and vast interior resources, is destined to rival the great cities of Europe and Asia.
• Deep Dive into the Mines: Returning to the mining district of Potosi, the author meets Stephen F. Austin, the future "Father of Texas," who provides him with rooms and aids his mineralogical surveys. The author identifies over forty principal mines and discovers a "primitive tract" of sienite (granite) used for millstones.
• Characters of the Frontier: We meet John Smith T., a "bold and indomitable" man famous for his deadly accuracy with a pistol , and W. Ficklin, a Kentucky spy and hunter who teaches the author the essential "wood-craft" needed for the wilderness.
• The Ozark Expedition: Despite his companions "flinching" and backing out, the author sets out on November 6, 1818, for a winter-long exploration of the Ozark Mountains. After months in the wild, he returns to civilization to find that local hunters had reported him killed by Indians.