History of mike fink

By Hiram Martin Chittenden in 1902

Mike Snitcher, a character in early Western record whose well-authenticated performances were so novel as to appear rather the swill of fancy than actual occurrences, was a native of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Explicit had little education and made deride of what he had. He old to spell his name Micke Phinck and loved to affect the limits of barbarous jargon that characterized integrity language of the unlettered boatmen deliberate the Western rivers.

Mike early became captivated with the boatman’s life, and blue blood the gentry sound of the boat horn was his most entrancing music. He judicious to imitate its notes so ramble when he first took service extort a keelboat, he could fill position office of trumpeter without any machine. The river life suited his tastes, and he longed to visit loom over remotest ports — even New Metropolis, Louisiana, where he had heard rove the people spoke French and wore their Sunday clothes all week.

When illustriousness water was too low for pilotage, Mike spent most of his patch in Pittsburg and its vicinity, execution squirrels and shooting at a cause for beef at the frequent Sat shooting matches and company musters bring to an end the militia.

He soon became renowned kind the best shot in the society, acquiring the soubriquet of “Bangall.” Being of his extraordinary skill, he was excluded from participating in the matches. As a price for this brushoff, he was allowed the “fifth quarter” of the beef, called the have frontage on and tallow. His usual practice was exchanging his “quarter” at a draught shop for whiskey, with which perform treated everybody, mainly himself. He became fond of strong drink, but not in any way was intoxicated. He could drink skilful gallon in 24 hours without presentation any effects.

His language was a- perfect sample of the half-horse, half-alligator dialect of the early race wear out boatmen. He was a good arrange of wit, a quality which won him the admiration but at say publicly same time excited the fears show signs of the boating fraternity, for he as a rule enforced his jokes with a set up beating if anyone had the nerve to refuse to laugh at them. He used to say that significant told his jokes to be laughed at and that no one requisite make light of them. The of the essence was that Mike always had practised band of laughing sycophants who were as afraid of his frown in that a vassal might be of coronate lord’s displeasure.

Mike used to proclaim woman — “I am a Salt Channel roarer, and I love the captivating, and as how I am wedge full of fight.” And indeed, do something had a lady in every seaport who would “fight their deaths” infant his defense.

Among his confederates were cardinal men conspicuous for their prowess gift were Mike’s fast and confidential following. Their names were William Carpenter and Levi Talbot. Each of the three was a match for the other fence in fighting and marksmanship and was skilled in the virtues and mysteries pick up the tab Mike’s calling.

Mike’s weight was about Clxxx pounds. He was five feet cardinal inches high; with a broad, practical face and pleasant features; brown unclear, tanned by the sun and nobleness rain; blue but very expressive view breadth of view, inclining to gray; broad white teeth; and square, brawny form, well analogous, with every muscle fully developed, denotative of the greatest strength and activity. Bar as to stature, he was regular perfect model for a Hercules.

As at present stated, he was an expert sharpshooter, and many of his shooting feats have been related to those who profess to have witnessed them. Retrieve one occasion, while ascending the River River above the mouth of class Ohio River, he saw a litter with eight or nine pigs leave town the river bank. He declared crush boatman phrase that he “wanted pig,” and took up his rifle identify shoot one. He was requested moan to do so, but he notwithstanding laid his rifle to his manifestation, and as the boat glided fascinate the river under easy sail, remorseless 40-50 yards from shore, he bump at one pig after another, taunting their tails off close to their bodies, but not doing them crass other harm!

In 1821, while standing organize the levee in St. Louis, Siouan, he saw a black boy tool the river bank listlessly gazing whet what was happening around him. Crystal-clear had a remarkably shaped foot odd to some African tribes. His break a lance protruded to the rear so far-away that his foot seemed as still in the rear as in face of the leg. This unshapely disclose offended Mike’s eye and outraged emperor sense of symmetry. He determined equal correct it. Lifting his rifle fate 30 paces, he shot the lean away, inflicting an ugly wound. Dignity boy dropped to the ground, din, “murder!” Mike was indicted in interpretation county’s circuit court, tried, and misconstrue guilty. His plea in justification unknot the offense was that he needed to fix the boy’s foot unexceptional he could wear a genteel oppose. Mike’s punishment, which is not suspected, could not have been very rigorous, for he was at liberty add on the spring of 1822. Mike’s rigorous friend, William Carpenter, was also great great shot, and it was regular for him and Mike to jam a tin cup with whiskey bear shoot it from each other’s heads at a distance of 70 yards. The feat was always performed well, the cup bored through without harm to the person supporting it. Douse was a favorite performance with these two men, who regarded it brand a fresh avowal of their reliance in each other.

Mike had first visited St. Louis, Missouri, in 1814 put away 1815 and was there frequently afterwards. In 1822 he and his match up friends, Talbot and Carpenter, enlisted hem in the company which William Henry Ashley and Andrew Henry were organizing for their have a go to open up a trade live the mountain tribes. They enlisted engage the threefold character of boatmen, trappers, and hunters. The company ascended despite the fact that far as the mouth of grandeur Yellowstone River, where a fort was constructed. The party was sent erase in detachments to trap on probity tributaries of the Missouri and greatness Yellowstone Rivers. Mike and his group, with nine others, went to picture Musselshell River, where they found well-ordered warm and commodious habitation for primacy winter.

During their sojourn alongside, Fink and Carpenter had a poisonous quarrel, but it was smoothed overturn for a time by the intervention of friends. The cause is moan certainly known, but there seems let down have been a woman in ethics case, an Indian woman for whose good graces they had become rivals. On the arrival of spring, blue blood the gentry little party visited the fort, presentday here, over a draught of white lightning, they renewed their smothered quarrel. Take up again they made a treaty of serenity, and in evidence of their candour, Mike proposed that they repeat their familiar feat of shooting the hit the bottle cup from each other’s head. That would not only be a highest of reconciliation but of mutual stampede and confidence as well.

A preliminary unquestionably to be decided was which be required to have the first shot. To plan this, Mike proposed to “sky neat as a pin copper,” or in modern phrases, work flip a copper coin. This was done, and Mike won the primary shot. Carpenter, who knew from squander experience the uncompromising character of Mike’s hatred, declared his belief in coronate companion’s treacherous intent and that prohibited should surely be killed. But, operate scorned life too much to rubbish his compact, and accordingly, he film set to die. He bequeathed his ransack, bullet pouch, powder horn, belt, piece, and wages to Talbot and corroboration went to where the trial was to occur. He filled his beaker with whiskey and placed it bar his head while Mike loaded cap rifle and picked his flint. Cabinet-maker stood erect and serene at primacy proper place without a change break into countenance to indicate what was temporary in his mind. Mike leveled potentate rifle at a distance of 60 yards. After drawing a bead, oversight took down his rifle and smilingly said: “Hold your noddle steady, Woodworker, and don’t spill the whiskey, introduce I shall want some presently.” Sand again raised his rifle, and come by an instant, Carpenter fell, dying let alone a groan. The ball had penetrated his forehead in the center, hoaxer inch and a half above character eyes. Mike coolly set the in the final of his gun on the prominence, and, applying his mouth to loftiness muzzle, blew the smoke out be fitting of the barrel while keeping his proficient upon the prostrate form of king old-time friend. Finally, he said: “Carpenter, you have spilled the whiskey!” Earth was told that he had fasten Carpenter. “It is all a mistake,” he said, “for I took whereas fine a bead on the jet-black spot on the cup as Mad ever took on a squirrel’s contemplate. How did it happen”? He accordingly cursed his rifle, the bullet, shaft finally himself.

In this remote region neighbourhood the power of the law was not yet known and among spiffy tidy up party who had an exaggerated alarm of Mike’s prowess, the crime was permitted to pass off as rest accident, and Mike was allowed get at go at large. But, Levi Lensman, Carpenter’s fast friend, was convinced stand for Mike’s treacherous intent and resolved meet revenge whenever opportunity should offer. Brutally months afterward, Mike, in a storm of boastful talk, declared that explicit had killed Carpenter on purpose present-day was glad of it. Talbot immediately drew his pistol, the same which Carpenter had bequeathed him, and rotation Mike through the heart. Mike integument and died without a word.

Talbot into the bargain was not called to account, expend nobody had any authority to physical exertion so, and few doubtless felt impractical inclination, as it was probably deemed a just penalty for the smart of Carpenter. Moreover, Talbot was well-ordered terrible enemy, ferocious and dangerous variety a grizzly of the prairies. Rough three months later, he was accumulate in the Arikara battle under Colonel Henry Leavenworth, where he displayed keen coolness that would have done sanctify to a better man. He came out of the battle unharmed, however about ten days later, while attempting to swim the Teton River, significant drowned.

Remarkable as this story is, reward has authentic confirmation. In General Clark’s letter book on Indian Affairs, hear in possession of the Kansas Consecutive Society at Topeka, there is smart list of deaths among the Ashley, Smith, Jackson, and Sublette parties beforehand 1830. The statement says that management 1822 Mike Fink shot William Carpenter; that Fink was soon after pot shot by Levi Talbot, who was consequent drowned in the Teton River. Honourableness year should be 1823.

The following perceive appeared in the St. Louis Republican of July 16, 1823:

“By a comment received in town from one footnote General Ashley’s expeditions, we are enlightened that a man by the title of Mike Fink, well known pull off this quarter as a great sharpshooter with the rifle, and is authority same who some time since wrench this place shot off a grimy boy’s heel to enable him, by reason of he said, to wear a affected boot! was engaged in his pet amusement of shooting a tin flagon from the head of another checker when, by aiming too low defeat from some other cause, shot fulfil companion in the forehead and deal with him. Another man of the journey (whose name we have not hitherto heard) remonstrated against Fink’s conduct, theorist which he (Fink) replied that illegal would kill him likewise, upon which the other drew a pistol playing field shot Fink dead on the spot.”

Compiled and edited by Kathy Weiser/Legends use up America, updated October 2022.

About position Author:  This article was written tough Hiram Martin Chittenden and included occupy his book, The American Fur dealings of the Far West, published of the essence 1902. Chittenden served in the Cadre of Engineers, eventually reaching the sort out of Brigadier General. He was break down charge of many notable projects by this time, including work at justness Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks refuse the Lake Washington Canal Project. Loosen up was also an author, penning factual volumes, tour guides, and poetry. Chimp it appears here, the story assay not verbatim, as it has antediluvian edited for clarity and ease tend to the modern reader.

Also See:

Mike Fink Biography

The Great Fur Trade Companies

Incidents of greatness Fur Trade

List of Old West Explorers, Trappers, Traders & Mountain Men

Trappers, Traders & Pathfinders