My maiden name was
Marthy Cannary. I was born in Princeton, Missourri, May 1st, 1852. Father and
mother were natives of Ohio. I had two brothers and three sisters, I being the
oldest of the children. As a child I always had a fondness for adventure and
out-door exercise and especial fondness for horses which I began to ride at an
early age and continued to do so until I became an expert rider being able to
ride the most vicious and stubborn of horses, in fact the greater portion of my
life in early times was spent in this manner.
In 1865 we emigrated
from our homes in Missourri by the overland route to Virginia City, Montana,
taking five months to make the journey. While on the way the greater portion of
my time was spent in hunting along with the men and hunters of the party, in
fact I was at all times with the men when there was excitement and adventures
to be had. By the time we reached Virginia City I was considered a remarkable
good shot and a fearless rider for a girl of my age. I remember many
occurrences on the journey from Missourri to Montana. Many times in crossing
the mountains the conditions of the trail were so bad that we frequently had to
lower the wagons over ledges by hand with ropes for they were so rough and
rugged that horses were of no use. We also had many exciting times fording
streams for many of the streams in our way were noted for quicksands and boggy
places, where, unless we were very careful, we would have lost horses and all.
Then we had many dangers to encounter in the way of streams swelling on account
of heavy rains. On occasions of that kind the men would usually select the best
places to cross the streams, myself on more than one occasion have mounted my
pony and swam across the stream several times merely to amuse myself and have
had many narrow escapes from having both myself and pony washed away to certain
death, but as the pioneers of those days had plenty of courage we overcame all
obstacles and reached Virginia City in safety.
Mother died at Black
Foot, Montana, 1866, where we buried her. I left Montana in Spring of 1866, for
Utah, arriving at Salt Lake city during the summer. Remained in Utah until
1867, where my father died, then went to Fort Bridger, Wyoming Territory, where
we arrived May 1, 1868, then went to Piedmont, Wyoming, with U.P. Railway.
Joined General Custer as a scout at Fort Russell, Wyoming, in 1870, and started
for Arizona for the Indian Campaign. Up to this time I had always worn the
costume of my sex. When I joined Custer I donned the uniform of a soldier. It
was a bit awkward at first but I soon got to be perfectly at home in men's
clothes.
Was in Arizona up to
the winter of 1871 and during that time I had a great many adventures with the
Indians, for as a scout I had a great many dangerous missions to perform and
while I was in many close places always succeeded in getting away safely for by
this time I was considered the most reckless and daring rider and one of the
best shots in the western country.
After that campaign I
returned to Fort Sanders, Wyoming, remained there until spring of 1872, when we
were ordered out to the Muscle Shell or Nursey Pursey Indian outbreak. In that
war Generals Custer, Miles, Terry and Crook were all engaged. This campaign
lasted until fall of 1873.
It was during this
campaign that I was christened Calamity Jane. It was on Goose Creek, Wyoming,
where the town of Sheridan is now located. Capt. Egan was in command of the
Post. We were ordered out to quell an uprising of the Indians, and were out for
several days, had numerous skirmishes during which six of the soldiers were
killed and several severely wounded. When on returning to the Post we were
ambushed about a mile and a half from our destination. When fired upon Capt.
Egan was shot. I was riding in advance and on hearing the firing turned in my
saddle and saw the Captain reeling in his saddle as though about to fall. I
turned my horse and galloped back with all haste to his side and got there in
time to catch him as he was falling. I lifted him onto my horse in front of me
and succeeded in getting him safely to the Fort. Capt. Egan on recovering,
laughingly said: "I name you Calamity Jane, the heroine of the
plains." I have borne that name up to the present time. We were afterwards
ordered to Fort Custer, where Custer city now stands, where we arrived in the
spring of 1874; remained around Fort Custer all summer and were ordered to Fort
Russell in fall of 1874, where we remained until spring of 1875; was then
ordered to the Black Hills to protect miners, as that country was controlled by
the Sioux Indians and the government had to send the soldiers to protect the
lives of the miners and settlers in that section. Remained there until fall of
1875 and wintered at Fort Laramie. In spring of 1876, we were ordered north
with General Crook to join Gen'ls Miles, Terry and Custer at Big Horn river.
During this march I swam the Platte river at Fort Fetterman as I was the bearer
of important dispatches. I had a ninety mile ride to make, being wet and cold,
I contracted a severe illness and was sent back in Gen. Crook's ambulance to
Fort Fetterman where I laid in the hospital for fourteen days. When able to
ride I started for Fort Laramie where I met Wm. Hickock, better known as Wild
Bill, and we started for Deadwood, where we arrived about June.
During the month of
June I acted as a pony express rider carrying the U.S. mail between Deadwood
and Custer, a distance of fifty miles, over one of the roughest trails in the
Black Hills country. As many of the riders before me had been held up and
robbed of their packages, mail and money that they carried, for that was the
only means of getting mail and money between these points. It was considered
the most dangerous route in the Hills, but as my reputation as a rider and quick
shot was well known, I was molested very little, for the toll gatherers looked
on me as being a good fellow, and they knew that I never missed my mark. I made
the round trip every two days which was considered pretty good riding in that
country. Remained around Deadwood all that summer visiting all the camps within
an area of one hundred miles. My friend, Wild Bill, remained in Deadwood during
the summer with the exception of occasional visits to the camps. On the 2nd of
August, while setting at a gambling table in the Bell Union saloon, in
Deadwood, he was shot in the back of the head by the notorious Jack McCall, a
desperado. I was in Deadwood at the time and on hearing of the killing made my
way at once to the scene of the shooting and found that my friend had been
killed by McCall. I at once started to look for the assassin and found him at
Shurdy's butcher shop and grabbed a meat cleaver and made him throw up his
hands; through the excitement on hearing of Bill's death, having left my
weapons on the post of my bed. He was then taken to a log cabin and locked up,
well secured as every one thought, but he got away and was afterwards caught at
Fagan's ranch on Horse Creek, on the old Cheyenne road and was then taken to
Yankton, Dak., where he was tried, sentenced and hung.
I remained around
Deadwood locating claims, going from camp to camp until the spring of 1877,
where one morning, I saddled my horse and rode towards Crook city. I had gone
about twelve miles from Deadwood, at the mouth of Whitewood creek, when I met
the overland mail running from Cheyenne to Deadwood. The horses on a run, about
two hundred yards from the station; upon looking closely I saw they were
pursued by Indians. The horses ran to the barn as was their custom. As the
horses stopped I rode along side of the coach and found the driver John
Slaughter, lying face downwards in the boot of the stage, he having been shot
by the Indians. When the stage got to the station the Indians hid in the
bushes. I immediately removed all baggage from the coach except the mail. I
then took the driver's seat and with all haste drove to Deadwood, carrying the
six passengers and the dead driver.
I left Deadwood in the
fall of 1877, and went to Bear Butte Creek with the 7th Cavalry. During the
fall and winter we built Fort Meade and the town of Sturgis. In 1878 I left the
command and went to Rapid city and put in the year prospecting.
In 1879 I went to Fort
Pierre and drove trains from Rapid city to Fort Pierre for Frank Witc then
drove teams from Fort Pierce to Sturgis for Fred. Evans. This teaming was done
with oxen as they were better fitted for the work than horses, owing to the rough
nature of the country.
In 1881 I went to
Wyoming and returned in 1882 to Miles city and took up a ranch on the Yellow
Stone, raising stock and cattle, also kept a way side inn, where the weary
traveler could be accommodated with food, drink, or trouble if he looked for
it. Left the ranch in 1883, went to California, going through the States and
territories, reached Ogden the latter part of 1883, and San Francisco in 1884.
Left San Francisco in the summer of 1884 for Texas, stopping at Fort Yuma, Arizona,
the hottest spot in the United States. Stopping at all points of interest until
I reached El Paso in the fall. While in El Paso, I met Mr. Clinton Burk, a
native of Texas, who I married in August 1885. As I thought I had travelled
through life long enough alone and thought it was about time to take a partner
for the rest of my days. We remained in Texas leading a quiet home life until
1889. On October 28th, 1887, I became the mother of a girl baby, the very image
of its father, at least that is what he said, but who has the temper of its
mother.
When we left Texas we
went to Boulder, Colo., where we kept a hotel until 1893, after which we
travelled through Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, then back to
Montana, then to Dakota, arriving in Deadwood October 9th, 1895, after an
absence of seventeen years.
My arrival in Deadwood
after an absence of so many years created quite an excitement among my many
friends of the past, to such an extent that a vast number of the citizens who
had come to Deadwood during my absence who had heard so much of Calamity Jane
and her many adventures in former years were anxious to see me. Among the many
whom I met were several gentlemen from eastern cities who advised me to allow
myself to be placed before the public in such a manner as to give the people of
the eastern cities an opportunity of seeing the Woman Scout who was made so
famous through her daring career in the West and Black Hill countries.
An agent of Kohl &
Middleton, the celebrated Museum men came to Deadwood, through the solicitation
of the gentleman who I had met there and arrangements were made to place me
before the public in this manner. My first engagement began at the Palace
Museum, Minneapolis, January 20th, 1896, under Kohl and Middleton's management.
Hoping that this little history of my life may interest all readers, I
remain as in the older days,
Yours, Mrs. M. BURK,
better known as Calamity Jane