William Thomas Hamilton (frontiersman) facts for kids
William Thomas Hamilton (born December 6, 1822 – died May 24, 1908) was an American frontiersman and writer. People also knew him as Wildcat Bill. He had Scottish and English family roots. He spent most of his life exploring and working in the American West.
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His Early Life
William T. Hamilton was born on December 6, 1822. His family came from the area around the River Till in the Cheviot Hills, which are near the border of England and Scotland. When he was almost three years old, his family sailed from Scotland to America. They arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana.
After traveling around the United States, his family settled in St. Louis, Missouri. William grew up on a farm there and went to school for five years. He learned important skills like shooting and riding horses from a young age. His parents were comfortable financially, which meant they had enough money.
Adventures and Career
In the death of "Uncle Billy" Hamilton the United States loses its greatest Indian fighter and most skillful Indian sign talker and sign reader that this country ever produced.
Few men had the adventurous career that was Hamilton's, although because of a modesty that rarely permitted him to talk of himself, comparatively few persons knew his record on the plains.
William Hamilton was a famous mountain man, trapper, and scout in the American West. He lived in the mountains for over 50 years. Native Americans gave him the nickname "Wildcat Bill." They also called him "Sign Man" because he was very good at Native American sign language. He was even seen as a healer by some Native American groups.
When he was 19, in March 1842, William left Missouri for the Rocky Mountains. He went with a famous trapper named Old Bill Williams. William worked as a trapper and trader for six years. Later, during the California Gold Rush in 1848, he moved to Placerville, California. He got married and had a child there, but sadly, both his wife and child died in 1851.
Protecting Pioneers and Serving the Government
After his time in California, Hamilton worked for the government. He helped protect pioneers, who were early settlers, from Native Americans in Nevada, Oregon, and Montana. He also worked as a scout for General George Armstrong Custer from the 1850s to the 1870s.
During these years, he was also a trader at Fort Benton, Montana. In 1858, he built the first cabin near what is now Missoula, Montana. He also served as the sheriff of Chouteau County, Montana. Later, in 1869, he became a U.S. Marshal.
William continued his work with Native American groups. In 1873, he worked with the Blackfoot People. Three years later, he fought alongside General George Crook against the Sioux in the Great Sioux War of 1876.
Later Life and Contributions
William Hamilton lived many years in Montana. He trapped and hunted throughout the Yellowstone area. People in Montana often called him "Uncle Billy." In his later years, he helped the Smithsonian Institution. He translated hundreds of Native American signs and pictographs (rock paintings) found on cliffs near Lakeside, Montana.
He also worked as a guide and hunter. By 1903, he was living in Columbus, Montana. He was one of the people who helped start the Pioneers of Eastern Montana group.
His Final Years
William Thomas Hamilton died on May 24, 1908. He passed away from stomach cancer in a hospital in Billings, Montana. He was buried in Columbus, Montana.
