1824-1900
“Jeremiah Johnson,” the movie is very loosely based on the life of John Garrison, whose life is an even greater bundle of lore, fantasy and downright fairy tale—with much of it taking place in the Montana Territory. The stories that make up Garrison’s life are the pinnacle of mountain man mythology.
From Garrison to Johnston: His Origins
We know that Garrison was born in New Jersey to a surly, alcoholic father who worked his six children to the bone. To escape this life, Garrison worked on a schooner hunting whales for more than a decade. After enlisting in the Navy, he knocked the snot out of an officer and fled west once he got his shore leave back. Because he deserted, he changed his name to Johnston. And that’s when the tales emerge.
The Legend of the Crow Killer
The best-known tale (and how he got his nickname) centers on his quest for vengeance. Legend has it that Johnston married the Swan, daughter of a Flathead Chief. Johnston left his bride and unborn child behind one winter to trap and returned to find them murdered by the Crow. He went on to kill dozens of Crow warriors, carving out and eating the livers of his foes. When the Blackfeet captured him for the bounty the Crow had put on his head, he chewed through his rawhide handcuffs, beat up a guard, cut off the guard’s leg and used it as trail mix on his long road to vengeance. Then again, some documents reveal Johnston was still serving in the Navy when his revenge took place. Either way, we do know he moved to Coulson, Montana (now Billings) to work as a deputy sheriff. He built a cabin in the woods near Red Lodge to live out all but the last year of his life. He died in 1900 at the National Soldier’s Home in Santa Monica, California.
The Real Johnson: Facts vs. Folklore
Dorman Nelson is a writer who has been researching John Liver-Eating Johnson since 1970. He contacted me after reading this post and offered a few new bits of information/corrections.
- He is related to Clint Eastwood.
- He was known to be surly.
- His name was not John, nor Jeremiah….or Johnston or Johnson.
- He never had a wife.
- He got out to Alder Gulch with the Beidler brothers in 1862.
- He was in the Union Army.
- He died in Sawtelle, California, in 1900.
- He was great friends with the Crow.
The Robert Redford Legacy: 1972 Trailer to Jeremiah Johnson
In 1972, Robert Redford immortalized Jeremiah Johnson on the big screen. The film captured the spirit of the mountains, the harshness of frontier life, and the mythic qualities of Johnson’s story.
While artistic liberties were taken, the movie introduced a new generation to the legend, blending fact and fiction in unforgettable ways. Redford’s portrayal emphasized the solitary, rugged nature of mountain life and cemented Johnson’s place in American pop culture.
Soundtrack to Jeremiah Johnson…the Movie
To read about more mountain men AND women, check out the Legends page.
