Documentation: Lighting for a Buffalo Hunters Camp?

[James Hunt]

We need a little help. We would like to portray a late 70's buffalo hunters camp on the northern plains at Hooten. One question that intrigues me is "how did they see after the sun went down?"

Having looked thru quite a few primary resources and about a dozen dated images - I can find no mention and see no indication of lighting beyond a campfire. These guy's hauled quite a camp setup in their wagons, their camping accouterments will documented. Yet, I find NO statement of them bringing candles, oil lamp or anything else to provide lighting after the sun goes down. Many times they would use a dugout to camp in - how did they light that? There are references of them reading and writing in the evening. There are multiple references of them loading cartridges in the evening and I have a hard time seeing them do that by the light of a campfire with sparks flying all over - "hey there Fred, pass that can of Dupont and throw another log on the fire so I can see what I'm doing will ya'?"

I know they would have had ample tallow to burn (and there are references of them using that for a campfire), but there is no reference of them using any sort of Betty light or such. Clearly candles were available, but there is no reference I know of them taking three crates of such along (how many candles you gonna need for a three month hunting trip). Clearly there were oil lamps, but I see no references to that. And yes by then Mr. Deitz lantern and coal oil was available, but I see not one hanging from a ridge pole in any image.

I am asking not for conjecture (well, if it was available...), or opinion (I have lots of those), or a source of what some CW or cowboy camp used, but a primary source or a dated image of a buffalo hunters camp prior to 1882 that can be used as a documented reference for how they would have provided light for the camp.

I have a dandy original hot blast lantern (developed late 1860's or early 1870's) that I would like to use - but can find no reference for such use by buffalo hunters.

Your help is appreciated.

[Fox Creek Kid]

I've read they used buffalo tallow for "lamps" with a simple wick. Here's a great reenactors's photo of a buffalo hunter's kit in TX that seems to have everything but the buffalo. 

http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/kids/forts/images/gear.html

[Books OToole]

James;

I think you have answered your own question.  If I recall correctly it was Louis L'Amour that said;  "You work from can see, till can't see."

Just because something was available, doen't mean that it was in universal use.

I once read a (bad) historical fiction, that had two dozen Mountain men, each armed with a pair of Colt's new revolvers in the Pierre's Hole area in 1848.  Although the 1st Model Dragoon came out in that year, it is unlikely that any made it out to "Bridger's Fort" in the year of manufacture.  

If you worked at hard &/or strenuous labor from 6:00 am (dawn) until 9:30 pm (dusk), you were probably pretty tuckered out.  Sleeping probably was a good way to spend the eight hours before it all began again.

I have a primary account of some buffalo hunters that got caught in a blizzard.  I will check it out and get back to you.  It may be Monday because a group of us are leaving tomorrow morning for the Fort Des Moines shoot.

Books

[Advertising]

[Fox Creek Kid]

...armed with a pair of Colt's new revolvers in the Pierre's Hole area in 1848.

What about Paterson Colts?

[Books OToole]

The wording was that they were armed with the latest model.  "The new improved .44 caliber model."  The author was looking at dates of manufacture and not logistics.

Kinda like all those people armed with "Walkers."  [There were 1100 Walkers manufactured.  One thousand went to the army.]

or

Having an 1876 Winchester in 1876.

But we are high-jacking Mr. Hunt's thread.

Let's get back to authentic lighting in a buffalo hunter's camp.

Books

[Ol Gabe]

OK,
Now Boyos, I learned it the hard way in college, and you never, EVER, argue with a Texican because they are always right! Sooooo, if the website pic that F.C.K. posts is what the Texican folks say a Buffler Hunter took along, and it DOES show a nice Silver candle lantern in the upper right of the pic, then it is Gospel!
Now, if anyone else wants to argue the point with a Texican, please keep us all out of it.
Best regards and good discussing!
'Ol Gabe

[James Hunt]

FCK and others, appreciate the info and the image is pretty cool to look at, but still looking for that primary source or I will end up burning tallow and using the light of the moon to search for ticks at Hooten.

Ol Gabe:

"Texican's is the lowest form of white man that ever lived"
  Robert Duvall, as Al Siebert in Geronimo

[Fox Creek Kid]

In the "Encyclopedia of Buffalo Hunters & Skinners" Vol. I there is a primary source quoted of a man writing by buffalo tallow with a wick in TX to his family. It has the letter verbatim. The first two volumes of this series are worth their weight in gold for primary source info.

[James Hunt]

FCK: OUTSTANDING, well not the light of a tallow lamp part, but that fact that you found this source. Of my source material that is the one I no longer have as I loaned it out last December and that fella just can't seem to put his hands on it now!!!!! Agreed, those two books along with Miles' other book are priceless! Thanks again.

Regards Jim (as he drives over to a neighbors beefalo farm to collect tallow in the dead of night!)

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

James,
If they were burning tallow, good chance they were using Betty Lamps or something of that ilk, they've been around since colonial days....I would wonder what kind of writing utensils they were using too, ink? charcoal pencils??

Bill

[Forty Rod]

Brass pen nibs and powdered inks were common before the Civil War.  Wooden pen 'handles' were also common (as were other materials such as ivory and gutta percha) and were not all that hard to make.  I'd think real paper might have been harder to come by, but maybe not.

[James Hunt]

Bill: I have a hand written "check" dated 1876 at Henry's Fork (or post, hard to read) and stamped on the reverse Fort Bridger Jan 11, 1876 that appears to be written in pencil! Although signed in ink. It appears to be written on something like modern tablet paper. Pencil would have survived travels better than ink I would think (conjecture ).

[River City John]

Many documented examples of pencil use in CW. In "Echoes of Glory" there are writing kits pictured with pencils.

Most famous examples? Gettysburg Address rough draft written on envelop back on the train ride up.
or
How about Custer's famous last order in 1876:
"Benteen Come quick. Big village. Bring packs. p.s. Bring packs."

[Delmonico]

A source many overlook today is a good, quick guide as to if an object even comes close to the time period is the one we learned in grade scool a good American Version of a dictionary.



The 1688 is when the word became common usage in our language.  This one is worth doing a little more research on if someone desires. 

BTW any rumors of my recent demise are greatly exagerarted.     I just had to go into the shop for repairs again.

[Dutch Limbach]

Here is a link to an article on the History of Pencils
http://www.lionandpen.com/Sterling/Eagle.html

According to the article an late 1870s pencil could even have an eraser on it.
"Eagle Pencil Company produced not only pencils, but everything you can imagine related to them as well. Included in their line were pencil holders, sharpening devices, and yes, even dozens of different nibs for pens. Eagle also made the first eraser tipped pencil in 1872."

Dutch

[Delmonico]

Thanks Dutch, I was going to do some looking today, since I have nothing much to do for the next week.   

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Thanks for the info.......I usually use pen and ink when making entry's into my personal journal..

Bill

[Books OToole]

I found my copy of Real Life on the Plains, by S.S. VanSickel.  However I did not have any of my notes with it.  That's not a good sign.  That usually means I found nothing worthy of note in a book.  I will re-read it and report back.


Books

[Books OToole]

Alas;  having re-read Capt. Van Sickel's book, I found no reference to lighting.

He did however mention returning to camp "at noon with twentyfive fine hides..." and "while some were getting dinner the rest were were at work prepraring ammunition". [page 23]


Books

[Delmonico]

Just a guess here, but with the price of putting together a hunting outfit, I would think a couple of them new-fangled coal oil lanterns and a can of coal oil would not be out of line since they seem to have been used by most if not all trail drives and most homesteaders.  After all they work pretty good in the wind if need be.  Not a high cost and simplicity would be logical even if it was suplemented with other items.