Despite losing a daughter and despite Brigham Young breathing down his neck, Jim Bridger still

had to earn a living. Enter in Uncle Sam, or at least the Army Corps of topographical engineers.

A Captain Howard Stansbury and his 16-man expedition of cartographers, illustrators, scientists,

and soldiers were tasked with surveying the Great Salt Lake,

evaluating the Mormon and Oregon trails, and hopefully finding a likely route for a transcontinental

railroad, a daunting task that would need a capable guide. And who more qualified than Jim

Bridger? After all, he had been roaming these quote-unquote unexplored areas for over the past 25

years. All in all, it was a very frustrating experience for Bridger, babysitting these wet behind the

ears pilgrims in such a fashion. Not only was he mad at himself for taking the job, but he swore

that he would never guide for the army again. An oath that wouldn't last very long,

as Jim would once more accompany Stansbury in the fall of 1850, this time to another possible

railroad crossing over the continental divide, now known as Bridger's Pass. About 20 miles southwest

to Rawlins, Wyoming. This was a trip full of memories for Bridger. One evening, they camped just two miles

from the spot his longtime friend, Henry Frab, fell to the Lakota. And the following day, they came to

where Jim's current business partner Vasquez, along with 14 other traders, were once in an hour's

long battle with the same tribe. Needless to say, Jim ordered the men to keep their rifles handy.

And sure enough, as they pressed east, not far from Cheyenne Pass, Bridger spotted the natives

tracking him.

And what I'm about to recount, in my opinion, shows how effective Bridger was at keeping his

scalp all those years.

He could size up a situation, and he knew when to run, when to make a stand, when to fight, and when to talk.

This was the time for talking.

...