The real story of Hugh Glass - a man who managed to survive in a fight with a bear
The real story of Hugh Glass - a man who managed to survive in a fight with a bear

Video: The real story of Hugh Glass - a man who managed to survive in a fight with a bear

Video: The real story of Hugh Glass - a man who managed to survive in a fight with a bear
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Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass from The Survivor and a portrait of a real prototype
Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass from The Survivor and a portrait of a real prototype

One of the most sensational films of the past year was The Survivor (The revenant) starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The key scene is considered to be the attack of the bear on the hero. Many believe that in real life, a meeting with a beast invariably ends in death. However, the film is based on the true story of Hugh Glass, the trapper who encountered a grizzly in the 19th and survived.

Hugh Glass is attacked by a bear. Illustration from a newspaper of 1823
Hugh Glass is attacked by a bear. Illustration from a newspaper of 1823

At the beginning of the 19th century, an active hunt for beavers was going on in the United States, since at that time headdresses made of their fur were popular among Americans and Europeans. Hugh Glass was one such hunter. Despite the fact that this craft was considered profitable, it was fraught with many dangers. Trappers of the 1820s and 30s were considered sullen and able to survive in the harsh conditions of the wild. But the story of Hugh Glass became a legend even among the highlanders themselves.

"Caught by surprise." Rice. David Wright
"Caught by surprise." Rice. David Wright

In 1823, Hugh Glass took part in another fur-mining expedition led by General William Henry Ashley. The group traveled along the Missouri River. Some time later, while in South Dakota, the hunters were attacked by the Arican Indians. This forced the expedition to split in two. The group, which Hugh Glass got into, set off on a journey to the Yellowstone River.

Shot from the movie "Survivor"
Shot from the movie "Survivor"

Hugh Glass, ahead of his own for reconnaissance of the area, came across an angry bear. Driven by the instinct to protect her cubs, she attacked the hunter. Hearing the screams, the others rushed to the rescue and shot the beast. According to another version, the trapper himself stabbed the bear himself. Hugh Glass was seriously injured: his back was covered with lacerations, the skin on his head was torn, his leg was broken. The companions were fully confident that Hugh would not last even until morning. But they nevertheless built a stretcher and carried the comrade for two days.

Monument to Hugh Glass in South Dakota
Monument to Hugh Glass in South Dakota

The hunters hurried so as not to be ambushed by the Indians, but the wounded man slowed their progress very much. Thus, they decided that the two would stay with Hugh and wait until he died, bury him in a Christian way, and then catch up with the rest. John Fitzgerald and Jim Bringer remained.

For the next three days, the hunters waited for the death of their comrade, but he stubbornly refused to die. John and Jim were worried that the others had become very distant from them, and Fitzgerald convinced Bringer to leave Hugh for dead. The men dug a shallow grave, put the wounded man there, took his weapon and went to catch up with their own. There they lied that the hunter had died.

A monument made of iron
A monument made of iron

Despite severe injuries, Hugh Glass rallied and began to move to the nearest settlement - Fort Kiowa on the Missouri River. The man ate berries, roots, insects and snakes. Once a hunter managed to drive off two wolves from a bison cub, which he later ate. Hugh's strength was given by anger and a thirst for revenge on the two who left him for dead. On the way to Fort Hugh Glass, Indians from a friendly tribe met. They sewed him a bearskin cape on his back and gave him food and weapons.

Monument dedicated to Hugh Glass, erected in 2015
Monument dedicated to Hugh Glass, erected in 2015

After six weeks, the hunter reached his destination, where he remained for several more weeks, gaining strength. After Hugh recovered, he set out to find Bridger and Fitzgerald. But the final fight did not happen. At the meeting, Hugh Glass forgave Jim Bridger, since he was still very young. John Fitzgerald had already joined the army at that time. To kill a soldier means to sign a death warrant for yourself. Hugh Glass himself died 10 years later during a fight with the Indians on the Yellowstone River. Leonardo DiCaprio was able to masterfully convey the image of the hero, for which he won an Oscar. His triumph was celebrated by millions of fans, and these 25 unknown facts about Leo DiCaprio will allow you to look at the actor from the other side.

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