Bogard, Batiste, and I Chasing Buffalo in High Grass on a Missouri Bottom

George Catlin, born Wilkes-Barre, PA 1796-died Jersey City, NJ 1872 · 1837-1839

“In this voyage, Ba'tiste and Bogard were my constant companions; and we all had our rifles, and used them often. We often went ashore amongst the herds of buffaloes, and were obliged to do so for our daily food. We lived the whole way on buffaloes' flesh and venison . . . We met immense numbers of buffaloes in the early part of our voyage and used to land our canoe almost every hour in the day; and often times all together approach the unsuspecting herds, through some deep and hidden ravine within a few rods of them, and at the word, ‘pull trigger,’ each of us bring down our victim.” George Catlin probably sketched this scene on the Upper Missouri in 1832, but didn’t complete this painting until several years later. (Catlin, Letters and Notes, vol. 2, no. 32, 1841; reprint 1973)