Jedekiah Hawkins

Jedekiah Hawkins was a mountain man, a fur trapper looking older than his 22 years due to the rough life he led. In 1844 he'd heard about the wagon trains headed for Oregon Territory, but he'd never seen one until he came upon the Andrews Train. Jed was hired by Andrews to be the wagon train guide, and he guided them across the treacherous Snake River and on down the Columbia River to the Willamette. Early on that trip Hawkins befriended a Quaker woman and her daughter - Grace and Lauralee Kyle - and they cooked for him while he hunted for them and helped them in every way. Captain Andrews was smitten by Lauralee, though she gave him no encouragement. He was a married man while Jed was single. In Oregon Jed helped the women raise a cabin and lay out their homestead, but Andrews, now a widower, tried to kill Jed and take Lauralee. Andrews fired at the couple from ambush on their wedding day, and wounded Lauralee, and then got away. The hunt was on and Jed Hawkins didn't intend to fail...