Liver-Eating Johnson

One of the most famous mountain men with a thirst for vengeance, a hunger for, well…

John Jerimiah Garrison Johnston is a legend of the Old West. He was born John Garrison in New Jersey on July 1, 1824. He served on a ship during the Mexican-American War but deserted after striking an officer. He then changed his name to John Johnston and fled to the Montana Territory. There he tried his hand at gold prospecting and made a living providing wood for steamships.

The Legend Begins

Johnston’s legend began around 1847. It was at this time that he married a woman of the Flathead Native American tribe.

We do not know her name, but the story goes she was killed by a group of young Crow Native Americans while Johnston was on a trapping expedition. Worse yet, it appeared she had been seven months pregnant when she was killed. Following this incident, Johnston went on a one-person war against the Crow.

It is reported that Johnston killed and scalped over 300 Crow. More than that, he was said to eat the livers of those he killed. While many hunters eat the liver of the animals, they killed as a kind of right of passage. However, Johnston’s act of cannibalism, if true, made him an object of fear among the Crow and other Native American tribes.