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Tom Fitzpatrick was born in County Caven, Ireland, in 1799. He emigrated to the United States in 1816 and eventually went to live in St. Louis.
On 13th February, 1822, William Ashley placed an advertisement in the Missouri Gazette and Public Adviser where he called for 100 enterprising men to "ascend the river Missouri" to take part in the fur collecting business. Those who agreed to join the party included Fitzpatrick, Hugh Glass, Jim Beckwourth, David Jackson, William Sublette, James Bridger and Jedediah Smith.
Ashley's company was the first to depend primarily upon trapping the beaver rather than buying them from Native Americans. Ashley did not pay the trappers a fixed wage. Instead, in return for transporting them to the Rocky Mountains, he took a share in the furs they obtained.
On 30th May, 1823, Ashley and his party of 70 men, including Fitzpatrick, were attacked by 600 Arikaras. Twelve of Ashley's men were killed and the rest were forced to retreat. Jedediah Smith volunteered to contact Andrew Henry and bring back reinforcements. A message was sent back to St Louis and Colonel Henry Leavenworth of the U.S. Sixth Infantry and later 200 soldiers and 700 Sioux allies attacked the Arikara villages.
Fitzpatrick worked as a trapper for several years and worked with David Jackson and William Sublette in the Uinta Mountain streams. In 1830 Fitzpatrick and four other mountain men, purchased the Rocky Mountain Fur Company from William Ashley and his associates. Fitzpatrick became head of the new organization.
Fitzpatrick had several near escapes during his time as a mountain man and after the battle of Pierre's Hole, in July 1832, his hair turned grey. After this his nickname was "White Hair". He was also known as "Broken Hand" (his left hand had been severely damaged as a result of a firearms accident). Fitzpatrick eventually sold his Rocky Mountain Fur Company to the American Fur Company.
In 1841 Fitzpatrick guided the the wagon train from Missouri to Oregon that was led by John Bidwell and Pierre-Jean de Smet. Later that year he guided a party from Fort Laramie to Fort Hall. Recognized as an outstanding guide he was employed by John C. Fremont (1843) and Stephen Kearny (1844). He was also Kearny's guide during the Mexican War.
Fitzpatrick then became Indian Agent for the Upper Platte and Arkansas rivers. In this role he suggested the building of military posts at Fort Laramie and Fort Hall. He also negotiated with the Cheyenne at Bent's Fort in 1847 and helped to arrange the Laramie Treaty conference of 1851 with the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Shoshone and Sioux. Two years later he arranged a treaty with the Comanche and Kiowa.
Tom Fitzpatrick died in Washington on 7th February, 1854.
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