Crow Killer

The REAL Liver-Eating Johnson

If you’re anything like me, you’re a big fan of the movie Jeremiah Johnson. But what do you know about the real-life guy the movie was based on?

John “Liver Eating” Johnson

Liver-Eating Johnson was almost nothing like Robert Redford’s Jeremiah Johnson. He was more of a drunken Rooster Cogburn-like character who hated wearing pants and could often be seen in his wood hawk camp, surrounded by the skulls of Native Americans, bare-assed with his whiskey jug in hand.

Johnson was a lot of things. Sailor, Soldier, Scout, Guide, lawman, bootlegger, Indian Fighter, and teller of tall tales. Turns out he never ate anyone’s liver, though. Nor did he ever engage in a bloody vendetta war against the Crow. Don’t worry your pretty little head, however, as the real-life Johnson led an extremely action-packed life even without all of the Hollywood fluff!

Tune in to learn whether or not Johnson really took an astounding 1200 scalps. Also discussed is the book Crow Killer, upon which the legend is based, how he got the nickname Liver Eater and the details behind Johnson’s second funeral which was attended by Robert Redford.

Stay tuned tomorrow as the full saga of Liver-Eating Johnson drops at the ass crack of dawn! Available WHEREVER you listen to podcasts.

For longtime listeners, this is going to sound familiar. This is a re-release of an older two-part series. I recorded a new intro and a new outro and gave the audio a bit of a makeover.

Adios.