a century ago, who accompanied General Connor on his Powder river expedition.

Ladeau's father was a French-Creole and his mother a Pawnee squaw. When a small boy he was captured by the Sioux, by whom he was brought up. He was born on the Platte river, was an old timer at the Fort, and died about thirty years ago. This is the story handed down by John Hunton, now living at the old fort and who located there in the sixties.

A mullet-headed shipping clerk in Campbell's store at St. Louis had difficulty in remembering names of the forts on the Laramie, and it seemed hopelessly mixed regarding the identity of Fort William and Fort John.

(Later Chittendon was about as badly confused, for he says Fort William was re-christened Fort John when it was rebuilt. The date of the building of Fort John being identical with that of the rebuilding of Fort William no doubt led to this confusion.)

One day, there being no one handy of whom this shipping clerk might inquire, he marked a number of bales and boxes destined for "Fort William on the Laramie," simply for "Fort Laramie," remembering only the river on which the fort was situated. Campbell, observing this, liked the idea and he changed the name as it would prevent confusion in future. This incident occurred some time after Sublette and Campbell had sold the fort, and while it was the property of the American Fur Company, who were extensive dealers at the Campbell commissar}'.