54mm white metal kit. sculpted by Antonio Zapatero Guardini. Boxart by Danilo Cartacci. Kit includes:9 pieces.

Description

John Gantt (1790-1849) was a soldier, hunter, trader and guide. He was born at Queen Anne in Maryland in 1790 and subsequently he moved with his family to Kentucky. In 1817, he enlisted in the army, spending 12 years in service, and obtained the rank of captain. He rendered service in various frontier posts and was together with Colonel Henry Leavenworth dueing the war against the Arikara, in 1823. Years later, on 12 May 1829, he was accused of administrative fraud and expelled from the army. The following year, he collaborated with Jefferson Blackwell in hide trading, operating in the higher Rocky Mountains. Later on, both of them moved to the Upper Arkansas River, where they established a Trading Post close to present day Pueblo in Colorado. They were the first to trade with the Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes. The company ceased trading in 1834. Subsequently, Gantt helped William Bent to build Fort Bent. In 1835, he led the Hendy Dodge expedition to the Colorado Rockies. Following this, in 1838, he became an Indian agent for the Potawatomie tribe at Council Bluffs, but in 1843, he continued with his guiding operations. Subsequently he moved to California, where he lived for the rest of his life. He died at Napa Vallet on 14 February 1849.