At the age of 13, Jane’s family moved from their home in Missouri and emigrated to the town of Virginia City, Montana. The journey took five long months, most of which Jane spent with the men of the group. She longed for the outdoors and adventure the men got to experience that the women did not. She even joined in the hunting groups when they were in need of food. Jane gained respect from everyone in their group of travelers for her exceptional and fearless riding capabilities and her knack for aiming a gun.
The next year Jane’s mother died in Black Foot, Montana. Jane left Montana that spring, headed for Utah. She arrived in Salt Lake City later that summer. She remained in Utah for a year, leaving shortly after her father died. She then moved on to Fort Bridger in the Wyoming Territory. She then went to Fort Russell, also in Wyoming, to be a scout for General Custer. She soon set out, along with General Custer and his men, for Arizona for the Indian Campaign.
Up until this time, Jane had always worn women’s clothing. But after joining General Custer’s forces, she began wearing a soldier’s uniform. Although awkward at first, Jane soon became accustomed to wearing men’s clothes, and soon thereafter, wore nothing else.
Jane stayed in Arizona until the winter of 1871 when she was sent to Fort Sanders. Later, in the spring of 1872, she was sent to the Muscle Shell, or Nursey Pursey, Indian outbreak. This campaign lasted until the fall of 1873 and was also when she earned the nickname “Calamity Jane.”
During this campaign, she and other soldiers were ordered to Goose Creek, Wyoming, in order to quell an Indian uprising. This uprising lasted several days. There were many fights in this time, during which six soldiers were killed and many more were badly wounded. While Jane and the other soldiers were returning, they were ambushed. Jane had been riding in front of the troops when she heard a gunshot. She turned in time to see that a captain had been shot and was reeling in pain on horseback. She turned and raced her horse to his side just in time to catch the captain as he fell from the saddle of his steed. She hoisted him onto her saddle and rode him to the safety of the fort. Upon arriving, the captain said, “I name you Calamity Jane, heroine of the Plains.”
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