" Hugh Glass was working as a hunter with a fur trapping expedition in 1823 when he encountered a grizzly bear with cubs in what is now South Dakota. The bear attacked, leaving Glass with severe wounds that his companions believed would soon kill him. But despite his injuries, he remained alive for days.
Two men were left behind to stay with Glass until he died and then bury him: John Fitzgerald and a young Jim Bridger. Eventually convinced that Glass could not survive, they abandoned him, taking his rifle and other equipment before rejoining the expedition.
Glass survived.
Unable to walk at first, he reportedly crawled across the wilderness before slowly regaining enough strength to travel on foot. With virtually no supplies, he survived on whatever food he could find while making his way toward Fort Kiowa.
His journey covered more than 200 miles and took several weeks.
After recovering, Glass searched for the men who had left him behind.
The real story was less dramatic than later fictional versions.
He reportedly spared Bridger because of his youth.
Fitzgerald had since enlisted in the U.S. Army, preventing Glass from simply taking revenge without facing serious consequences himself.
Glass eventually returned to the frontier and continued working as a trapper and hunter.
His survival after the grizzly attack became one of the most famous stories of the American fur trade and later inspired numerous books and films, including The Revenant.
Added Fact: The bear attack did not kill Hugh Glass. He survived for roughly another decade before being killed during an encounter with Arikara warriors in 1833. "
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