Elsa Dutton is an 1883 and 1923 character played by Isabel May. She is the only daughter of James Dutton and his wife Margaret. They are homesteaders that set out to make a living in Montana as they leave a life of poverty behind and look for a better future.
Beware of 'spoilers' from here on down!
Personal life[]
Family[]
Click here for the main page of the Dutton family.
Elsa was born on April 9, 1866 to James and Margaret Dutton, one year after the ending of the American Civil War. [2] She is a farmer's daughter with a younger brother named John. When their parents decided to leave their Tennessee home and set off on a journey northward she and her brother went with them. After they left their Tennessee home behind James and Margaret had another son, named Spencer. [3]
Elsa also had an aunt, Claire, and a cousin, Mary Abel, Claire's daughter. Both of them were about to take the journey northward with Elsa and her family (due to Henry's death) but Mary Abel was killed by rebelling men that visited their camp and Claire killed herself after the incident. [2] Her husband, Henry, had died before the trip. [4]
Her brother John worked for their uncle Jacob Dutton and his wife Cara when he got older. John himself married Emma and had a son named Jack Dutton, who went on to become the father of John Dutton II, whose son, John Dutton III runs the ranch in the early twenty-first century.
Love life[]
Elsa took a liking to Ennis, one of the cowhands that went along with the wagon train she travels with. Soon they both stated their love for each other and eventually their relationship even got the blessing of the skeptical James Dutton. [5]
When a band of six bandits attacked the travelers, four of the better gunmen of the wagon train party chased down the invaders. One by one the attackers were shot down and when Ennis, who had stayed with the herd, came over to help he shot one of them as well. However, he himself was shot by the other in the process. He was hit near the heart and died shortly after. [5]
Later, when the caravan met up with some members of the Comanche tribe, Elsa was drawn to Sam, one of their warriors. The two raced horses against each other and grew closer when they had a talk afterwards. He showed affection for her as well and nicknamed her Lightning with the Yellow Hair, after the color of her hair and the speed of her horse (who she had named Lightning herself). [6]
Sam saved Elsa's life twice, first during a storm and later on when cattle thieves were out to shoot her. The two grew fonder of each other and soon decided they wanted to live the rest of their lives together, but her parents convinced her to go on with their journey to Oregon first. The two parted with the wish to reunite after Elsa had been to Oregon and would travel back to Comanche country. [7]
Illness[]
On the way to Oregon the wagon train stumbled upon the dead bodies of Lakota women and children. They were killed by some no good members of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. This was unknown to the warriors of the tribe, who were out for revenge and decided to attack the wagon train, since the wagons had passed their camp as well. Elsa and the other migrants were making way to a nearby fort when they stumbled upon the Lakota war party. She rode out in front of the wagon train and turned her horse when she saw the attackers coming her way.
As the migrants tried to circle the wagons Elsa tried to steer some of the warriors away from them. She found herself between some wagons that had been unable to keep with the main body and fell off her horse when she was hit by one of the warriors. She recovered but found herself in front of an unbeatable number of Lakota warriors. She was able to find a pistol on one of the dead bodies but one of the men had sneaked up behind her and was about to shoot an arrow her way. While he did so, however, she fired her weapon at him and shot him through his head. The man died immediately and Elsa was left with an arrow halfway through her waist.
She fired the other rounds left in her pistol and shot one of the other warriors but was eventually unable to save herself by way of violence. As one of the remaining warriors rode out to shoot her she cried out some words of Comanche and made mention of her Comanche husband. She had managed to draw some attention to what she had to say and explained what had really happened to the Lakota women and children and who were responsible. After hearing her explanation the warriors left. Elsa made her way back to the wagon train party and her mother and some others were able to take out the arrow that was still stuck in her waist. She was left in a pretty bad shape directly afterwards. [8]
Death[]
Since her parents and others around her had noticed the arrow that hit her had punctured her liver, experience taught them she did not have very long to live. A major of the fort confirmed their fears and after meeting with the friendly Crow Nation Elsa herself realized she was nearing her end. She made her father promise she could choose the spot where she would die, after her father had already decided he would make his new home at the place she would breathe her last breath. On recommendation of Spotted Eagle, one of the prominent members of the Crow tribe, she chose a spot in Paradise Valley, where she lay down in the lap of her father against a tree. After they both recalled their very first memories in life, she gave in and died. [9]
Appearances[]
1883[]
Check out the list(s) and/or table(s) below to find out in which 1883 episode(s) Elsa Dutton made an appearance.
- O = appeared in this episode
- - = did not appear in this episode
Season 1[]
| 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O |
1923[]
Check out the list(s) and/or table(s) below to find out in which 1923 episode(s) Elsa Dutton made an appearance.
- O = appeared in this episode
- - = did not appear in this episode
Season 1[]
| 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oᵛ | Oᵛ | Oᵛ | Oᵛ | Oᵛ | - | - | - |
ᵛ Voice only
Images[]
Videos[]
References[]
- ↑ Elsa's age is disputed. She herself has stated that her birthday was April 9, one year after the surrender at Appomattox (which would be 1866) and according to that date she would not be older than 17 years in 1883. She later claimed to be 18 years old, which would mean she misspoke about her birthday or died a year later than assumed (in 1884), which would make the series's title somewhat misleading.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Season 1, episode 2: Behind Us, A Cliff
- ↑ Yellowstone - Season 4, episode 1: Half the Money
- ↑ Season 1, episode 1: 1883
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Season 1, episode 5: The Fangs of Freedom
- ↑ Season 1, episode 7: Lightning Yellow Hair
- ↑ Season 1, episode 8: The Weep of Surrender
- ↑ Season 1, episode 9: Racing Clouds
- ↑ Season 1, episode 10: This Is Not Your Heaven