 Article
From River Life, Volume 6, No 04, September 16, 2004
Up The River
With Lewis and Clark
Part 7, September 7-September 28,1804
By Bill Markley
By September 7, 1804, the
Corps of Discovery had reached what is now Boyd County, Nebraska and
Charles Mix County, South Dakota. George Shannon was still missing and
presumed ahead of the expedition trying to catch up with it while all
the time the Corps was actually behind him.
Lewis and Clark found
their first prairie dog town on the Nebraska-side of the Missouri River.
The men attempted to dig out a prairie dog from his burrow; but after
digging down six feet and then probing further with a pole, they
realized they would not be able to dig to the end of the burrow. They
then tried flushing out the prairie dogs by pouring five barrels of
water down a hole. They were finally able to kill one and capture
another. The Corps traveled five and a half miles on this day.
September 8, Lewis shot
his first buffalo. The Corps made 17 miles upriver and was now at a
point where present-day South Dakota is on both sides of the river.
The next day they came
upon a herd of over five hundred buffalo. The men killed several
buffalo, including York who shot his first buffalo. They made 14 miles
this day.
It was a dark, overcast
day on September 10, as the Corps continued upriver under a gentle
breeze. They came to an area now called Mulehead Point where on top of a
hill they found “… a back bone with the most of the entire laying
Connected for 45 feet those bones are petrified, Some teeth & ribs also
Connected.” They had found the remains of a plesiosaur, an aquatic
dinosaur. The Corps traveled twenty miles before making camp.
The next morning was again
cloudy. They passed a prairie dog town that was 800 yards wide and 970
yards long. The Corps finally caught up with George Shannon alongside
the river. He was surprised to find that he had been ahead of the
expedition the whole time. He had run out of bullets early on and had
lived off of one rabbit and fruit. One of the two horses had given out
and was lost, so the expedition was down to one horse. They made 16
miles upriver this day.
September 12 was a dark
cloudy day. The Corps had rough going – passing through sandbars and
shallow water. They made only eight miles this day. The men camped
across the river from “a Village of Barking Prairie Squirrels.”
The next day the Corps set
out early. It was again dark with a drizzling rain. They had to pass
through a number of sandbars making 12 miles before setting up camp.
The morning of September
14 was miserable with drizzling rain that lasted throughout the day. At
times it changed to hard showers. Clark killed the Corps’ first
antelope, and John Shields killed their first jackrabbit. Lewis
described each in his journal. These were the first scientific
descriptions of each animal. The Corps made nine miles this day.
On September 15, they set
out early. After two miles they came to the mouth of the White River.
Lewis and Clark sent Sergeant Patrick Gass and Rubin Field to explore
the river for one day and then catch up with the Corps further upriver.
The Corps traveled eight miles. Clark wrote, “I killed a Buck Elk &
Deer, this evening is verry Cold, Great many wolves of Different Sorts
howling about us. The wind is hard from the N W this evening.”
The Corps broke camp at 7
a.m. the morning of September 16; but only went upriver about one and a
half miles where they decided to camp by a creek for the rest of the day
and the next day to dry out their supplies and equipment from all the
rain the last few days. Their camping spot was near present-day Oacoma.
Lewis and some of the hunters shot and killed several buffalo and deer.
Gass and Field returned to camp after about a twelve mile hike up the
White River where they had seen level plains with great herds of buffalo
and antelope.
The next day Lewis and six
hunters went exploring the interior for the day. They saw wolves, hawks,
skunks, and of course the ever-present prairie dogs. Herds of buffalo,
elk, deer, and antelope were seen in every direction. Lewis wrote, “I do
not think I exaggerate when I estimate the number of Buffaloe which
could be compreed at one view to amount to 3,000.” The hunters killed a
buffalo and a great many deer. John Colter killed their first mule deer.
The men back in camp continued to dry out the gear.
September 18, the Corps of
Discovery set out early, but made only seven miles due to a hard wind
blowing against them. Again they saw lots of game and many wolves. Clark
killed his first “prairie wolf” or coyote. The hunters killed ten deer
this day.
They continued upriver
early on a cool clear morning. It was a good day; they made 23 miles.
The hunters killed a lot of game and the men on the keelboat shot two
buffalo swimming across the Missouri River. Again they saw immense herds
of buffalo, elk, and antelope. They made camp close to the Grand Detour
of the Missouri or Big Bend.
The morning of September
20, Lewis and Clark sent George Drouillard and John Shields with the
last horse across Big Bend to the far side to hunt and jerk meat for the
Corps. Clark then walked across The Narrows seeing herds of buffalo and
“Goats.” The boats had to navigate through many sandbars, making over
33 miles before camping on a sandbar for the night.
At 1:30 a.m. the Sergeant
of the Guard alerted the camp that the island they were camped on was
rapidly washing away. They quickly packed up by the light of the moon
and left the island – they had not reached the shore before the land
they had been camping on was washed away. In the morning they proceeded
on upriver seeing large herds of game and making eleven miles before
camping for the night.
On September 22, a thick
fog detained their departure until 7 a.m. The men saw numerous herds of
buffalo in every direction. After 13 miles they came to Cedar Island
where Regis Loisel, a St. Louis trader, had built a fort to trade with
the local tribes. The fort was now abandoned, but had been occupied the
previous winter. The Corps of Discovery made 16 miles this day and
camped in what is now Hughes County, South Dakota.
Sunday, September 23,
1804, the Corps of Discovery set sail with a gentle breeze from the
southeast. Large herds of buffalo grazed in the distance. They saw smoke
from the southwest, it must have been a local tribe setting the prairie
on fire to let the Corps or others know that they were there and wished
to meet. The boats had to navigate through a great many sandbars. They
passed Medicine Creek and made camp for the night in present-day Hughes
County across the river from Antelope Creek.
Soon after setting up
camp, three Brule Lakota boys swam across the river to the camp. Through
sign language and the few words that Pierre Cruzatte knew of their
language, the boys said they belonged to a Brule village of sixty lodges
that was camped along the next river upstream which was the Bad River in
present-day Stanley County. The boys were the ones who had set the
prairie on fire to notify their village of the Corps of Discovery. Lewis
and Clark gave them tobacco as presents for their chiefs and also gave
them the message that Lewis and Clark wanted to talk with the chiefs the
next day.
It was a fair morning when
the Corps of Discovery passed the mouth of Antelope Creek. As the Corps
approached Farm Island, Lewis and Clark prepared clothes, peace medals,
and other presents for the chiefs.
John Colter had been out
ahead of the Corps hunting with their remaining horse. He had killed
four elk and left them hanging on Farm Island for the Corps to butcher.
As the keelboat passed the island, Colter ran to the bank and shouted
that his horse had been stolen. Just then five Brule men stood on the
bank and wanted to get on the boat. Lewis and Clark said no. They wanted
the horse back and would meet with their chiefs at the mouth of the Bad
River after the horse was returned.
The Corps came to La
Framboise Island where they saw many elk and buffalo. The boats came to
off the mouth of the Bad River and anchored. A chief walked up to the
shore. Clark went on shore and met with him. The chief’s name was
Buffalo Medicine and his village was two miles up the Bad River. Buffalo
Medicine and Clark smoked the pipe of peace. It was difficult for
Cruzatte and Drouillard to communicate with Buffalo Medicine. Clark
asked about the stolen horse. Buffalo Medicine said he knew nothing
about it. Clark said they would meet with the chiefs and principal men
tomorrow.
One third the men of the
Corps of Discovery camped on shore for the night, the rest stayed on the
keelboat. Sergeant John Ordway wrote that the five Brule men who had
been on the bank caught up with them. They were very friendly and were
invited to eat and camp with the Corps on shore that night which they
did.
The morning of September
25 was fair, the wind from the southeast. The Corps established the
meeting site on a sandbar at the mouth of the Bad River. They set up a
flag staff and American flag and also set up an awning for the chiefs to
sit under.
At 11 a.m., Black Buffalo,
the grand chief, and Buffalo Medicine arrived. Everyone shared food with
each other. Lewis and Clark discovered that their interpreters “do not
Speak the language well.”
At noon, the chief,
Partisan, and other important men arrived for the council. After smoking
the pipe of peace, Lewis and Clark gave their speech about the United
States being the new government and that they came in peace and
friendship. They gave the chiefs peace medals, an American flag, knives,
tobacco, and other presents. They gave Black Buffalo a red coat and a
cocked hat.
After the council was
concluded, Lewis and Clark invited the three chiefs and one of their
principal men out to the keelboat where they showed them various
instruments and equipment as well as giving each of them half a
wineglass of whiskey. Partisan began to stagger about the boat. It was
time for the chiefs to leave. They were reluctant to go; but they were
finally coerced into one of the pirogues and Clark and the crew
transported them to shore. As the pirogue reached the shore, three young
men seized the pirogue’s cable while another man hugged the mast.
Partisan told Clark they could not leave until he and his men were given
more presents. Clark wrote, “… his insults became So personal and his
intentions evident to do me injury, I Drew my Sword (and ordered all
hands under arms).” Lewis ordered all the men on the keelboat to be
ready to fire their muskets and the swivel guns. The Brule all drew
their bows and arrows and leveled the muskets that they had directly at
Clark and his men at point blank range.
Black Buffalo stepped in
to diffuse the confrontation. He took hold of the cable and ordered the
three men to let go and the fourth man to let go of the mast. They
obeyed and Partisan walked off twenty yards to join the rest of the men
now numbering about one hundred.
Clark spoke to Black
Buffalo and tried to shake his hand but he refused. Black Buffalo walked
off to join the crowd of Brule men. Clark walked over to him and tried
to shake his hand again and also Partisan’s hand; but they both refused.
All this time arrows and musket barrels were all pointed at each other.
Clark walked back to the pirogue and they began to leave the shore when
Black Buffalo, Buffalo Medicine, and two principal men waded out into
the river and asked to go on board the boat for the night.
Clark picked them up and
took them to the keelboat. The Corps then proceeded on up the river
about a mile and anchored at an island they named Bad Humor Island since
they “were in a bad humor.”
The morning of September
26, the Corps of Discovery set out and made about four and a half miles
upriver. Black Buffalo and the others asked Lewis and Clark to stop at
their village so they could show their friendship. Many women and
children came to the riverbank to see the keelboat. The chiefs invited
Lewis and Clark to stay the night and watch their dance which they
agreed to do.
While spending time on
shore, Lewis and Clark found that the Brule had captured 48 Omaha women
and children. Clark advised that the Brule make peace with the Omaha and
return the prisoners. Black Buffalo and Buffalo Medicine agreed to do
so.
At 5 p.m., ten young men
had Clark sit on a buffalo robe and then carried him to the council
tents and placed him between two chiefs. They returned for Lewis and did
the same thing. About 70 men sat in a circle with Lewis and Clark. They
all smoked the pipe of peace and then ate supper and smoked until dark
as an elder gave a positive speech about the Corps of Discovery.
The pipes and food were
cleared away, and a large fire was built. It was time for the dance. The
men sang and played musical instruments while the women danced with the
men’s scalps and other war trophies. The dance lasted until midnight
when Lewis and Clark returned to the boats. Four chiefs joined them on
the keelboat for the night.
September 27, the
riverbank was lined with people come to look at the keelboat. Lewis went
with the chiefs back to the village. He gave them blankets, corn, peace
medals for the chiefs, and commissions for the principal men. They told
Lewis that most of their people had not yet arrived and asked that the
Corps stay one more night so they could meet them. Lewis agreed to do
so.
Lewis, Clark, and some of
the men attended the dance which was similar to the dance held the night
before. At 11 p.m., Partisan and another chief went with them to the
keelboat to spend the night. The keelboat was anchored out in the river,
and the men paddled out in one of the pirogues. As the pirogue reached
the keelboat it accidentally struck the keelboat’s anchor cable snapping
it. The keelboat rapidly drifted away with the current. Clark shouted
from the pirogue for all hands to man the oars and poles to bring the
keelboat to the riverbank. Lewis and a few of the men were still waiting
on shore. Partisan thought they were being attacked by the Omahas and
shouted a warning to the Brule that they were under attack. Hearing the
commotion, Black Buffalo and two hundred men rushed to the bank, armed
and ready for action; but soon stood down when they realized it was a
false alarm.
The keelboat was pulled up
under a bank for the night – exposed to potential attack. Sixty Brule
men camped that night on shore by the boat.
Later that night Pierre
Cruzatte came to Lewis and Clark and told them he had spoken with the
Omaha prisoners who told him that the Brule intended to stop and rob the
Corps of Discovery. The Corps remained on its guard during the night.
September 28, the Corps
tried to retrieve the anchor; but it was covered up by the shifting
river sand. After breakfast, Black Buffalo requested a ride up the river
to the next village. As they prepared to leave, several Brule men
grabbed the keelboat’s cable and held on. They wanted tobacco and
Partisan wanted tobacco and a flag. After much wrangling, Lewis and
Clark gave Black Buffalo tobacco to give to the men. He then jerked the
cable from their grip and the keelboat headed upriver with Black Buffalo
along for the ride. Two miles upriver, they came upon Buffalo Medicine
who was sitting on a sandbar. He also asked for a ride upriver which
Lewis and Clark agreed to. Buffalo Medicine told them that Partisan had
put the men up to holding onto the boat’s cable. A man came riding his
horse full speed up to the riverbank and they let him on board the
keelboat. He was Buffalo Medicine’s son. Lewis and Clark sent him back
to the Brule stating that they wanted peace; but were prepared if the
Brule wanted war.
The Corps made a new
anchor out of large rocks and remained anchored in the middle of the
river for the night.
Over the next few days,
the Corps left the chiefs off at their destinations and proceeded on up
the Missouri River. That winter they stayed with the Mandan Tribe in
present-day North Dakota and then in the spring continued west to the
Rocky Mountains and eventually on to the Pacific Ocean with a retracing
of their route back to St. Louis in 1806.
This concludes the
Up The River Series. For more information on the Corps of
Discovery, bicentennial festivities, parks and trails visit
Lewis and Clark
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