April 7, 1805
Fort Mandan April 7th 1805.
Having on this day at 4 P.M. completed every arrangement necessary for
our departure, we dismissed the barge and crew with orders to return
without loss of time to S. Louis, a small canoe with two French hunters
accompanyed the barge; these men had assended the missouri with us the
last year as engages. The barge crew consisted of six soldiers and two
____ Frenchmen; two Frenchmen and a Ricara Indian also take their
passage in her as far as the Ricara Vilages, at which place we expect
Mr. Tiebeau to embark with his peltry who in that case will make an
addition of two, perhaps four men to the crew of the barge. We gave
Richard Warfington, a discharged Corpl., the charge of the Barge and
crew, and confided to his care likewise our dispatches to the
government, letters to our private friends, and a number of articles to
the President of the United States. One of the Frenchmen by the Name of
Gravline an honest discrete man and an excellent boat-man is imployed
to conduct the barge as a pilot; we have therefore every hope that the
barge and with her our dispatches will arrive safe at St. Louis. Mr.
Gravlin who speaks the Ricara language extreemly well, has been
imployed to conduct a few of the Recara Chiefs to the seat of
government who have promised us to decend in the barge to St. Liwis
with that view.-
At same moment that the Barge departed from Fort Mandan, Capt. Clark
embaked with our party and proceeded up the river. as I had used no
exercise for several weeks, I determined to walk on shore as far as our
encampment of this evening; accordingly I continued my walk on the N.
side of the River about six miles, to the upper Village of the Mandans,
and called on the Black Cat or Pose cop'se ha, the great chief of the
Mandans; he was not at home; I rested myself a minutes, and finding
that the party had not arrived I returned about 2 miles and joined them
at their encampment on the N. side of the river opposite the lower
Mandan village. Our party now consisted of the following Individuals.
Sergts. John Ordway, Nathaniel Prior, & Patric Gass; Privates, William
Bratton, John Colter, Reubin, and Joseph Fields, John Shields, George
Gibson, George Shannon, John Potts, John Collins, Joseph Whitehouse,
Richard Windsor, Alexander Willard, Hugh Hall, Silas Goodrich, Robert
Frazier, Peter Crouzatt, John Baptiest la Page, Francis Labiech, Hue
McNeal, William Werner, Thomas P. Howard, Peter Wiser, and John B.
Thompson.
Interpreters, George Drewyer and Tauasant Charbono also a Black man by
the name of York, servant to Capt. Clark, an Indian Woman wife to
Charbono with a young child, and a Mandan man who had promised us to
accompany us as far as the Snake Indians with a view to bring about a
good understanding and friendly intercourse between that nation and his
own, the Minetares and Ahwahharways.
Our vessels consisted of six small canoes, and two large perogues. This
little fleet altho not quite so rispectable as those of Columbus or
Capt. Cook were still viewed by us with as much pleasure as those
deservedly famed adventurers ever beheld theirs; and I dare say with
quite as much anxiety for their safety and preservation. we were now
about to penetrate a country at least two thousand miles in width, on
which the foot of civillized man had never trodden; the good or evil it
had in store for us was for experiment yet to determine, and these
little vessells contained every article by which we were to expect to
subsist or defend ourselves. however as this the state of mind in which
we are, generally gives the colouring to events, when the immagination
is suffered to wander into futurity, the picture which now presented
itself to me was a most pleasing one. entertaing as I do, the most
confident hope of succeading in a voyage which had formed a darling
project of mine for the last ten years, I could but esteem this moment
of my departure as among the most happy of my life. The party are in
excellent health and sperits, zealously attatched to the enterprise,
and anxious to proceed; not a whisper of murmur or discontent to be
heard among them, but all act in unison, and with the most perfect
harmony. I took an early supper this evening and went to bed. Capt.
Clark myself the two Interpretters and the woman and child sleep in a
tent of dressed skins. this tent is in the Indian stile, formed of a
number of dressed Buffaloe skins sewed together with sinues. it is cut
in such manner that when foalded double it forms the quarter of a
circle, and is left open at one side where it may be attatched or
loosened at pleasure by strings which are sewed to its sides to the
purpose. to erect this tent, a parsel of ten or twelve poles are
provided, fore or five of which are attatched together at one end, they
are then elivated and their lower extremities are spread in a circular
manner to a width proportionate to the demention of the lodge, in the
same position orther poles are leant against those, and the leather is
then thrown over them forming a conic figure.
7th of April Satturday 1805
a windey day, The Interpreter we Sent to the Villages returned with
Chief of the Ricara's & 3 men of that nation this Chief informed us
that he was Sent by his nation to Know the despositions of the nations
in this neighbourhood in respect to the recara's Settleing near them,
that he had not yet made those arrangements, he request that we would
Speek to the Assinniboins, & Crow Inds. in their favour, that they
wished to follow our directions and be at peace with all, he viewed all
nations in this quarter well disposed except the Sioux. The wish of
those recaras appears to be a junction with the Mandans & Minetarras in
a Defensive war with the Sioux who rob them of every Spece of property
in Such a manner that they Cannot live near them any longer. I told
this Chief we were glad to See him, and we viewed his nation as the
Dutifull Children of a Great father who would extend his protection to
all those who would open their ears to his good advice, we had already
Spoken to the Assinniboins, and Should Speeke to the Crow Indians if we
Should See them &c. as to the Sioux their Great father would not let
them have any more good Guns &c. would take Care to prosu Such measurs
as would provent those Sioux from Murding and taking the property from
his dutyfull red Children &c.— we gave him a certificate of his good
Conduct & a Small Medal, a Carrot of Tobacco and a String of Wompom— he
requested that one of his men who was lame might decend in the boat to
their nation and returned to the Mandans well Satisfied
The name of this Chief of War is Kah-kah, we to-Raven brave.
This Cheif delivered us a letter from Mr. Taboe. informing us of the
wish of the Grand Chiefs of the Ricarras to visit their Great father
and requesting the privolage of put'g on board the boat 3000 w of Skins
&c. & adding 4 hands and himself to the party. this preposeal we Shall
agree to, as that addition will make the party in the boat 15 Strong
and more able to defend themselves from the Seoux &c.
Fort Mandan April 7th 1805
Sunday, at 4 oClock P M, the Boat, in which was 6 Soldiers 2 frenchmen
& an Indian, all under the command of a corporal who had the charge of
dispatches, &c.-and a Canoe with 2 french men, Set out down the river
for St. Louis. at the same time we Sout out on our voyage up the river
in 2 perogues and 6 canoes, and proceded on to the 1st villg. of
Mandans & Camped on the S. S.— our party consisting of Sergt. Nathaniel
Pryor Sgt. John Ordway Sgt. Pat. Gass, William Bratten, John Colter
Joseph & Reubin Fields, John Shields George Gibson George Shannon, John
Potts, John Collins, Jos. Whitehouse, Richard Windser, Alexander
Willard, Hugh Hall, Silas Gutrich, Robert Frazure, Peter Crouzat, John
Baptiest la page, Francis Labich, Hugh McNeal, William Werner, Thomas
P. Howard, Peter Wiser, J. B. Thompson and my Servent york, George
Drewyer who acts as a hunter & interpreter, Shabonah and his Indian
Squar to act as an Interpreter & interpretress for the snake
Indians-one Mandan & Shabonahs infant. Sah-kah-gar we a
