University of Virginia Library

Chapter V

AMONG THE MANDANS

V. November 1 1804—January 20, 1805

November thur. 1st.. 1804.[1]

THE wind blew So fresh from the South that we Could
not Get Under Way at the time appointed as the
Officers Intended falling down the the river before two
oclock P. M., to the place that the[y] wishd. to build a fort.
at dark we arivd. with the boat and Peirouges 91/2 Miles below
the 2nd.. vilage of Mandans at a piece of woods On the N. E.
Side whare we Commenced building the fort.

Friday 2nd November.

Began the works of the fort the weather continued pleasant
for 14 days during which time all the men at Camp Ocepied
thair time dilligenently in Building their huts and got them
Made comfertable in that time to live in.

Saterday 3d..

a party of hunters was Sent down the river with a peirogue
to Bring the meat whome [home] the[y] Remained 15 days,
and on the 18th.. Inst. the[y] had good Success the[y] killd. 34
deers, 10 Elks and 5 Buffelows, in all the[y] had Upwards of
20 hundred Wt. Nothing Else happnd.. Extraordinary Untill
the 30th.. Inst. a messenger from the mandans came to the fort to
Inform Our Officers that a hunting party of theirs was Robed
by the Sues & Rees Indians, on the 27th.. last, of Eight horses
and their meat that the[y] had killd., & Killd. One of their men
and wounded two Others.

the[y] Applyd. for Some Assistance from the fort which Captn.
Lewis & Clark Readly granted them. Twenty Men turnd
Out Volentary Under the Command of Captn.. Clark out of the
fort to goe to fight the Sues the Guard Seat us Across the
Missourie at Eleven Oclock at the fort the Captn. formd. his
men On the S. W. Side of the river Missourie and told them
off in Sections, from the right, and Sent out a Noncommissioned.
Officer and a file of men on Each flank to Reconitere
the woods at the distance of neerly One hundred Yds.. from the
head of Company. After a march of 6 miles we Arivd. at the
first Village of mandans, with our two Interprators One of
the mandans & one of the Grosvauinties, thinking to be Reignd.
forsd. [reinforced] by a party of Each Nation With a Detachment
from the Watesoons Nation like-ways, as they and [the]
Groce Vaunties are Nigh Neighbours to the Mandans Nation
but after we Arivd. At the Village the Cheifs of Both Nations
Concluded not to goe to fight as the weather was Cold and the
Snow Upwards of 18 Inches Deep on the Ground, before
Spring Nixt.

The Captn.. & the party halted two hours at the Village
he told the Cheifs and Warieres of the Mandans that he and
his men was on the Ground Ready to Assist them And the[y]
Should See that Him and his Men Could fight. After Some
little Conversation with the Savages, we took our leave of them
and Started for the fort we Crossd. the river between the first
& Second Village On the Ise And came whome to the fort
Arivd. at dark the Evening was cold. Each Drank Some Good
Spirits After which Revivd. Us Very Much And Retird. to Our
Rooms Each.

December 1st..

Nothing hapened Extraordinary Continued Picquiting in
the huts.

2nd.

the Big white a Cheif of the mandans Came to Our fort in
the Morning to Inform Us that the Buffelow was Close to us
a Comeing in Captn. Lewis and 15 Men turnd. Out to Shoot

them the[y] killd. 10, and the Indians Killd. 50 the two Captains
Lewis & Clark took it in turn day about with a party
Each day to goe a hunting And had Great Success until the
15 inst. that the Buffelow got neerly twenty miles off Captn.
Clark and his party Returned on the Morning of the 16th. Inst.
but Could find no game But two deer, the[y] Slept in the
woods all night Some Snow fell that made the Air warmir On
the Night of the 15th. Inst.

Monday 17 Decr.[2]

a cold day. Sergt. Gass fixed a horse Sled for one of the
N. W. Compy. traders to go to thier forts with. Some of the
Mandans come & Informed us that the buffaloe had come near
the River again.

Tuesday 18th.. Decr. 1804.

a verry cold day. 8 of the party went out to hunt, but Saw
nothing but Some goats, the N. W. Compy. tradors Set of this
morning notwithstanding the coldness of the weather.

Wednesday 19th.. Decr. 1804.

a clear pleasant day. we began to Set up the pickets of our
fort.

Thursday 20th.. Decr. 1804.

a quite warm day. the Snow melted fast. we continued on
our work as usal.

Friday 21st.. Decr. 1804.

Still pleasant and warm. we continued on our work as
usal &c.

Saturday 22nd.. Decr. 1804.

a clear pleasant warm day a great nomber of the natives
came to the fort with corn beans and moccasons to trade. they
take any trifling thing in exchange viz.—old Shirts buttons
knives awls &c &c.

Sunday 23rd.. Decr. 1804.

a clear pleasant day. we continued our work Setting up the
pickets &c.

Monday 24. Decr. 1805[4].

Some Snow fell this morning. about 10 oC cleared off a
fair day. we finished our fortifycation. in the evening our
Captains contributed to the party Some flour pepper dryed
apples &c to celebrate the Chrisstmas.

Tuesday 25th.. Decr. 1804.

we ushred [in] the morning with a discharge of the Swivvel,
and one round of Small arms of all the party. then another
from the Swivel. then Capt. Clark presented a glass of brandy
to each man of the party. we hoisted the american flag, and
each man had another Glass of brandy. the men prepared
one of the rooms and commenced dancing. at 10 oC we had
another Glass of brandy, at one a gun was fired as a Signal for
diner. half past two another gun was fired to assemble at the
dance, and So we kept it up in a jovel manner untill eight oC.
at night, all without the compy. of the female Seck, except
three Squaws the Intreptirs wives and they took no part with
us only to look on. agreeable to the officers request the
natives all Stayed at their villages all day.

Monday 31st.. Decr. 1804.

nothing particular occured Since christmas but we live in
peace and tranquillity in our fort, visited dayly by the natives
with Supplys of corn &c.

January 1st 1805. Tuesday.

2 Guns was discharged from the Swivel to celebrate the new
year, a round of Small arms immediately after by each man of
the party, a Glass of old ardent Spirits was given. a short
time after Capt. Clark gave another. about 10 oClock one of
the Intrepters & one half of the party went up to the Ist. village
of Mandans by their request to dance. Some time after
Capt. Clark and 3 more men Came up also. the day was warm
and pleasant. in the afternoon Capt. Lewis Gave another glass,
in the evening Capt. Clark & Some of the party came home &
Some Stayed all night.

Wednesday 2nd.. Jany. 1805.

Some Snow fell this morning. the rest of the men came
from the village, about 10 oClock Capt. Lewis & the rest of
the party who had not been went up to the 2nd.. village, we
danced and amused our Selves the greater part of the [day]
which pleased the natives &c. in the evening the most of the
men returned home. the natives keep their horses in their
lodges with themselves every cold night dureing the winter
Season & feed them on nothing but the branches of cotton
wood which they cut off the Bark, which is Sweet & good.
they live on it & look tollarably well.

Thursday 3rd.. Jany. 1805.

Some buffalow came near our fort, 9 men went out but
killed none of them. one of the men killed a butiful white
hair which is common in this country.

Friday 4th.. Jany. 1805.

the weather is not as cold as it was Some time past. Some
hunters went out & 3 of [them] Stayed out all night, the rest
came home. had killed one Small buffalow. in the evening
it got verry cold and the wind blew verry hard all night.

Saturday 5th.. Jany. 1805.

a cloudy cold day. the 3 hunters which who went down the
river a hunting on the 4th. Inst. returned on the 7th.. Inst. they
informed us that they had nothing the 2 first days to eat only
one wolf which they killed. they informed us that it eat very
well. they killed after that 4 Deer & 2 wolves. the weather
continued verry Cold. nothing else remarkable hapened Since
the 5th.. Instant.

Wednesday 9th.. Jany. 1805.

2 unexperienced hunters went out to day, the day proved to
be very cold & Stormey, one of them returned to the fort
about 8 oClock in the evening with one of his feet frost bit. the
other Stayed out all night, in they morning Some men were
going for them expecting they were froze, but they came in
before they started well & hearty. Some of the Natives went

in the prarie a hunting, in the evening as they were returning
one of them gave out. they left him behind. Some of his
friends or his father went after him expecting to find him a
Corps, but after they left him he came too So that he changed
his position to the woods, & broke branches to lye on, so his
life was Spared, but his feet was froze verry bad. they got
him to our fort. Capt. Lewis doctered him. Some hunters
went out the Same evening & Stayed out all night.

Friday 11th.. Jany. 1805.

2 of the hunters came to the fort had killed 3 Elk &
dressed them & took the meat to their Camp. Some other of
the hunters went lower down the river.

Saturday 12th.. Jany. 1805.

a clear cold day. Some of the men went down for the meat
with a Slide [sled] two more hunters went out to day.

Sunday 13th.. Jany. 1805.

continues clear & cold a nomber of the natives went down
the river to hunt, with our men. in the evening one of our
Intrepters & a frenchman returned who had been up the river
Some time to a nation of Indians called the osnaboins [Assiniboins]
after fur &c their guide got froze so that they had to
leave him their, & they got their faces frost bit So that the
Skin came off. this nation live near the rockey Mountains,
about 18 [80] or 90 miles from this place.

Monday 14th Jany. 1805.

Some Snow fell this morning. 6 more hunters went out to
join the rest a nomber of the natives went out also, in the
evening one of the hunters that went out fi[r]st Came to the
fort, he informed us that they had killed one buffaloe a wolf
& 2 porkapines, & I got my feet So froze that I could not
walk to the fort.

Tuesday 15th.. Jany. 1805.

warm to what it has been. the man who went to the fort
yesterday, Came down with 2 horses after me & Some meat,
the day kept warm & pleasant.

Wednesday 16th.. Jany. 1805.

quite warm for the time a year & pleasant the Snow melted
fast. I came to the fort & 2 more men with me my feet got
Some easier.

Thursday 17th. 1805.

about 3 oC. this morning the wind began to blow from the
North & began to freeze. continued cold & the wind the
Same course all day.

Friday 18th.. Jany. 1805.

clear cold weather 2 of our hunters came in had killed 4
Deer 4 wolves and one brarow. 2 men who belonged to the
N. W. Compy. that trades at the grossvauntares villages came
to our fort this day they told us that these animals we called
Brarows are a Specie of the Badgers, which are common in
Europe.

Saturday 19th.. Jany. 1805.

2 men Sent with three horses down the River for meat to
the hunting Camps, which is about 30 miles distant from the
Fort. the way they go [is] on the Ice.

Sunday 20th.. Jany. 1805.

Some men went up to the villages. they informed us that
they all used them verry well. gave them pleanty to eat, &
when they had done eating they gave a bowl of victuls to a
buffalows head which they worshiped, & Sd. Eat this So that the
live ones may come in that we may git a Supply of meat.
Some of them & indeed the most of them have Strange & uncommon
Ideas, but verry Ignorant of our forms & customs,
but quick & Sensible in their own way & in their own conceit
&c &c.[3]