John Ordway: August 11, 1806

and procd on verry well we killed a buffaloe in the river, about
12 oClock Cap* Lewis halted at a bottom on S. Side to kill Some
Elk Peter Cruzatte a frenchman went out with Cap* Lewis
they Soon found a gangue of Elk in a thicket. Cap* Lewis killed
one and cruzatte killed two, and as he still kept fireing one of his
balls hit Cap* Lewis in his back side and the ball passed through
one Side of his buttock and the ball went out of the other Side
of the other buttock and lodged at his overalls which wounded
him bad. he instantly called to peter but Peter not answering he
Supposd it to be Indians and run to the canoes and ordered the
men to their armes. they were in readiness in a moment and Cap*
Lewis attempd to go back for battle but being faint the men pur-
swaded him not to go himself but the party run out found Cru-
zatte and he had Seen no Indians then peter knew that it must
have been him tho an exidant.2 we dressed the wound [and] pre-
pared a place for him to lay in the white perogue J° Fields killed
one Elk. we then took the best of the meat on board and proced
on about 4 P.M. we passd a Camp of Cap* Clark where we found
a note or line informing us that Serg* Pryor & party had joined
them here as the Indians had Stole all the horses & they came
the mouth of White Earth River. The White Earth is modern Little Muddy
River, in Williams County, N. Dak.
1 In McKenzie County, N. Dak., just above the mouth of Little Muddy
River.
2 Lewis was convinced that Cruzatte was immediately aware of having shot
him, and that he only pretended to have been ignorant of it. Both Gass and
Ordway appear to credit Cruzatte with entire ignorance of what he had done.
There are other interesting minor differences between the three narratives of
the accident.
388 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Aug. 12
down in leather canoes, they had left here to day day. we procd on
untill about Sunset and Camped on a Sand beach on Ld Side
high winds.