Lewis and Clark reunite at Missouri-Yellowstone confluence — John Ordway: August 12, 1806

and procd on about 8 A. M. we met two trappers Americans by
the names of Jos Dixon & forrest Handcock1 they were from the
Ellynoise country, and have gathered a great deal of peltry Since
they have been out about 2 years and have carshed the most of it
in the ground they tells us that they are determined to Stay up
this river and go to the head where the beaver is pleanty and trap
and hunt untill they make a fortune before they return, they had
20 odd good traps and tools for building canoes &C. they in-
formed us that Cap* Clark passed here about 12 oClock yesterday
and Said that they would go on Slowly untill we come up. Cap1
Lewis gave them Some powder and several articles while we
were here Colter and Collins come up and joined us. they in-
formed us that they had waited expected we were behind they
had killed 6 buffaloe 13 deer 5 Elk & 31 beaver. Mr Dixon con-
cludes to go back to the Mandans in hopes to git a frenchman or
Some body to go with him to the head of the river. So we procd
on about 10 A. M. we overtook Cap1 Clark and party all alive
and well they informed us that they after they left us at the
three forks followed on up the South fork or Gallentines River
nearly to its head which was about 30 miles, and that the beavers
abound on that river that their dams overflowed the bottoms So
that they had difficulty to cross the river they then struck for
the River Roshjone leaving the Mount” a Short distance to the
right crossd over a low ridge 10 miles then come on the head
waters of the roshjone [and] followed down Some distance before
they found any timber that they could make canoes of. they
Saw no Indians but Saw Indn tracks and the Indn Stole 25 of the
horses they having the two Small canoes done lashed them and
Serg* pryor Set out with 3 men and the rest of the horses by land
in order to take them to the Mandans 25 in number which now
remained, but the 2nd night the Indn Stole all the horses and they
1 Joseph Dickson and Forest Hancock were the first white men encountered
by the explorers since leaving Fort Mandan in the spring of 1805. Dickson
was a Pennsylvania!! who had migrated to the Illinois country in 1802. A
son born to him in January, 180″), ;i fact concerning which I lie father was doubt-
less still in ignorance, became a pioneer settler of the Wisconsin lead-mining
region, and commanded a company of scouts in the Black Hawk War. For
his reminiscences sec Wisconsin Historical Collections, V, 315-17.
1806] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 389
had to return to the Roshjone and killd buff aloe and made leather
canoes of them and followed on down they informed us that
the distance from where they Struck the River Roshjone to its
mouth is 836 miles and a pleasant river bottoms and timber on
this river the buffaloe So pleanty and Swiming the river So that
they could Scarsely pass down this river mount11 Sheep also in
many places we fired the blunderbusses and Small arms being
rejoiced to meet all together again. 2 of Cap1 Clarks party were
a hunting and killed a Spotted Elk had white spots about it and
different from any we have ever Seen before, we left their buffaloe
canoes and after a delay of three hours we procd on Mr Dixon
and Handcock accompy us to the Mandans. we Camped on a
Sand beach1 on ace1 of the Musquetoes a little rain this evening
&C.