John Ordway: August 17, 1806
The expedition granted John Colter permission to return upriver with trappers Dixon and Hancock, outfitting him with supplies for a two-year trapping venture. After lashing canoes together, the party parted with the three trappers and was visited by large numbers of natives. Around 4 PM they dropped down to the first Mandan village and took aboard interpreter Jessaume with his wife and two children, along with Big White, the head chief, and one of his wives and his child. Big White emotionally bid farewell to his people before departing. They camped on the south side against a headwind.
leave of our officers to go back with Mr Dixon a trapping, which
permission was granted him so our officers Settled with him and
fitted him out with powder lead and a great number of articles
which compleated him for a trapping voiage of two years which
they are determined to Stay untill they make a fortune, &C. &C.
we lashed together Some of our canoes and Colter Mr Dixon &
Handcock parted with us in their Small canoe2 the natives
visits us in great numbers, about 4 oC. P. M. dropped down to
the 1st village of Mandans where we took on board Mr Jessom his
1 The swivel was presented with “a good deel of ceremony” to Le Borgne,
or the One Eyed with a view to attaching him more strongly to the United
States government. In presenting the gun Clark told the chief “to remem-
ber,” when he fired it, “the words of his great father which we had given him,
this gun had announced the words of his great father to all the nations which we
had seen.”
2 “The example of this man shows how easily men may4 be weaned from
the habits of civilized life to the ruder but scarcely less fascinating manners
of the woods. This hunter has been now absent for many years from the
frontiers, and might naturally be presumed to have some anxiety, or some
curiosity at least, to return to his friends and his country; yet, just at the
moment when he is approaching the frontiers, he is tempted by a hunting
scheme to give up those delightful prospects, and go back without the least
reluctance to the solitude of the woods.” Biddle, III, 1182. Colter remained
on the upper Missouri, in the midst of perils and hardships, until the spring of
1810. He was the first white explorer of Yellowstone Park. For an account
of his adventurous career see Wheeler, I, 98-105, and Chittenden, American
Fur Trade, II, 713-23.
In addition to Colter Hie parly left behind at the Mandan villages, Charbon-
neau. Sacajawea, and their baby. The latter, “a butifull promising child”
of nineteen months, Clark offered to lake and rear. The parents were willing,
but the fact that the baby was Dot yel weaned led to the decision to keep him
with his mother for another year, when Charbonneau was to bring him to St.
Louis for Clark to rear “in such manner as I thought proper.” This arrange-1
ment was never carried out, however, and the youthful Charbonneau spent
his life among the savages.
1806] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 391
his wife and two children the big white the head chief of Sd vil-
lage his wife or one of his wives. I understand he has two wives,
he has only one child and takes that with him took their bag-
gage on board and the chief putting his arm round all the head
mens necks of his nation who Set on Shore and a number crying
and appeared Sorry to part with him he took his leave of them
however and we Set out and procd on the wind a head Campd
on S. S.1
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
permission from our officers to go back with Mr. Dixon to trap, which permission was granted him. So our officers settled with him and fitted him out with powder, lead, and a great number of articles which equipped him for a trapping voyage of two years, which they are determined to stay until they make a fortune, etc., etc. We lashed together some of our canoes, and Colter, Mr. Dixon, and Handcock parted with us in their small canoe. The natives visit us in great numbers.
About 4 o'clock P.M. we dropped down to the first village of Mandans, where we took on board Mr. Jessom, his wife, and two children, and the Big White, the head chief of said village, and his wife (or one of his wives — I understand he has two wives). He has only one child and takes that with him. We took their baggage on board, and the chief, putting his arm round all the head men's necks of his nation who sat on shore — a number crying and appearing sorry to part with him — took his leave of them. We then set out and proceeded on. The wind was ahead. Camped on the south side.
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