Rapid descent of Missouri, 70-80 miles/day — John Ordway: August 28, 1806
The expedition continued downriver and around 11 a.m. reached Pleasant Camp, the site of their September 16-17, 1804 encampment, located about three and a half miles below present-day Chamberlain in what is now South Dakota. The spot had earned its name from abundant game and ripe plums and grapes. Several hunters set out, while other men dressed deer and goat skins to make clothing. The hunters returned in the evening with two buffalo, three deer, a porcupine, and several barking squirrels. Mosquitoes were troublesome, and the party gathered a large quantity of ripe plums.
and procd on about 11 oClock A. M. we arived at pleasant Camp
where we Camped about 20 of Sep* 1804. 4 we Camped here to
the camp of Oct. 1, 1804. Today’s camp was in Armstrong County, S. Dak.,
some fifteen miles above the mouth of Cheyenne River.
1 Clark says today’s camp was “below” the camp of Sept. 29, 1804. The
latter was in Stanley County, S. Dak., 3| miles above Chantier Creek. To-
day’s camp was on the opposite side of the river, in Hughes County, a little
below the mouth of Chantier Creek.
2 The camp was ten miles below the fort, according to Clark, and opposite
the encampment of Sept. 21, 1804. The site of the latter was in Lyman County,
\ miles above the mouth of Medicine Creek.
3 Having passed around Grand Bend during the day’s journey; camp was on
“the lower Isld of the Big bend below the Gouge.” Clark.
4 Today’s camp was on the site of the encampment of Sept. 16 and 17, 1804,
about 3A miles below the city of Chamberlain. We now learn from all three
of the journals still being kept (those of Clark, Gass, and Ordway; the painful-
ness of his wound had caused Lewis to terminate his journal at the time he
rejoined Clark’s party, on August 12) that the place had been designated Pleas-
ant Camp by the party. Clark gives the reason — the great abundance of game,
“aded to which there was a great abundance of the most delicious plumbs and
grapes.”
394 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Aug. 29
hunt. Several hunters went out. we gathered an emence Site
of plumbs which are now ripe and good. Several of the men went
at dressing deer and goat skins to make themselves cloaths &C.
&C. in the evening our hunters returnd had killed 2 buffaloe
three deer one porcupine and Several bearking Squerrells the
Musquetoes troublesome &C.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
And proceeded on. About 11 o'clock A.M. we arrived at Pleasant Camp, where we camped about the 20th of September 1804. We camped here to hunt. Several hunters went out. We gathered an immense quantity of plums, which are now ripe and good. Several of the men went to dressing deer and goat skins to make themselves clothes, etc., etc. In the evening our hunters returned, having killed 2 buffalo, three deer, one porcupine, and several barking squirrels. The mosquitoes were troublesome, etc.
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