Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: February 16, 1805
After a man went lame and turned back with some Indians, the party advanced about six miles to lodges where Gravelines' men had been robbed by Mandans the previous fall. Spotting smoke, they suspected an ambush, hid their horses, sled, and baggage in the bushes, and Captain Lewis split the men into two groups with a horn signal arranged for attack. They found the lodges abandoned 24 hours earlier, with two burned and their meat cache raided. They abandoned pursuit, turned to hunting, marched ten miles, and camped, with hunters bringing in two deer and a wolf.
got lame and turned back, the Indians all returned also, we pro-
ceeded on about 6 mh to where their was Some lodges where Mr
Gravelleens men was Robed last fall by some of the Mandanes.
when we came in Site we Saw a Smoak which we expected that
they were all their waiting for another oppertunity to S[t]eel more
horses or to attack us. we then went up the bank of the river a
considerable distance above the place in to the bushes, left the
horse, sled & baggage [and] even our blankets. Cap1 Lewis Sent
182 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Feb. 17
a Serg* with a part of the men a little back from the River with
orders to advance immadiately after hearing the horn Sound which
would be the Signal for us to fire in case of an attack. Cap* Lewis
went with the rest of the party down the bank of the River untill
we came to the lodges, where we found that they had left [the]
place 24 hours before that. & had set 2 of the largest lodges on fire
which caused the Smoak. I then Sounded the horn [and] the other
party came up, we found they had tore down the meat pen which
our men had built & left 2 Elk in it. they took the meat all away,
except a fiew small peaces of buffalow meat which they left in the
small lodge which they broiled, we found that they had left the
River here and took up a steep bluff in to the praries we con-
cluded not to follow them any further, but to turn in to hunting.
Some proceeded on down the River 4 men went down this
bottom to hunt, we marched about 10 miles and camped at the
upper end of a bottom on S.S. the hunters came up one of them
had killed a Deer which he brought in with him 2 or 3 men of the
hunters went out towards evening, one of them killed a deer &
a wolf.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
One man got lame and turned back, and the Indians all returned as well. We proceeded on about 6 miles to where there were some lodges, the place where Mr. Gravelleens' (Gravelines') men were robbed last fall by some of the Mandans. When we came in sight, we saw a smoke, which made us expect that they were all there waiting for another opportunity to steal more horses or to attack us. We then went up the bank of the river a considerable distance above the place into the bushes, and left the horse, sled, and baggage, and even our blankets.
Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) sent a Sergeant with part of the men a little back from the river, with orders to advance immediately after hearing the horn sound, which would be the signal for us to fire in case of an attack. Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) went with the rest of the party down the bank of the river until we came to the lodges, where we found that they had left the place 24 hours before, and had set 2 of the largest lodges on fire, which caused the smoke. I then sounded the horn, and the other party came up. We found they had torn down the meat pen which our men had built, and had left 2 elk in it. They took all the meat away, except a few small pieces of buffalo meat which they left in the small lodge, which they had broiled. We found that they had left the river here and gone up a steep bluff into the prairies. We concluded not to follow them any further, but to turn to hunting.
Some proceeded on down the river. 4 men went down this bottom to hunt. We marched about 10 miles and camped at the upper end of a bottom on the south side. The hunters came up; one of them had killed a deer, which he brought in with him. 2 or 3 of the hunters went out towards evening, and one of them killed a deer and a wolf.
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