Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 9, 1805
A blustery, bitterly cold afternoon kept the expedition members close to the fort. Several Indigenous hunters returned in the evening with horses loaded with buffalo meat, but reported that two young men had frozen to death on the prairie and others were still missing. A young Indian arrived at the garrison with frostbitten feet. Two expedition men had gone hunting that morning and become separated; only one returned, badly chilled, leaving the party fearing the other would freeze overnight. Several Indigenous visitors stayed in the fort through the night.
after part of the day blustry and exceeding cold a nomber of the
Savages out hunting the Buffalo & came in towards evening with
their horses loaded with meat and told us that two of their young
men was froze to death in the prarie [and] that Several of the
natives were missing. 2 of our party went out a hunting this
morning; they got parted from each other & one of them returned
in the evening, had Suffered considerable with the cold, we
expected nothing else but the other man had froze or would
freeze this night, a young Indian came came in the Garrison with his
feet frost bit. Several of the Savages Stayed in the fort all night.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
The latter part of the day was blustery and exceedingly cold. A number of the Indians were out hunting the buffalo and came in toward evening with their horses loaded with meat. They told us that two of their young men had frozen to death on the prairie, and that several of the natives were missing.
Two of our party went out hunting this morning; they got separated from each other, and one of them returned in the evening, having suffered considerably from the cold. We expected nothing else but that the other man had frozen, or would freeze, this night.
A young Indian came into the garrison with his feet frostbitten. Several of the Indians stayed in the fort all night.
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