Missouri River near Leavenworth area — John Ordway: July 1, 1804
The party set out after a court-martial punished two men for stealing whiskey from the stores; one sentry who got drunk on duty received 100 lashes on the bare back, the other 50. They passed Biscuit Creek on the south side and a sandbar covered for a mile with driftwood. The day was extremely hot, so they halted around noon for about three hours to rest. After passing several islands and noting high prairie to the south, they camped on the north bank after roughly 10 to 12 miles.
Creek which we call Bisquet Creek3 on the South Side of the
1 “after makeing some Arrangements and inflicting a little punishment
to two men we Set out.” Clark. The orderly-book record for this day reveals
what really lies behind these unostentatious entries. A court-martial, sitting
in judgment on two men guilty of purloining whisky from the general store,
sentenced one of them to receive 100, and the other 50, lashes on the “bear
Back.” The offense of the culprit who drew the heavier sentence was an ag-
gravated one — “getting drunk on his post this Morning out of Whiskey put
under his charge as a Sentinel” and suffering his fellow in misdoing to draw
whisky “out of the Said barrel.” The maintenance of discipline was, of course,
essential to the safety of the party and the success of the expedition. Even
so, Clark’s nonchalant characterization of the infliction of one hundred lashes
on the bare back as “a little punishment” is calculated to shock the sensi-
bilities of the twentieth-century reader. In no other way, perhaps, could the
extent to which custom and opinion with respect to the imposition of corporal
punishment have changed, during the century that has passed, be more strik-
ingly shown.
2 The Little Platte has changed its mouth materially since 1804. The M.
R. C. map shows the old mouth of the stream immediately above the town of
Parkville, and approximately ten miles, as stated by Ordway, above the Kan-
sas. The same map shows its present mouth near the town of Waldron, ten
miles higher up the Missouri. At or near this point was pitched the camp of
June 30.
3 So named, apparently, by Clark. Its mouth was near the present mouth
of the Little Platte: it is not shown on modern maps; probably its disappearance
1804] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 91
Missouris, we passed a Sand barr in the river which was covered
for a mile wide with Drift wood, the Day is exceding hot So we
Stoped at 12 oClock & Delayed about 3 hours to rest in the heat of
the day, high land on the South Side fine Bottom on the North
Side of Missouris, we came to a high prarie on the South Side,
we camped after comming about 10 or 12 miles, on the North Side
of the Missouris. passed Several Islands in course of the Day.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Creek which we call Bisquet Creek, on the south side of the Missouri. We passed a sandbar in the river which was covered for a mile wide with driftwood. The day is exceedingly hot, so we stopped at 12 o'clock and delayed about 3 hours to rest in the heat of the day. High land on the south side, fine bottom on the north side of the Missouri.
We came to a high prairie on the south side. We camped after coming about 10 or 12 miles, on the north side of the Missouri. Passed several islands in the course of the day.
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