Missouri River near Platte River mouth — John Ordway: July 15, 1804
The party traveled along the Missouri River with Drouillard and Sergeant Floyd scouting on shore in the morning. After breakfast, Ordway accompanied Captain Clark on the south side, where they spotted elk sign, crossed Faun Creek, and walked over ridges through high prairies. They drank at a spring they named Cherry Run, climbed a ridge with sweeping views, and reached the Nemaha Creek (Little Nemaha River), about 30 yards wide. They crossed and camped at a point. The flanking horse party did not rejoin them. Joseph Fields killed a deer, and ripe grapes were plentiful.
untill 7 oClock, Drewyer & Sg* Floyd went on Shore, we proceded
on till Breakfast after [breakfast] I went on Shore with Cap*
Clark on the South Side we Saw fresh Sign on [the] bank of
Elk crossed a creek named faun Creek which came in on the
South Side of Missouris we walked on over a Ridge came to
high large praries & hills, we walked on found Some cherries near
a handsome Spring River named cherry Run2 at which we drank
at the forks then followed it or one branch to the head which came
out of a ridige which joines the praries, and went up on a high R.
Ridge of prarie where we could See all around for a long distance
in the open praries or as far as our eyes could behold, and on the
opposite Side of the Missouris we saw a large & extensive prarie
which looked verry handsome, we walked along the hill
prarie came to a large Creek called ne-ma-haw Creek3 which is
about 30 yds wide we delayed their till the boat came in Site
then crossed & went on to a point where the Boat came & camped,
the flanking party who were with the horses did not join us this
1 Modern Nishnabotna River, which drains a considerable portion of south-
western Iowa and the western part of Atchison County, Mo.
2 The morning walk was taken in southeastern Nemaha County, Nebr.
Clark says of it that “three butifull Streems of running water” were crossed;
and the State Railway Commission map of 1907 shows three creeks (unnamed)
in the region in question. Two of these are evidently Ordway’s Faun Creek
and Cherry Run.
3 Modern Little Nemaha River; to be distinguished from Grand or Great
Nemaha, already passed. It flows through Otoe and Nemaha counties, and
joins the Missouri just below Nemaha City.
98 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [July 16
night, J° Fields went out on the North Side & killed a Deer, we
found plenty of ripe grapes along the Bottoms.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Until 7 o'clock, Drewyer and Sergeant Floyd (Sgt. Floyd) went on shore. We proceeded on until breakfast. After breakfast I went on shore with Capt Clark (Capt. Clark) on the south side. We saw fresh sign on the bank of elk. We crossed a creek named Faun Creek, which came in on the south side of the Missouri. We walked on over a ridge and came to high, large prairies and hills. We walked on and found some cherries near a handsome spring river named Cherry Run, at which we drank at the forks. We then followed it, or one branch, to the head, which came out of a ridge that joins the prairies, and we went up on a high ridge of prairie where we could see all around for a long distance in the open prairies, or as far as our eyes could behold. On the opposite side of the Missouri we saw a large and extensive prairie which looked very handsome.
We walked along the hill prairie and came to a large creek called Ne-ma-haw Creek, which is about 30 yards wide. We delayed there till the boat came in sight, then crossed and went on to a point where the boat came, and camped. The flanking party who were with the horses did not join us this night. Jo. Fields went out on the north side and killed a deer. We found plenty of ripe grapes along the bottoms.
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