Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — John Ordway: July 27, 1804
The expedition's horses swam across the river, and the party set out under sail around one o'clock, traveling about 15 miles past high wooded land on the south side and prairies on the north. Shannon killed a deer, and signs of elk were spotted in the evening, prompting Captain Clark to hunt onshore. After navigating sandbars on the very crooked river, they camped on a high prairie on the south side, near present-day Omaha. The two men with the horses did not rejoin the group that night.
Horses Swam over the River. We Set out under Sail about one
oClock proceeded on verry well passed along high wood land
on the South Side & praries on the N. Side hills 2 miles back of
those low bottom praries. Shannon killed one Deer today,
towards evening we Saw Sign of Elk on the South Side Cap’
Clark went out to hunt on Shore little above we passed along a
prarie on S. S. We passed many Sand bars, the River verry
crooked, we came about 15 miles & and Camped on the bank of a
high handsome prarie on the S. S.2 Some lofty Cotton wood in
1 Here the party went into camp for several days in order to hold a council
with the Oto Indians on the lower Platte, “to let them know of the Change of
Government the wishes of our government to Cultivate friendship with them,
the Objects of our journy and to present them with a flag and Some Small
presents.” Clark. Clark states that the day’s journey was one of ten miles,
which would place the camp a mile above the old mouth of Mosquito Creek and
fourteen miles below the Union Pacific Railway bridge across the Missouri at
Omaha.
2 On the site of Omaha. Coues mistakenly states that the expedition was
already past the sites of Omaha and Council Bluffs.
102 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [July 28
Groves along this bank the 2 men which were with the Horses
did not join us to night.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Horses swam across the river. We set out under sail about one o'clock and proceeded on very well. We passed along high wooded land on the south side and prairies on the north side, with hills two miles back of those low bottom prairies. Shannon killed one deer today. Toward evening we saw signs of elk on the south side. Capt Clark (Capt. Clark) went out to hunt on shore. A little above, we passed along a prairie on the south side. We passed many sand bars, the river being very crooked. We came about 15 miles and camped on the bank of a high, handsome prairie on the south side. There is some tall cottonwood in groves along this bank. The two men who were with the horses did not join us tonight.
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