Lewis/Clark descending Missouri/Yellowstone to reunion — John Ordway: July 28, 1806

Howard killed two deer, we proceeded on as usal about 9 A. M.
we discovred on a high bank a head Cap* Lewis & the three men
who went with him on horse back comming towards us on N. Side
we came too Shore and fired the Swivell to Salute him & party
we Saluted them also with Small arms and were rejoiced to See
them &C. Cap* Lewis took us all by the hand, and informed us
that they had good Sucksess in going to their journeys end and
crossd a number of branches & forks of Marriohs River and fol-
low11 up a North fork to Latitude [blank in Ms.]1 got his ob-
servations for the Lat but the cloudy weather prevented him from
gitting the Longitude &C. but found it was not much difference
from the Mouth of Morriah they then Set off on their return the
day before yesterday and met with eight of the Grousevauntares
Indians with bows & arrows and 2 guns, they at first appeared
afraid but after a little wrode up and Shook hands with Cap*
Lewis & party and appeared friendly & they desired Cap* Lewis
to go with them to their Nation which they said was under the
blanket Mountn Some distance about 2 days march, but Cap*
Lewis told them that he could not wait but desired them to come
down to the Mouth of Morriah promiseing them the horse if they
would comply but they were afraid of being killed v”by us. they
had upwards of 20 horses but they were ordinary ones or the
most of them, they Camped2 with Cap* Lewis & men as they
expected they were friends, though Cap* Lewis had a watch up
all night, and at day break yesterday morning the eight Savages
Seased all our mens guns and Cap* Lewises also, they Instantly
Sprung up out of their Sleep and Ruben Fields chased an Indian
who Cap* Lewis had made a chief gave him a meddle last evening
1 Wheeler (II, 303) locales this point, where Lewis remained encamped three
davs in the hope of obtaining an observation to determine his position, “on
the Cutbank Fork of Marias River, very close to the in1″ meridian.” It
was in Teton County, eight or ten miles northwest of Blackfoot, a station on
the (‘.real Northern Railway. Because the state of the weather prevented
the desired observations Lewis named the place, Camp Disappointment.
2 The she of this camp, and of the battle of the following morning, was on
Two Medicine River about four miles below the month of Badger Creek.
1806] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 383
& he was running of[f] with R. Fields and his brothers J° Fields
Guns. Reuben overhalled him [and] caught hold of the 2 guns
had his knife drawn & as he Snatched away the guns perced his
knife in to the Indians heart he drew but one breath the wind of
his breath followed the knife & he fell dead they all Seased their
arms from the Indians and took one of the Indn guns and all their
bows and arrows and their Shields which they were [wear] on
their backs at war. they then went at running after our horses
Cap* Lewis wounded one more badly but the Indn partly raised
and fired back at him but missed him. they cleared out with
Some of our horses and Some of theirs, though Cap* Lewis took
as many as he wanted of theirs and left the rest & made all haste
towards us and had wrode 100 and 20 miles Since yesterday
morning, and [was] much fatigued and turned out the horses in
the plain & threw the Saddles in the River & came on board the
canoes, then we proced on with as much Speed as possable. Soon
overtook the 2 hunters who had killed Several Elk a buffaloe
& one beaver, we now keep to gether and are concerned about
Serg* Gass & willard who went down by land, about 1 P. M.
we arived at the forks of Morriah opened the carshes found all
except 4 Steel traps which were put in a carsh by themselves &
we could not find the place. Some beaver skin and Robes &c.
Spoiled, the other articles all Safe and dry &C. Serg* Gass and
willard joined us with the horses, we left the horses here crossed
to the N. Side found the red perogue Safe but too Rotten to take
down. So we took some of the nailes out of hir and Set out.
Serg* Gass & Willard had killed Several buffaloe and 7 antelopes
as they came down from the falls by land, we Soon had a hard
Shower of rain & large hail. Some larger than a musket Ball
Thunder and high winds a head but we procd on untill evening and
Camped on South Side1 and kept a Strict guard. Collins killed a
buffaloe. we got the best of the meat of it. late in the evening
we had a Shower of rain which lasted about a hour.