Council Bluffs, Iowa (first council site) — John Ordway: July 31, 1804
At the camp in southeastern Washington County, Nebraska (near the future site of Fort Calhoun), Fields returned without the missing horses and set out again with two men to search. George Drouillard killed a fat buck and trapped a young beaver alive, hoping to tame it. Sergeant Floyd, sick for several days, was beginning to recover. The party waited for the expected Oto Indians, who had not yet arrived, likely because they were scattered hunting. Ordway also described the surrounding terrain of sandbars, cottonwoods, prairie, and the winding Missouri River.
Fields did not Return with the horses last night, they returned
this morning with out them & Set out with 2 more men to hunt
1 Corruption of blaireau, the French name for the badger.
2 Not to be confused with modern Council Bluffs, Iowa, some fifteen miles
south of this point; the camp was located in southeastern Washington County,
Nebr. At a later time Fort Calhoun was built near here.
104 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Aug. 1
them George Drewyer killed a fat Buck this morning & caught
a young Beaver in a trap last night which he keeps in order to
tame (which is easy to do a nomber traps set in the evening
on the opposite Side on a point, where their is a verry large
Sand bar back of the bar is a young Groth of cotten wood and
back of that a bottom prarie which extends back to the Ridge
which appears to be about 4 or 5 miles back from this River,
the Missouri is verry crooked courses on one Side or the other
all the way from the Great River Platte, but the current not so
Swift as below. Sergeant Floyd has been sick several days but
now is Gitting Some better, we expected the Zotteau nation
of Indians to day & the man which went for them but they did
not come. The reason is as we expect that they were So much
Scatred hunting that it takes some time for them to Git ready
but we wait for them.
August 1st 1804. Wednesday, a fair morning. 2 men out
hunting the Horses not found. 1 large bever caught last night in
G. Drewyers trap. Drewyer went to hunt for the Horses. Shields
went out a short time and killed & brought in a Deer; the wind
from S. E. J° Fields killed & brought in a Deer. George
Gibson killed a fat Buck brought in the Skin & Tallow & some
of the meat &. C.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Fields did not return with the horses last night. They returned this morning without them and set out with 2 more men to hunt them. George Drewyer (Drouillard) killed a fat buck this morning and caught a young beaver in a trap last night, which he keeps in order to tame (which is easy to do). A number of traps were set in the evening on the opposite side on a point, where there is a very large sandbar. Back of the bar is a young growth of cottonwood, and back of that a bottom prairie which extends back to the ridge, which appears to be about 4 or 5 miles back from this river. The Missouri is very crooked, with courses on one side or the other all the way from the Great River Platte, but the current is not as swift as below. Sergeant Floyd has been sick several days but is now getting somewhat better. We expected the Zotteau (Otoe) nation of Indians today, along with the man who went for them, but they did not come. The reason, as we expect, is that they were so scattered hunting that it takes some time for them to get ready, but we wait for them.
August 1st 1804. Wednesday, a fair morning. 2 men out hunting; the horses not found. 1 large beaver caught last night in G. Drewyer's (Drouillard's) trap. Drewyer went to hunt for the horses. Shields went out a short time and killed and brought in a deer; the wind from S.E. J. Fields killed and brought in a deer. George Gibson killed a fat buck and brought in the skin, tallow, and some of the meat, etc.
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