Marias River decision camp — John Ordway: June 11, 1805

oClock Cap1 Lewis, George Drewyer G. Gibson Jo8 Fields & Silas
Goodrich Set out for the Snowey So[u]th Mountains, we burryed
on the high land 1 keg of powder 1 bar led. 1 keg flour. 1 keg
pork 2 kegs parchd meal the bellows & tolls, augur plains, Saws
axes tin cups dutch ovens, bear Skins packs of beaver Skins buf-
falow Robes, & a nomber of other articles, all of weight such as
1 This was done because of the uncertainty as to which of the two forks was
the continuation of the Missouri River proper, and the desire to determine the
point as soon as possible. With the exception of Lewis and Clark, the party
to a man believed the Marias to be the main river, and the one, therefore, which
should be ascended. The Indians at Fort Mandan had told of the falls on
the upper Missouri, and Lewis intended to hasten on in advance until he came
either to them or to the “Snowy mountains.” The discovery of the former
would determine they were on the right stream; of the latter, that they were
ascending the wrong one.
230 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [June 12
Rams horns &.C. The blacksmiths compleated repaering the
arms &.C. we Compleated hurrying the articles &.C. [and] got in
readiness to assend the South fork, the wind from the S. West
hard the evening fair & fine wind from the N. W. after night
became cold, high wind we have caught a considerable quan-
tity of Small fish Since we lay at the forks, one kind of flat Scalled
fish that we never Saw the kind before.