Marias River decision camp — John Ordway: June 11, 1805
Captain Lewis set out with George Drouillard, George Gibson, Joseph Fields, and Silas Goodrich toward the snowy southern mountains to determine which fork was the true Missouri River. The main party cached supplies on the high land, including kegs of powder, flour, pork, and parched meal, plus tools, bear skins, beaver pelts, buffalo robes, and other heavy items. Blacksmiths finished repairing the arms, and the group readied to ascend the south fork. Winds were strong from the southwest, then northwest, turning cold at night. The men had caught many small fish, including an unfamiliar flat species.
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.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
At [blank] o'clock Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis), George Drewyer (George Drouillard), G. Gibson, Jo. Fields, and Silas Goodrich set out for the snowy south mountains. We buried on the high land 1 keg of powder, 1 bar of lead, 1 keg of flour, 1 keg of pork, 2 kegs of parched meal, the bellows and tools, auger, planes, saws, axes, tin cups, dutch ovens, bear skins, packs of beaver skins, buffalo robes, and a number of other articles, all of weight, such as rams' horns, etc.
The blacksmiths completed repairing the arms, etc. We completed burying the articles, etc., and got in readiness to ascend the south fork. The wind was from the southwest, hard. The evening was fair and fine, with wind from the northwest. After night it became cold, with high wind. We have caught a considerable quantity of small fish since we lay at the forks, one kind being a flat scaled fish that we never saw the kind of before.
This modernization is AI-generated for accessibility. The original above is the authoritative version.
Entities mentioned in this entry
Auto-extracted from the entry text. Hover any entity for context.
