Marias River decision camp — John Ordway: June 5, 1805
Cold, cloudy, windy weather persisted as the expedition remained camped at the river forks. Men dressed skins for moccasins and leggings, while Goodrich caught fish including catfish and shellfish. On June 6, hunters brought in buffalo, deer, antelope, and elk. Captain Clark returned from a 40-mile scout up the south fork, recommending it as the best route, and reported Joseph Fields narrowly escaping a grizzly bear attack when his gun misfired. Captain Lewis had not yet returned. Rain on June 7 likely delayed Lewis's party further.
all last night a Cloudy Cold windy morning, one beaver caught
last night, the men engaged Dressing Skins for to make them-
selves moccasons leggins &.C. one man by the name of Goodrich
has caught a considerable quantity of fish. Some of which are
Shell fish, but the most part are Small cat fish, we have caught
none as large this Season as we did last as yet, as we have a great
pleanty of meat we do not trouble ourselves for to^catch fish.
June 6th Thursday 1805. a Cloudy cold morning. The wind
high from the north. Some of the men went a Short distance
from Camp and killed 2 buffalow 1 mule deer 1 common deer 2
antilopes & a fat Elk. about 2 oClock P. M. Cap* Clark and his
1 The serious nature of the problem which had arisen can hardly be stated
better than in Lewis’ own words: “An interesting question was now to
be. determined; which of these rivers was the Missouri, or that river
which the Minnetares call Amahte Arz-zha or Missouri, and which they
had discribed to us as approaching very near to the Columbia river, to
mistake the stream at this period of the season, two months of the.
traveling season having now elapsed, and to ascend such stream to the
rocky Mountain or perhaps much further before we could inform ourselves
whether it did approach the Columbia or not, and then be obliged to return
and take the other stream would not only loose us the whole of this season but
would probably so dishearten the party that it might defeat the expedition
altogether, convinced we were that the utmost circumspection and caution
was necessary in deciding on the stream to be taken.”
1805] SERGEANT ORD WAY’S JOURNAL 227
party returned to Camp had been about 40 miles up the South
fork & Cap* Clark thinks it will be the best course for us to go.
they Saw a beautiful Spring about eight miles up the South fork
from this place where they refreshed themselves with a drink of
grog as they had a canteen of old Spirits with them, the middle
river is only about 200 yards across from the South fork, at the
Spring, they Saw but little game on the South fork, but returned
back on the middle fork, where they found abundance of Elk Deer
buffalow antilopes & wolves, they Saw Several brown or yallow
bear also one of the men by the [name] of Jo8 Fields was attracted
[attacked] by an old hea bear & his gun missed fire and he was in
danger of being killed by that venimous animel had the rest of
the party not been in hearing, who fired at him and he turned his
course and left the man.1 they killed three bear & eat a part of
one of them, they killed on the little R. a nomber of fat Elk
Deer &.C. &.C. the bottoms on the little river is like those below
the forks, a considerable of a kind of cotton wood which has a leaf
like the leaf of a cherry, we [they] Saw wild tanzey in these bot-
toms, nothing groes in the high plains but Short grass and prickley
pears, they Saw a large Mountain to the South of them covred
with Snow, which was but a Short distance from where they
turned back, a light Sprinkling of rain this afternoon. Cap*
Lewis and his party has not returned this evening. Cap* Clark
revived the party with a Dram.
June 7th Friday 1805. rained all last night, a rainy cold morn-
ing the wind N. W. Some men went out a hunting, & killed two
Deer, rained moderately all day. Cap* Lewis and his party did
not return this evening we expect the reason is owing to the
badness of the weather as it is muddy & Slippery walking.2
1 The adventure of Fields with the grizzly, which occurred June 4, is de-
scribed more fully by Clark. The predicament of Fields was a tight one in
several respects. His gun could not be fired because the powder was wet;
although his companions were in full view an intervening cliff prevented them
from coming to the rescue; and the grizzly was “so near that it struck his foot.”
2 This surmise was correct only in part. Lewis had made a longer excur-
sion than had been contemplated; while his progress had been delayed, also,
for the reason suggested by Ordway. The “Slippery walking” was, in fact,
responsible for one of the most thrilling incidents of the entire expedition.
In passing along the face of a bluff (June 7) Lewis slipped at a narrow pass
about thirty yards in length, and only the use of his espontoon saved him from
being precipitated over the cliff into the river ninety feet below. He had
scarcely reached a spot where he could stand without the aid of his espontoon,
when Windsor, who was behind him, cried out, “Great God I Captain, what
228 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [June 8
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It rained all last night. It was a cloudy, cold, windy morning. One beaver was caught last night. The men were busy dressing skins to make themselves moccasins, leggings, etc. One man, by the name of Goodrich, has caught a considerable quantity of fish. Some of these are shellfish, but most are small catfish. We have caught none as large this season as we did last year so far. Since we have a great plenty of meat, we do not trouble ourselves to catch fish.
June 6th, Thursday, 1805. A cloudy, cold morning. The wind was high from the north. Some of the men went a short distance from camp and killed 2 buffalo, 1 mule deer, 1 common deer, 2 antelope, and a fat elk. About 2 o'clock P.M., Capt Clark (Capt. Clark) and his party returned to camp. They had been about 40 miles up the south fork, and Capt Clark thinks it will be the best course for us to take. They saw a beautiful spring about eight miles up the south fork from this place, where they refreshed themselves with a drink of grog, as they had a canteen of old spirits with them. The middle river is only about 200 yards across from the south fork at the spring. They saw little game on the south fork, but on returning back on the middle fork they found abundance of elk, deer, buffalo, antelope, and wolves. They saw several brown or yellow bears. Also, one of the men, by the name of Jos. Fields, was attacked by an old he-bear, and his gun missed fire, and he was in danger of being killed by that venomous animal had the rest of the party not been within hearing. They fired at the bear, and it turned its course and left the man. They killed three bears and ate a part of one of them. On the little river, they killed a number of fat elk, deer, etc., etc. The bottoms on the little river are like those below the forks, with a considerable amount of a kind of cottonwood which has a leaf like the leaf of a cherry. They saw wild tansy in these bottoms. Nothing grows in the high plains but short grass and prickly pears. They saw a large mountain to the south of them covered with snow, which was but a short distance from where they turned back. There was a light sprinkling of rain this afternoon. Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) and his party have not returned this evening. Capt Clark revived the party with a dram.
June 7th, Friday, 1805. It rained all last night. It was a rainy, cold morning, with the wind from the N.W. Some men went out hunting and killed two deer. It rained moderately all day. Capt Lewis and his party did not return this evening. We expect the reason is owing to the badness of the weather, as it is muddy and slippery walking.
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