Missouri River Breaks area — John Ordway: May 14, 1805
On a clear, unusually warm spring morning in present-day Montana, the expedition set off at sunrise, passing black bluffs, pine-covered hills, and large herds of buffalo. Captain Clark killed a buffalo at the midday halt. In the afternoon, six hunters wounded a large brown bear that chased them into the river and a canoe; it took eight balls before a head shot killed it. Around 5 o'clock, a sudden northwest gust struck the captains' white pirogue, nearly capsizing it before the crew got it ashore. They camped after 18 miles.
mocassons froze near the fire, a clear and pleasant morning,
we Set off at Sun rise, proceeded on passed the mouth of a creek
on N. S. passed black bluffs which make near the River on each
Side, high hills back from the river Some pitch pine on them.
Saw verry large gangs of buffaloe about 11 oClock we passed
the Mouth of a large creek on the s. s. called [blank in Ms.] we
212 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [May 14
proceeded on about 12 oC. it was verry warm or much warmer
than it has been before this Spring, we Saw Some banks of Snow
laying in the vallies at the N. S. of the hills, about one oClock
we halted to dine at a bottom on the s. s. Cap1 Clark killed a
buffaloe. about 3 oC. we proceeded on. Cap* Lewis and Cap*
Clark crossed the River where we Saw a large gang of buffaloe &
went on Shore ab1 4 oClock the men in the canoes Saw a large
brown bear on the hills on S. S. 6 men went out to kill it. they
fired at it and wounded it. it chased 2 of them into a canoe, and
another into the River and they Steady fireing at him. after
Shooting eight balls in his body Some of them through the lites
[lungs], he took the River and was near catching the Man he
chased in, but he went up against the Stream and the bear being
wounded could not git to him. one of the hunters Shot him in the
head which killed him dead, we got him to Shore with a canoe
and butchred him. we found him to be nearly the Same discrip-
tion of the first we killed only much larger, about 5 oClock the
white perogue of the Captains was Sailing a long, there came a
violent gust of wind from the N. W. which was to the contrary
to the course they were Sailing, it took the Sail and before they
had time to douse it it turned the perogue down on one Side So
that she filled with water, and would have turned over had it not
been for the oarning [awning] which prevented it with much a
diew they got the Sail in and got the [pirogue] to Shore and un-
loaded hir at a bottom where we camped on N. S.1 came 18|
miles this day one man wounded another b. bear.
1 Today’s camp was in Valley County about midway between Big Dry
Creek and Musselshell River. The distance between these streams as shown
on the M. R. C. map is 121 miles. Lewis and Clark’s reckoning made the distance
138 miles, and that of today’s camp above Big Dry Creek seventy-two miles.
Ordway’s narrative of the two chief events of the day is tame and perfunctory
in comparison with that of Lewis. A more stirring bear story would be difficult
to find, while the accident to the pirogue, threatening a far graver peril to the
expedition than the charge of the wounded grizzly, was accompanied by inci-
dents equally thrilling. The picture of the incompetent steersman, Charbon-
neau, “crying to his god for mercy”; of the cool and resolute bearing of Cruzatte,
threatening to shoot him instantly “if he did not lake hold of the rudder and do
his duty”; of heroic Sacajawea calmly reaching out for the articles from the boat
as they floated away, the while grim Death was reaching out after herself and
her infant son; finally the emotions of the leader as from a distance he help-
lessly gazed upon the impending tragedy, will not easily be forgotten by the
reader. No wonder, when all had ended happily, it was deemed “a proper
occasion to console ourselves and cheer the sperits of our men” with a dram of
ardent “sperits.”
1805] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 213
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Moccasins froze near the fire. A clear and pleasant morning. We set off at sunrise and proceeded on, passing the mouth of a creek on the north side. We passed black bluffs which come close to the river on each side, with high hills back from the river and some pitch pine on them. We saw very large herds of buffalo. About 11 o'clock we passed the mouth of a large creek on the south side called [blank in manuscript]. We proceeded on, and about 12 o'clock it was very warm — much warmer than it has been before this spring. We saw some banks of snow laying in the valleys on the north side of the hills.
About one o'clock we halted to dine at a bottom on the south side. Capt Clark (Capt. Clark) killed a buffalo. About 3 o'clock we proceeded on. Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) and Capt Clark (Capt. Clark) crossed the river where we saw a large herd of buffalo and went on shore. About 4 o'clock the men in the canoes saw a large brown bear on the hills on the south side. Six men went out to kill it. They fired at it and wounded it. It chased two of them into a canoe, and another into the river, and they kept steadily firing at him. After shooting eight balls into his body, some of them through the lights [lungs], he took to the river and was near catching the man he chased in, but the man went up against the stream and the bear, being wounded, could not get to him. One of the hunters shot him in the head, which killed him dead. We got him to shore with a canoe and butchered him. We found him to be nearly the same description as the first one we killed, only much larger.
About 5 o'clock the white pirogue of the captains was sailing along when there came a violent gust of wind from the northwest, which was contrary to the course they were sailing. It took the sail, and before they had time to douse it, it turned the pirogue down on one side so that she filled with water, and would have turned over had it not been for the awning, which prevented it. With much ado they got the sail in and got the pirogue to shore and unloaded her at a bottom where we camped on the north side. Came 18½ miles this day. One man wounded another brown bear.
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