Missouri River near Porcupine River — John Ordway: May 3, 1805
The expedition set out around 7 a.m. in bitterly cold weather, with standing water frozen over, ice forming on their poles, hard frost from the night before, and snow on the ground. A strong west wind rose around 1 p.m. Captain Clark, traveling overland, joined the party at their dinner halt with an elk he had killed. The men collected three eggs from a goose nest and shot a beaver, noting unusually abundant beaver sign. They saw many buffalo, passed timbered bottoms and two creeks, and camped after dark on the north side after 20 miles.
off about 7 oClock, & proceeded on. Saw the Standing water
froze over the Ice froze to oar poles as we poled where the sun
Shined on us. a hard white frost last night, the ground covered
with Snow, the wind rose high from the W. about one o. C.
Cap1 Clark Came to us where we halted to dine had killed an
Elk, as he had been by land Since morning this place where he
killed the Elk is in a bottom covered with c. w. timber, we found
a goose nest a little below this on some drift wood, we took 3
eggs out of it. one man went along the bank of the River a fiew
minutes and killed a beaver, we have Sawn Great Sign of beaver
for several days but more this day than usal. the wind verry
high & cold, we proceeded on. Saw a nomber of buffaloe on the
ridges and in the plains, passed large bottoms of timber, & plains
on each side but no high hills, passed a creek on the s. s. Came
20 miles and Camped in a bottom on the N. S. after dark, had
passed a large creek on the N. S. which is two thousand miles
from the mouth of the M. 2000 ml8 creek.2
1 In Sheridan County, fifteen miles below the mouth of Poplar River.
2 Ordway confuses (he two streams passed during the day. The north-
side stream, to which the name Porcupine River was given, is modern
Poplar River. It rises in Saskatchewan and Hows across Sheridan County.
The south-side stream was given the name Two Thousand Mile Creek, from its
supposed distance above the mouth of the Missouri. It is modern Red Water
Creek, in Dawson County, joining the Missouri about two miles above the mouth
of Poplar River. Today’s camp was in Sheridan County, 3£ miles above the
mouth of Poplar River. By the M. R. C. map measurements Two Thousand
Mile Creek is 1,
1805] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 207
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Off about 7 o'clock, and proceeded on. Saw the standing water frozen over. The ice froze to our poles as we poled where the sun shined on us. There was a hard white frost last night, and the ground was covered with snow. The wind rose high from the west about one o'clock. Capt Clark (Capt. Clark) came to us where we halted to dine, having killed an elk, as he had been traveling by land since morning. The place where he killed the elk is in a bottom covered with cottonwood timber. We found a goose nest a little below this on some driftwood, and we took 3 eggs out of it. One man went along the bank of the river for a few minutes and killed a beaver. We have seen great sign of beaver for several days, but more this day than usual. The wind was very high and cold, and we proceeded on. Saw a number of buffalo on the ridges and in the plains. Passed large bottoms of timber and plains on each side, but no high hills. Passed a creek on the south side. Came 20 miles and camped in a bottom on the north side after dark. Had passed a large creek on the north side, which is two thousand miles from the mouth of the Missouri — 2000 Mile Creek.
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