Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — John Ordway: October 15, 1804

Set off eairly. passd a Timbred bottom where we Saw Some
Indians, at 7 oC. we met a hunting party of the Rickarees
comming down the river returning to their village, they had 12
Cannoes made of Buffalow hides loaded with excelent fat meat,
we halted with them about 2 hours, they Gave us Some of their
fat meat to carry with us & Gave us Some that they cooked to eat.
we Smoaked with them, their party consisted of men women &
children our officers Gave them in return Some fish hooks Beeds
&.C. we proceeded on passed Barron hills on the South Side
of the River at 10 oC. we passed another hunting party who
were Encamped in a timbred bottom on S.S. passed a hand-
some Bottom prarie & the Mouth of a creek where their was an
Creek on other recent maps. It is in Corson County, S. Dak., just below the
northern boundary of the state.
1 Newman’s punishment presents several aspects of unusual interest. To
the least detail the setting of the grim wilderness tragedy satisfies the sense of
dramatic propriety. The prompt trial and conviction by a jury of his peers;
the stern sentence imposed, of which the infliction of seventy-five lashes may
be accounted far the lesser part; the noonday halt on the lonely sand bar in
the dreary October rain for the discharge of the disagreeable duty, to the end
that discipline might be maintained and the safety of the expedition conserved;
the manly course of the culprit who strove through weary months to atone for
his fault and win from his grim commanders remission of his sentence of dis-
missal; finally, the lofty sense of duty and justice displayed by Lewis, who
while himself refusing to abate in the slightest degree the punishment decreed,
yet, the expedition safely over, warmly recommended Newman to the clemency
of his superiors (see for the latter his letter to the secretary of war, Jan. 15,
1807, printed in Thwaites, VII, 355-57). The silence of the journals of New-
man’s comrades concerning his disgrace is no less eloquent. Two of them,
Gass and Ordway, were members of the court that sentenced him. Yet Ord-
way barely mentions the facts that a court-martial was held and punishment
inflicted, while Gass is even less communicative. The Arikara chief who was
present was affected at sight of the punishment to the point of weeping; yet
Whitehouse, the one other comrade of Newman whose journal we have, con-
cludes his perfunctory 2 line entry for the day, concerning the weather and
the rate of progress of the expedition, with the quiet commonplace, “nothing
else extraordinary hapened this day.” The silence of Gass and Ordway, to-
gether with this remarkable statement of Whitehouse, constitutes by no means
the least interesting phase of the affair.
‘ On the south side according to Clark. Camp was about five miles above
the state line, either in Emmons or Morton County, N. Dak.
154 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Oct. 16
old village Some years ago of the Chian Nation on S.S. we
proceeded on. passed timbred bottoms on each Side of the River
we Saw a nomber of Indians on the Shore on N.S. passd a creek
on s.s. at Sunset we Camped on N.S. at a hunting Camp of the
R.Ree nation, their was ab* 30 men & a nomber of women &
children at this Camp, they treated us in the Same manner as the
rest of their nation did. the Greatest Curiousity to them was York
Cap4 Clarks Black Man. all the nation made a great deal of him
the children would follow after him, & if he turned towards them
they would run from him & hollow as if they were terrefied, &
afraid of him.