Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — John Ordway: October 18, 1804
After a frosty night, the expedition set off early with hunters on both banks. Two miles on, they met a canoe carrying two French hunters who had been robbed of guns, ammunition, an axe, and 30 beaver skins by a Mandan hunting party; the men turned back hoping the expedition could help recover their goods. The party passed the mouth of the Cannon Ball River and a sandstone bluff with round, cannonball-shaped stones, taking one aboard for an anchor. After roughly 16 miles they camped on a sandbar; hunters brought in six deer, four goats, three elk, an elk, and a pelican.
froze Some last night, we Set off eairly. one man out hunting on
each Side of the River, we proceeded on 2 miles met a cannoe
coming down the River which belonged to the frenchman we had
on board Mr Gravelleen. their was 2 frenchman in the cannoe who
had been a hunting up to the Manden nation and was Robed by a
hunting party of the Mandens. they took their Guns & amunition
&.C. axe & 30 beaver Skins & all they had So they were obledged
to turn back but when they met us they turned about in hopes we
Should See them & make them Give up all they had taken from
them, we proceeded on2 men went out hunting on N.S. the
man who Stayed out last night joined us. had killed 2 fat Goats,
we proceeded on passed the mouth of Cannon Ball River3 on
S.S. about 100 yds wide passed Sand Stone Bluff on the Same
Side ab° the River where we found round Stone in the form of
cannon balls. Some of them verry large we took one of them
on Board to answer for an anker, one of our hunters joined us
here had killed an Elk & a pillican. we Saw large flocks of Goats
1 In Emmons County, three miles below the mouth of Cannon Ball River.
* At this point in the manuscript the following was written and afterward
crossed out: “passed a Sand Stone Bluff on the S. S. one of our [men] came on
board had killed an Elk & a pillican.”
3 The river takes its name from the circumstance noted by Ordway in the
next sentence. It is a considerable stream with two main forks, and flows in
a general easterly direction to its junction with the Missouri.
156 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Oct. 19
& Buffaloe on N.S. proceeded on passed a creek1 on N.S.
Timbred Bottoms the most of the day on Each Side of the River.
Roed & poled about 16 Miles & Camped on a large Sand beach
on the S. S.2 our hunters all joined us had killed Six Deer 4
Goats & 3 Elk we Got all the Meat except 2 of the Elk which
was too late to find them, the most of the Meat was verry fat.
the Game is verry pleanty here the man that killed the 3 Elk
Said he counted 150 in the Same flock, (handsome plains back
f.R.)
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
It froze some last night. We set off early, with one man out hunting on each side of the river. We proceeded on two miles and met a canoe coming down the river which belonged to the Frenchman we had on board, Mr. Gravelleen (Gravelines). There were two Frenchmen in the canoe who had been hunting up to the Mandan nation and were robbed by a hunting party of the Mandans. They took their guns, ammunition, etc., an axe, and 30 beaver skins, and all they had, so they were obliged to turn back. But when they met us, they turned about in hopes we should see them and make them give up all they had taken from them.
We proceeded on. Two men went out hunting on the north side. The man who stayed out last night joined us, having killed 2 fat goats. We proceeded on and passed the mouth of Cannon Ball River on the south side, about 100 yards wide. We passed a sandstone bluff on the same side above the river, where we found round stones in the form of cannon balls. Some of them were very large. We took one of them on board to serve as an anchor. One of our hunters joined us here, having killed an elk and a pelican.
We saw large flocks of goats and buffalo on the north side. We proceeded on and passed a creek on the north side. There were timbered bottoms most of the day on each side of the river. We rowed and poled about 16 miles and camped on a large sand beach on the south side. Our hunters all joined us, having killed six deer, 4 goats, and 3 elk. We got all the meat except 2 of the elk, which it was too late to find. Most of the meat was very fat. The game is very plenty here. The man that killed the 3 elk said he counted 150 in the same flock. (Handsome plains back from the river.)
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