Missouri River near White River — John Ordway: September 16, 1804
On a cool, clear day, the expedition pushed on to find a suitable camp where they could dry their cargo, reorganize the boats, and rest the men. They passed a large creek on the south side (later named Corvus Creek by the captains for a bird killed there) and made camp in an attractive, recently burned-over bottom now covered in green grass. Hunters including Clark, Lewis, Drouillard, Collins, Decamps, and Roie brought in several deer and two buffalo. They found a plum orchard, aired the boat's cargo, and reloaded the red pirogue to continue toward the Mandan villages.
Cool & clear, proceeded on in order to find a good place to camp
& dry & arange all afairs on board & refresh the party &. C.
passed a large Creek on S. S. called [blank space in Ms.]6 we
1 Immediately below the mouth of Ball Creek, in Lyman County.
2 A male antelope.
3 Modern Ball Creek, which joins the Missouri in Lyman County, about
two miles below White River. Clark notes (September 14) that this was
“the place that Shannon the man who went a head lived on grapes.”
4 Still so called. It flows in a due easterly direction to the Missouri, drain-
ing much of western South Dakota.
5 In Brule County, opposite the mouth of American Crow Creek and the
town of Oacoma at its mouth.
6 The captains named it Corvus Creek, “in consequence of having kiled a
beatiful bird of that genus near it.” Lewis. Coues affirms that this is “the
solitary instance of our authors venturing a technical Latin name in zoology.”
Ordway discreetly concluded, evidently, not to make such a venture at all.
With like discretion his white successors turned Lewis’ Corvus into plain Crow,
to which in some way the adjective “American” has been prefaced.
132 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Sept. 17
Camped on S. S. in a handsome bottom of thin Timbered land,1
lately burned over by the natives, it had grown up again with
Green Grass which looked beautiful, we Saw several Deer in
this Grove. Cap* Clark killed one Cap* Lewis one G. Drewyer
one. Collins who had been with the Horse joined us had killed
two Deer, one yesterday 1 this morning. We found a large
plumb orchad back of this Bottom of fine large ripe plumbs.
Cap’ Lewis went on an Island2 little above the camp to hunt.
Battest Decamps killed one Buffalow, Roie3 killed a faun Deer.
Cap1 Lewis killed a buffalow. Saved the Skins to cover the load-
ing in the pearogue. Greater part of the loading taken out of
the Boat and aired to day — the large red pearogue loaded out of
the Batteaux & are to continue on with us to the Mandan Nation
of Indians.4
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Cool and clear. We proceeded on in order to find a good place to camp, dry and arrange all our affairs on board, and refresh the party, etc. Passed a large creek on the south side called [blank space in manuscript]. We camped on the south side in a handsome bottom of thinly timbered land, lately burned over by the natives. It had grown up again with green grass which looked beautiful. We saw several deer in this grove. Capt Clark (Capt. Clark) killed one, Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) one, and G. Drewyer (Drouillard) one. Collins, who had been with the horse, joined us, having killed two deer—one yesterday and one this morning. We found a large plum orchard back of this bottom, full of fine large ripe plums.
Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) went on an island a little above the camp to hunt. Battest Decamps (Baptiste Deschamps) killed one buffalo, and Roie (Rivet) killed a fawn deer. Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) killed a buffalo. We saved the skins to cover the loading in the pirogue. The greater part of the loading was taken out of the boat and aired today. The large red pirogue was loaded out of the bateau, and they are to continue on with us to the Mandan Nation of Indians.
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