Prairie dog village near present-day Chamberlain — John Ordway: September 8, 1804
Under a gentle southeast breeze, the party traveled up the Missouri, passing a small creek, an island, and an old trading house built in 1796 by Troodo. Drouillard rejoined the group after a successful hunt, bringing in elk, deer, beaver, and a prairie dog. Captain Clark walked along the north side, crossing rough, waterless hills recently burned by Native peoples, and bagged deer, turkeys, and a squirrel. Late in the day, Captain Lewis and others shot two buffalo swimming the river. The expedition camped on a timbered island where buffalo herds were visible.
eairly the wind from the S. E. we proceeded on under a gentle
breeze passed the mouth of a Small creek on S. S.4 Some
thin Timber close along each Side of the river the hills are near
the river on boath Sides. & are verry Broken &. C. we passed
an Island N. S. halted on S. S.to dine. G. Drewyer joined us who
went the evening before, had killed a Buck Elk & a faun Elk & a
faun Deer & caught 2 large Beaver, likewise one prarie dog Cap*
Clark went out this morning to walk on N. S. we passed a
Trading house piched in on the Same Side ab° where the cap4
went out in a handsome Timbered Bottom, which had been
built in 1796.5 we proceeded on past Several Islands, late in
the afternoon we Saw Several Buffelow Swimming the river,
1 In Charles Mix County, S. Dak., near the 962 mile point of the river.
2 “On the south side we found a scaffold of meat neatly dried. This had
been left by one of our men.” Gass.
3 This is a conspicuous landmark, now known as The Tower, in Boyd County,
Nebr., near the 968 mile point of the Missouri. Four miles farther on, at the
forty-third parallel of latitude, the river ceases to form the boundary between
Nebraska and South Dakota, and enters the latter state.
♦Modern Randall Creek, in Gregory County, S. Dak. At its mouth is
the site of Fort Randall.
5 “the house of Troodo.” Clark. Concerning him see ante, 18
128 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Sept. 9
Cap* Lewis went out with Some of the party on S. S. in a grove
of Timber & killed 2 Buffelow Shot at one of them several
times in the river he being wounded Swam a Shore again & they
Shot him down at the edge of the water, we proceeded on about
1 mile & camped on the lower point of a handsome Timbered
Island.1 on which we saw large gangs of Buffelow. Cap* Clark
joined us after dark, had killed 1 faun Deer 3 turkies & a Squirril.
he informed us that he Travelled over a raged and mountanious
Country without water & riseing 5 or 600 feet, where these hills
had been lately burned over by the natives.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Early, with the wind from the S.E., we proceeded on under a gentle breeze. We passed the mouth of a small creek on the south side. Some thin timber lay close along each side of the river. The hills are near the river on both sides and are very broken, etc. We passed an island on the north side and halted on the south side to dine. G. Drewyer (Drouillard) joined us, who had gone out the evening before. He had killed a buck elk, a fawn elk, and a fawn deer, and caught 2 large beaver, likewise one prairie dog. Capt. Clark went out this morning to walk on the north side.
We passed a trading house pitched in on the same side, about where the captain went out, in a handsome timbered bottom, which had been built in 1796. We proceeded on past several islands. Late in the afternoon we saw several buffalo swimming the river. Capt. Lewis went out with some of the party on the south side in a grove of timber and killed 2 buffalo. He shot at one of them several times in the river; being wounded, it swam ashore again, and they shot him down at the edge of the water.
We proceeded on about 1 mile and camped on the lower point of a handsome timbered island, on which we saw large gangs of buffalo. Capt. Clark joined us after dark, having killed 1 fawn deer, 3 turkeys, and a squirrel. He informed us that he traveled over a rugged and mountainous country without water, rising 5 or 600 feet, where these hills had been lately burned over by the natives.
This modernization is AI-generated for accessibility. The original above is the authoritative version.
Entities mentioned in this entry
Auto-extracted from the entry text. Hover any entity for context.
