Building Fort Mandan — Joseph Whitehouse: November 1, 1804

Began the works of the fort the weather continued pleasant
for 14 days during which time all the men at Camp Ocepied
thair time dilligenently in Building their huts and got them
Made comfertable in that time to live in.
Saterday 3^.
a party of hunters was Sent down the river with a peirogue
to Bring the meat whome [home] the[y] Remained 15 days,
and on the 18!!* Ins* the[y] had good Success the[y] kill!^ 34
deers, 10 Elks and 5 Buffelows, in all the[y] had Upwards of
20 hundred Wt Nothing Else happ”? Extraordinary Untill
the 30*^ Ins* a messenger from the mandans came to the fort to
Inform Our Officers that a hunting party of theirs was Robed
by the Sues & Rees Indians, on the 27* last, of Eight horses
and their meat that the[y] had kill?, & Kill? One of their men
and wounded two Others.
1 At this point begins handwriting No. a, and continues over five pages of the MS.,
comprising the entries from November i to December 2 inclusive. — Ed.
the[y] Apply? for Some Assistance from the fort which Cap^*”
Lewis & Clark Readly granted them. Twenty Men turnd
Out Volentary Under the Command of Cap!? Clark out of the
fort to goe to fight the Sues the Guard Seat us Across the
Missourie at Eleven Oclock at the fort the Cap*° form? his
men On the S. W. Side of the river Missourie and told them
off in Sections, from the right, and Sent out a Noncommis-
sioned Officer and a file of men on Each flank to Reconitere
the woods at the distance of neerly One hundred Yl’ from the
head of Company. After a march of 6 miles we Ariv? at the
first Village of mandans, with our two Interprators One of
the mandans & one of the Grosvauinties, thinking to be Reign?
fors? [reinforced] by a party of Each Nation With a Detach-
ment from the Watesoons Nation like-ways, as they and [the]
Groce Vaunties are Nigh Neighbours to the Mandans Nation
but after we Ariv? At the Village the Cheifs of Both Nations
Concluded not to goe to fight as the weather was Cold and the
Snow Upwards of i8 Inches Deep on the Ground, before
Spring Nixt.
The Cap*? & the party halted two hours at the Village
he told the Cheifs and Warieres of the Mandans that he and
his men was on the Ground Ready to Assist them And the[y]
Should See that Him and his Men Could fight. After Some
little Conversation with the Savages, we took our leave of them
and Started for the fort we Cross? the river between the first
& Second Village On the Ise And came whome to the fort
Ariv? at dark the Evening was col? Each Drank Some Good
Spirits After which Reviv? Us Very Much And Retir? to Our
Rooms Each.
December iff
Nothing hapened Extraordinary Continued Picquiting in
the huts.
a.
the Big white a Cheif of the mandans Came to Our fort in
the Morning to Inform Us that the Buffelow was Close to us
a Comeing in Capt? Lewis and 15 Men turn? Out to Shoot
[;o]
p
1804] WHITEHOUSE’S JOURNAL
them the[y] kill? 10, and the Indians Kill? 50 the two Cap-
tains Lewis & Clark took it in turn day about with a party
Each day to goe a hunting And had Great Success until the
15 inst that the Buffelow got neerly twenty miles off Cap!”
Clark and his party Returned on the Morning of the 16!^ Ins*
but Could find no game But two deer, the[y] Slept in the
woods all night Some Snow fell that made the Air warmir On
the Night of the 15?^ Inst.