Journal entry · October 27, 1804
Building Fort Mandan — Patrick Gass: October 27, 1804
Patrick Gass · Building Fort Mandan · Thwaites Vol. Gass 1807 First Edition
That night's camp, per the NPS campsite reconstruction (Bergantino): left shore, opposite mouth Knife River, ND
we set out early. At half past seven we arrived at the first
village of the Mandans and halted about two hours. This
village contains 40 or 50 lodges built in the manner of those
of the Rickarees. These Indians have better complexions
than most other Indians, and some of the children have fair
hair. We passed a bluff on the south side with a stratum of
black resembling coal. There is a bottom on the north side,
where the second Mandan village is situated. We went about
a mile above it, and encamped in the same bottom, for the
purpose of holding a council with the natives. This place is
1610 miles from the mouth of the river du Bois, where we first
embarked to proceed on the expedition. There are about the
same number of lodges, and people, in this village as in the first.
These people do not bury their dead, but place the body on
a scaffold, wrapped in a buffaloe robe, where it lies exposed.*
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The NPS atlas for this night
left shore, opposite mouth Knife River, ND
NPS campsite reconstruction (Bergantino) · Camp of October 27 to October 31, 1804
About 4.0 miles of travel mapped this day (NPS’s reconstruction of the course)
NPS sites within 5 miles of this camp
- Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site (opens in a new tab) NPS High Potential Historic Site · National Historic Landmark · 2.9 mi
- Fort Mandan (opens in a new tab) NPS High Potential Historic Site · 3.6 mi
Source: National Park Service, Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Park Atlas.
Terrain360 · the place today
Fort Mandan (winter) in 360°
10 frames across 1.8 mi of the route around this location
Artwork
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