Teton Sioux confrontation near Pierre, SD — Patrick Gass: September 28, 1804
The expedition prepared to depart at 9 a.m., but tensions flared when Indians grabbed the boat's rope and refused to release it; Captain Lewis nearly ordered the rope cut and shots fired before chiefs intervened, settling the dispute with a gift of tobacco. The party sailed on under a gentle breeze, picking up an Indian messenger reporting 300 more arrivals at camp, but pressed forward and anchored at sunset using two large stones. Gass also describes Indian dogs harnessed to haul baggage, noting the tribe's nomadic lifestyle.
where the boat lay, but could not find the anchor. At g o’clock
we made preparations to sail; some of the chiefs were on
board, and concluded to go some distance with us. When
we went to shove off, some of the Indians took hold of the
rope and would not Jet it go. This conduct had like to be
attended with bad consequences, as Captain, Lewis was near
giving orders to cut the rope and to fireonthem. The chiefs,
however, went out and talked with them: they said they wanted
a carrot of tobacco, and that if we gave that we might go.
The tobacco was given them, and we went off under a gentle
breeze of wind. We passed high land on the north side and
bottom on the south. We proceeded 4 miles and then saw an
Indian following us along the beach, when captain Lewis went
in a periogue and brought him on board. He informed us
that 300 more Indians had come to their camp, and desired
we should stop and talk with them. We did not then stop,
but proceeded on, and he remained on board. We passed a
fine bottom covered with timber on the north side, and bare
hills on the south. We made two large stones serve the pur-
pose of an anchor, and at sunset anchored for the night, near
a small sand bar in the middle of the river.
While I was at the Indian camp yesterday, they yoked a
dog to a kind of car, which they have to haul their baggage
from one camp to another; the nation having no settled place
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION 41
or village, but are always moving about.* The dogs are not
large, much resemble a wolf, and will haul about 70 pounds
each.
*It appears that these people, (in some respects resembling the wandering Arabs)
are an unsettled, ferocious, blood-thirsty race, and have been great destroyers of the
Algonquin nation, who inhabit the country about lake Superior. Mr. Mackenzie
states the following circumstance: ‘‘ Within three miles of the last portage’? (a place
near lake Superior) ‘‘ is a remarkable rock, with a smooth face, but split and cracked
in different parts, which hang over the water. Into one of its horizontal chasms a
great number of arrows has been shot, which is said to have been done by a war party
of the Nadowasis or Sieux, who had done much mischief in this country, and left these
weapons as a warning to the Chebois or natives, that, notwithstanding its lakes, rivers
and rocks, it was not inaccessible to their enemies.’’
General History of the Fur Trade.
42 GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
CHAP. IV.
ATURDAY, 29th. We set sail early and had fair weather ;
S passed a handsome bottom covered with timber on the
north side, and bluffs on the south. We saw several Indians
on the south side walking up the shore; spoke to them and
found they were some of those we left yesterday. There were
one or two of the chiefs with them. They requested us to
give them a carrot of tobacco for the chiefs of the other band
to smoke. We sent them two carrots to a sand bar, where
they could get it; but told them we should not go on shore
again, until we came to the nation of the Aricaris, commonly
called Rickarees, Rickrees or Rees. The Missouri is very
shallow at this time and full of sand bars. We passed an old
village on the south side, where the Rickarees lived five years
ago, and raised corn in the bottom, around the village. We
encamped on a sand beach on the south side of the river.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
where the boat lay, but could not find the anchor. At 9 o'clock we made preparations to sail; some of the chiefs were on board, and decided to go some distance with us. When we went to shove off, some of the Indians took hold of the rope and would not let it go. This conduct nearly had bad consequences, as Captain Lewis (Capt. Lewis) was close to giving orders to cut the rope and to fire on them. The chiefs, however, went out and talked with them: they said they wanted a carrot of tobacco, and that if we gave them that we might go. The tobacco was given to them, and we went off under a gentle breeze of wind. We passed high land on the north side and bottomland on the south. We proceeded 4 miles and then saw an Indian following us along the beach, when Captain Lewis went in a pirogue and brought him on board. He informed us that 300 more Indians had come to their camp, and asked that we should stop and talk with them. We did not stop then, but proceeded on, and he remained on board. We passed a fine bottom covered with timber on the north side, and bare hills on the south. We used two large stones to serve as an anchor, and at sunset anchored for the night, near a small sand bar in the middle of the river.
While I was at the Indian camp yesterday, they yoked a dog to a kind of cart, which they use to haul their baggage from one camp to another; the nation having no settled place or village, but always moving about.* The dogs are not large, much resemble a wolf, and will haul about 70 pounds each.
*It appears that these people (in some respects resembling the wandering Arabs) are an unsettled, ferocious, blood-thirsty race, and have been great destroyers of the Algonquin nation, who inhabit the country around Lake Superior. Mr. Mackenzie states the following circumstance: "Within three miles of the last portage" (a place near Lake Superior) "is a remarkable rock, with a smooth face, but split and cracked in different parts, which hangs over the water. Into one of its horizontal chasms a great number of arrows has been shot, which is said to have been done by a war party of the Nadowasis or Sioux, who had done much mischief in this country, and left these weapons as a warning to the Chebois or natives, that, notwithstanding its lakes, rivers and rocks, it was not inaccessible to their enemies." — General History of the Fur Trade.
CHAP. IV.
Saturday, 29th. We set sail early and had fair weather; passed a handsome bottom covered with timber on the north side, and bluffs on the south. We saw several Indians on the south side walking up the shore; spoke to them and found they were some of those we left yesterday. There were one or two of the chiefs with them. They asked us to give them a carrot of tobacco for the chiefs of the other band to smoke. We sent them two carrots to a sand bar, where they could get it; but told them we would not go on shore again, until we came to the nation of the Aricaris, commonly called Rickarees, Rickrees, or Rees. The Missouri is very shallow at this time and full of sand bars. We passed an old village on the south side, where the Rickarees lived five years ago, and raised corn in the bottom around the village. We camped on a sand beach on the south side of the river.
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