Teton Sioux Council; Black Buffalo Receives Red Coat

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:44:49 +0000

things made ready to receive the Band of the Souix nation of
Indians, Called the Tribe of Tetons. about 10 o.C. A. M. they
Came flocking in from boath Sides of the River, when 30 odd was
selected under the american Collours Cap* Lewis & Cap* Clark
went out to Speak and treat with them. Gave the 3 Chiefs 3 niew
meddals & 1 american flag Some knives & other Small articles of
Goods & Gave the head chief the Black Buffalow1 a red coat & a
cocked hat & feather &.C. likewise Some Tobacco. We had no
good interpreter but the old frenchman could make them under-
stand tollarable well, but they did not appear to talk much untill
they had got the goods, and then they wanted more, and Said we
must Stop with them or leave one of the pearogues with them as
that was what they expected. Cap* Lewis Shewed them the air
Gun. Shot it several times, then the Captains brought [on board]
the 3 chiefs and one warrier they had with them. Gave the warrier
a Sertifhcate. then Shewed the chiefs Some curiousities. Gave
them a draghm. they brought a quantity of fat Buffaloe meat and
offered us the Captains accepted of Some of it. & Gave them
pork in return, then the Captains told them that we had a great
ways to goe & that we did not wish to be detained any longer,
they then began to act as if they were Intoxicated with Some
difficulty Cap* Clark got them to Shore, they then began to Show
Some Signs of Stopping or attempting to Stop us. one of them
Stayed on board the pearogue when Cap* Clark & the chiefs went
out of it. the head chief the Black Buffaloe, Seized hold of the
cable of the pearogue and Set down. Cap* Clark Spoke to all
1 Aside from the present unpleasant encounter with this chief, Clark met
him again two years later (Aug. 30, 1806), on which occasion the white leader
indulged in the pleasure of freeing his mind concerning his opinion of the red
one’s misconduct. For the funeral oration delivered over Black Buffalo’s
grave see Early Western Travels, V, 222-23.
138
SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 139
the party to Stand to their arms Cap4 Lewis who was on board
ordered every man to his arms, the large Swivel [was] loaded
immediately with 16 Musquet Ball in it the 2 other Swivels loaded
well with Buck Shot [and] each of them manned. Cap* Clark
used moderation with them told them that we must and would
go on and would go. that we were not Squaws, but warriers.
the chief Sayed he had warriers too and if we were to go on they
would follow us and kill and take the whole of us by degrees or
that he had another party or lodge above this [and] that they were
able to destroy us. then Cap* Clark told them that we were Sent
by their great father the president of the U. S. and that if they
misused us that he or Cap* Lewis could by writing to him have
them all distroyed as it were in a moment.1 they then requested
that their women and children See the Boat as they never Saw
Such an one, the Cap* told them that we could not go far as the
day was far Spent, but we would let them see that they Should
not Stop us and that we Should go a Short distance and can
Camp for the night, the chief then let go the Cable, and Sayed
that he was Sorry to have us Go for his women and children were
naked and poor and wished to G;+ Some Goods, but he did not
think we were Marchants, nor that we were loaded with Goods,
but he was Sorry to have us leave them So Soon — they wished to
come on board Cap* Clark took the chief and warriers on bord to
Stay all night with them, we then Set off and proceeded on about
1 mile and Camped ankered out. the Guard and cooks on Shore
&.C. the Indians Camped on s. s. our Camp was on a willow
Is1 in the middle of the river, at our Starbord Side.

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Armed Standoff with Teton Sioux at Bad River

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:34:28 +0000

The encounter with the Teton Sioux (Lakota) at the mouth of the Bad River was the most dangerous confrontation of the entire expedition. The Lakota controlled trade on the upper Missouri and saw the American expedition as a threat to their economic and political power.

“The 2nd Chief was verry insolent both in words and justures, pretended Drunkeness & Staggered up against me, declaring I Should not go on. I felt My Self warm & Spoke in very positive terms.”

Warriors seized the pirogue’s mooring cable and strung their bows. Clark drew his sword and Lewis ordered the keelboat’s swivel gun aimed at the shore. For several tense moments, the expedition teetered on the edge of armed conflict.

The crisis was eventually defused through the intervention of Chief Black Buffalo, and the expedition continued upstream after several uncomfortable days of diplomacy. Clark later described the Teton Sioux as “the vilest miscreants of the savage race.”

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Council with the Teton Sioux at Bad River

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 13:58:28 +0000

The encounter began with a council on September 25, 1804, where communication was hampered by the lack of a competent Sioux interpreter. After distributing gifts, tensions escalated when warriors seized the bow cable of a pirogue. Clark drew his sword and Lewis ordered the swivel gun loaded and aimed. Only the intervention of Chief Black Buffalo prevented bloodshed. The standoff continued for three days before the expedition was able to depart. Clark later wrote that the Teton Sioux were “the vilest miscreants of the savage race.”

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Black Buffalo Archives - Lewis & Clark Research Database

Teton Sioux Council; Black Buffalo Receives Red Coat

Armed Standoff with Teton Sioux at Bad River

Council with the Teton Sioux at Bad River