John Collins Archives - Lewis & Clark Research Database

Meeting Trappers Dickson and Hancock from Illinois

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:21 +0000

and procd on about 8 A. M. we met two trappers Americans by
the names of Jos Dixon & forrest Handcock1 they were from the
Ellynoise country, and have gathered a great deal of peltry Since
they have been out about 2 years and have carshed the most of it
in the ground they tells us that they are determined to Stay up
this river and go to the head where the beaver is pleanty and trap
and hunt untill they make a fortune before they return, they had
20 odd good traps and tools for building canoes &C. they in-
formed us that Cap* Clark passed here about 12 oClock yesterday
and Said that they would go on Slowly untill we come up. Cap1
Lewis gave them Some powder and several articles while we
were here Colter and Collins come up and joined us. they in-
formed us that they had waited expected we were behind they
had killed 6 buffaloe 13 deer 5 Elk & 31 beaver. Mr Dixon con-
cludes to go back to the Mandans in hopes to git a frenchman or
Some body to go with him to the head of the river. So we procd
on about 10 A. M. we overtook Cap1 Clark and party all alive
and well they informed us that they after they left us at the
three forks followed on up the South fork or Gallentines River
nearly to its head which was about 30 miles, and that the beavers
abound on that river that their dams overflowed the bottoms So
that they had difficulty to cross the river they then struck for
the River Roshjone leaving the Mount” a Short distance to the
right crossd over a low ridge 10 miles then come on the head
waters of the roshjone [and] followed down Some distance before
they found any timber that they could make canoes of. they
Saw no Indians but Saw Indn tracks and the Indn Stole 25 of the
horses they having the two Small canoes done lashed them and
Serg* pryor Set out with 3 men and the rest of the horses by land
in order to take them to the Mandans 25 in number which now
remained, but the 2nd night the Indn Stole all the horses and they
1 Joseph Dickson and Forest Hancock were the first white men encountered
by the explorers since leaving Fort Mandan in the spring of 1805. Dickson
was a Pennsylvania!! who had migrated to the Illinois country in 1802. A
son born to him in January, 180″), ;i fact concerning which I lie father was doubt-
less still in ignorance, became a pioneer settler of the Wisconsin lead-mining
region, and commanded a company of scouts in the Black Hawk War. For
his reminiscences sec Wisconsin Historical Collections, V, 315-17.
1806] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 389
had to return to the Roshjone and killd buff aloe and made leather
canoes of them and followed on down they informed us that
the distance from where they Struck the River Roshjone to its
mouth is 836 miles and a pleasant river bottoms and timber on
this river the buffaloe So pleanty and Swiming the river So that
they could Scarsely pass down this river mount11 Sheep also in
many places we fired the blunderbusses and Small arms being
rejoiced to meet all together again. 2 of Cap1 Clarks party were
a hunting and killed a Spotted Elk had white spots about it and
different from any we have ever Seen before, we left their buffaloe
canoes and after a delay of three hours we procd on Mr Dixon
and Handcock accompy us to the Mandans. we Camped on a
Sand beach1 on ace1 of the Musquetoes a little rain this evening
&C.

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Silver-Grey Bears at the Yellowstone's Mouth

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:20 +0000

out as usal and procd on verry well, overtook the 2 Fields who
had killed two large Silver grey bears, we roed on fast about
4 P. M. we arived at the mouth of the River Roshjone where we
expected to have found Cap4 Clark and party but found they
had been here Some time [ago] and left a a line that we would find
them lower down3 Cap* Lewis wrote a line and left for Colter
and Collins who we have reason to think is behind, directing them
to follow on after us, and we procd on Saw Some Camps which
appeared fresh 1 of which had fire at it and dry meat hanging up.
we procd on untill dark and as we were Camping4 killed a buffaloe
out of a gang on the bank, the wind high this evening.

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Waiting for Straggling Hunters; Pressing Past Buffalo Herds

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:19 +0000

Colter and Collins the 2 Fields Sent on a head to hunt, we wait-
1 Both Lewis and Gass, on the contrary, say but few buffalo were seen this
day.
2 Two miles above the site of the camp of May 12, 1805. The camp was
in Valley County, approximately midway between the mouths of Musselshell
River and Big Dry Creek.
s The party had passed during the day the mouths of Big Dry Creek and
Milk River, and encamped about fifteen miles below the mouth of the latter
stream.
386 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Aug. 6
ed untill 12 oClock and as we are not certain but what Colter and
Collins is a head So we Set out and procd on Saw large gangs of
buffaloe we killed a fat cow and took the best of the meat and
procd on untill evening and Camped on a high sand beach a
little after dark came up a hard Thunder Shower of wind and rain
and nearly filled our canoes, So that we had to unload them, the
Sand flew So that we could Scarsely see & cut our faces by the
force of the wind.

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Portage Camp Established in Heavy Rain

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:18 +0000

other men returning, we formed a Camp at portage Creek left
2 men one to Cook & one to hunt and returnd to willow Creek hard
rain comd about noon and continued the remainder part of the
day, but did not Stop us from our urgent labours, halted as
much as we were able to help the horses as the place [is] so amaze-
ing muddy & bad. in the evening we got to portage Creek and
Camped, rained verry hard and we having no Shelter Some of
the men and myself turned over a canoe & lay under it others
Set up by the fires, the water run under us and the ground was
covred with water, the portage River raises fast Collins killed
a buffaloe and a brarow [badger].

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Lewis Rejoins Party After Blackfeet Confrontation

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:18 +0000

Howard killed two deer, we proceeded on as usal about 9 A. M.
we discovred on a high bank a head Cap* Lewis & the three men
who went with him on horse back comming towards us on N. Side
we came too Shore and fired the Swivell to Salute him & party
we Saluted them also with Small arms and were rejoiced to See
them &C. Cap* Lewis took us all by the hand, and informed us
that they had good Sucksess in going to their journeys end and
crossd a number of branches & forks of Marriohs River and fol-
low11 up a North fork to Latitude [blank in Ms.]1 got his ob-
servations for the Lat but the cloudy weather prevented him from
gitting the Longitude &C. but found it was not much difference
from the Mouth of Morriah they then Set off on their return the
day before yesterday and met with eight of the Grousevauntares
Indians with bows & arrows and 2 guns, they at first appeared
afraid but after a little wrode up and Shook hands with Cap*
Lewis & party and appeared friendly & they desired Cap* Lewis
to go with them to their Nation which they said was under the
blanket Mountn Some distance about 2 days march, but Cap*
Lewis told them that he could not wait but desired them to come
down to the Mouth of Morriah promiseing them the horse if they
would comply but they were afraid of being killed v”by us. they
had upwards of 20 horses but they were ordinary ones or the
most of them, they Camped2 with Cap* Lewis & men as they
expected they were friends, though Cap* Lewis had a watch up
all night, and at day break yesterday morning the eight Savages
Seased all our mens guns and Cap* Lewises also, they Instantly
Sprung up out of their Sleep and Ruben Fields chased an Indian
who Cap* Lewis had made a chief gave him a meddle last evening
1 Wheeler (II, 303) locales this point, where Lewis remained encamped three
davs in the hope of obtaining an observation to determine his position, “on
the Cutbank Fork of Marias River, very close to the in1″ meridian.” It
was in Teton County, eight or ten miles northwest of Blackfoot, a station on
the (‘.real Northern Railway. Because the state of the weather prevented
the desired observations Lewis named the place, Camp Disappointment.
2 The she of this camp, and of the battle of the following morning, was on
Two Medicine River about four miles below the month of Badger Creek.
1806] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 383
& he was running of[f] with R. Fields and his brothers J° Fields
Guns. Reuben overhalled him [and] caught hold of the 2 guns
had his knife drawn & as he Snatched away the guns perced his
knife in to the Indians heart he drew but one breath the wind of
his breath followed the knife & he fell dead they all Seased their
arms from the Indians and took one of the Indn guns and all their
bows and arrows and their Shields which they were [wear] on
their backs at war. they then went at running after our horses
Cap* Lewis wounded one more badly but the Indn partly raised
and fired back at him but missed him. they cleared out with
Some of our horses and Some of theirs, though Cap* Lewis took
as many as he wanted of theirs and left the rest & made all haste
towards us and had wrode 100 and 20 miles Since yesterday
morning, and [was] much fatigued and turned out the horses in
the plain & threw the Saddles in the River & came on board the
canoes, then we proced on with as much Speed as possable. Soon
overtook the 2 hunters who had killed Several Elk a buffaloe
& one beaver, we now keep to gether and are concerned about
Serg* Gass & willard who went down by land, about 1 P. M.
we arived at the forks of Morriah opened the carshes found all
except 4 Steel traps which were put in a carsh by themselves &
we could not find the place. Some beaver skin and Robes &c.
Spoiled, the other articles all Safe and dry &C. Serg* Gass and
willard joined us with the horses, we left the horses here crossed
to the N. Side found the red perogue Safe but too Rotten to take
down. So we took some of the nailes out of hir and Set out.
Serg* Gass & Willard had killed Several buffaloe and 7 antelopes
as they came down from the falls by land, we Soon had a hard
Shower of rain & large hail. Some larger than a musket Ball
Thunder and high winds a head but we procd on untill evening and
Camped on South Side1 and kept a Strict guard. Collins killed a
buffaloe. we got the best of the meat of it. late in the evening
we had a Shower of rain which lasted about a hour.

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Wiser Cuts His Leg; Wheels Repeatedly Fail

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:18 +0000

last evening we geered up the 4 horses and Set out with 2 canoes
one large & one Small one the truck wheels which bore the large
canoe broke down often and troubled us much. Wiser cut his
leg with a knife So that he is unable to walk & [it] is a bad wound
Collins went on to willow Creek to kill Some fresh meat for us.
where he “began to scratch his head with his feet”; after vvhieh operation he
s;it down :it the foot of the tree and gave Ieeal an anxious afternoon.
1 The ferocity of the mosquitoes was almost as great as that of the grizzlies.
Lewis notes that his dog, Scannon, •even howls with the torture he experiences
from them.”
1806] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 381
with much difficulty we got the 2 canoes & considerable of bag-
gage to willow Creek about Sunset and Camped. Collins had
killed three buffaloe. Some of the other hunters killed another
fat one this evening.

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Mountain Sheep Skins Preserved for Eastern Transport

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:17 +0000

breakfast and proceeded on Collins and Colter skinned the 2
Mountn Sheep Saved the Skin and bones for our officers to take to
the States, the wind rose So high that Some of the canoes were
near being filled, about noon we arived at the head of the pine
Islands & rapids & halted at the creek above as the wind [was] too
high to pass these rapids with Safety. Cruzatte killed 2 big horn
animels and Colter killed a deer, towards evening the wind
abated a little So we passed down the rapids with Safety, at the
foot of the rockey mountains large gangs of the Ibex or big horn
anam Seen along the edges of sd Mountn8 Camped about 6 miles
below sd rapids1 at a bottom in groves of cotten timber.

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Buffalo Herds Spotted Along the Gentle Current

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:17 +0000

as usal and proceeded on down the gentle current Saw large
gangues of buffaloe out in the plains about noon Collins killed
three deer. Saw great numbers of beaver and otter &C. to-
wards evening we passed the mouth of Smiths River a short
distance below Some of the hunters went out after some gangues
of buffaloe and we Camped it being late the hunters did not kill
any this evening but Saw great numbers in the plains, the
Musquetoes and Small flyes are verry troublesome, my face and
1 “Pine Rapids” of Ordway is modern Halfbreed Rapids, a short distance
above the town of Hardy. Today’s camp was in the immediate vicinity of
that of July 16, 1805.
i o
1806] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 379
eyes are Swelled by the poison of those insects which bite verry
severe indeed.

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Expedition Departs by Land and Water Simultaneously

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:16 +0000

cold this morning, one canoe which we thot of no account cut
up for paddles and fire wood, then put the 6 canoes in the water,
and put our baggage in them, at the same time Cap* Clarks
party got up their horses and packed up took breakfast and ail
set out by land & water about one time. I proceeded on by
water, the party by land holds way with us. we came fast with
the canoes too. Collins killed a goose about noon we halted to
dine at the Same place as they hold way with us. Cap* Clark
and several of his party came in the canoes as it would be easier
for the horses untill we git to the 3 forks of the Missourie where
they are to part from us. the rest of Cap* Clarks party took on
the horses &C we proceeded on verry well & fast, in the even-
ing we Camped near the 3000 mile Island, having made 97 miles
this day by water.1 Saw considerable of Small game and a great
pleanty of beaver Sign.

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Headwinds Force Halt at Wisdom River Mouth

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:16 +0000

eairly and Set off proceeded on the wind hard a> head which is
unfavourable to us. in the evening we arived at the mouth of
Wisdom [Big Hole] River. Camped2 where we left the Small
canoe last year, wisdom river is verry high at this time 2 hunt-
ers went out. Collins killed 2 deer and Gibson killed a fat buck
this evening the beaver Sign and lodges without number all
this day. they are pleantier in this valley than I have seen on
the route &C.

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