John Colter Archives - Lewis & Clark Research Database

The Corps in the War of 1812

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:14:16 +0000

The Corps of Discovery disbanded in 1806, but its members walked straight into the run-up to the War of 1812. Lorna Hainesworth gathers brief biographies of more than thirty expedition veterans and associates and traces what each did during the conflict. The sketches are organized into three groups: Corps military members (William Clark, John Colter, Patrick Gass, John Ordway, Nathaniel Pryor, George Shannon, William Bratton, Joseph Whitehouse, and others), Corps non-military figures (the Charbonneau family, Sacagawea, Jean Baptiste, and York), and associates ranging from Thomas Jefferson and Albert Gallatin to Pierre Chouteau, Manuel Lisa, Zebulon Pike, and William Henry Harrison.

Framing the sketches is a concise narrative of the war’s origins — from the embargo years through the treaties of 1815 — along with an appendix on the presidents involved. It is a useful group portrait of where the expedition’s people landed in the decade after the journey home.

This summary is provided for reference on the Lewis and Clark Research archive; the full compilation by Lorna Hainesworth is available at the source link.

The post The Corps in the War of 1812 appeared first on 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.

The post Meeting Trappers Dickson and Hancock from Illinois appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

Colter Released to Trap with Dixon and Hancock

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

leave of our officers to go back with Mr Dixon a trapping, which
permission was granted him so our officers Settled with him and
fitted him out with powder lead and a great number of articles
which compleated him for a trapping voiage of two years which
they are determined to Stay untill they make a fortune, &C. &C.
we lashed together Some of our canoes and Colter Mr Dixon &
Handcock parted with us in their Small canoe2 the natives
visits us in great numbers, about 4 oC. P. M. dropped down to
the 1st village of Mandans where we took on board Mr Jessom his
1 The swivel was presented with “a good deel of ceremony” to Le Borgne,
or the One Eyed with a view to attaching him more strongly to the United
States government. In presenting the gun Clark told the chief “to remem-
ber,” when he fired it, “the words of his great father which we had given him,
this gun had announced the words of his great father to all the nations which we
had seen.”
2 “The example of this man shows how easily men may4 be weaned from
the habits of civilized life to the ruder but scarcely less fascinating manners
of the woods. This hunter has been now absent for many years from the
frontiers, and might naturally be presumed to have some anxiety, or some
curiosity at least, to return to his friends and his country; yet, just at the
moment when he is approaching the frontiers, he is tempted by a hunting
scheme to give up those delightful prospects, and go back without the least
reluctance to the solitude of the woods.” Biddle, III, 1182. Colter remained
on the upper Missouri, in the midst of perils and hardships, until the spring of
1810. He was the first white explorer of Yellowstone Park. For an account
of his adventurous career see Wheeler, I, 98-105, and Chittenden, American
Fur Trade, II, 713-23.
In addition to Colter Hie parly left behind at the Mandan villages, Charbon-
neau. Sacajawea, and their baby. The latter, “a butifull promising child”
of nineteen months, Clark offered to lake and rear. The parents were willing,
but the fact that the baby was Dot yel weaned led to the decision to keep him
with his mother for another year, when Charbonneau was to bring him to St.
Louis for Clark to rear “in such manner as I thought proper.” This arrange-1
ment was never carried out, however, and the youthful Charbonneau spent
his life among the savages.
1806] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 391
his wife and two children the big white the head chief of Sd vil-
lage his wife or one of his wives. I understand he has two wives,
he has only one child and takes that with him took their bag-
gage on board and the chief putting his arm round all the head
mens necks of his nation who Set on Shore and a number crying
and appeared Sorry to part with him he took his leave of them
however and we Set out and procd on the wind a head Campd
on S. S.1

The post Colter Released to Trap with Dixon and Hancock appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

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.

The post Silver-Grey Bears at the Yellowstone's Mouth appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

Lewis and Drewyer Shoot Grizzly from the Water

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

on about 9 A M a Brown bear [was seen swimming the river]
and Drewyer and Cap* Lewis killed it we took it on board and
procd on Colter killed a beaver Shortly after about noon about
noon we killed a buck Elk Saved the hide and the best of the
meat, about 2 P. M. we halted at Some old Ind* lodges on S.
Side, here we delayd this afternoon3 to dry our deer Skins
Mountn Sheep Skins &.C. which were near Spoiling as the weather
has been Some time wet. about 3 P. M. a large white bear ap-
proached our Camp as Soon as he discovred us Stood up on his
hind feed and looked at us. Some of the hunters Shot him down,
for the Skin & oil. the other hunters killd four deer and a beaver
this afternoon.
1 Today’s camp w;is on the site of that of fourteen months earlier. May 29,
1805. II was al the nioulli of Arrow River, on the boundary between Chouteau
and Fergus counties.
2 Eight miles below the mouth of North Mountain (modern Rocky) Creek.
Lewis.
8 This camp was in Dawson County about fifteen miles below the mouth
of Musselshell River.
1806] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 385

The post Lewis and Drewyer Shoot Grizzly from the Water appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

Grizzly Bear Killed; Swept into Sawyers by Moonlight

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

lins did not join us last night. I and willard went on eairly
with a Small canoe to hunt we procd on Some distance and hunted
in Some of the bottoms and killed a deer and procd on towards
evening we killed a large white or grizzly bear nearly of a Silver
Grey, we then procd on in the evening by moon light as the party
was a head about 11 oClock at night we found ourselves in a
thick place of Sawyers as the corrent drawed us in and we had
no chance to git out of them So we run about half way through
and the Stern run under a limb of a tree and caught willard who
was in the Stern and drew him out as the current was verry
rapid, he held by the limb I being in the bow of the canoe took
my oar and hailed the bow first one way and the other So as to
clear the Sawyers and run through Safe and paddled the canoe to
Shore and ran up the Shore opposite willard & he called to me if
everry thing was Safe I told him yes but he could not hear me
as the water roared past the Sawyers, he told me he had made a
little raft of 2 Small Sticks he caught floating and tyed them to-
gether, and tyed his cloathes on them and would Swim down
through this difficult place and I run down and took out the
canoe and took him in as he Swam through Safe we procd a Short
distance farther and came to the Camp of the party.3 they had
killed a rattle Snake and an Elk to day but the two hunters Colter
& Colling has not joined us yet.

The post Grizzly Bear Killed; Swept into Sawyers by Moonlight appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

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.

The post Waiting for Straggling Hunters; Pressing Past Buffalo Herds appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

Colter and Potts Run Canoes Down Rapids

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

Indn dog came about our Camp we gave him Some meat, the
portage river too high to waid but is falling fast. Colter & Potts
went at running the canoes down the rapids to the white perogue
near the carsh. the rest of us returned to willow Creek took on
the other large canoe and halted to asist the horses as the truck
wheels Sank in the mud nearly to the hub. Cruzatte killed a
buffaloe we took the best of the meat and returned with much
hard fatigue to the portage River and got the canoes and all the
baggage down to the white perogue and Camped having got the
carsh opened and all brought to the white perogue & all Safe &C.

The post Colter and Potts Run Canoes Down Rapids appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

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.

The post Mountain Sheep Skins Preserved for Eastern Transport appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

Reunited at Three Forks of the Missouri

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

went on a head, we set out as usal and proceeded on down
passd large timbred bottoms about 12 oClock we arived at our
last years Camp on 27 & 28 July little above the 3 forks joined
the rest of the party with the horses and had got here only one
hour before us. they had killed a deer and one antelope and had
wounded a white bear, we all proceeded to the 3 forks of Mis-
sourie crossed the men & baggage and Swam the horses to all
to the South Side of gallinlines [Gallatin] River where we dined
below the forks the canoe that was a hunting came up they
had killed two deer, we delayed about 2 hours Cap’ Clark &
party leaves us hear to cross over to the River Roshjone.2 So
we parted I and 9 more proceeded on down the river with the
canoes verry well, the wind a head so we halted little before
night. Collins killed 2 large fat bucks and P. Cruzatte killed a
deer & Colter killed a large beaver & good fur though the season
is over for them to have good fur in the Southern parts, the
Musquetoes more troublesome than ever we have seen them be-
fore, the hunters Saw large gangs of Elk in this valley.

The post Reunited at Three Forks of the Missouri appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.