John Shields Archives - Lewis & Clark Research Database

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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Sacagawea Identifies Branch Toward the Headwaters

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:15 +0000

while hunting up our horses, then proceed on as usal up the
branch to the mount11 and crossed over to the left in an Indian
trail, at about 5 or 6 miles we got over on a branch running
South2 Shields killed a hair of a different discription of any we
have seen before, our Intrepters wife tells us that we She knows
the country & that this branch is the head waters of jeffersons
river, &.C. we proceeded on down the branch, large glades
covred with Commass & fine grass about noon we halted at one
of the glades to dine and proceeded on down the creek late in
the afternoon we came to a large extensive plain contined our
course about south in this plain got 5 or 6 miles out in the open
plain came up a hard Thunder Shower of hail rain and hard
wind, we halted a short time in the midst of it then proceed on
at dark we Campd at a branch3 Saw Indn signs abundance of
Commass on this branch.

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Hail and Thunder Crossing the High Mountain

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:14 +0000

eairly two hunters went on a head, the fog rose up thick from
the hollars we proceeded on a ridge desended down on a fork of
Collinses Creek took the meat of a deer the hunters had killed
crossed the creek above the forks some distance ascended a high
mount” came in the old road we went in last year & proceed on
had a Shower of hail and Thunder, about 1 oClock P. M. we
arived at the glades of the rockey mount0 Crossed glade Creek
Several times and halted at a handsom flat of grass and Corn-
mass, found that 2 of our horses got left back on the road 2
men went back for them Shields killed 2 crains we dined and
proceed on Soon came on the head waters of fcravvellers rest
Creek.3 towards evening we arived at the hot Stream where we
Camped.4 the 2 men came up with the 2 horses, had killed
one deer, a number of the party as well as myself bathed in
these hot Springs, but the water so hot that it makes the Skin
Smart when I first entered it. I drank Some of the water also.
1 Today’s camp was a few miles beyond that of Sept. 18, 1805, and nine
mdes short of the camp of September 17.
2 They were now retracing the portion of the Lolo Trail first passed over
on Sept. If), 1805. For the detour made on that occasion see ante, 286. note 4.
3 Modern Lolo Creek, or Lolo Fork of the Bitter Root, which the party had
ascended upon turning off from the last-named stream the preceding autumn.
4 Boyle’s Springs, first visited on the morning of Sept. 13, 1805. The dreaded
passage of the mountains was now completed. Wheeler remarks that if the
explorers did not break forth into the long-meter doxology “they should have
done SO.” With the crossing of the mountains the party is once more in the
State of Montana.
1806] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 371

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Six Deer Taken Near Lolo Hot Springs

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:14 +0000

as usal R. Fields killed a deer near the hot Springs in Scite of
the Camp, two hunters went on a head, we Set out proceed on
a a muddy bad road down the creek [Lolo Creek] & over bad hills
&C. about noon we halted to dine [where we had dined] 12th
Sep1 last Shields killed a deer, we dined and proceed on took
the meat of a deer which the hunters had killed. Shields killed
another deer. proceed on to the bottoms or plains of travvellers
rest creek Drewyer had killed three deer, we wrode fast untill
about Sunset at which time we arived at travvellers rest where
we Camped the 9th & 10th of Sep* last, we Camped here1 in order
to Stay 2 or 3 days to refresh our horses and kill Some meat &C.
the Musquetoes verry troublesome here.

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Indians Return Lost Horses at Collins Creek

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:13 +0000

all except 4 which we expect has gone back to the Commass
ground we Set out on our return to the Commass flat1 where
we expect we can kill Some more meat to start again with & to
take us back in the moun* when we got down on Collinses Creek
we met 2 Indians who were on their way to cross the moun*
they had our 4 horses takeing them back to us had 5 horses of
their own and provision to last them across the mountains, we
halted and dined below the forks of Collinses Creek, these 2
Indians told us that we could have went on if in case we could
have found the road, for as the Snow bears up the horses all can
cross the high parts which is covred so thick with Snow in about
3 days and our horses cannot git any thing to eat dureing that
time, we ascended the hill to the Small prarie the 2 Indians
halted here to stay 2 or 3 days & wait for us to kill some meat &
then pilot us across the Snow mountains. Serg* Gass & the 2
Fields Stayed here to hunt, we desended the mountain down to
the Commass flat towards evening and Camped at the old Camp-
1 The camping place from June 10 to June 15.
1806] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 369
ing ground. Several went went out a Short distance to hunt &
came in at dark. Shields had killed & brought in one deer.

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Hunting and Fishing Near the Creek

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:12 +0000

out a hunting & 2 went at fishing with Indin gigs which Some of
the party had with them but could see only now and then a
Scattering one, and could not kill any. about noon Labuche came
in with a deer which he had killed. Shortly after all our men
who Stayed back came up R. Fields had killed two deer, but
Shields had not found the 2 lost horses, towards evening Gibson
giged & killd one of the fish we took to be Salmon and we found
it to be Salmon trout, and poor, we expect they all are that is in
this creek, the Musquetoes are verry troublesome.

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Shields Brings Fine Bucks; Meat Dried for Crossing

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:11 +0000

more hunters went out eairly to hunt, about 10 oClock Some of
them came in Shields had killed two fine bucks and brought in
the meat, the rest of the hunters that came in killd nothing, we
fleased what meat we have to dry it for the Mountains, towards
evening Several of our hunters went out Some distance to Stay
all night and take an eairly hunt in the morning.

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Eight Hunters Return Laden from Weippe Prairie

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:11 +0000

eairly from Camp a hunting about noon R. Fields and willard
set out to go on about 10 miles a head and hunt at a small prarie
untill we come up. our hunters all came in this afternoon and
eight of them had killed each a deer Gibson Shields Shannon
1 On the Weippe Prairie, some miles north of Lolo Fork, or Collins Creek,
near the source of Jim Ford Creek and not far from the town of Weippe. For
a recent description of the locality and the camping ground of the explorers see
Wheeler, II, 278-80.
366 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [June 14
Collins J° Fields Drewyer Labuche and [blank space in Ms.] all
the meat except Labuches was brought in & that the ravens &
buzzards eat while he was hunting a little more after killing it-
one of the other hunters Colter killed a large crain.

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Shields Returns with Two Deer After Rain

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:10 +0000

night a wet morning one of our hunters John Shields came in
had killed 2 Deer and brought in the meat, the after part of the
day fair.

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Ordway's Party Rides Seventy Miles to Snake River

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:09 +0000

go over to the ki-mooenim river2 for fish [word missing] Swam
“John Sheilds observed that he had seen men in a similar situation restored
by violent sweats,” and Bratton requested the captains to experiment on him
with the treatment. Shields dug a hole three feet in diameter and four feet
deep, and in it kindled a large fire. When the hole had become thoroughly
heated the fire was removed, a seat placed in the hole for the sick man to sit
on, and a thick covering of layers of blankets erected over it. In this device
Bratton was subjected for twenty minutes to as severe a steam or vapor bath
as he could endure. lie was then taken out, “suddonly plunged in cold water
twise,” and immediately returned to the sweat hole for another three-quarters
of an hour, during which time he drank copious draughts of a strong tea made
of horsemint. The day after this heroic “experiment” had been made the
patient was walking about and professed himself nearly free from pain; from
this time his recovery was rapid.
1 A chief who had lost the use of his limbs, and whom Lewis and Clark had
previously prescribed for without success. Lewis was confident he would be
“an excellent subject for electricity,” and regretted the impossibility of trying
it on him.
2 Lewis or Snake River. The captains supposed it to be much nearer their
camp than it actually was, and Ordway was told to return the following day if
possible. Instead he reached camp again on June 2, having made an excursion
of some seventy miles to the westward.
1806] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 361
our horses and waidd on [word missing] village on commeap creek1
three young men went on with us up sd creek about 5 miles left
this creek ascended a high hill on a plain and proced on passd a
lodge where we Struck the creek again followed up Said creek
about 8 miles farther and came to the chiefs village which took
care of our horses, the [word illegible] chief and as the old man
said he was a going on with us in the morning the young men re-
turned and we camped here, and had a hard Thunder Shower, the
Indians grass houses leak.

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