Nez Perce Archives - Lewis & Clark Research Database

Bighorn Sheep Encountered on the Open Plains

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

on eairly a head, we took an eairly breakfast, and proceed on
through a large plain & groves of pitch pine where the hunters
had killed 2 deer we took the meat and proceed on crossed Sev-
eral creeks one so large it Swam Some of our horses, about 12 we
Saw a large flock of Mount” Sheep or big horn animels. they run
so near us that Some of the men fired at them. Shortly after we
halted at a branch to dine, dined and proceeded on without find-
ing the road, as we cannot ford the river yet. towards evening
one of the hunters killed a deer. Soon after we Camped near the
forks of the creek.3 one of the hun ters killed a fat buck this evening.
were to await the arrival of Captain Lewis, who was to be joined at the mouth
of Marias River by Ordway’s party and the men left by Lewis at the falls.
The plans thus outlined were carried out, in the main, but the following im-
portant modifications occurred. Lewis’ projected exploration of Marias River
was curtailed, partly because he found that stream did not extend as far to the
northward as he had supposed, partly because hostile Indians compelled him
to beat a retreat to the Missouri; Clark with his detachment descended the
Jefferson with Ordway’s party before crossing over the Yellowstone: and
the plan for Pryor’s parly was defeated through the theft by the Crow Indians
of all his horses,.
1 Modern Bitter Root River; in the journals it is more frequently called
Clark’s Liver.
2 “In the vicinity of Corvallis but on the other side of the river.” Cones.
3 The camp was at the junction of West or Nez Perce Pork with East or.
Loss Fork of the Hitler Root.
1806] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 373

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Crossing Twin Forks of the Nez Perce River

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

and Set out to cross the right [Nez Perce] fork of the river which
we found nearly Swimming. proceed on up the river Some dis-
tance crossd the other fork, the hunters killed a deer and a
Mountain Sheep or big horn animel. about noon we halted in a
bottom to dine. Shannon left his tommahawk back where he
killed the deer & went back for it. we delayed about 3 hours
and proceed on over the hills towards evening we came to the
Smooth plains where we saw the 1st flat heads or Tus e paw last
year as we passd down, we Camped on the branch & plain1 the
hunters killed two deer. Shannon joined us with his tomma-
hawk &C.

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Nine Horses Missing; Party Divides to Search

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

up our horses, found all except nine hunted in all directions
for them could not find them. So Cap1 Clark directed me to
1 “at the mouth of Camp Creek in the vicinity of town of Sula.” Coues.
In this vicinity the explorers had camped from Sept. 4-6, 1805.
2 The party had ascended Camp Creek several miles and then crossed the
continental divide to one of the sources of Wisdom or Big Hole River. This
passage of the Rockies is commonly known as Gibbons Pass, so named in honor
of Gen. John Gibbon. Wheeler gives (II, 318-19) an interesting recent account
of the appearance of the country in the vicinity of today’s travel.
3 The camp was “not far south from the spot where, on August 9, 1877,
General Gibbon and Chief Joseph fought the battle of the Big Hole during the
Nez Perce war.” Wheeler. In coming to the battle ground General Gibbon
followed practically the same route across the mountains and down the branch
of Wisdom River that Clark’s party had pursued seventy-one years before.
374 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [July 8
stay with 4 men to hunt this day for them, about 9 Am Cap1
Clark and the rest of the party set out to go to canoe deposite.1
I and the 4 men went out in different directions to look for the
9 horses I and Labuiche went up a valley which led in the
mount” towards the ShoShones nation, got on the track of the
horses and followed it on untill towards evening and found them
still going on an IndD road, we turned them back to the last
nights Camp, the other 3 men had got back their also, we hob-
bled the horses and Camped here, had several Showers of rain
& Thunder in the course of this afternoon.

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Seeking Nez Perce Guides; Potts Cuts His Leg

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

Sent on a head to go to the villages of the pel-oll-pellow nation1
they took one of the short rifles in order to git a pilot if possable
to go over the mountn with us. 2 of our horses could not be found
this morning, so 2 men was left to hunt them, we Set out about
8 oClock proced on with 4 men in front to clear the limbs and
bushes out of the path, we got but a short distance before one
of the men Potts who was of the front cut his leg verry bad with
a big knife we halted a fiew minutes Cap* Lewis Sowed up the
wound and bound it up we then proceeded on a short distance
further in crossing the creek Colters horse threw him in the
creek lost his blanket and hirt him a little, about noon^ we
halted to dine at the Same place we dined on the 16th Ins* at
which time came up a hard Shower of hail and rain and hard
Thunder, which lasted about an hour and cleared off. the 2 Fields
Stayed here to hunt we proceeded on towards evening we we
arived at the long glades on a branch of Collinses Creek where is
fine feed for our horses, so we Camped in order to Stay if the
1 “to the Choppunish Indians in the plains beyond the Kooskooskee.” Lewis.
368 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [June 19
hunters kill game untill a guide comes or untill the road is so that
we can go but it depends on the hunters and game in a great
measure, the musquetoes verry troublesome at this place, sev-
eral Salmon seen in this branch &C.

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Razor Traded for Spanish Silver Dollars

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

a rainy morning, we took a light breakfast Frazer got 2 Spanish
mill dollars from a squaw for an old razer we expect they got
them from the Snake Indians who live near the Spanish country
to the South, we proceed on Shortly arived at a fork2 of the
kimoo-enim or Lewises river followed down it Some distance
then left it and bore to the right up a creek. passd one lodge
crossed a steep bad hill and descended down a long hill an[d] a
run pass a large lodge and descended the worst hills we ever saw
a road made down, towards evening we arived at the kimooenim
or Lewises river3 at a fishery at a bad rapid, our chief told us to
set down and not go in the lodge untill we were invited so we did
at length they invited us in. spread robes for us to sit on and Set
a roasted Salmon before us and Some of their white bread which
they call uppah. we eat hearty of this fat fish but did not eat
of it. it was Set up for us. this lodge is about 100 feet long and
20 wide and all in one but they have but fiew Salmon.
1 Lawyer’s Canon Creek. The route led the party up this stream, and the
day’s camp was on its upper waters.
2 They had reached the Salmon River in its lower course — according to Lewis
(journal, June 2) at a point twenty miles above its junction with Snake River.
3 A few miles below the mouth of Salmon River. They were in what is now
southern Nez Perce County, Idaho, on the opposite side of the river from
Wallowa County, Ore.
362 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [May 30

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Shorter Road Leads to Clearwater Village

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

went and put us on the road which he said was a near way & a
good road, we wrode thro the timbred country struck the head
of a creek in the plain followed down said creek passd one lodge
about noon the road left the creek and kept thro the high plain a
good road, towards evening we came down the riVer hills to a
large village above the forks on kooskooskee river, we halted a
short time to let our horses feed a little and git something to eat
ourselves, bought considerable uppah and couse from the natives
and proceeded on to another village down the river near the forks.2
night came on and we Camped here at the chiefs lodge that gave
us so many horses they appeared verry friendly to us and gave
us a large cake of uppah their is a vast site of excellent horses
1 To return to the main party. Although Thwaites says (V. 100) the journey
is easily traced, it is not easy to fix precisely the route followed. Apparently
they journeyed, from the point some twenty miles above the mouth of Salmon
River, across to Cottonwood Creek, and followed down its valley to the South
Fork of the Kooskooskee; thence down this stream until they reached Camp
Chopunnish.
2 The junction of the South and Middle Forks of Kooskooskee or Clearwater
River. The camp was across the river from the site of Kooskia, Idaho.
1806] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 363
Scattered along this river which they offer to Sell for a Squaw axe
pr peace & 2 or 3 for a gun & a little ammun’

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Pleasant Afternoon at Camp Chopunnish; Hunters Return

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:07 +0000

out a hunting, we eat two more of our unruly Stud horses, a light
passage of the mountains. Today’s camp was on the west bank of the Koos-
kooskee, about 1| miles above the mouth of Lawyer’s Canon Creek.
1 With the exception of Fort Mandan and Fort Clatsop the explorers occu-
pied this camp a longer time than they remained in any other one place during
the entire course of the expedition. Although not named by Lewis and Clark
the camp has been named by students of the expedition, in honor of the neigh-
boring Indians, Camp Chopunnish. It was occupied from May 13 until June
10, 1806, exactly four weeks. The site of Camp Chopunnish is less than two
miles below Kamiah, Idaho, on the opposite side of the Kooskooskee. For a
description of the locality as it appeared in 1902, see Wheeler, II, 269-71.
2 With the entry for May 16, 1806, begins a new (and the final) volume of
the manuscript journal. The covers of the volume are gone, and the outer
page is much stained and discolored. The contents of this page and the fol-
lowing one (not presented here) consist of a few disjointed memoranda of game
358 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [May 17
rain in the fore part of the day. the after part pleasant, in the
evening our hunters except two returned had wounded three
white bear and killed two two Deer, which they brought in the
meat.

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Slaughtering a Colt; Spotting Expedition Goods at Mandan

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:05 +0000

brought us the young horse they promised to give us last night
which we excepted and Shot him to eat. as some of the men are
gifting Sick eating roots. Several of the natives gambled in the
same way as those below had buffaloe robes war axes &C Staked
up the war axes these Indians have they got from the Grouse-
vauntares on the Missourie & they got them from us at the Man-
dans, about noon we Set out proceeded on up the river passd
1 Today’s camp was 1^ miles above the camp of Oct. 8, 1805. Colter’s
Creek is modern Potlatch River. The camp was at its mouth, in Nez Perce
County, Idaho, about midway between the towns of Spalding and Myrtle.
2 The medical fame of the two captains in this locality was enhanced by the
fact that Clark had prescribed some liniment, the preceding autumn, for an
Indian who complained of a pain in his knee and thigh. Whether or not because
of the efficacy of the prescription the man shortly afterward recovered, and
attributed the credit to Clark. Without themselves venturing to claim it, the
captains now utilized Clark’s medical reputation to procure, in return for his
services, the food necessary to the party’s subsistence. In view of their want
and their inability otherwise to procure food, Lewis considered the deception
pardonable; but the amateur physicians took care to give the natives “no
article which can possibly injure them.”
354 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [May 7
a large lodge. Some part of the road is rockey & rough in the
evening we Camped near a small village.1 the big horn chief and
a number other Indians Camped with us.

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Powder Cached; Dangerous Waves at Rocky Rapids

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:45:35 +0000

Sometime changing the officers canoes &C. hid a canister of
Powder by a broken top tree, about 9 oClock we Set out and
proceeded on Saw Some Indians horses on the Side of the hills
on Stard Side, passed over Several bad rapids took in Some
water by the waves, passed Some clifts of rocks and barron hills
on each Side, about 12 OClock we halted at Some Indian Camps
about 6 lodges of well looking Savages who had Several Small
canoes and catch considerable of Sammon. we bought some from
them. 2 dogs also, we proceeded on a Short distance and halted
at Some more Camps at the foot of an Island where was Several
Indian Camps, one of the canoes Struck a rock in the middle of
the rapid and Swang round and Struck another rock and cracked
hir So that it filled with water, the waves roared over the rocks
and Some of the men could not Swim, their they Stayed in this
doleful Situation untill we unloaded one of the other canoes and
went and released them. 2 Indians went in a canoe to their
assistance also, we got the men and the most of the baggage Safe
to Shore, a fiew articles lost one tommahawk and a fiew light
things, we put the baggage out and Camped on the Stard Side
1 Coues locates the camp at the mouth of Bed Rock Creek, Nez Perce County,
Idaho.
295
296 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Oct. 9
at high plains, a number of Savages visited us this evening —
had Come about 18 miles to day1

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Fields Meets Party with Salmon and Root Bread

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:45:33 +0000

frost, we were detained Some time a hunting our horses, about
nine oClock at which time we Set out assended a Mountain and
proceeded on came on a small Smooth prarie or plain, and run
came through it. we met Reuben fields who Cap* Clark Sent
back to meet us, with a bag of Sammon and excelent root bread
which they purchased from a nation of Indians who are Camped
on a plain at the foot of the Moun* about 8 or 10 miles distance
from this place we halted about one hour and a half eat hearty
of the Sammon and bread, and let our horses feed, then we pro-
ceeded on the two men who had been back to look for the lost
horse overtook us they had found the horse and portmantaus,
but had lost the horse they took with them, we proceeded on over
a mountain and descended it down it to a valley which is Smooth
and mostly handsome plains. Some groves of handsome tall large
pitch pine timber, about 3 miles further we came to a large Indian
village of the flat head rfation2 they appeared very glad to see
1 This stream, already reached by Clark and given the name Collins Creek,
is modern Lolo Creek, or Lolo Fork of the Clearwater. Not to be confused
with Lolo Creek, the tributary of Bitter Root River.
2 “They call themselves Cho punnish or Pierced noses.” Clark, September
20. These Indians, more commonly known as Nez Perces, were among the
290 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Sept. 23
us ran meetting us with some root bread which they gave us to
eat. we Camped by a branch near the village, the natives gave
us dryed Sammon and different kinds of the food. Cap* Clark
joined us this evening and informed us that the[y] had been on a
branch of the Columbia River where he expected it is navagable
for canoes and only 15 or 20 miles from this place & C. these
natives have a large quantity of this root bread which they call
Commass. the roots grow in these plains, they have kills engean-
iously made where they Sweet [sweat] these roots and make them
Sweet and good to the taste.1

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