Patrick Gass Archives - Lewis & Clark Research Database

Meriwether Lewis’s Survey at Cumberland Gap

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

The expedition is usually said to have ended when the Corps of Discovery reached St. Louis on September 23, 1806 — but Lorna Hainesworth documents a little-known coda. Traveling east to brief President Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis went ahead of William Clark through the Cumberland Gap, the great pass where Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee meet. There, on November 23, 1806, local gentlemen asked him to determine whether Dr. Thomas Walker’s old line — by then the Kentucky–Tennessee boundary — actually lay where it was supposed to.

The paper reconstructs the return party (Sheheke, or Big White, and his family; the Pierre Chouteau–led Osage delegation; Clark’s man York; privates Labiche and Frazier; and sergeants Gass and Ordway), the post roads they followed, and the long history of the Gap from Walker’s 1750 sighting through Daniel Boone’s Wilderness Road. It is a window onto Lewis the trained surveyor still at work, weeks after the journey west was over.

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

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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.

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Horse Sled Built; Mandan Report Buffalo's Return

Tue, 05 May 2026 15:15:05 +0000

a cold day. Serg‘ Gass fixed a horse Sled for one of the
N. W. Comp?’ traders to go to thier forts with. Some of the
Mandans come & Informed us that the buffaloe had come near
the River again.

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Oto Grand Chief and Warriors Arrive at Camp

Tue, 05 May 2026 15:14:49 +0000

Continued Hear for ouer men thay did not Return Last
night
Satturday augt 18%
ouer men Returnd and Brot with them the man and Brot
with them the Grand Chief of the ottoes and 2 Loer ones and
6 youers [others ?] of thare nattion*
[On last fly-leaf.]
the 224 June
Charles Floyd
Winer az
R. Field 2”
J. Field Gard for thompson 16™ July
Newman 4
Gass Gard for thompson
MCNeel
thompson
1 The following day, August 19, Floyd was ‘taken verry bad all at once with a
Biliose Chorlick’” —see Clark’s journal, vol. i, pp. 114, 115, amte—and on the
twentieth died.—Ep.
[ 26 ]
The Original Journal of Private Joseph
Whitehouse
May 14, 1804-November 6, 1805
The ORIGINAL JOURNAL OF
Private JOSEPH WHITEHOUSE’

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Pressing Past Grand River Without Hunting

Tue, 05 May 2026 14:23:52 +0000

took our leave of him and proceeded on. In a short time,
passed the mouth of the river Grand, and soon after over-
took the hunters, who had not killed any thing. We con-
tinued our voyage all day without waiting to hunt; gathering
some papaws on the shores, and in the evening encamped on
an island.
The 19th was a fine day, and at day light we continued our
voyage; passed the mouth of Mine river; saw several turkeys
288 GASS’S JOURNAL
on the shores, but did not delay a moment to hunt; being so
anxious to reach St. Louis, where, without any important
occurrence, we arrived on the 23rd and were received with
great kindness and marks of friendship by the inhabitants,
after an absence of two years, four months and ten days.
FINIS.
INDEX
A
Adams, Point, 191
Aird, Mr., 233
Aleis Indians, 212; dress of squaws, 212
Allum, 21
Angelica, 137
Antelope (Cabre), 28, 32, 33, 36, 50,
76, 107, 108, 115, 121, 256-258,
266, 281.
Aricaris Indians, see Rickaree Indians
Arrow creek, 6
Arrows, Prairie of, see Prairie of arrows
Ash, 5, 8, 166, 206, 211
Ash creek, 4
Assiniboin Indians, 65, 75
B
Badger, description of, 17; mentioned,
46, 66
Bald-pated prairie, 284
Barbarole Indians, see Jonkta Indians
Baskets, willow, 133
Beans, raised by Indians, 47, 48
Bear, 8, 9, 76, 87, 95, 99, 104, 105,
210, 231, 234, 241-243, 249, 259,
268, 270
Bear, Black, 209.
Bear, Brown, description of, 82; men-
tioned, 83, 84, 86, 93, 104, 106,
247, 269, 271
Bear, Grizly, 232
Bear, White, adventure with a, 260;
description of, 80; mentioned, 52
Bear creek, 5
Bear island, 259
Bear meat, Indian method of cooking,
232
Beaver, 15, 17, 30-33, 75-79, 83, 118,
121, 124, 132, 203, 222, 223, 268,
269, 274
19
Big-bellied Indians, see Grosventres In-
dians
Big Devil river, 6
Big Goodwoman’s creek, 6
Big Muddy creek, 5
Big Rock creek, 6
Big-White (Indian chief), with his fa-
mily, goes to Washington with explor-
ing party, 276
Bighorns, see Mountain sheep
Birch, 166, 222
Blackbird, king of Mahas, 19
Black-bird creek, 7
Blackbirds, 104
Blue-water creek, 10
Blustry point, 177
Boat of iron, description of, 103
Boiling spring, 262
Bonum creek, 3
Bore-tree, 142
Brants, 167, 170, 175, 177, 178, 180
Brarow, see Badger
Breastworks, 26, 27
Buckeye, 8
Buffaloe, 22, 23, 29-33, 34) 51, 52,
57, 59-62, 65, 66, 76-79, 81, 83, 89,
91, 92) 97) 102-104, 107-109, 258,
259, 266, 268, 270-272, 274, 281,
282; night adventure with a, 92
Buffaloe prairie, 22
Burnt bluffs, 272
Butterfly creek, 14
Buzzard, 178
Cc
Cabre, see Antelope
Calamex (or Callemax), Indians, their
characteristics, customs, and dress,
204; mentioned, 192
Cannon-ball river, 51
290
Canoe camp, 111, 177
Canoe deposit, see Deposit, Canoe
Canoe, Indian, see Indian canoes
Canzan river, see Kanzas river
Cape Disappointment, see Disappoint-
ment, Cape
Cape Swell, see Swell, Cape
Catarack river, 215
Catfish, 20, 22, 24, 286
Cathlama Indians, their characteristics,
customs, and dress, 204
Cathlama village, 205
Cedar, 28, 83, 113, 116, 146, 210
Cedar bluffs, 21, 22
Cedar fort, description of, 35
Cedar island, 35
Cerwercerna river, 45
Charlotte rivers, the two, 7
Cherries, 14, 117, 129, 135, 140, 211,
230
Chien Indians, 58, 278
Chien river, 43, 280
Chilook Indians, 206; dress of women,
207
Chiltz Indians, their characteristics, cus-
toms, and dress, 204
Chinkook river, 177
Chinook Indians, their characteristics,
customs, and dress, 178, 204; their
hats, 198; mentioned, 188, 192, 198,
200-203, 206
Chinook Indian squaw saves life of one
of exploring party, 192
Chischeet river, 52
Chononish Indians, their method of
cooking bear meat, 232; some char-
acteristics, 255; mentioned, 226-230,
232-234, 240-242, 244, 248, 249,
252
Christmas, celebration of, 62, 63, 187
Clarke, Captain William: Takes com-
mand of expedition and proceeds up
Missouri river, 1; goes hunting, re-
turning next day with game, g; trav-
els by land, 13; holds council with
Indians, 17; goes hunting, 18, 19;
Index
Clarke, Captain William (Coztinued)
goes fishing, 20; goes hunting and
kills two elk and a fawn, 21, 22;
names Buffaloe prairie, 22; goes with
Captain Lewis to examine hill where
little people are said to live, 22, 23;
holds council with Sioux Indians, 24;
goes to view knob of a hill, 29; visits
prairie dog village, 29; goes hunting
and kills an antelope, 31, 32, 34, 353
threatened by Sioux Indians, 37;
holds council with Sioux Indians, 38;
goes to see Indians dance, 39; goes
hunting, 45; holds council with Rick-
aree Indians, 47, 48; visits Indians
and returns with corn and _ buffaloe
robes, 55; goes buffaloe hunting, 59;
goes hunting, 60, 61; gives brandy
to men for Christmas celebration, 63;
gives whiskey to men for New Year’s
celebration, 64; goes hunting, 68;
kills a hare, 75; kills an antelope, 76;
travels by land, 76; kills tliree black-
tailed deer and a buffaloe calf, 78;
measures Missouri and Yellowstone
rivers at mouth of Yellowstone, 795
measures Missouri and Muscle-shell
rivers at their confluence, 86; his ex-
pedition up south fork of Missouri
river, 94, 95; surveys road for a port-
age, 101, 102; measures portage and
Falls of Missouri river, 105; has nar-
row escape ina hail storm, 106; goes
in search of timber to build boats,
108, 109; goes ahead of party, 1123
leaves note informing party which
branch he had taken, 117; illness and
recovery, 117; starts for Columbia
river, 126; goes to Cape Disappoint-
ment to view the Ocean, 177; returns
from Cape Disappointment, 178; vis-
its the Ocean, 184, 185; gives men
tobacco and handkerchiefs for Christ-
mas, 187; visits salt-makers’ camp,
192; goes to examine tributary of the
Columbia, 209; goes hunting, 214;
Index
Clarke, Captain William (Continued)
purchases horses from Indians, 21 5—
217; journeys on foot so that men
with sore feet may ride, 220; kills
two pheasants, 222; doctors the sick
Indians, 226, 229, 2373; ascends
Clarke’s river, 254; ascends Gallatin
river in order to cross over to Yellow-
stone river, 262; account of his ex-
ploring trip, 274; holds council with
Rickaree Indians, 278; mentioned,
56, 57, 60, 69, 73, 88, 102, 113,
114, 11g, 121, 128, 130, 132-135,
146-149, 186, 197, 215, 235, 245,
2.53, 261, 271-274, 285
Clarke’s river, 139, 140, 159, 176, 252
Clarke’s view, 191
Clatsop, Fort, 190, 205
Clatsop Indians, their characteristics,
customs, and dress, 204; mentioned,
179, 180, 193, 194
Clear-water river, 112
Clover, 126, 257
Clover, red, description of, 220
Columbia plains, 211, 216, 219
Columbia river, exploration of, 125, 127,
158, 175, 177) 183, 205-219, 2525
falls of, 162, 163, 177, 218; mouth
of, 1745; narrows of, 163, 177, 216—
218; rapids of, 164, 167, 177, 212,
213
Columbia river Indians, see Indians of
the Columbia river
Columbia valley, 210
Commas, description of, 242;
tioned, 252
Commas flat, 242, 244, 248, 249
Commas root, description of, 148; men-
tioned, 222, 230
Copperas, 21
Coquallaisquet river, 256
Corn, raised by Indians, 47, 48
Cotton-wood, description of, 57; men-
tioned, 5, 8, 18,23, 28, 29, 56,81, 90,
92, 93, 100, 103, 112, 117, 166, 168,
170, 222, 223, 230, 256, 259, 266
men-
2g1
Council Bluffs, 17, 284
Cowas root, 230
Crab-tree bark, used as substitute for
tobacco, 201
Cranberries, 163
Crane, 139, 169, 175
Crow, 155, 161
Crusate’s river, 214
Currant bushes, 104
Currants, 112, 113, 117, 119, 129
Cutteau (Knife) river, 73
D
Dead, Indian custom of burying their,
204
De Chirn river, see Chien river
Deer, 4-6, 8-10, 12-18, 22, 24, 28-31,
33> 35» 46, 50-52, 57, 59, 61, 65,
66, 68, 75, 77, 78, 81, 83, 91, 96,
99, 101, 102, 108, 113-117, 119—
121, 123-126, 130, 134, 135, 137,
138-141, 151, 164-166, 168, 169,
175,177, 178, 180, 188, 193, 194,
201-203, 207-209, 213-216, 223,
2275 233, 235) 237-244, 247-249,
251-259, 269-272, 274, 276, 277;
279-281, 285, 286
Deer, Black-tailed or Mule, description
of, 33; mentioned, 34, 78, 269, 281
Deer creek, 4
Deer island, 206, 207
Deer-lick creek, 7
Depie creek, 9
Deposit, Canoe, 274
Deposits, 97, 98, 259, 260
Disappointment, Cape, 177
Divide between Missouri and Columbia
Trivers, 127, 257
Dog river, see Chien river
Dogwood, 211
Dogs, as diet, 163
Dogs, Indian, see Indian dogs
Du Bois (or Du Beau) creek, 9
Du Bois river, see Wood river
292
Ducks, 136, 147, 155, 156, 162, 166,
168, 169, 171, 175, 180, 182, 207,
211, 216, 233, 249
E
Eagle, 155
Elk, 13, 16, 17, 19, 22, 23, 26, 28, 30,
31, 36 51, 57, 65, 67, 68, 76-78,
91, 92, 96, 99, 101, 102, 104, 105,
113, 118, 139, 182, 185, 188, 190,
191, 193-199, 201-203, 205, 209,
210, 251, 2595 269, 270, 272-274,
2775 279, 281, 283, 284, 286
Elk island, 13, 36
Elm, 24
Elm creek, 34
Experiment, The, 108
Exploring party, start, 1; encamp for
the winter on the Missouri, 56-73;
find game scarce and are forced to
subsist on their horses and portable
soup, 142-147, 229, 238; dine at
head-waters of Missouri, 126, 127;
begin voyage down Lewis river, 152;
begin voyage down Columbia river,
160; reach the end of their voyage,
1753 prepare to encamp for the win-
ter on Pacific coast, 186-188; move
into winter huts and celebrate Christ-
mas, 187; leave Fort Clatsop and begin
return trip, 205; separate to pursue
different routes, 252; reunited, 274;
reach St. Louis, 288; number of elk
and deer killed by, Dec., 1805, to
March, 1806, 203
F
Fawns, 17, 22, 30
Fir, 144, 194, 195, 211, 255
Fire-prairie creek, 9
Fish, 20, 135, 155, 1733 petrified, 30;
see also specific names
Fish camp, 176
Fish creek, 51
Index
Flathead Indians, their lodges, 155;
their method of making bread, 147,
148; some characteristics, 204; men-
tioned, 137, 138, 140, 150, 151,
153, 155
Flathead river, see Clarke’s river
Flattening of the head, Indian custom
of, 165
Flax, 96, 101, 126, 133, 256
Fleas, 215
Flies, 190; horse, 249
Flounder, 177
Flowers, 206
Floyd, Sergeant, death and burial of, 21
Floyd’s river, 21
Fort Clatsop, see Clatsop, Fort
Fourth of July, celebration of, 11, 107
G
Gallatin’s river, 121, 262, 274
Garter snakes, 207
Gaskenade river, 4, 5
Gass, Sergeant, builds canoes, 70; finds
petrified log, 77; helps Captain Lewis
build his iron boat, 103; goes in
search of material for canoes and kills
two elks, 104; visits Falls of Mis-
souri river, 106, 1073 joins Captain
Clarke’s party in search of timber,
1093 goes with Captain Lewis to look
for Snake Indians, 118; ill, 149; re-
covers from illness, 151; has narrow
escape by canoe sinking, 153; has
attack ofague, 154; helps build quar-
ters for commanding officers, 186;
goes to salt works, 190-192; goes
hunting with companion and spends
a night out-doors in the rain, 1973 is
ill, 263; with companion, starts by
land to mouth of Maria’s river, 266
Geese, 75-77, 130, 139, 155, 156, 162,
166-169, 171, 175, 202, 207, 209
Geesem, an interpreter, 276
Glade creek, 252
Gnats, 247
Index
Goat creek, 28
Goat-pen creek, 76
Goats, 28, 32, 33, 35, 44, 50-52, 62,
76, 121-124, 266
Gooseberries, 100, 109, 117
Gooseberry bushes, 243
Grand Bend, see Missouri river, Great
Bend of
Grand Point, 76
Grand river, 7, 287
Grapes, 13, 31
Grapevines, 5
Grindstone creek, 5
Grosventres (or Grossventer) Indians,
55> 7% 73) 74) 117, 267, 275, 276
– Grouse, 159, 2333 see also Prairie hen
Gulls, 161, 162, 169, 172
i
Haley’s (Hailey’s or Hayley’s) Bay, 177,
Ig1, 200, 207
Hares, 32, 65, 75, 159
Hawks, 155, 177
Haws, 129, 141
Hazlenut, 166
Heath hens, see Grouse
Herrings, 198
Hickory, 5
Hidden creek, 45
Hood, Mount, 168
Hot Spring, 141, 251, 252
Hudson’s Bay Company, 61
Hungry creek, 245-247, 250
Hysop or hyssop, 77, 133
I
Ibex, see Mountain sheep
Independence creek, 11
Indian baskets, 133
Indian bread, 130, 134
Indian canoes, 208
Indian customs: burial of the dead, 204;
method of making fire, 133; mode
of worship, 81; use of cedar bark for
293
Indian customs (Continued)
food and clothing, 210; see also names
of nations and tribes
Indian dog poles, 35, 36
Indian dogs, 41
Indian saddles, 235, 236
Indian spears, 131
Indian war-mallet, 233
Indians, see names of nations and tribes
Indians hold council to decide about
accompanying exploring party to
Washington, 275
Indians of the Columbia river, burial
customs, 160, 161, 204; dress, 131,
170, 176; form of salutation, 127;
lodges, 162, 164; mentioned, 127—
131, 133, 158-167, 169-179, 186;
see also Chiltz, Chinook, Clatsop, and
Flathead Indians
Indians residing between Falls of the
Columbia river and the coast, rascally
and thieving, 227
Indians residing between Rocky moun-
tains and Falls of Columbia, honest
and well disposed, 227
Tron ore, 14
Isquetcoqualla river, 254, 255
J
Jaune river, see Yellowstone river
Jefferson river, 121, 122, 126, 127,
262, 274
Jitk, 9
Jonkta Indians, 44
K
Kanowa Indians, 286
Kanzas river, 10, 286
Kanzon river, see Kanzas river
Kilhouanakkle river, 200
Kimooeenem river, 154, 159, 162, 177
Knife river, see Cutteau river
Kooskooske river, 154, 159, 176, 224,
226, 232
294
L
Labenile creek, 9
Landselle’s fort, 280
Lewis, Captain Meriwether: Joins ex-
pedition, 3; kills a deer, 6; holds
council with Indians, 17; kills a peli-
can, 19; goes fishing, 20; goes with
Captain Clarke to explore a prairie,
22, 233 holds council with Sioux In-
dians, 24; views knob of a hill and
visits prairie-dog village, 29; passes
trading house built in 1796, 30; kills
a strange bird, 33; goes hunting and
returns with game, 3 3-35; holds coun-
cil with Sioux Indians, 38; persuades
Indians to return women prisoners
taken in battle with Mahas, 39; goes
to see Indians dance, 39; gives pres-
ents to Indians and persuades them to
allow exploring party to depart in
peace, 40; visits Rickaree Indians,
holds council with them, and presents
them with American flag, 46-48;
gives presents to Rickaree Indians,
50; holds council with Grossventer,
Mandan, Sioux, and Watasoon In-
dians, 55; visits Mandan village, 56;
goes buffaloe hunting, 59; gives
whiskey to men for New Year’s cele-
bration, 64; calls for volunteers to
pursue Indian robbers, 69; sets out
by land for Yellowstone river, 78;
rejoins exploring party, 79; kills a
white bear and an elk, 80; his expe-
dition up north fork of Missouri river,
94, 96; sets out for mountains, 98;
visits Falls of the Missouri, 100;
helps men to make an iron boat,
103; bleeds sick man with pen-knife,
104; goes to look at spring, 105;
goes to mountain to take observation,
111; goes ahead of party and en-
camps over night alone in the wilder-
ness, 118; goes ahead with party to
look for Snake Indians, 118; journeys
as far as Columbia river and returns
Index
Lewis, Captain Meriwether (Continued)
with Snake Indians, 125; buys horses
for party, 133; ill, 1495 goes hunting
by moonlight, 168; takes specimen
of Indian language, 177; gives medal
to Chinook Indian, 178; trades blue
beads to Indians for sea otter skins,
1793 goes in search of winter camp-
ing place, 181; returns and reports
place for camp, 183; gives men to-
bacco and handkerchiefs for Christ-
mas, 187; buys canoes of Indians,
214; strikes Indian for stealing, 2173
journeys on foot so that men with sore
feet may ride, 220; doctors sick
among Indians, 226, 229, 2373 de-
scends Clarke’s river, 254-2673; as-
cends Maria’s river, 261; and party
have encounter with Grossventress’
Indians, 267; has skeleton of bighorns
prepared to take to Washington, 268,
269; wounded accidentally by one of
the party, 273, 274; recovering from
wound, 277; mentioned, 1, 60, 71,
86, 99, 108, 109, 112, 117, 119—
I2I, 124, 128, 132, 133, 140-142,
146, 150, 160, 163, 173-175; 184,
197, 213; 215, 235; 253; 260, 270,
271, 285
Lewis river, 152-159, 177; 224, 240
Little-bow creek, 23
Little Goodwoman creek, 6
Little Missouri river, 74, 75, 79, 275
Little Osage river, 3
Little Sioux river, 18
Loos Indians, see Loup Indians
Loup Indians, 14, 285
Lucelle, Mr., 35
M
Mackenzie, Mr., 36, 41
M’Clanen, Captain, 287
M’Clelland, Mr., 285
Madison river, 121
Magpie, 243
Maha creek, 12, 20
Index
Maha Indians, 19, 20, 23, 39, 285
Maha village, 20, 254, 283
Mandan, Fort, 58, 63, 65, 79
Mandan Indians, their method of hunt-
ing buffaloe, 59; superstitions regard-
ing buffaloe, 66, 67; burial customs,
54; characteristics, 71, 72; method
of wintering horses, 64, 65; men-
tioned, 47, 48, 52, 53, 55-73, 275
Mandan villages, 53, 54
Maple, 168, 170; soft, 211.
Marapa river, 46
Maria’s river, 96, 97, 99, 260, 261,
266-268
Marrow creek, 6
Medicine river, 101, 103, 104, 257-259
Milk river, 83, 270
Mine creek, 6
Mine river, 287
Mississippi river, 1
Missouri Indians, 17
Missouri river, ascent of, 1-55, 73-1273
description of country through which
it flows, 89~91; descent of, 257-288;
distance from mouth to Pacific Ocean,
176,177; Falls of the, 99, 100, 105—
107, 254; Great Bend of, 34, 35, 53,
280; north branch, 118-122; rapids
of, 100, 112; source of, 127, 257;
south branch, 120-122; three forks
of, 117, 121, 122; two forks of, 93,
94,96, 97; west branch of, 120-122
Moha creek, see Maha creek
Mombran’s tavern, 4
Mountain holly, 135
Mountain sheep, 80, 87-89, 93, 112,
240, 268, 269
Mud creek, 5
Mulberries, 8
Muscle-shell (or Muscle shoal) river,
86, 269
Musquitoes, 18, 19, 32, 104, 109, 115,
202, 243, 244, 247, 249, 253, 254,
256, 258-262, 272, 275) 2775 2795
282-284, 286
Myrrh, 137
295
N
Nadowa, 12
Namahia creek, 13
Nettles, 206
Netul river, 200
New Year’s day, celebration of, 64
Night creek, 34
North West Company, 61
North West Company traders, 54, 58,
61, 62, 66, 277
oO
Oak, 5, 24, 164, 166, 206
Onion creek, 75
Onions, wild, 114
Osage Indians, 5
Osage river, 5
Oto Indians, see Otto Indians
Otter, 52, 124, 203, 223, 274
Otter, sea, 164, 166, 172
Otter creek, 4
Otto Indians, 14, 16-18, 284
P
Pacific Ocean, exploring party arrive at,
174, 175; distance from mouth of
Missouri river to, 176, 177
Paint creek, 28
Pania river, 28
Panther, 149
Papaws, 287
Pelicans, 19, 51, 161, 283
Perch fish, 20
Petrified wood, 77
Pettit-ark creek, see Little~Bow creek
Pheasants, 131, 136, 137, 142, 147,
149, 222, 227, 248
Philosophy river, 122
Pigeons, wild, 10g
Pike fish, 20
Pine, 83-85, 113, 114, 116, 121, 126,
128, 131, 135, 136, 140, 142, 144,
146, 148, 152, 164, 166, 168, 170,
178, 184, 228, 242
296
Platt creek, 10
Platte river, 14, 15, 90, 284, 286, 287
Pleasant camp, 281
Plumb creek, 27
Plumbs, 281
Poncas Indians, 28
Pond creek, 11
Pond river, 49
Ponis (Panis or Poenese) Indians, 7, 14,
286, 287
Porcupine, 31, 32
Porcupine creek, 81
Porpoises, 172
Portage river, 263-265
Portages, Missouri river, 102, 105, 261—
264; Columbia river, 162, 164, 167,
213, 214, 216
Prairie dog, 29
Prairie hen, 131; see also Grouse
Prairie of Arrows, 6
Prarow, see Badger
President of the U. S., specimens sent
to, 71
Prickley pear, 95
Pumice stone, 13, 74, 77, 178
Q
Quail, 211
Quicksand river, 177, 208
R
Rabbit berries, 22, 52
Racoon, 203
Rainy, Mount, 169
Rapid-water river, 28
Ravens, 161, 202
Rat, wood, 11
Rattle-snake, description of, 116; men-
tioned, 216
Rickaree (Aricaris, Rickree, or Rees)
Indians, characteristics, 48; lodges,
45-475 superstitions, 278; mentioned,
42, 46-50, 54, 70, 73
Rickaree Indian villages, 48, 277, 278
Index
River de Bois, see Wood river
Rock camp, 215
Rocky mountains, 65, 80, 111-117,
119, 124-132, 137, 139, 140, 142—
147) 176, 231, 250
Rogue’s-harbour creek, 177
Roots, edible, 222, 238; see also names
of roots, and Shrub, edible
Rose river, 94, 266
Round-knob creek, 16
Rush creek, 4
Rushes, 5
S
Sacque river, 23, 24
Sage brush, 221
Saine creek, 6
St. Charles, 2, 3
St. Johns, 3
St. Louis, 1, 3, 71, 288
Salmon, 128, 129, 132, 136, 151, 157,
158, 161, 163, 172, 177, 182, 186,
188, 213, 240, 247
Salmon-trout, 247, 249
Salt spring, 30
Salt works, 188, 190-193, 195-198
Sandy river, 209, 210
Service berries, 117,
256
Service-berry bushes, 141, 142, 149,
243
Service-berry valley, 125
Shallow Bay, 171, 177, 181
Shapaleel (Indian bread), 215, 218, 219,
221, 222, 226
Sharbons creek, 75
Sheep, Mountain, see Mountain sheep
Sheep, unknown variety, 150
Sheep-sorrel, 202
Shoshone Indians, see Snake Indians
Shoshone river, see Snake river
Shotto, Mr., 283
Shrub, edible, 211
Sioux crossing-place, 34
UG EGS U5
Index
Sioux Indians, councils held with, 24,
55; dances, 25; declare war against
exploring party, 70; lodges, 24; mu-
sical instruments, 25; mentioned
7) 20, 23, 24, 36, 45, 52, $7, 2845
see also Teeton Indians, Yonktin
Indians
Sioux river, 21
Slate run, 46
Slaughter river, 268
Smoke creek, 36
Snake creek, 8
Snake Indians, 74, 125, 126, t40, 240
Snake river, 162, 176, 177, 218
Snakes, 11; see also Garter snakes, Rat-
tle-snake
Snow creek, 99
Soldiers creek, 18
Spear mint, 104
Springs, see Boiling spring, Hot spring,
Salt spring, Sulphur spring
Squashes (raised by Indians), 47
Squirrel, description of, 108, 216, 243;
mentioned, 136, 164, 165, 177, 191
Stony creek, 142
Strawberries, 100
Strawberry creek, roo
Strawberry island, 212
Strawberry vines, 141, 242
Sturgeon, 200, 202, 206
Sugar tree, 8
Sulphur, 74
Sulphur spring, 101

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Four Deer Taken During Midmorning Hunt

Tue, 05 May 2026 14:23:51 +0000

rain that fell yesterday, and again proceeded on early with
286 GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
unfavorable wind. At 10 we halted to hunt, staid about three
hours and killed four deer. We then continued our voyage
to sunset and encamped. We had a few musquitoes, but they
were not so bad as we found them higher up the river.

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Chouteau's Barge Met; Spirits Obtained on Missouri

Tue, 05 May 2026 14:23:50 +0000

number of pelicans, and about 8 o’clock a gang of elk, when
some hunters went out but returned without killing any. At
11 o’clock we met a barge belonging to a Mr. Shotto, of St.
Louis, loaded with merchandize, for the purpose of trading
284. GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
with the Sioux nation of Indians. We got some spirituous
liquors from this party the first we had tasted since the 4th
of July 1805, and remained with them about three hours; sent
some hunters ahead and proceeded on till about 3 o’clock in
the afternoon, when we halted and waited for the hunters at
the place agreed on to meet them, but they did not come in
and we encamped for the night.

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Fifty Teton Sioux Avoided on the Riverbank

Tue, 05 May 2026 14:23:48 +0000

early, three hunters starting ahead. We killed some buffaloe
and elk in our way, and about 2 o’clock met a band of the
Teetons, fifty or sixty in number, and halted on the opposite
side of the river as we did not wish to have any intercourse
282 GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
with them. Here we waited for three hunters, who were be-
hind: and during our stay eight or nine of the Indians swam
to a sand bar about sixty yards from us, and we found that
they were the same rascals who had given us trouble as we
went up. We could not converse with them, but one of our
men understanding the language of the Ponis, of which they
understood some words; we through him let them know that
we wanted to have nothing to do with them; and that if they
troubled us, we would kill every one of them. They then
withdrew, and the whole party left the river and went off to
the hills. Our three hunters returned, and we proceeded on
and in the evening encamped on a sand bar in the river.

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Council with Arikara at First Village

Tue, 05 May 2026 14:23:47 +0000

morning. At 10 o’clock we arrived at the first village of the
Rickarees, and halted. In our way here we met three French-
men in a canoe; one of them a young man, who formerly be-
longed to the North West Company of traders, wished to go
with us to the United States; which our Commanding Officers
consented to and he was taken on board one of our canoes.
When we halted and landed at the villages, the natives gener-
278 GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
ally assembled, and Captain Clarke held council with them;
when they declared they would live in peace with all nations;
but that their chiefs and warriors would not go to the United
States at present, as they had sent one chief already, and he
had not returned. There are also a great many of the Chien,
or Dog nation encamped here, in large handsome leather
lodges; and who have come to trade with the Rickarees for
corn and beans, for which they give in exchange buffaloe meat
and robes. They are a very silly superstitious people. Cap-
tain Clarke gave one of their chiefs a medal, which he gave
back with a buffaloe robe, and said he was afraid of white
people, and did not like to take any thing from them; but
after some persuasion he accepted the medal, and we left
them.* Here a Frenchman joined us to go to St. Louis, who
was in the service of the Commanding Officers; and we
dropped down to the village on an island, and encamped for
the night.
*We think that some further proof is necessary to establish the weakness and
superstition of these Indians. Had the chief persevered in his rejection of the medal,
we, instead of thinking him silly and superstitious, would have been inclined to the
opinion, that he was the wisest Indian on the Missouri.
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION “279
CHAP. XXV.
RIDAY 22d. There was a cloudy wet morning, after a
night of hard rain, and we staid at this village to 12
o’clock. The natives used us friendly and with kindness;
gave us corn and beans with other articles; but none of them
would go down with us. At noon we got under way; and
having proceeded twelve miles the weather became clear, and
we halted to dry our baggage, which got very wet last night.
At four o’clock we again went on, and had a fine passage till
night when we encamped.

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Persistent Winds Halt Progress Twice

Tue, 05 May 2026 14:23:47 +0000

well till noon, when the wind rose and blew so strong that we
were obliged to halt. Having lain by three hours we again
proceeded, but did not go far before we were obliged on ac-
count of the wind, again to stop, and encamp for the night.
280 GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE

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