Historical Figure

Posecopsahe (Black Cat)

Posecopsahe, known as Black Cat, was the principal chief of the Mandan village of Rooptahee (the upper village) and one of Lewis and Clark's most trusted Native allies during the winter of 1804–1805 at Fort Mandan. He visited the expedition's camp frequently, sharing intelligence about regional politics, geography, and the movements of neighboring nations. Clark described Black Cat as "Grand Chief of the Mandans" and considered him the most reliable and friendly of the Mandan leaders.

0 treaties 21 total items 21 mapped locations

Related Locations

Pin color = Planning (1801–1804) Westward (1804–1805) Fort Clatsop (1805–1806) Return (1806) Post (1806–1812)
Master expedition route

Note: the longest gap between tagged appearances is about 12 months (Aug 17, 1805 → Aug 14, 1806). Posecopsahe (Black Cat) may have been present in the corps during that span but is not named in the journals.

Journal Entries (21)

Sioux Raid Mandans; Clark Crosses River with Twenty Men
Nov 30, 1804
Pirogue Returns with Twelve Bushels of Mandan Corn
Nov 22, 1804
Blunderbusses Fired Announcing Return to Mandan Villages
Aug 14, 1806
Chiefs Decline Washington Journey, Citing Sioux Danger
Aug 15, 1806
Lewis Pipes with Black Cat Before Marching On
Apr 8, 1805
Black Cat and Big White Bring Meat; Horse Requested
Mar 4, 1805
Black Cat and Hidatsa Chief Visit the Fort
Mar 3, 1805
Pirogues Hauled Up; Elk-Skin Rope Breaks
Feb 25, 1805
Black Cat Visits; Lewis Praises the Mandan Chief
Feb 8, 1805
Black Cat and Coal Chiefs Stay the Night
Jan 11, 1805
New Year's Cannon Fire; Men Dance in Mandan Village
Jan 1, 1805
Air Thick with Ice Crystals; Double Sun Appears
Dec 11, 1804
Black Cat Visits; Main Fort Bastion Completed
Dec 4, 1804
Snow Halts Work; Black Cat Shown Fort Curiosities
Nov 28, 1804
Black Cat Questions Expedition Customs and Councils
Nov 18, 1804
Moving into Fort Mandan as River Ice Runs
Nov 13, 1804
Chiefs Marvel at the Boat and York
Oct 28, 1804
Black Cat Welcomes Peace Message at His Lodge
Oct 31, 1804
Grand Council with Mandan and Hidatsa Chiefs
Oct 29, 1804
Council with Oto and Missouri Chiefs at Bluffs
Aug 19, 1804
Sacagawea Reunites with Her Brother Cameahwait
Aug 17, 1805 · Meriwether Lewis

Other Key Figures

William Clark 1304 Meriwether Lewis 1032 Robert Heacock 788 George Drouillard 405 Patrick Gass 326 Mandan 277 John Ordway 214 Shoshone 188 George Shannon 179 John Collins 167 Clatsop 142 Nathaniel Pryor 141
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Cross-Narrator Analyses

AI-assisted scholarly analyses that cite or discuss Posecopsahe (Black Cat) — showing 1 of the most recent matches.

February 13, 1805

Two Registers at Fort Mandan: A Hunter’s Ordeal and a Diplomat’s Gift

On a single February day at Fort Mandan, Clark recounts a grueling nine-day hunting expedition across icy plains while Lewis logs a…

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