William Bratton 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.

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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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Sweat Treatment Attempted on Bratton's Crippling Back Pain

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:08 +0000

a deer at a lick near our Camp it Swam the river to the S. Side
two Indians who Stayd with us last night Swam the river with
their horses and ran the deer it took the river and Swam back
again. Serg* pryor then killed it and gave the Indians one half
of it who Swam their horses back after it. Wm bratton having
been so long better than 3 months nearly helpless with a Severe
pain in his back we now undertake Sweeting him nearly in the
manner as the Indians do only cover the hole with blankits having
bows bent over above the hole, we expect this opperation will
help him.1 we continue burning out the canoe &C. about noon
1 Of all the medical treatments given by Lewis and Clark none was more
interesting than Bratton’s. He had been helpless since before the beginning
of the homeward journey from Fort Clatsop. Although he ate heartily and
digested his food well his strength did not return, notwithstanding the amateur
doctors tried on him every remedy their “engenuity” could devise. Now
360 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [May 24
our hunters all came in empty had killed nothing except a fiew
fowls most of our men went to the village we were camped at
Some time past and bought considerable of couse & Shappalell &C.
Some of the natives caught 3 Salmon to day.

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Gibson Carried Ashore in a Blanket

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:45:53 +0000

evening the party returned Bratton came by land sick they
brought Gibson in a blank* up from the canoe, he is very Sick,
and low.1

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Gibson Gravely Ill at Salt Works; Five Elk Killed

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:45:52 +0000

last night, in the afternoon two men came in from the Salt
works and informed us that Gibson is verry sick at the Salt
works and Bretn [Bratton] verry unwell, the 2 men who came
had killed 5 Elk but got only a little of it at the salt works.

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Wounded Grizzly Bear Chases Bratton to the Boats

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:45:21 +0000

we Set off eairly. Some of the party caught 2 beaver last night
we proceeded on passed black bluffs & hills on the s. s. low
ceeder on the hills in places & Spots on each Side of the River.
Saw verry large ga(ngs of buffaloe in the bottoms on each Side
of the River, one of the party which had a lame hand was walk-
ing on Shore towards evening he came running and hollowing
to the perogues chased by a brown bair which he had wounded,
bad. Some of the hunters went out with him and killed it.2 it
was nearly of the Same discription as the one killed Some days
1 In Dawson County, four miles above the mouth of Werner’s Creek and
thirteen miles above Big Dry Creek.
2 The hero of this encounter was William Bratton. Lewis describes the
incident in greater detail than does Ordway. Bratton was chased a mile and
a half and reached the boat so much out of breath that for several minutes he
was unable to tell what had happened. Lewis went with seven men in search
of the “monster,” which was found, shot through the lungs by Bratton yet
still full of life. “These bear being so hard to die,” notes Lewis, “reather
intimedates us all. I must confess that I do not like the gentlemen and had
reather fight two Indians than one bear.” It is interesting to compare Lewis’
estimate of the danger of meeting the grizzly with that of Theodore Roosevelt,
a twentieth-century hunter of some repute. “On the whole,” he says, “the
danger of hunting these great bears has been much exaggerated. At the begin-
ning of the present (nineteenth) century, when white hunters first encountered
the grizzly, he was doubtless an exceedingly savage beast, prone to attack
without provocation, and a redoubtable foe to persons armed with the clumsy,
small-bore, muzzle-loading rifles of the day. But at present bitter experience
lias taught him caution. He has he. mi hunted for sport, and hunted for his
pelt, and hunted for the bounty, and hunted as a dangerous enemy to stock,
until, save in the very wildest (list nets, he has learned to be more wary than
a deer, and to avoid man’s presence almost as carefully as the most timid kind
of game. Except in rare eases he will not attack of his own accord, and, as
a rule, even when wounded his object is escape rather than battle.” The
Wilderness Hunter (New York, L893), 306-7.
1805] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 211
past, but much fatter, we Camped before night to dress the bair,
after comming 17 miles today. Cap1 Clark who walked on Shore
killed 2 buffaloe 2 deer and one beaver, he went on some broken
hills on the N. S. which was partly covred with pitch pine and
another Sort of pine which resembles the pitch pine only the bark
& leaf Smaller, these hill[s] bair the first pine we have Seen on
this River, the country back from the River is broken, but the
Soil verry rich and good, the River bottoms are Smoth and level
thinly covred with cotton wood timber, and filled with all most all
kinds of Game. Some Smoth plains under the black broken hills
which is covered with wild hysop. passed Several Small runs in
the course of the day.

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Fox Trapped After Gnawing Through Fort Pickets

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

blustry. Bratton caught a fox in a Steel trap where it had
[gnawed] a hole through the pickets, it had freequently come
through in to the Garrison after bones where we divided meat.

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Deserter Moses Reed Tried and Sentenced to Run Gauntlet

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:44:43 +0000

brought with them Reed the deserter, likewise the Big chief of the
Zottaus called the Big horse,4 and a nother chief called pete-
valiar5 of Missouri & a Frenchman & 7 of the wariers came for the
purpose of treating with the Mahas & C. Reed tried & punished
towards evening;6 the Chiefs verry Sorrey &. C. as Liberty (had
been at the village) has not returned with Drewyer
1 Clark writes that the creek was “Darned” by beavers, which Biddle
alters to “damned” — a procedure not commonly attributed to quadrupeds.
2 They were taken with “trails or brush nets.” Gass.
3 Moses B. Reed. For his desertion see ante, journal entries of August 4
and 6. For his punishment see post, entry of August 18. Clark records (Aug-
ust 17) that the pursuing party caught La Liberty also, “but he decived them
and got away.”
* The Big Horse was a well-known chief of the Oto tribe. At the time of
Long’s expedition (1819-20) he is spoken of as the principal chief.
6 Called Little Thief by Clark.
6 Whitehouse’s record of Reed’s punishment is equally laconic. It is de-
scribed by Clark as follows: “[we] proceeded to the trial of Reed, he confessed
that he ‘Deserted & stold a public Rifle Shot-pouch Powder & Ball’ and re-
quested we would be as favourable with him as we Could consistantly with our
112 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Aug. 19
Aug* Sunday 19th pleasant S wind, the Indians got up their
horses to water them, all the Indians appear to be friendly,
at about the hour of 9 o. Clock Cap* Lewis & Cap1 Clark read a
Speech to the Indians & counseled with them. Gave one a medel &
the rest they gave commissions & made them all chiefs &. C. they
appeared to be willing to make peace with the Mahars & all other
nations the Captains Gave them Some Small articles of Goods
&. C. & gave them provisions while they remained with us.
the most of this day taken up in giving the Indians Good counsel
&. C. Sg1 Floyd taken verry Sudenly 111 this morning with a
collick. Cap* M. Lewis invited the above petevaliar [and] the Big
Chief to go to see the presidant &. C. &. C.
Aug.1 Monday 20th pleasant, we Set of[f] under a gentle
Breeze from S. E, the Indians chiefs Set out to return to their
village. Sg* Floyd worse than he was yesterday we Sailed on
verry well till noon when we came too on S. S. Serg1 Charles
Floyd Expired directly after we halted a little past the middle of
the day.1 he was laid out in the Best Manner possable. we pro-
ceeded on to the first hills N. S. there we dug the Grave2 on a
handsome Sightly Round knob close to the Bank, we buried him
with the honours of war. the usal Serrymony performed (by
Cap* Lewis as custommary in a Settlement, we put a red ceeder
post hughn [hewed] & branded his name date &. C. we named
those Bluffs Sergeant Charles Floyds Bluffs Distant from the
Oathes — which we were and only Sentenced him to run the Gantlet four times
through the Party & that each man with 9 Swichies Should punish him and for
him not to be considered in future as one of the Party. The three principal
Chiefs petitioned for Pardin for this man after we explained the injurey such
men could doe them by false representations, & explan’g the Customs of our
Countrey they were all Satisfied with the propriety of the Sentence & was
Witness to the punishment.”
In after years Bratton was in the habit of relating to his children that instead
of switches the men used their ramrods on the culprit, and that the blows
were well laid on, in the fear that anyone showing leniency would incur similar
punishment. Gass, Introduction, p. xxv.
1 Clark gives a fuller account of Floyd’s illness and death. He “Died with
a great deal of Composure * * * This Man at all times gave us proofs
of his firmness and Determined resolution to doe Service to his Countrey and
honor to himself.”
2 Within the limits of Sioux City, Iowa. The grave was long a noted land-
mark to voyagers upon the Missouri. Having been partly washed away by
the river, in 1857 Floyd’s remains were reinterred in a safer place about an
eighth of a mile farther back. In 1901 a monumental shaft to the dead ser-
geant was dedicated with fitting ceremony.
1804] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 113
Mouth of the Missouri 949 § miles by water,1 we then proceeded
on a short distance to a creek which we Call Floyds Creek2 (came
15. or 18. miles to day where we Camped N. S.
1 On the M. R. C. map the distance is given as 805 miles.
2 Still called Floyd River. It drains several counties of northwestern Iowa,
and joins the Missouri within the limits of Sioux City.
CHAPTER IV
From Floyd’s Creek to Teton River, August 21-
September 24, 1804

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Cherries Added to Whiskey Barrel Near Baker's Island

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:44:39 +0000

passed a place called Bakers oven & an Island called Bakers
Island.2 we passed the mouth of a small creek in a bend above
high clifts on the South Side passed high land along the South
Side forming clifts to the river of yallow earth, praries on the top,
we Saw some Signs of Elk. we gathered a quantity of cherries at
noon time & put in to the Whiskey barrel we proceded
on passed several Sand bars & Islands and we camped on the
North Side of an a willow Island which is in a round bend of the
river. G. Drewyer Joined us with 2 Deer this evening. Bratton
also he found Callimous (sweet flag we call it) opposite where we
camped3 & a large quantity.

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Four Men Sent in Pursuit of Deserter Reed

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:40:48 +0000

the Morning Clear the party Sonsisted of 4 their names
first G. Druier, R. fields, Bratton, And William [Labiech]* that
was Sent after M’ Read that Deserted in Lat. °41, 17, 00 N.
Nothing Else happen‘ Extraordinary this day.
Wends% Aug’ 8%
Cap M. Lewis Shot a pillican the Bagg that it carried its
drink in contain? 5 Gallons of water by Measure after we
pass: the pillican Island there was better than 5 or 6000 of
them flying they kept before Us one day Roaed 19 Miles
Camp‘ On the E. S.
1 Clark gives his name as ¢¢ Francis *’ in the list at the beginning of this journal ;
but in the text of the journal for this date, speaks of him as «¢ Wm. Labieche.’” — Ep.
[ 48 ]
1804] WHITEHOUSE’S JOURNAL

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