Lewis and Clark Expedition SD - Description and History This file is a complete transcription of the descriptive information about the Lewis and Clark Expedition as found in A. T. Andreas' "Historical Atlas of Dakota", 1884. Lewis and Clark and other Early Explorers The earliest explorations of the upper waters of the Mississippi and Missouri, as well as the vast regions of British America, were made by hunters and trappers either in the employ of the great fur companies or as individual adventurers. As early as the beginning of the 17th century the English had established trading stations at various place in the Hudson Bay region. In 1770-72 a Mr. Hearne, connected with the Hudson Bay Company, traveled from Fort Prince of Wales on Churchill River, latitude 58° 47' 30", longitude 94° 7' 30", Greenwich, to the mouth of the Coppermine River in latitude about 68°. In 1789 Mr. Alexander McKenzie made a voyage from Fort Chipewayan on the Lake of the Hills, latitude 58° 40', longitude 110° 30', via the Great Slave River and Lake to the mouth of McKenzie's River, which was named in his honor. In 1793 he penetrated from the Peace River, in latitude 56° 9', to the Pacific Ocean in latitude 52° 54'. It is quite probable that traders, hunters and trappers had penetrated to the regions of the Upper Mississippi and Missouri rivers, both from British America and points on the great lakes within the United States, previous to any authentic records of explorations. Catholic missionaries from Canada had also penetrated deep into the western wilderness and may have reached as far as Dakota. The first well authenticated account of the Missouri region lying beyond the borders of the present State of Missouri is however, found in the journals of the expedition of Captains Lewis and Clark under the patronage of President Jefferson's administration in 1804-5-6. We append a brief abstract of the movements of this expedition taken mostly from the journal of Patrick Gass who accompanied the command. The gentlemen selected by the Government to lead the expedition we Captain Merriwether Lewis of the First U. S. Infantry, and Captain William Clark, a brother of the celebrated General George Rogers Clark of Revolutionary fame. The expedition made its rendezvous at the mouth of Wood River near the mouth of the Missouri. It included altogether forty-three persons--soldiers, boatmen, guides, interpreters, etc. The party embarked in two pirogues and one bateau on the 14th of May, 1804, and proceeded up the Missouri River. Among the Indian nations or tribes enumerated by Mr. Gass as then inhabiting Dakota, wholly or in part, were the Great and Little Osages, Canips, Otoes, Panas (Pawnees), Loups, Mahas, Poncas, Ricarees (Arickarees), Mandan and Sioux. He says: "the latter nation is not fixed on the banks of the Missouri, but habitually goes there to hunt." He relates a curious superstition among the Indians, who related in speaking of the volcanic mountains in the west: "The Evil Spirit was mad at the Red people and caused the mountains to vomit fire, sand, gravel and large stones to terrify and destroy them, bur the Good Spirit had compassion and put our the fire, chased the Evil Spirit out of the mountains and left them unhurt, but when they returned to their wickedness the Great Spirit had permitted the Evil Spirit to return to the mountains again and vomit up fire; but on their becoming good and making sacrifices the Great Spirit chased away the Evil Spirit from disturbing the, and for forty snows he had not permitted him to return." As there are a score or more of volcanic peaks in the Black Hills, this tradition may go back to the time when they were in a state of activity. Captain Clark, in a letter dated at Fort Mandan April 2, 1805, speaks of the "Big Sioux River which heads with the St. Peter's and waters of Lake Winnepic in some high wooded country. About ninety miles still higher the river Jacque falls on the same side and is about one hundred yards wide." "About the River Jacque the bluff contains a great quantity of Mineral cobalt, cinnabar, alum. copperas and several other things. The stone coal which is on the Missouri is only indifferent. Ascending fifty-two miles up the Jacques the Quicum falls in on the southwest side of the river. It is 1026 miles up, 150 yards wide, not navigable, and heads in the Black Mountains which run nearly parallel to the Missouri from about the head of the Kansas River, and end southwest from this place." "The White River falls in on the southwest side and is 500 yards wide and navigable. This river heads in some small lakes short of the Black Mountains." "One hundred and thirty-two miles higher on the west side Teton River falls into it. It is small and heads in the plains." The party met on Bad River a band of Sioux known as Tetons, of whom the captain says: "Those are rascals, and may justly be termed `the pirates of the Missouri.'" He continues: "About forty-seven miles above the Teton, the Cheyenne River fall in from the southwest, four thousand miles wide. It is navigable to the Black Mountains, in which it takes its rise in the third range." He also speaks of two other rivers that fall into the Missouri on the southwest side, higher up, but does not name them. Farther on he says: "Two days' march in advance of this (Fort Mandan), the Little Missouri falls on the south side, and heads at the northwest extremity of the Black Mountains. In a subsequent letter to his brother, he estimates the distance navigated on the Missouri at 3,096 miles from its mouth to the forks--Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin branches. He complains of ill-treatment by the Sioux, and says but for the threat to give them the small-pox, they would probably have all been massacred. We now return to the regular journal of the voyage: On the 21st of August, the expedition passed the mouth of the Big Sioux River, and the next day saw the bluffs on the south side, "where is copperas, alum, and ore of some kind." On the 25th, Captains Lewis and Clark visited the famous "Spirit Mound," or Butte, near Vermilion in Clay County, which overlooks a wide extent of country. The Indians had a superstitious belief that "a small people lived there," of whom the stood in mortal fear. The party, however did not see any of the "small people," but buffalo were plenty around the hill. The Vermilion river is called "Whitestone Creek" by the writer. On the 27th the party "passed White Bluffs on the south side "(the same as now seen below Yankton), and stopped at noon at the "Jacques" or "Sacque" River, for it is written both ways, evidently the present James River. On the 28th, they passed a "handsome prairie, gently rising from the river on the north side, a small distance above which are beautiful groves of cottonwood on both sides of the river." This was evidently the site of the city of Yankton, which deserves all of the encomiums bestowed upon it. The groves of cottonwood are still partly in existence, particularly on the north side of the river, but it is probable that those on the south side have been largely carried away by the encroachments of the stream. They found a large number of Sioux Indians living in this neighborhood. Forty of their lodges or "tepees" were on the Jacques River, nine miles from the Missouri. Of these the journal remarks: "They are made of dressed buffalo and elk skins, painted red and white, and are very handsome." The party encamped on the 28th "in a wide bottom in which are large elm and oak trees," on the south side of the river. This was evidently near the site of Green Island, Nebraska. Here sixty Sioux Indians visited them. Four musicians went through the camp singing and making a great noise. A grand council was held, and Captains Lewis and Clark made five of them chiefs, and gave them a few presents. In the evening there was a big dance. Elk, deer and buffalo were plenty in this region. At a point on the river near Bon Homme Island, the journal speaks of a curious fortification, though it fails to mention on which bank it was situated: "On the bank opposite our camp(on the island) is an ancient fortification or breastwork, similar to those which have been occasionally discovered on the western waters. The two ends run at right angles to the river, and the outside, which is 2,500 yards in length, parallel to it. There is no breastwork thrown up next to the river, the bank, as is supposed, serving as a sufficient defense on that side, The Niobrara river is described as being 152 yards wide at the mouth and is called "Rapid Water" River. The next day they passed the Ponca River. Three miles farther on they passed, on the north side, Goat Creek, where they saw for the first time a herd of antelope which they called goats, and the French Cabre. On the 7th of September, Captains Lewis and Clark, who went out to visit a mound or hill on the prairie, probably near White Swan, killed and brought in the first prairie dog they had seen. In this vicinity Captain Lewis reported having passed a trading-house built in 1796, probably by the French. On the 10th. in the vicinity of Fort Randall, they found on the top of a "black sulfur bluff," on the south side, a fossil Saurian forty-five feet in length, part of the remains of which were sent to Washington. On the 15th. they passed White River which a party explored to a distance of twelve miles from the mouth, and found it 150 yards wide at that point. The journal speaks of the names of creeks, rivers, etc., as if they had been given before that day either by Indians or earlier explorers. On the 19th and 20th the party passed the Grand Bend, as they called it, referring to the great convolution of the Missouri between Hughes and Buffalo counties. They estimated the distance around at thirty miles, and across the narrow neck one mile. They passed on September 22d, Cedar Island and Creek of which the writer says: "About three o'clock we passed Cedar Island, one of the three sisters where Mr. Lucille had built a fort of cedars. The space picketed in is about sixty-five feet square, with sentry boxes in two of the angles. The pickets are thirteen and a half feet above ground. In this square he built a house forty-five and a half by thirty-two and a half feet, and divided it into four equal parts, one for goods, one to trade in, one to be used as a common hall, and the other for a family house." This locality is now within the limits of Hughes County about six miles below the mouth of Chapelle Creek. Only one island is shown on the map, called Spar Island. On the 24th they reached the mouth of Bad river, which is called the "Tenton" or "Teeton" River. Here they remained over one day for the purpose of holding a council with the Indians, who visited them to the number of fifty, and were very insolent and hostile, refusing to let the party depart; but they finally let them go when the officers told them they had small-pox enough on board to kill twenty such nations in a single day. Of all things the savages feared this deadly disease. They were so mischievous and hostile that the party did not venture in shore, but anchored in the stream. This may have been the reason why the stream has since been called "Bad" River. At a point on, or near the site of Pierre Choteau's trading post, erected about twenty-five years later, the officers went on shore, and were treated very respectfully and hospitably by the large band which had gathered there. There Indians made a sort of basket of a buffalo hide and carried Captains Lewis and Clark to their council house, where a grand feast of dog meat was prepared. There were eighty lodges, or "tepees," on the ground. The journal gives the following account of the dance at this point: "In the evening Captain Clark and some of the men went over and the Indians made preparations for a dance. Captain Lewis, myself and some of the party went to see them perform. Their band of music, or orchestra, was composed of about twelve persons beating on a buffalo hide and shaking small bags that made a rattling noise. They had a large fire in the center of their camp. On one side the women, about eighty in number, formed in a solid column around the fire with sticks in their hands, and the scalps of the Mahas they had killed, tied on them. They kept moving, or jumping round the fire, rising and falling on both feet at once keeping up a continual noise, singing and yelling." They passed Okobojou Creek and islands without making any mention of them, but the Cheyenne River is spoken of as a "large river." The journal calls it the Du Chien or Dog river, which shows that the French had been there before them. A short distance above it mouth they met a party of French traders who had a post there. The great bend of the Missouri above the site of the present Fort Sully was made on mention of. They mention a "white frost" on the 5th of October, when in the vicinity of the Little Cheyenne River, which is called "Hidden Creek." On the 7th of that month they passed the mouth of the Moreau River, and the site of the present growing town of Le Beau in Walwoth County. The Moreau River is called Cer- wer-cer-na, and is described as being ninety yards wide at the mouth, with a deep channel and clear water. At its mouth was a winter camp of Arickaree Indians containing sixty lodges. Near the site of the present town on Reigstadt, in Walworth County, they passed an island on which Captain Clark and one of his men killed a deer and a "Praiow," or badger. On the 8th they passed the mouth of what they designated as the Marapa River, now known as the Grand River, and described it as being 120 yards wide. Six miles above this they found another band of Arickarees in camp, with whom they stopped and held a council. There were two Frenchmen in the camp which consisted of sixty lodges. The Indians supplied the party with corn, beans, and squashes, which shows that they practiced some of the arts of agriculture. The journal describes the "Rickarees/" as they were called as the best looking Indians we have seen." On the 11th they passed a second and third village of the same nation. October 13th, the party passed Beaver Creek, or some stream in the vicinity, which they called "Pond River," where elk, buffalo, and antelope were very plenty. On the 18th, after many delays from sand-bars and easterly winds, they reached the mouth of the Cannon Ball River. Snow fell on the 21st, when they were in the neighborhood of the present site of Bismarck. Buffalo and antelope were plenty here. Wolves also abounded, and mention is made of a white or grayish bear, which one of the hunters wounded. The Little Heart River they call "Chischeet" River. On the 24th of October they met a hunting party of Mandan Indians, the first they had seen, and on the 27th reached the first of their villages, consisting of forty or fifty lodges. On the same day they "passed a bluff on the south side with a stratum of black resembling coal.: This locality was 1610 miles by their reckoning, from the mouth of the Missouri River. On the 29th there was a council at which were present Mandans, Sioux, and one Gros Ventares Indian. As it was now getting very cold, and winter certain to shut down upon them soon, the necessity of selecting winter quarters became apparent. On the 1st of November a site for a winter encampment was selected on an extensive bottom covered with cottonwood, where a strong stockade was constructed and winter quarters built. The journal does not state definitely the exact location, nor even which side of the river it was on., but say the proximate latitude was 47° 21' 23" 8, and longitude 101° 25', west from Greenwich. The fort was named "Fort Mandan." The latitude and longitude given place it in the vicinity of the site of old Fort Clark, which was built a few years later (probably about 1808), on the west bank of the Missouri River, a few miles below the mouth of Big Knife River. Our latest information locates the fort on Section 14, Town 144, north, Range 82 west, which is the one in which a portion of Washburn, McLean County is located, on the left or north bank of the Missouri River, about 25 miles below the mouth of Knife River Two rows of huts, containing four rooms each, were constructed of logs, and the whole surrounded with a strong stockade, sufficient to protect the garrison from any Indian attack. About the 7th of December a great herd of buffalo come into the bottom and white men and Indians had a grand hunt, in which they secured plenty of meat for winter use, and a large number of hides. On the 10th it was so intensely cold that the spirits in the thermometers congealed in the open air in fifteen minutes; but notwithstanding the journalist records that the men were our every day. He mentions the fact that on the 16th, three employees of the Northwestern Fur Company, visited the stockade, and in a note states that the company was organized in 1784-85, by Canadian merchants. The number of stockholders was limited at first to sixteen, but in 1787 increased to twenty. Christmas Day was celebrated by the firing of guns and the drinking of brandy, dealt out four or five times in the course of the day, by the commanding officers. In the afternoon and evening the men indulged in a dance, while three squaws looked on. New Year's Day, Jan. 1st, 1805, was celebrated in the same manner, except that whisky was served instead of brandy. The weather was alternately cold and moderate, with occasional storms during the winter, and the party busied themselves entertaining Indians and occasionally a white trader, and in hunting and cutting wood. No rain fell between November and the 21st of January. On the 28th of February they heard through the "Rickarees" that the Sioux had declared war against the former. In the meantime some of the men had been busy constructing canoes for a renewal of the voyage in the spring, and by March 1st four of them were completed. They were of the variety called "dug outs," formed from a single log. On the 7th of April, 1805, the encampment was broken up, and the expedition proceeded up the river in two pirogues and six canoes. A large bateau was sent back to St. Louis, loaded with furs, peltry and curiosities. On the 12th, they reached the mouth of the Little Missouri River. The journal mentions the finding of specimens of fossil wood on the 19th. The reached the mouth of the Yellowstone River on the 25th of April. Here Captain Clark measured the two streams, and furnished the following interesting statements: The Missouri had 337 yards of water and 100 yards of sand. Total width, 527 yards. Yellowstone 297 yards of water, 561 yards of sand. Total width, 858 yards. A few miles above the mouth of the Yellowstone the party killed an immense brown or cinnamon bear, of which the journal furnished the following statement of dimensions: Around the head 3 feet 5 inches; around the neck 3 feet 11 inches; around the breast 5 feet 10 1/2 inches ; length 8 feet 7 1/2 inches; around the middle of the fore leg 23 inches' talons 4 3/8 inches in length. The expedition passed up the Missouri, followed one of the three upper branches through the mountains, and taking a fork of the Columbia followed it to the Pacific Ocean. The two main branches of this river were long known as Lewis and Clark's forks of the Columbia. They wintered west of the mountains, and reached the mouth of the Yellowstone on the return trip Aug. 7, 1806, from whence they proceeded to St. Louis. This expedition, though it gave very little scientific information touching the great valley of the Missouri, nevertheless furnished the most reliable and interesting account of the country, its inhabitants and wild game., that had then been given to the public. It also gave a very correct idea of the great river and its affluents, and was no doubt instrumental in hastening the more perfect exploration and settlement of the country. It also gave a fresh impetus to the fur trade and pioneered the way for numerous forts and trading posts. TERRITORIAL CHANGES.------The region now comprising the Territory of Dakota was included, at the beginning of the present century, in what the French called Louisiana, taken possession of, and named, at the mouth of the Mississippi River, April 9th, 1682, in honor of "Le Grande Monarch," Louis XIV., by LaSalle, the great explorer. The Spaniards under DeSoto had discovered the Mississippi in 1541, but no advantage had been taken of the discovery, and it had almost passed from the minds of men. Alver Nunez and four companions, who had accompanied Pamphilo Narvaez on his great expedition into Florida and Georgia in 1528, claimed to have crossed the Mississippi lower down than the point where DeSoto first beheld it, and traveled thence through northern Texas to the Rocky Mountains. In 1763, at the close of the war between Great Britain and France, the latter ceded Louisiana to Spain, which held it until October 1, 1800, when it was retroceded to France under the Emperor Napoleon I, by whom it was in turn ceded, May 3, 1803, to the United States government, for 80,000,000 francs, about $16, 000,000. This cession included all the vast region lying west of the Mississippi River, from the British possessions in the north to the Mexican Gulf, and extending indefinitely toward the Pacific Ocean. For years it formed a apart of the great Northwest, or Missouri Territory. It was sometimes called the Mandan region or Mandan Territory. It was annexed in 1804 to Indiana Territory. In 1805 it was again made a part of Louisiana Territory, which included all of the country west of the Mississippi River. After Indiana and Illinois had been admitted into the Union, it formed for a time a part of Michigan Territory, which included Wisconsin, Minnesota and all of the country lying east of the Missouri River. Subsequently it was included in Wisconsin Territory, and still late in the Territory on Minnesota. When Nebraska Territory was organized in 1854, it included the part of Dakota lying west of the Missouri River, the remainder being attached to Minnesota. When Minnesota was admitted as a State in 1858, it left all the region lying between its western boundary and the Missouri River outside of any Territory and occupied by Indians. This part first took the name of Dakota from the great associated Indian tribes forming that nation. On the 2d of March, 1861, President Buchanan approved the bill establishing the Territory, which was made to include an area of about 350,000 square miles. It was bounded on the north by the British possessions, on the east by Minnesota and Iowa, on the south by the 43rd parallel, the Niobrara and Missouri River, and on the west by the snowy range of the Rocky Mountains. The subsequent organization of the Territories of Montana and Idaho reduced Dakota to about its present limits.