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15th Capt. Lewis with a party of men [1] & 4 Indians went in pursute of the Sioux, the Indians returned the next Day & informed me that the Sioux had Burnt all my meat & gorn home (they Saw me but was afraid to attact me) Capt Lewis returned the 21st with 2400 l[bs]. of meat, haveing Killed 36 Deer & 14 Elk, the Sioux burnt one of my meet houses; they did not find the other
at 10 oClock P M. last night the men that dispatched 〈last night〉 yesterday for the meat, returned and informed us that as they were on their march down at the distance of about 24 miles below the Fort "about 105 Indians which they took to be Souis rushed on them and Cut their horses from the Slays, two of which they carried off in great hast, the 3rd horse was given up to the party by the intersetion of an Indian who assumd Some authority on the accasion, probably more thro' fear of himself or Some of the Indians being killed by our men who were not disposed to be Robed of all they had tamely, they also forced 2 of the mens knives & a tamahawk, the man obliged them to return the tamahawk the knives they ran off with
G Drewyer Frasure, S Gutterage, & Newmon with a broken Gun
we dispatched two men to inform the mandans, and if any of them chose to pursue those robers, to come down in the morning, and join Capt Lewis who intended to Set out with a party of men verry early, by 12 oClock the Chief of the 2ed Village Big white Came down, and Soon after one other Chief and Several men— The Chief observed that all the young men of the 2 Villages were out hunting, and but verry fiew guns were left,—Capt. Lewis Set out at Sunrise with 24 men, to meet those Soues &c. Several Indians accompanied him Some with Bows & arrows Some withe Spears & Battle axes, a 〈fiew〉 2 with fusees [NB: fusils]— the morning fine the Thermometer Stood at 16° below 0, Nought, visited by 2 of the Big Bellies this evening,— one Chief of the Mandans returned from Capt Lewises Party nearly blind— this Complaint is as I am infomd. Common at this Season of the year and caused by the reflection of the Sun on the ice & Snow, it is cured by "jentilley Swetting the part affected by throweng Snow on a hot Stone" [2]
verry Cold part of the night— one man Killed a verry large Red Fox to day [3]
Friday 15th Feby. 1805. about 2 OClock last night the 4 men who dispatched yesterday returned and informed us that they were Stoped about 25 mls. down the River by about 105 of the Souix Savages, they emediately Seized the horses cut of the collars (hooping and yelling) jurked the halters from one to another through Several hands. then they jumped on two of them and rode of uppon the run, our men with much difficulty kept the Gray mare which had a coalt at the Fort. one of the horses which they took was a fine large Gilding which belong to one of the N. W. Compy. tradors by the name of Mackinzie— the other was a publick horse as soon as we was informed of this Capt. Lewis and 20 odd of the party vollunterily to go and fight. Sent word up to the 1st village to See if they would turn out the head chief & a nomber of warries came emediately to the Fort. we Got ready to Start directly but did not set out untill after Sunrise I then Set out with Capt. Lewis and 20 odd more of the party. [4] Several warries of the Mandans Set out with us but their was only 3 or 4 remained with us the whole day. we walked about 18 mls. and halted. Got Some meat that our hunters had left hanging upon a tree & boiled & eat Some then proceeded on to the place where the horses was taken. we found a Sled their which they had cut the horse out of. found also a nomber pair of moccasons at their camp. we took the Sled and proceeded on their trale untill late in the evening. we then arived at 2 old Indian lodges which we Some expected to find them their we sent in a Spy but found none so we went to the lodges and Slept all night Some of the mens feet were sore walking 30 odd mls. on the Ice to day.—
Friday February 15 This morning we had fine Clear weather, At day light, Captain Lewis & the party of our Men [5] under his command〈ed〉 left the Fort, in pursuit of those Savages, that had robbed our Men, they proceeded on, and marched 30 Miles that day, without being able to overtake them; that Party encamped [6] on the North side of the River Mesouri for that night, in a thick Wood.— Nothing worth relating happen'd at the Fort this day.—
Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
in partnership with the University of Nebraska Press
and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.