Lewis and Clark
Journal Summary 22: Dates August 14, 1806 - August 31, 1806
The following
is a summary of the journal entries made by Lewis and Clark.
Dates: August 14, 1806 - August 31, 1806
Lewis and Clark
Arrive Back at the Mandan Villages and Face the Teton Sioux
Again
August 14, 1806
The Corps of Discovery arrived at a Mandan village. The
Indians were glad to see them and Clark held council with
several Chiefs. Clark tried to persuade some of the chiefs
to travel with them to see the President but they were afraid
of attack by the Sioux, whose territory they would have
to pass on the way.
August
15, 1806
One of the Corps of Discovery members, Jo Colter, asked
if he could leave the expedition and join the two trappers
they’d passed earlier. Clark was of the opinion that this
would be to Colter’s advantage, so agreed.
August 16, 1806
Colter was formally discharged
from the Corps of Discovery, along with the interpreter
Charbonneau, his wife Sacagawea and their son Jean-Baptiste.
Charbonneau was given $500 33⅓ cents in payment. Lewis &
Clark gathered together the Chiefs and with great ceremony
presented the swivel cannon, which they no longer needed,
to One Eye the Chief of the Minnetares. During the evening,
the Head Chief of the Mandan village told Lewis and Clark
that he would travel with them if he could bring his wife,
children and Rene Jusseaume, a Mandan translator, and his
family. They agreed to the proposition.
August
17, 1806
Lewis and Clark prepared to leave. Before leaving, William
Clark offered to take Sacagawea’s son, Jean Baptiste, and
bring him up. Both Charbonneau and Sacagawea agreed that
this could happen in a year’s time when he would be old
enough to be taken from his mother. Lewis and Clark sat
and smoked a pipe with the Indians before leaving.
The expedition continued on, despite being hampered by high
winds and having to constantly bail out the canoes.
August 21, 1806
They arrived at the camp
of the Arikara and Cheyenne Indians. The Chiefs spoke with
Lewis, Clark and the Mandan Chief but would not travel with
them. They wanted to witness the safe return of the Mandan
Chief before they would consider the journey. Lewis’s leg
was healing well and he was able to walk a little for the
first time since the accident.
Clark
sent hunters ahead on most days to catch and prepare meat
for the arrival of the rest of the Corps of Discovery.
August 25, 1806
The expedition passed
several Arikara villages that had been destroyed by the
Teton Sioux Indians.
August 26, 1806
They passed the camp
that the Teton Sioux had occupied when they tried to stop
the expedition on its way up the river in September 1804.
They kept a closer watch now that they were in Sioux territory.
August
30, 1806
William Clark spotted some Indians on the river bank. A
short while after a further 80 or 90 Indians appeared and
fired their guns. Taking this to be a form of salute, Clark
fired 2 rounds in response. After sending some interpreters
to speak to the Indians they confirmed that they were Teton
Sioux. Clark told them that he remembered how they treated
the expedition when they last passed them, and warned them
not to approach them. He also told the Indians he would
not trade with them.
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