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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