USA > Louisiana > The province and the states, a history of the province of Louisiana under France and Spain, and of the territories and states of the United States formed therefrom, Vol. I > Part 33
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selves. The detachments separated July 3d. With Captain Lewis, in addition to nine men, were five Indians. They took an east- erly direction, and on the oth arrived on the divide between the Clark and the Missouri rivers. Two days later Dearborn river was reached, after which they took a course almost directly north to Medicine river. Game was again abundant and the men fared "sumptuously." In one herd it was estimated that there were ten thousand buffaloes within a circuit of two miles. The mouth of Medicine river was reached on the 11th; but it was found that mich of the stores "cached" there had spoiled. About this time, McNeal, one of the party, while out hunting on horseback, came suddenly and unexpectedly within a few feet of a large grizzly bear. The horse promptly threw his rider and galloped away. The bear advanced with open mouth upon the hunter, who struck it so violent a blow on the head that the animal was felled to the ground, but the stock of the gun was broken. Before the animal could renew the attack, MeNeal sprang into the branches of.a willow tree, and thus escaped almost certain death ; but was com- pelled to remain there until late in the afternoon before the bear left the spot.
Leaving Medicine river on the 17th of July, they took a north- erly direction, aiming to arrive at Maria's river at a spot above that reached by Captain Lewis in 1805. Indian signs were seen, and the mosquitoes were so thick and fierce as to make the dogs howl. Tansy river was crossed on the 17th, and Maria's river reached on the 18th. They ascended the latter stream nearly to the mountains and until it was seen that it was not navigable beyond the fiftieth parallel of latitude, whereupon they started to return, striking southeast toward the Tansy or Teton river. While yet on one of the branches of Maria's river, they suddenly saw ahead of them at the side of a grove some thirty horses, several of which were saddled, and a few Indians, who apparently were engaged in looking on Drewyer in the valley in advance. As it was seen that an encounter was inevitable, Captain Lewis and his party advanced with friendly signs; but instantly it was observed that the Indian camp was in great confusion. A scout rode rapidly out to examine the whites ; but regardless of pacific signs returned to his companions as rapidly as he had come. Finally Captain Lewis went forward alone, and soon a small party of Indians came forward and shook hands with him. Drewyer, who had the peace pipe, was sent for, and upon his arrival all smoked together. As had been feared, they proved to be a band of the Minnetarces of the prairie, notorious thieves and the enemies of nearly all the
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other tribes. Luckily the band consisted of only eight warriors, of whom Captain Lewis felt no fear, as they had but two guns. They said that at the distance of a journey of a day and a half, a large band of their tribe was encamped. Whites and reds then encamped together and slept side by side; but early the next morning, before the former were aware of it, the latter appropriated several of their guns, and a struggle immediately occurred for possession. Several of the Indians ran off with the guns, but were promptly pursued; and one of them was stabbed to the heart by Robert Fields. Weapons were flour- ished and several other personal encounters took place, much to the advantage of the whites. The Indian having Captain Lewis' gun was on the point of escaping with it, when the Captain fired and shot him through the bowels; this Indian, who had one of their two guns, returned the fire, and Captain Lewis felt the wind of the ball on his face.' The Indians now fled, driving off several of the horses ridden by Captain Lewis and his. compan- ions, but leaving more of their own than they took away belong- ing to the whites. They left, also, considerable of their war outfit.
Concluding that the Indians would make all possible speed to the larger band for reinforcements, the whites now rode very fast, determined to escape any pursuit. After riding eight miles they crossed a stream which they named Battle river, to commemorate their encounter of the morning. Continuing, they rode sixty- three miles without stopping, and then encamped to let the horses feed and to dine themselves. After an hour and a half, they proceeded, but again stopped when they had gone seventeen miles. In two hours they again advanced, though it was after dark, and after riding twenty miles, stopped for the night, having covered exactly one hundred miles since leaving the battleground and now feeling safe from pursuit. The next morning after going twenty miles they met a party of their friends coming down the valley. of the Missouri; they proved to be the men under Sergeant Ord- way. They had descended without noteworthy incident. The two detachments passed the portage of the great falls, and all moved rapidly down the river. They arrived at the Musselshell August Ist, Milk the 4th and the mouth of the Yellow Stone the 7th, and there found a letter from Captain Clark, who had arrived there before them and gone on down the river. They followed, but did not overhaul his party until the 12th. In the meantime Captain Lewis, while out hunting, was accidentally shot through the left thigh by one of his companions. Though a severe wound he fully recovered from it in about two weeks.
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After separating from the Lewis party on Travelers' Rest creek, the party under Captain Clark, consisting of fifteen men, having in charge fifty horses, took a soutlierly course up Clark river, and on the 6th crossed the divide near the headwaters of Lewis, Clark and Missouri rivers. Sa-ca-ja-we-ah again recog- nized the country, and pointed out objects she had seen in her childhood on Glade creek, one of the branches of Wisdom river. On the 9th they lost nine horses, which strayed away, but were subsequently recovered. Jefferson river was reached on the 8th, and there the contents of the "caches" were found to be in good condition. Many of the men, who had been without tobacco so long, no sooner came in sight of the spot, than they dropped every- thing and ran with all their speed to the "caches," where they were soon supplied with a plentiful quantity of "the weed." While doing without it, they had even broken up their pipes into small fragments and chewed them, to satisfy the intense craving. The boats were raised from the bed of the river, and after being- repaired were loaded with the baggage. On the 10th the party divided into two detachments, one under Sergeant Ordway, with nine men, going down the river, as before stated, and the other under Captain Clark striking east to the headwaters of the Yellow- stone river. With Clark were ten men and the wife and child of Chabonean and the fifty horses. The Clark party reached the divide between the Gallatin and the Yellowstone river on the 15th, and the same day they named Shields river. Fresh Indian signs were seen here. The Yellowstone was also reached on the 15th, at the place where it issues from the Rocky mountains. About this time twenty-four horses disappeared one night and no doubt were stolen by a band of Indians, whose scouts, it was learned. had shadowed them for several days:
Two canoes were built here, cach twenty-eight feet long, and all their supplies were loaded therein. The Clark party now divided, three men under Sergeant Pryor undertaking to drive the horses across the country to the villages of the Mandans, an easy task should they encounter no hostile band of Indians, but other- wise just the reverse. The boats were completed on the 23d, and the down journey was begun the same day. Clark's fork was passed on the 24th, and two days later they reached the mouth of the Big Horn, where they had their last look at the Rocky mount- ains. Herds of buffaloes literally covered the plain as far as the eye could reach. Several grizzly bears were killed amid scenes of great danger and excitement. On the 20th Lazeka or Tongue river was passed, and the next day they arrived at Field's creek
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near the mouth of the Yellowstone. Upon reaching the mouth of the latter, being without fresh food and being almost eaten alive by the swarms of mosquitoes, they left a note for Captain Lewis, and continued on down the river, soon passing two Ameri- can traders from the Illinois, Dickson and Hancock, who had passed the previous winter on the Yellowstone with a French trader named Ceautoin. From the traders it was learned the Man- dans and Minnetarees were at war with the Arickarees; and the Assiniboines with the Mandans. About this time they were joined by Sergeant Pryor and party, who reported that their horses had been run off in the night by the Indians, and could not be over- taken. They reported that they had experienced much trouble in driving the horses, which, having had Indian training at hunt- ing the buffaloes, would scatter at the sight of a herd and chase them as if riders were on their backs.
The entire party was reunited on the 12th, and the down jour- ney was begun with great elation. The Minnetaree villages were reached on the 14th, and a council was held by Captain Clark, who was informed that the Sioux had killed eight men of this tribe since the expedition was there before. Two of the Arickarees had been killed by the Minnetarees for attempting to steal horses. In short, war had gone on between the tribes as if the whites had never been there. Large supplies of corn were obtained here, the first they had eaten for a year or more. Big White, the head chief, agreed to go with the party to Washington. Here at the Arickaree' villages, Chaboneau and wife left the expedition. They had been extremely serviceable to the party, the husband as a general interpreter and assistant, and the wife as a special inter- preter among the Shoshones. They were paid five hundred dol- lars, and thereafter the faithful wife at least was heard of no more. John Colter, a member of the party, asked leave to remain at the Minnetaree villages, and was permitted to do so. The down jour- ney was resumed the 17th. The Arickarees presented serious complaints against both the Sionx and the Mandans. Near their . encampment was a large village of the Cheyennes. On the 22d Captain Lewis began to walk for the first time since the accident. The Teton villages were reached on the 30th ; Captain Clark took them severely to task for their many misdeeds, informed them that all their bad conduct would have to be accounted for, ordered them away from the boats, and would have nothing further to do with them.
'They were now on the home stretch; and the anxiety to see their friends seemed to double the strength of every man, and the
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boats fairly flew over the water. On more than one day they rowed over seventy miles. Numerous parties of traders were overtaken or met as they proceeded. James Airs was seen Sep- tember 3. Augustus Choteau and party, destined for the Upper Missouri, were passed on the 6th. The mouth of the Platte was reached on the 9th. Two parties of traders were met on the roth, one bound for the Loupe river and the other for the villages of the Mahas. Several parties were met on the 12th, among them being Messrs. McClellan, Gravelines and the elder Durion. Below the old Kansas villages, three parties bound for the Yanktons and the Mahas were passed. On the 16th two parties destined for the Pawnee and the Maha countries were met. Captain McClel- lan and his soldiers were met on the 17th. Two days later they passed the Osage river, and on the 23d reached St. Louis "where we arrived at twelve o'clock, and having fired a salute, went on shore and received the heartiest and most hospitable welcome from the whole village."
The expedition of Lewis and Clark, which was coeval with those of Lieutenant Pike, was the first to reach the Rocky mount- ains and the Pacific ocean. The objects were only partially accomplished. Owing to the refusal of the Sioux to accept the overtures of the Americans, the Indian tribes in the two modern Dakotas were not pacified. Their continuance of war with their neighbors forced the latter to defend themselves ; and war parties from all the tribes of that region immediately succeeded the sail- ing westward of the expedition in the spring of 1805. It was different with all the tribes of the Rocky mountain and the Column- bia river countries; they were friendly to the Americans and generally at peace among themselves .. But from the expedition
it was learned what might be expected from the tribes encoun- tered. That information was vastly important; and it was promptly succeeded by the advent of the fur companies and the many private trappers, who boldly penetrated to the heart of the territories occupied by fierce and hostile tribes, in search of the beaver and other fur-bearing animals. Neither can the expedi- tion be said to have discovered a practicable water route across the Rocky mountains for the benefit of commerce ; but it did learn that the portage between the headwaters of the Missouri and the Columbia rivers was both long and extremely difficult. That knowledge was also valuable. The most important results of the expedition sprang from the description of the country through which the observant Americans passed. The vast numbers of wild animals, the splendid water-courses, the luxuriant natural
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meadows, the fertile and beautiful valleys, the wonderful mount- ains probably containing stores of rich minerals, the astonishing variety of climate-all revealed' to the citizens of the United States the marvelous value of their new possession. It was only a question of time until the whole tract would be peopled with millions and glorified with the intricate tracery of modern civil- ization.
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CHAPTER X
The Expeditions of Lieutenant Pike
T r HE exploration of the Missouri river country, of the Rocky mountains and of the valley of Columbia river, was pro- vided for in the expedition under Captains Lewis and Clark. But other explorations were equally important and neces- sary. It was imperative to find the remote source of the Missis- sippi river, in order to settle the dispute over the boundary between the United States and the British possessions on the north. It was likewise vitally necessary, in order to prevent a probable war between the United States and Spain, to find at once the sources of the Arkansas and the Red rivers, the territory drained by which being claimed by both nations. Spain endeavored to secure this immense tract by sending envoys to the various Indian tribes residing on the headwaters of those rivers for the purpose of forming an alliance with them. She likewise undertook, by send- ing out an army nearly to Natchitoches and nearly to the Mis- souri river, to impress the Indians with her power and the Americans with the rightfulness of her claims to the country. To thwart these pretensions and extravagant claims, the Pike expedi- tion was sent out. The United States claimed, as she had a right to do, all the country west of the Mississippi drained by its branches. It was, therefore, necessary to find without delay the divide which separated the Mississippi basin from those of the Columbia, the Colorado of the West, the Rio Grande, and the rivers of modern Texas, which flow into the Gulf of Mexico.
Under the orders of Gen. James Wilkinson, of the War Depart- ment, then with headquarters at the village of St. Louis, Lient. Zebulon M. Pike, on the oth of August, 1805, with a force consisting of one sergeant, two corporals and seventeen privates, and with a keel-boat seventy feet long, well provisioned for four
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months, set sail up the Mississippi river, intending to visit the Indian tribes on its upper branches, hold peace treaties with them, locate sites for military establishments along the river and else- where, inquire into the habits and customs of the white traders, ascertain to what extent British influences stirred up hostilities among the various tribes, locate the source of the Mississippi, and generally to look after the interests of the United States in the upper Mississippi country. On the 11th they passed the mouth of the Illinois river, and on the 14th came upon a small party of Sac Indians engaged in fishing. The men of the expedi- tion caught this day one thousand three hundred and seventy- five fish from the river as they passed along. The next day, opposite Hurricane Island, on the west side in what is now Missouri, they saw a French plantation, with cattle and growing corn. In this vicinity they learned there were fif- teen or twenty families. On the 17th they passed three loaded batteaux coming down, and two days later struck a "sawyer,"* stove in a plank of their boat and came near sinking, but man- aged to make shore, where they repaired the break by inserting another plank. While they were thus engaged, three canoes of Indians went by on their way down. On the 20th they reached the "De Moyen" rapids, but had hard work getting through them. They were assisted by William Ewing, a representative of the United States among the Indians, placed there to teach them the art of agriculture, who had with him a French interpreter, and four chiefs and fourteen warriors of the Sacs, all in canoes flying the stars and stripes. They were on their way down to St. Louis, but returned to the Sac village on the Iowa side just above the rapids, where on the opposite side of the river stood the house of Mr. Ewing. Here Pike held a council of the leading chiefs of the Sacs, explained to them how Louisiana had become the territory of the United States, and enjoined upon them the importance of maintaining peace with the Americans and with the neighboring tribes. They all promised peace and obedience, whereupon they were presented with tobacco, knives and whisky.
Continuing up the river, Pike selected a spot about forty miles from the Sac village for the erection of a military post. It was on high ground on the west bank, with plenty of ground back of the river front for gardens, etc. On the 25th they passed the month of Towa river, and encamped at Grant's Prairie. On the 26th there went down three pirogues of Indians, and on the 27th River de Roche (Rock) was passed. Here they met a Scotch-
* A concealed tree, log or snag in the river.
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man named James Aird, who had a quantity of goods and was on his way to the Indian country to trade. He was very communi- cative, thoroughly posted on the Indian tribes, and willingly gave Major Pike much valuable information. Here on the east side stood another village of the Sacs. On the 30th they saw Indians in pirogues going down ; and on the 31st passed several encamp- ments, one of which stood on a beautiful eminence on the west side, and had the appearance of having been the site of a town for many years. They were now not far from the lead mines; in fact reached them the next day at noon. They were saluted with a field piece from the lead works, and were hospitably received by Monsier Julien Dubuque, who took pleasure in showing them marked attention. The mines were being worked six miles from the river, no nearer.
Under the instructions of the government, Lieutenant Pike asked Monsier Dubuque a series of questions, and he replied as follows : "What is the date of your grant of the mines from the savages? Answer: The copy of the grant is in Mr. Soulard's office at St. Louis. What is the date of the confirmation by the Spaniards. Ans. The same as to first query. What is the extent of your grant? Ans. The same as above. What is the extent of the mines? Ans. Twenty-eight or twenty-seven leagues long and from one to three broad. What the lead made per annum? Ans. From twenty million to forty million pounds. What quantity of lead per ewt. of mineral? Ans. Seventy-five per cent. What quantity of lead in pigs? Ans. All I make, as I neither manufacture bar, sheet-lead nor shot. Is it mixed with any other mineral? Ans. We have seen some copper but hav- ing no person sufficiently acquainted with chemistry to make the experiment properly, I cannot say as to the proportion it bears to the lead. Signed at Dubuque, or Lead Mines, September I, 1805."
From Dubuque it was learned that the Sioux and the Chip- pewas were at war as usual, that the former had recently killed fifteen of the latter, and the latter had in turn killed ten of the former, at or near the mouth of St. Peter's ( Minnesota) river. On September 2d they reached Turkey river, on which, near its mouth, was a Fox village. Everywhere it was found by like that the Indians had a great dread of the Americans, whom they regarded as great fighters and very brave men. To a certain degree, this belief had been caused by the French and the Span- ish, with whom the Indians had been associated so strong very recently. This, whenever the Indians observed the Pike party
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with the flag of the United States flying, they generally steered clear unless spoken to. Small parties invariably fled before the Americans. It had been, and was yet, to the interest of the French and Spanish traders to influence the Indians against the Americans ; and previous to the cession of the province to the United States the Americans had little show of securing the Indian trade, because they were not permitted to cross the Mis- sissippi. But now all was changed. Everywhere the American traders began to root out the others and to gain the savage cus- tom. One of the objects of Pike's expedition was to prove to the savages that the Americans were now their best friends, that the government was ready to assist them with money and provis- ions, arms and imprements, and to establish posts among them for their benefit. So, from the start, Pike made every effort to secure peace between the tribes, to make them see that the gov- erminent was their best friend, to open friendly communications with them, and to obtain cessions of land, upon which to build trading or military posts. In this he was very successful.
The mouth of the Wisconsin was reached September 4, and a little later the party arrived at Prairie du Chien. Here was found a strong post of traders. Two sites for military posts were selected near this point. Here a council was held with the Puants or Winnebagoes. At the mouth of the Upper lowa river a coun- cil was held with a band of Sioux. September 16th they reached Lake Pepin, and five days later arrived at the mouth of St. Peter's river. Here a little later a council was held with the Sioux for the purpose of cementing a permanent peace between them and the Chippewas. At this time he succeeded in securing from them two valuable tracts of land. They agreed, provisionally only, to maintain peace with the Chippewas. Late in September, the expedition passed around St. Anthony's falls. On the 13th they arrived at the month of Clear river, and here saw their first buf- falo signs. It was resolved to build a fort near this spot, in which to pass the winter; this was soon accomplished.
In the meantime, Pike put himself in communication with the traders and the Indian bands of the surrounding country, his object being to regulate the Indian trade, which was here in the hands of British agents. Finally, he left part of his force at the fort in charge of a sergeant, and with the others started to find the source of the Mississippi, to visit several of the British agencies, and to meet the chiefs of the upper tribes. They passed the mouth of Pine river on the 31st of December. A few days later they arrived at the British camp near Red Cedar lake, and soon afterward at Lake de Sable, where stood their principal
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camp. Pike required the British flag to be hauled down, and exacted from the agents promises to conform to the government requirements. Succeeding in this, they passed up to Leech lake. and at the British post there saw Hugh McGillis, the agent. Here the British flag was also taken down. The British agents were required to take out licenses, were prohibited from selling liquor to the Indians, were forbidden to distribute British medals to the chiefs, and were told to hold no councils with the Indians on political subjects. Here a large council was held with the tribes of Rainy lake, Red Cedar lake, Lake of the Woods, and other distant points-all Chippewas or their relatives. While here, Pike discovered what was supposed to be the source of the Mississippi. Returning down the river he reached his fort early in March. On his way down the Mississippi he held councils with other bands of the Sioux. St. Louis was reached April 30.
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