August 18, 1804
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Aug 30, 1803 Sep 30, 1806

August 18, 1804

 

18th August 1804    a fine morning, despatched Jo. Fields for the Party from the Ottoes, whom did not Come up last night    Wind from the S. E. [(]* Panies 〈arived〉 returned from their hunt, the 12th of August) [1]    in the after Part of the Day the Party arrived, we had a Short talk after which we gave them Provisions to eate & Proceeded to the trial of Reed, he confessed, & we Sentenced him only to run the Ganelet four times thro: the Detachment & party, and not to be considered in the future as one of the Permonant Party, after the Punihment of about [500?] Lashes, [2] at night we had Some talk with the Chiefs about the Cause of War between them and the Mahars.    posponed the further consultation untill tomorrow. had a Dance which lasted untile 11 oClock, the Close of Cap Lewis Birthday. [3]    a fine evening    wind S. E

Day & year of [4]
〈N. 5    N. 52 W. 7 Miles to a point of highwoods on Stard. and having passed
the lower point of Pellican Island ¼ of a mile, to which the
last course was taken〉
  36 Children 1 Frenchman
  45 Ottoes & Missouries 2 Great Chiefs of the Ottoes
  45 you do Somethig 2 Second Chifs of the Missouries
126   5 Wariors, accompanied the Party

Sent to the Towns, i e Reiubin Fields Will: Brattin G. Drewyer & W Labieche. [Ed: this was on August 7 ].

My Father, I am Sorry that the first man I brought:—

 

a fine morning.    Wind from the S. E. in the after part of the Day    the Party with the Indians arrivd.    we meet them under a Shade near the Boat and after a Short talk we gave them Provisions to eat & proceeded to the trail of Reed, he Confessed that he "Deserted & Stold a public Rifle Shot-pouch Powder & Bals" and requested we would be as favourable with him as we Could consistantly with our Oathes—which we were and only Sentenced him to run the Gantlet four times through the Party & that each man with 9 Swichies Should punish him and for him not to be considered in future as one of the Party—

The three principal Chiefs petitioned for Pardin for this man

After we explained the injurey Such men could doe them by false representation, & explang. the Customs of our Countrey they were all Satisfied with the propriety of the Sentence & was witness to the punishment. [5] after which we had Some talk with the Chiefs about the orrigan of the war between them & the Mahars &c. &c.—    it commenced in this way i'e' in two of the Missouries Tribe resideing with the Ottoes went to the Mahars to Steel horses, they Killed them both which was a cause of revenge on the part of the Missouris & Ottoes, they also brought war on themselves [WC: Cap L. Birth day] [6]    Nearly in the Same way with the Panea Loups [Skiri Pawnees] and they are greatly in fear of a just revenge from the Panies for takeing their Corn from the Pania Towns in their absence hunting this Summer.

the evening was Closed with an extra Gill of Whiskey & a Dance untill 11 oClock.

 

Observed meridian altd. of ☉'s L. L. with Octant by the back observt.    63° 23' —"

Latitude deduced from this obsetn.    [blank]

Observed Equal altitudes of the ☉ with Sextant

  h    m     s       h    m      s
A. M. 7    38     1   P. M. 3    46    48
  "    39    28     "    48    13
  "    40    58     "    49    42

Altd. by Sextant at the Time of Obstn. 60° 8' —"

 

Saturday 18th    pleasant, G. Drewyer & the other 2 men Returned.    brought with them Reed the deserter, likewise a the Big chief of the Zottaus called the Big horse, and another chief called petevaliar, of Missouri, & a Frenchman & 7 of the wariers came for the purpose of treating with the Mahas &C— [8]    Reed tried & punished towards evening; the Chiefs verry Sorrey &.C—    an Liberty (had been at the village) has not returned with Drewyer

 

Satturday augt 18th [9]    ouer men Returnd and Brot with them the man and Brot with them 〈3〉 the Grand Chief of the ottoes [10] and 2 Loer ones and 6 youers of thare nathion

 

Saturday 18th Augt. [11]    G. Drewyer & the other 2 men Returned & Brought with them M. Reed the Deserter, likewise the pettevaliar the Big chief of the Zottous & another called the Big horse, a frenchman & 7 of the warriers &c—    they all came for the purpose of treating & making friends with the Mahars, &c    M. Reed tried & towards evening he Recd. his punishment, the chiefs Sorry to have him punished &c.    La Liberty has not returned.    it is expected that he has deserted.—

Saturday August 18th    We fired off our Cannon as a signal for the Indians & We remained still at same place, G. Drewyer, and two other Men who had been sent out in search of Reade who had deserted returned; having brought the deserter with them, they likewise were accompanied by Pettis 〈ahar.〉 Wallow, the big chief of the Zoto Indians, also another Indian of the same Nation called the Big horse, and a frenchman 7 Indian Warriors, and a number of Indians all of the same tribe 〈of Indians.〉    They came in Order, to holde council & have a treaty with Captain Lewis & Captain Clarke, and to make a lasting peace with them, in behalf of the United States.    In the Evening M Read was tried by a Court Marshall, and sentenc'd 〈was〉 to 〈have〉 be punish'd by whipping him.    The Indians were all concerned at seeing Read receive his punishment, and seemed truly sorry.—    The Men that was sent after Read, could gain no Inteillgence of the frenchman called Liberty; and the commanding officers expect he has deserted.—

1. The sentence between parentheses is an interjection in the main narrative. (back)
2. The official record of this trial does not appear in the Orderly Book or elsewhere. See n. 5, below. (back)
3. August 18 was Lewis's thirtieth birthday. (back)
4. Various miscellaneous undated material, much of it crossed out, is written in the middle of the August 18 entry at the top of the sheet of the Field Notes (document 43). The course and description are in Lewis's hand, the remaining material is in Clark's. Some of the material seems to be tentative beginnings for speeches, made to or by the Indian chiefs. Material dealing with this council on document 43 is written in different directions on the sheet and has been sorted out as well as can be done. (back)
5. In this Codex B entry the sentences relating to Reed's trial and punishment are crossed out. No account of the episode appears in the narrative of the day in Biddle's History, although he notes Reed's apprehension among the events of August 17. Coues (HLC), 1:77–78. (back)
6. This interlineation is at the top of a page in Codex B, probably inserted there because space was available. (back)
7. Lewis's observation from Codex O. (back)
8. Actually, Big Horse was a Missouri Indian, and Little Thief ("petevaliar" for the French petit voleur, "little thief"), an Oto. Also in the group was apparently the Frenchman the party had met on August 2; see Clark's entry for that day and for the next. (back)
9. This is the last daily entry in Floyd's journal; two days later he was dead. See the Introduction in volume 9. Following this entry are eighteen blank pages, then a single page with the following:
the 22thd June
Charles Floyd
Winser 〈1〉 〈G.〉 22thd
R. Field 〈2〉 〈G.〉 22thd
J. Field 〈3〉 Gard for thompson 16th July
Newman 4
Gass 〈5〉 Gard for Thompson
mcNiel 〈6〉
thompson 〈7〉

And on the inside back cover is this material:

Chas. Floyd Baught at River Debaus 13th March 1804
Thomas M. Winn
Thomas M
Thamis Thomis
Thomas M. Winn
Elaxander Willard
George Shannon
william Leboach
Lasuness
Pall—
Jos Whitehouse

These persons may be identified as: Windsor, Reubin Field, Joseph Field, Newman, Gass, McNeal, and Thompson, all members of the party. Thomas M. Winn is unknown, as is "Pall." Willard, Shannon, Labiche, La Jeunesse, and Whitehouse were also members of the party.

(back)
10. These words are underscored in red ink. (back)
11. With this entry the writing of No. 1 begins again. (back)