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Lewis & Clark Expedition

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September 23, 1806
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September 23, 1806

[Clark]

Thursday 23rd of Septr. 1806
 

we rose early took the Chief to the publick store & furnished him with Some clothes &c.    took an early breckfast with Colo. Hunt and Set out decended to the Mississippi and down that river to St. Louis at which place we arived about 12 oClock.    we Suffered the party to fire off their pieces as a Salute to the Town.    we were met by all the village and received a harty welcom from it's inhabitants &. [1]    here I found my old acquaintance Majr. W. Christy [2] who had Settled in this town in a public line as a Tavern Keeper.    he furnished us with Store rooms for our baggage and we accepted of the invitation of Mr. Peter Choteau [3] and 〈par〉 took a room in 〈the〉 his house 〈of Mr. Peter Cadeaus Choteaus〉    we payed a friendly visit to 〈Mes. Choteau and〉 Mr 〈Ogustus〉 August Chotau [4] and Some of our old friends this evening.    as the post had departed from St. Louis Capt Lewis wrote a note to Mr. Hay [5] in Kahoka to detain the post at that place untill 12 tomorrow which was reather later than his usial time of leaveing it [6]

[Ordway]

 

Tuesday 23rd Sept. 1806. [7]    a wet disagreeable morning.    we Set out after breakfast and procd. on    Soon arived at the Mouth of the Missourie entered the Mississippi River and landed at River deboise where we wintered in 1804.    here we found a widdow woman who we left here & has a plantation under tollarable good way Since we have been on the Expedition    we delayed a Short time and about 12 oClock we arived in Site of St. Louis    fired three Rounds as we approached the Town and landed oppocit the center of the Town, the people gathred on the Shore and Huzzared three cheers.    we unloaded the canoes and carried the baggage all up to a Store house in Town.    drew out the canoes then the party all considerable much rejoiced that we have the Expedition Completed and now we look for boarding in Town and wait for our Settlement and then we entend to return to our native homes to See our parents once more as we have been So long from them.—    finis.

1. Ordway says, "the people gathred on the Shore and Huzzared three cheers." (back)
2. William Christy, born in Pennsylvania, moved to Kentucky as a boy, where he was a neighbor of Clark's family, and served in the campaigns against the Indians north of the Ohio under Generals Arthur St. Clair and Anthony Wayne. He received a license to keep a tavern in St. Louis in 1806. Later he was secretary of the land claims commission (see September 20, 1806), fought Indians again in the War of 1812, and was the first auditor of public accounts of the new state of Missouri. He died in 1837. Houck, 3:49, 60, 113, 146, 266. (back)
5. For John Hay, the postmaster of Cahokia, see January 30, 1804. (back)
6. The remaining half-page (p. 76 of Codex N) is blank. (back)
7. The entry ends near the bottom of a page, then follows three blank pages, a table of "Estimated Distance" (reading back to front) across four pages, another blank page, and a final list of memoranda of two pages (also reading back to front), thus ending Ordway's third and final notebook of his journal of the expedition. The table of distances is similar to another one by Ordway found with his entry of October 10, 1804 (see also Clark's tables at the end of vols. 3 and 8 of this edition). The table reads as follows:

Estimated Distance in Miles from Mandans to Mo. of Missourie of remarkable places from one to the other.

  miles  
From Mandans to a old Ricara village 20  
     Chiss cheter    River 38—   58
     Fish Creek 35  
     Cannon ball R   5  
     Wann na car ne R 13  
     Stone Idle Creek 40  
To [Rictars?] village 18— 111
To We-ter-hoo—R   8  
     Sar-war-nar-na R 25  
     La-hoo-catte Isld. 37  
     Chyannee River 43— 113
     Teton River 47  
To Cedder Island 37  
To the big bend 23  
To the 3 Rivers of Souix pass 50  
     White River 22  
     Shannons Creek   7  
     Island of Cedar 45  
     Dome of Burrowing Squirrells 42  
     Poncar River 20  
     Quicurre R   8  
     antient fortification 24  
     Calumet Bluffs 18  
     River Jacque 10  
     white Stone R. 32  
     Grand River de Souix 60  
     Floyds River   3  
     Mahars village 13  
     war-car de Creek 48  
     Little Rivr. Souix 55  
     Soldiers River 44  
     Council Bluffs 39  
     Bowyers River 12  
     Musquetoe Creek 28  
     River Platte 10  
     weeping water 32  
     Blad pated Prarie 29  
     Little nemahar 23  
     Nesh-nah-ba-tone R.   8  
     Big Ne-ma-har R 28  
     wolf River 10  
     Nodawa Rivr. 16  
  miles  
     St. Michaels prarie 20  
     Independence Creek 28  
     old Kanzas village 28  
     Little rivr. plate 30  
     Kanzas River 10  
     Blue water Rivr   9  
     Coal Banks 10  
     Hay cabin Creek   7  
     Fire Prarie 12  
     Eue berts Creek 14  
     Tigers Creek & Isl. 15  
     Little osage village 25  
     Snake Creek 12  
     Grand River   8— 225
     2 Charitons Rivr. 22— 230
     arrow prarie 14  
     Mine River   8— 208
     Good woman R   9  
     Manitow River   9  
     Salt River 10— 180
     Split rock Creek   3  
     Manitow Creek   9  
     lead mine hill   9  
     Cedar Creek & Isl. 10  
     Morrow Creek   7  
     Osage River   5— 137
     Muddy River 19  
     Gasconade R 15— 103
     Shepperds C 19  
     Chaurette village 15   69
     Cave Tavern 22  
     Osage womans R   5  
     Good mans C   9  
     St. Charles 12—   21
To Mississippi or wood River 21  

Ordway filled the final two pages of the notebook (reading backwards) with memoranda on Pacific Coast Indian trade. Due to wear and fading the material is barely legible. The following are words and phrases that are readable:

[Camped?] opposite to the Mouth of Quick Sand River 3rd day of April in the year 1806

A Memorandum of the best Indian trade on the Columbia River & on the Coast    the Savages are more numerous about this plan than [illegible] Coast

Tobacco is valued the highest amongst them all    one of our party bought a Sea otter Skin for less than half a carrit &c

Blue beads white beads or green beads large fishing hooks for Sturgeon &c &c    large whole Buttons large needles &c

Brass rist bands trinkets of any kind large [illegible] of any kind Ear bobs &c

Files large or small Iron or Steel &c

Brass twisted wire [illegible] twegers &c

White linen or blue or red cloth

[Blankets?] Blue cloaths    Shirts of any kind

Muskets powder & led Balls &c.

Ther is many kinds of Morchandiz which they know nothing about nor know not the use of & will not buy    they have but little to trade of value    the Sea otter Scarce Some [Beaver?] and common otter Skins etc. dryed [Elk skins?]    Some Seal by giged by them [illegible] Skinning [illegible]

pelate pallow and [illegible] nations west Side of the [Rocky?] Mountains have horses with [illegible] for Sale    the goods [which?] they want for them is follows. Small light [illegible] mounted guns powder & balls, brass or copper kittles Small or middling Size knives Beeds blue & white    blue is Set the [first?] by all Indians in this [region?]    red cloath calicoes &c    Squaw axes tommahawks medl. awls Buttens tin cups & pans [illegible] of copper or brass trinkets or Combs    Silk linen lace or [twill?] white [illegible] of different kinds    Red paint needles Swords or big knives [illegible] of Iron & files of which they make arrow points to Suit themselves &c    war axes is in great demand as they purchase a fiew from the Indians on the Missourie.    [illegible] wide quality or binding but ribbens & tape is of no account among them but they will trade for anything that they know is of Service to them. I think twezers would be a fine thing as they pluck ther beards and ey brows all out [several words illegible]

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