Day-by-Day / September 22, 1805

September 22, 1805

Bitterroot Mountain triumph

Weippe Prairie villages, ID Lewis feels a sense of triumph as he and the main party descend to the Nez Perce villages. Clark and Twisted Hair climb up from the Clearwater River for a Weippe reunion. In St. Louis, a large deputation of Indians have assembled by the invitation of Lewis.

Two Different Perspectives[1]Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © … Continue reading

Crane Meadow Nourishment

we ascended a mountain, & went on some distance, & came to a smooth level clear place, where there was a clear run of water—. At this run, we were met with by Robert Fields, (one of the party that had went with Captain Clark,) and who Captain Clark had sent back to meet our party; this Man brought with him some Salmon, & other kinds of food, which they had purchased from some Indians
Joseph Whitehouse

Mountain Triumph

the pleasure I now felt in having tryumphed over the rocky Mountains and decending once more to a level and fertile country where there was every rational hope of finding a comfortable subsistence for myself and party can be more readily conceived than expressed, nor was the flattering prospect of the final success of the expedition less pleasuing.
Meriwether Lewis

 

Weippe Prairie Villages

on our approach to the village which consisted of eighteen lodges most of the women fled to the neighbouring woods on horseback with their children, a circumstance I did not expect as Capt. Clark had previously been with them and informed them of our pacific intentions towards them and also the time at which we should most probably arrive. the men seemed but little concerned, and several of them came to meet us at a short distance from their lodges unarmed.
—Meriwether Lewis

Camas Factory

these natives have a large quantity of this root bread which they call Commass. the roots grow in these plains. they have kills [kilns] engeaniously made where they Sweet these roots and make them Sweet and good to the taste—
John Ordway

 

Weippe Reunion

we arrived at his Village at Sunet, & himself and myself walked up to the 2d Village where I found Capt Lewis & the party Encamped, much fatigued, & hungery, much rejoiced to find something to eate of which They appeared to partake plentifully. I cautioned them of the Consequences of eateing too much &c.
William Clark

Difficult Communications

Those Indians Stole out of R. F. [Reubin Field] Shot pouch his knife wipers Compas & Steel, which we Could not precure from them, we attempted to have Some talk with those people but Could not for the want of an Interpreter thro’ which we Could Speake, we were Compelled to converse alltogether by Signs—
—William Clark

Chief Twisted Hair’s Map

I got the Twisted hare [Twisted Hair] to draw the river from his Camp down which he did with great cherfullness on a white Elk Skin, from the 1s fork which is a few seven miles below, to the lage fork on which the So So ne or Snake Indians fish, is South 2 Sleeps; to a large river which falls in on the N W. Side and into which The Clarks river empties itself is 5 Sleeps from the mouth of that river to the falls is 5 Sleeps at the falls
—William Clark

Large Indian Deputation

From St. Louis, The General Commander of the U.S. Army, James Wilkinson, writes to the Secretary of Defense, Henry Dearborn, regarding a large assemblage of Indians invited by Meriwether Lewis to visit Washington City.

St. Louis Septr. 22nd 1805

Sir,

I shall endeavour to limit the depending visit of the Missouri and Mississippi Chiefs, who have been invited by Capt. Lewis, to twenty, this deputation will consist of Riccara’s [Arikaras], Otto’s Missouris’ [Otoes and Missourias], Scioux [Sioux], Sacques [Sauks], Ayowas [Iowas] and Reynards [Foxes] . . . .

If these Visitants could have been assembled at an earlier period, they might have ascended to Pittsburgh in a Barge with a Military Crew . . . .

Ja: Wilkinson[2]Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783-1854, 2nd ed., ed. Donald Jackson (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), 259–60.

 

Weather Diary

Weather at sun symbol rise Wind at sun symbol rise Weather at 4 P.M. Wind at 4 P.M.
fair S W fair S W

purchased Some provisions roots &c Send Rubin Fields back with Some Provisions to meet Capt. Lewis.
—Meriwether Lewis and William Clark[3]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column and spelled out some abbreviations.

Notes

Notes
1 Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © 2003 by Yellowstone Public Radio.
2 Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783-1854, 2nd ed., ed. Donald Jackson (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), 259–60.
3 To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column and spelled out some abbreviations.

Discover More

  • The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.