One the many traders encountered at the Knife River villages, free trader René Jusseaume offered his services as an interpreter. He also accompanied Sheheke’s delegation to Washington City and thus traveled with the expedition on the final leg between the Knife River Indian Villages and St. Louis.
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October 27, 1804
Ruptáre Village
Ruptáre, second Mandan village, ND The expedition travels four miles among a complex of Mandan and Hidatsa villages. They find René Jusseaume living there and hire him as an interpreter.
November 3, 1804
Personnel changes
Fort Mandan, ND The fort’s foundation is completed, the engagés are discharged, and Jean-Baptiste Lepage and René Jusseaume are hired. A dram of whiskey revives the men during the cold night.
November 8, 1804
Riving cottonwood logs
Fort Mandan, ND Ordway is hopeful that cottonwood logs will split into boards, but reports that they will have to give up on that plan. Jusseaume says that traders from Canada have arrived at the Hidatsa villages.
November 25, 1804
Hidatsa diplomacy
Fort Mandan, ND Lewis, both interpreters, and five men embark on a diplomatic mission to a Hidatsa village. Two Hidatsa chiefs come to Fort Mandan with similar intentions.
November 28, 1804
Black Cat's medals
Fort Mandan, ND Chief Posecopsahe (Black Cat) visits Fort Mandan to see the American “Curiossities.” He is told to no longer accept Indian peace medals or flags from Spain or England.
December 4, 1804
Jusseaume's discontent
Fort Mandan, ND Pickets are installed and Clark reports that the fort’s main bastion is completed. Posecopsahe (Black Cat) and two chiefs visit, and Clark reports that interpreter René Jusseaume is assuming and discontented.
December 18, 1804
Clark's Fort Mandan maps
Fort Mandan, ND Three visiting fur traders leave the fort, and Clark updates his maps using the geographic information obtained from them. Due to the cold, guard duty is shortened, and a buffalo hunt is canceled.
January 1, 1805
A new year at Fort Mandan
Fort Mandan, ND New Year’s day is celebrated with cannon fire and several men are allowed to visit a nearby Mandan village to celebrate and dance. Clark orders York to dance. The day is warm with rain but the night is cold and snowy.
January 24, 1805
Cutting wood for coal
Fort Mandan, ND Interpreters Toussaint Charbonneau and René Jusseaume appear to have reconciled, hunters return empty-handed, and men cut wood to make charcoal.
January 28, 1805
Ellicott's artificial horizon
The weather is so cold at Fort Mandan among the Knife River Villages that Lewis must substitute spirituous liquor for water to make an artificial horizon for his sextant. The boats are trapped in ice.
February 2, 1805
Mr. Larocque leaves
Fort Mandan, ND Fur trader François-Antoine Larocque ends his stay at the fort. Lewis fixes his compass, but the North West Company trader’s attempt to join the expedition fails. Elsewhere, the Hunter and Dunbar Expedition returns to Natchez.
February 24, 1805
Freeing the boats
Fort Mandan, ND After struggling several days, the men free the barge and red pirogue from the grip of Missouri River ice. Interpreter René Jusseaume and his family return to the fort.
March 22, 1805
Little Wolf visits
Fort Mandan, ND The second chief of the Big Hidatsa Village pays his first visit and is given the standard diplomatic treatment: a peace medal, gifts, and a speech.
August 14, 1806
Among old friends
Knife River Villages, ND Early in the day, the expedition greets their old friends at the complex of Hidatsa and Mandan villages at the Knife River. They meet with various chiefs, and Clark invites them to travel with the expedition to Washington City.
August 16, 1806
Parting gifts
Knife River Villages, ND Mandans gift more corn than the expedition boats can carry. As parting gifts, the swivel gun is given to Hidatsa Chief Le Borgne and the blacksmith tools to Charbonneau. Sheheke (Big White) agrees to go to Washington City.
August 17, 1806
An offer to raise Jean Baptiste
Hensler, ND The expedition heads down the Missouri River taking leave of the Hidatsas, Mandans, John Colter, and the Charbonneau family. Clark invites the latter to come to St. Louis and makes arrangements to raise Jean Baptiste Charbonneau.
August 19, 1806
Jusseaume's leather lodge
Huff, ND The day is “dark, windy & cold,” and the waves are too high to paddle safely. Prior to departing late in the afternoon, the hunters have a good day. At the evening camp ten miles down the river, interpreter René Jusseaume gives Clark a leather lodge.
August 28, 1806
A day at Pleasant Camp
Pleasant Camp, SD The expedition arrives at Pleasant Camp (AKA Plum Camp) below present-day Oacoma, and the captains decide to remain there to collect mule deer, pronghorn, and prairie dog specimens. Some men make leather for new clothes, and others pick plums.
