Twisted Hair, Lewis, and Clark
Douglas Hyde (1993)
Lewis and Clark State College, 10 October 2009. © Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
When Clark arrived at the Clearwater River on 21 September 1805, he met Twisted Hair at his fishing camp. Twisted Hair helped Clark locate a canoe-building site, drew maps of the route to the mouth of the Columbia, and along with Tetoharsky, traveled with the expedition to The Dalles. On that journey, he was river guide and interpreter-emissary among the Sahaptian-speaking peoples they encountered.
While they wintered at Fort Clatsop, he managed the Corps’ horses that would take them across the Rocky Mountains. The captains asked him to join them on that return journey, but on 6 June 1806, he declined.
Selected Pages
September 21, 1805
The main party struggles
Clearwater River and Pheasant Camp, Lolo Trail, ID Reubin Field and a Nez Perce man leave Weippe Prairie with salmon, camas bread, and berries for the main party. Clark visits Twisted Hair’s fishing camp on the Clearwater River. The main party struggles through forests strewn with fallen timber.
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 at Lewis’s invitation.
September 23, 1805
Nez Perce council
Weippe Prairie villages, ID The captains hold their first Nez Perce council with a message of “peace and good understanding.” Gifts are given, and trading for food and leather commences. Lewis and two others are sick.
October 5, 1805
Two Nez Perce guides
Clearwater Canoe Camp, ID Two canoes are put in the water, and the horses are rounded up, branded, and given to Nez Perce caretakers. The expedition adds two Nez Perce guides, Tetoharsky and Twisted Hair.
October 7, 1805
Down the Clearwater
Lenore, ID After a busy day, thirty-three expedition members, Lewis’s dog, Seaman, and two Lemhi Shoshone guides start down the Clearwater. In the five new dugout canoes, challenging rapids test the paddlers’ skills.
October 8, 1805
A canoe accident
Potlatch River, ID (Colters Creek) The Clearwater River has many rapids, stretches of calm, and islands inhabited by Nez Perce fishers. Travel stops after a canoe accident. In St. Louis, General Wilkinson tells of sick Indian delegates and the value of interpreter Pierre Dorion.
October 14, 1805
'Ship Rock'
Burr Canyon, WA After passing a ‘ship rock’ Ordway’s canoe gets stuck on a rock and fills with water. They stop for the day and begin drying wet items. Vial leaves Santa Fe with orders to prevent the Lewis and Clark Expedition from succeeding.
October 15, 1805
Snake River rapids
Fishhook Rapids, WA While items are dried, the hunters and Lewis explore the plains above the Snake River. Some items are put away wet before the paddlers continue through several difficult rapids.
October 18, 1805
Down the Columbia
Wallula Gap, WA The captains council with the Wanapums and Yakamas and records Sahaptian vocabularies. Clark measures the widths of the Snake and Columbia rivers. Late in the day, the expedition heads down the Columbia.
October 24, 1805
Running the Short Narrows
Columbia Hills State Park, WA After running the Short Narrows, the expedition encounters Chinookan-speaking Indians, and the two Nez Perce chiefs want to leave. In the evening, Cruzatte plays the fiddle.
October 25, 1805
A "bad whorl & Suck"
Fort Rock, The Dalles, OR The enlisted men carry the most valuable cargo past the Long Narrows, and then the paddlers run the rapids. They continue down the rapid river and set up camp on a high basalt outcrop which they would call Fort Rock Camp.
May 8, 1806
An argument about horses
On the Camas plains high above the Clearwater River, Twisted Hair and Cutnose argue about the expedition’s horses. Lewis describes the Nez Perce methods of extracting foods from the ponderosa pine.
May 9, 1806
Horses and saddles found
The corps moves about six miles to Twisted Hair‘s small camp near present Nezperce, Idaho. The horses and saddles left with the Nez Perce last fall are found, and then, it begins to snow.
May 12, 1806
Nez Perce speeches
At Lawyer Creek near Kamiah, Idaho, Nez Perce chiefs share with their people what they heard at yesterday’s council with the captains. The captains then give a gun and ammunition to Twisted Hair.
June 1, 1806
Clarkia and rough wallflower
Clark mentions a plan to divide forces after reaching Travelers Rest, and Drouillard is sent to find Nez Perce men to guide them. Lewis discusses the Clarkia flower and prepares two more plant specimens.
June 6, 1806
Still no guides
Clark travels to Broken Arm’s village to repeat a diplomatic speech and ask for guides. He is given two peace pipes—one for him and the other for the Shoshones. Lewis describes the western tanager.
