Outside of Fort Mandan, Clark and sixteen buffalo hunters have a good day, but several men are frostbitten. At the fort, work is delayed due to the cold, and a Mandan man visits wearing only pronghorn leggings and a buffalo robe.
A Very Fancy Man
by Yellowstone Public Radio[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
Buffalo hunt. On snow shoes. [Plate 109]
George Catlin (1796–1872)
Rare Book Division, The New York Public Library.[2]“Buffalo hunt. On snow shoes.” New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed 27 August 2019. digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47da-dbfb-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99.
Catlin’s Description
Of the above painting, the artist George Catlin wrote the following:
In the dead of the winters, which are very long and severely cold in this country, where horses cannot be brought into the chase with any avail, the Indian runs upon the surface of the snow by the aid of his snow shoes, which buoy him up, while the great weight of the buffaloes, sinks them down to the middle of their sides, and completely stopping their progress, ensures them certain and easy victims to the bow or lance of their pursuers, as in PLATE 109 [see figure above]. The snow in these regions often lies during the winter, to the depth of three and four feet, being blown away from the tops and sides of the hills in many places, which are left bare for the buffaloes to graze upon, whilst it is drifted in the hollows and ravines to a very great depth, and rendered almost entirely impassable to these huge animals, which, when closely pursued by their enemies, endeavour to plunge through it, but are soon wedged in and almost unable to move, where they fall an easy prey to the Indian, who runs up lightly upon his snow shoes and drives his lance to their hearts.[3]George Catlin, Letters and Notes on the Manners, Customs, and Condition of the North American Indians, 4th Ed. (New York: Wiley and Putnam, 1842), 2:253.
Frostbitten Hunters
Capt. Clark was hunting the Buffaloe this day with 16 Men— severall of the men frosted killed 3 buffaloe himself and the party killed 5 others.
—Meriwether Lewis
Disagreeable Weather
a cold Blustry morning. Some Squalls of Snow & wind high it being So disagreeable weather that we delayed on the work.
—John Ordway
A Very Fancy Man
a man & his Squar Came down with Some meat for the inturpeter his dress was a par mockersons of Buffalow Skin Pr. Legins of Goat Skin & a Buffalow robe, 14 ring of Brass on his fingers, this metel the Mandans ar verry fond off—
—William Clark
Weather Diary
Ther. at rise
Weather Wind at Thert. at 4 P.M. Weather Wind at 4 P.M. River 10 above snow N W 11 cloudy after snow N W Capt. Clark was hunting the Buffaloe this day with 16 Men— severall of the men frosted killed 3 buffaloe himself and the party killed 5 others.
—Meriwether Lewis[4]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “River” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.
Fort Mandan is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The North Dakota Department of Parks and Recreation manages a modern reconstruction and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center located at US Hwy 83 and ND Hwy 200A.
Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. A unit of the National Park System, the site is located at 564 County Road 37, one-half mile north of Stanton, North Dakota. It has exhibits, trails, and a visitor center.
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 | “Buffalo hunt. On snow shoes.” New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed 27 August 2019. digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47da-dbfb-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99. |
| ↑3 | George Catlin, Letters and Notes on the Manners, Customs, and Condition of the North American Indians, 4th Ed. (New York: Wiley and Putnam, 1842), 2:253. |
| ↑4 | To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “River” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations. |
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The Lewis and Clark Trail Experience—our sister site at lewisandclark.travel—connects the world to people and places on the Lewis and Clark Trail.
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.
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This site is provided as a public service by the
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with cooperation and funding from the following organizations:
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- Yellowstone Public Radio
Unless otherwise noted, journal excerpts are from The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, edited by Gary E. Moulton, 13 vols. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001).