Clark: November 30, 1804
30h of Nov. an Indian Chief Came and informed us that five Men of the
Mandans Nation was on a hunting party to the S W, distance about Eight
Leagues, they were Surprised one man Killed two wounded and nine horses
taken, Severale others men wer on hunting partes & were to have
returned Several days ago & had not yet returned, & that they
expected to be attacked by an army of Sioux I took 23 men and went to the
Village deturmined to Collect the warriers of the Different Villages and
meet the SiouxThe village not expecting Such Strong aid in So Short
a time was a little alarmed of the formable appearance of my party The
principal Chiefs met me at 200 yards Distance from the Town, and envited
me to his Lodge. I told the Nation the Cause of Comeing &. was to
assist in Chastiseing the enimies of my Dutifull ChildrenI
requested great Chief to repeat the Cercunstance of the Sioux attack as it
realy happined which he didI told them to Send runners to the other
villages & assemble the warriers & we Would go and Chastize the
Sioux for Spilling the Blood of my Dutifull Childrenafter a
Conversation of a few minits amongst themselves, a Chief Said that they
now Saw that what we had told them was the trooth and we were ready to
protect them and Kill those who did not listen to our Councils (and after
a long Speech) he concluded Said “the Sious who Spilt our Blood is gorn
homeThe Snow is deep and it is Cold, our horses Cannot Travel thro
the plains in pursuteIf you will go and conduct us in the Spring
after the Snow is gorn, we will assemble all the warriers & Brave men
in all the villages and go with you.” I answered the Speach at Some
length, explained to them their Situation declareing our intentions of
Defending them at any time dureing the time we Should Stay in ther
nieghbourhood, explained the Situation of the Ricaras & told them not
to get angrey with them untill they were Certain of their haveing violated
the treaty &c. &. I crossed the River on the Ice and returned to
the fort
—
30th in the morning early a Indian Came to the river opposit &
requsted to be brought over, that he had Some thing to Say from his nation
we Sent for him, and after he had Smokedhe Said he thought the
river was frosted across here & expected to Cross on the ice
7 or 8 Mandans out hunting in a S. W, Derection from this place about 8
Leagues, after they had made their hunt and on their return was attackted
by a large Party of Seaux, one of the party a young Chief was Killed 2
wounded & 9 horses taken, the men who made their escape Say the one
half of the party who attacked them was Panias-
The two Panias who Came here a fiew days ago was imediately Sent home, for
fear of their being put to death by the party Defeated
Two of the attacting party was Known to be Panies. The man who was killed
mentioned that after he was wounded, that he had been at war & been
wounded, “this day I shall die like a man before my Enimies,! tell my
father that I died bravely, and do not greive for me-“
4 of the Big bellies who were Camped near thos is missing, and Searching
for him in their Camps aboveno one Dare to go to the ground where
the battle was for fear of the Sioux being noumerous-.
—
30th of November Friday 1804 This morning at 8 oClock an Indian Calld from
the other Side and informed that he had Something of Consequence to
Communicate. we Sent a perogue for him & he informed us as follows.
Viz: “five men of the Mandan Nation out hunting in a S. W. derection about
Eight Leagues was Suprised by a large party of Sceoux & Panies, one
man was Killed and two wounded with arrows & 9 Horses taken, 4 of the
We ter Soon nation was missing, & they expected to be attacked by the
Souix &c. &.” we thought it well to Show a Disposition to ade and
assist them against their enimies, perticularly those who Came in
oppersition to our Councils, and I Deturmined to go to the town with Some
men, and if the Sceoux were comeing to attact the nation to Collect the
worriers from each Village and meet them, thos Ideas were also those of
Capt Lewis, I crossed the river in about an hour after the arrival of the
Indian express with 23 men including the interpeters and flankd the Town
& came up on the back part The Indians not expecting to receive Such
Strong aide in So Short a time was much Supprised, and a littled allarmed
at the formadable appearance of my partyThe principal Chiefs met me
Some Distance from the town (Say 200 yards) and invited me in to town, I
ord my pty into dft. lodges & I explained to the nation the cause of
my comeing in this formadable manner to their Town, was to asst and
Chastise the enimies of our Dutifull Children,I requested the Grand
Cheif to repeat the Circumstancies as they hapined which he did as was
mentioned by the Express in the morningI then informed them that if
they would assemble their warrers and those of the different Towns I would
to meet the Army of Souix & Chastise thim for takeing the blood of our
dutifull Children &c. after a conversation of a fiew minits anongst
themselves, one Chief the Big Man Cien Said they now Saw that what we hade
told them was the trooth, whin we expected the enimies of their Nation was
Comeing to attact them, or had spilt their blood were ready to protect
them, and Kill those who would not listen to our Good talkhis
people had listened to what we had told them and Cearlessly went out to
hunt in Small parties believing themselves to be Safe from the other
Nationsand have been killed by the Panies & Seauex. “I knew
Said he that the Panies were Tiers, and told the old Chief who Came with
you (to Confirm a piece with us) that his people were hers and bad men and
that we killed them like the Buffalow, when we pleased, we had made peace
Several times and you Nation have always Commened the war, we do not want
to Kill you, and will not Suffer you to Kill us or Steal our horses, we
will make peace with you as our two fathers have derected, and they Shall
See that we will not be the Ogressors, but we fear the Ricares will not be
at peace-longMy father those are the words I Spoke to the Ricare in
Your presentsyou See they have not opened their ears to your good
“Councils but have Spuilt our blood. two Ricarees whome we Sent home this
day for fear of our peoples Killing them in their greaf-informed us when
they Came here Several days ago, that two Towns of the Ricares were
makeing their Mockersons, and that we had best take care of Our horses
& a number of Sieuex were in their Towns, and they believed not well
disposed towards usfour of the Wetersoons are now absent they were
to have been back in 16 days they have been out 24 we fear they have
fallen. my father the Snow is deep and it is cold our horses Cannot travel
thro the the plains,those people who have Spilt our blood have gorn
back? if you will go with us in the Spring after the Snow goes off we will
raise the Warriers of all the Towns & nations around about us, and go
with you.”
I told this nation that we Should be always willing and ready to defend
them from the insults of any nation who would dare to Come to doe them
injurey dureing the time we would remain in their neighbourhood, and
requstd. that they would inform us of any party who may at any time be
discovered by their Patroles or Scouts.
I was Sorry that the Snow in the Plains had fallen So Deep Sence the
Murder of the young Chief by the Scioux as prevented, their horses from
traveling I wished to meet those Scioux & all others who will not open
their ears, but make war on our dutifull Children, and let you See that
the Wariers of your great father will Chastize the enimies of his dutifull
Children the Mandans, wetersoons & Winitarees, who have opend. their
ears to his adviceyou Say that the Panies or Ricares were with the
Sciaux, Some bad men may have been with the Sciaux you know there is bad
men in all nations, do not get mad with the racarees untill we know if
those bad men are Counternoncd. by their nation, and we are Convsd. those
people do not intend to follow our Councilsyou know that the Sceaux
have great influence over the ricarees and perhaps have led Some of them
astrayyou know that the Ricarees, are Dependant on the Sceaux for
their guns, powder, & Ball, and it was policy in them to keep on as
good terms as possible with the Siaux untill they had Some other means of
getting those articles &c. &. you know your Selves that you are
Compelled to put up with little insults from the Christinoes &
Ossinaboins (or Stone Inds.) because if you go to war with those people,
they will provent the traders in the north from bringing you Guns Powder
& Ball and by that means distress you verry much, but whin you will
have Certain Suppliers from your Great American father of all those
articls you will not Suffer any nation to insult you &c. after about
two hours conversation on various Subjects all of which tended towards
their Situation &c. I informed them I Should return to the fort, the
Chief Said they all thanked me verry much for the fatherly protection
which I Showed towards them, that the Village had been Crying all the
night and day for the death of the brave young man, who fell but now they
would wipe away their tears, and rejoice in their fathers protection-and
Cry no more
I then Paraded & Crossed the river on the ice and Came down on the N.
Side the Snow So deep, it was verry fatigueing arrved at the fort after
night, gave a little Taffee, a Cold night the river rise to its former
hiteThe Chief frequently thanked me for Comeing to protect themand
the whole Village appeared thankfull for that measure
