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Historical Background

Clark and Lewis reunite

At noon of the 12th, the Lewis group finally caught up with the Clark contingent. It must have been a happy reunion, yet the two captains described it prosaically in their journals. Clark was alarmed to find Lewis, shot in the thigh, lying in the white pirogue, but was relieved to learn that the injury was not serious. Each of the five detachments—Clark, Lewis, Gass, Pryor, and Ordway—compared notes on what had happened to the others during the past 6 weeks. In view of the dangers that had been involved, the absence of personnel losses was especially heartening.

That same afternoon, Dickson and Hancock, who for some reason had temporarily abandoned their plans to travel to the Yellowstone and decided to return to the Mandan villages with the expedition, arrived in camp. Losing no time, the entire group set out that afternoon in the five canoes and the white pirogue Lewis had brought, as well as the two lashed-together canoes that Clark had built on the Upper Yellowstone. The two bull boats were left behind. Two days later, on August 14, the Mandan villages came into view.

Farewells at the Mandan villages

This time, the stay was short, only 3 days. For translator, Lewis and Clark utilized René Jessaume, still residing at the villages. Councils with the Mandan chiefs Black Cat and Sheheke ("Big White"), the Minitari Le Borgne ("One-Eye"), and others revealed that the two tribes had not kept peace with the Arikaras as they had promised the previous year. This brought a reproach from Lewis and Clark. As soon as the expedition had departed in the spring, the Minitaris had sent a war party into the Rockies and defeated a Shoshoni village, possibly that of Cameahwait. The Sioux and Arikaras had also raided the Mandans, stolen horses, and killed a few men. In addition, the latter tribe was now divided by internal quarrels.

A visit to the site of Fort Mandan, the 1804-5 winter quarters, revealed that most of it had been consumed by flames, apparently a prairie fire. All that remained was one of the rear, or side, huts and some pickets from the front palisade.

At the villages, sad farewells were said to the Charbonneau family, which maintained its home there at the Minitari villages, and to Private Colter. Agreeing that the latter could be spared for the journey to St. Louis, Lewis and Clark granted his request that he be released so he could join Dickson and Hancock on their trapping jaunt to the Yellowstone. Accounts were settled with him on August 16. He was to stay in the wilderness for 4 more years, during which time he was to experience many adventures—one of which was his discovery of present Yellowstone National Park.

On August 17 the captains paid Charbonneau the $500.33 1/3 due him for his services and "the price of a horse and Lodge purchased of him for public Service." Leave was taken of him, Sacagawea, and their 19-month-old son. [146] Clark, who had become attached to Little Pomp, offered to take him with him, and raise and educate him. But, because the child had not yet been weaned, it was decided that in a year or so Charbonneau would bring him to Clark.

Lewis and Clark themselves were unable to persuade any of the Mandan and Minitari chiefs, who feared the Sioux, to come to Washington to see the Great White Father. An intermediary was successful. Jessaume, stimulated by the promise of employment as interpreter, convinced the Mandan Sheheke to make the journey, along with his wife and son. Jessaume's traveling companions were his Indian wife, son, and daughter. Two large canoes were fastened together with poles to accommodate the party.