At Good Humor Island at present Pierre, South Dakota, a council with the Lakota Sioux brings diplomatic speeches, a military parade, and gifts. During a tour of the barge, relationships sour. When the captains try to disembark, weapons are raised, and Clark draws his sword.
Teton Sioux Council
at 12 oClock the Councill Commenced & after Smokeing agreeable to the usial custom C. L. [Lewis] Delivered a written Speech to them, I Some explinations &c. all party Paraded
—William Clark
Indian Gifts
Gave the 3 Chiefs 3 niew meddals & 1 american flag Some knives & other Small articles of Goods— & Gave the head chief the Black Buffalow a red coat & a cocked hat & feather &.C— likewise Some Tobacco.— We had no good interpreter but the old frenchman could make them
—John Ordway
Barge Tour
Envited those Cheifs on board to Show them our boat and Such Curiossities as was Strange to them, we gave them ¼ a glass of whiskey which they appeared to be verry fond of, Sucked the bottle after it was out & Soon began to be troublesome
—William Clark
Encounter with the Teton Sioux
Painting created by Split Rock Studios, Sioux City, Iowa. Original in the collection of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation and photographed by Kristopher K. Townsend.
All to Arms
I felt my Self Compeled to Draw my Sword, at this motion Capt. Lewis ordered all under arms in the boat, those with me also Showed a Disposition to Defend themselves and me, the grand Chief then took hold of the roop & ordered the young warrers away, I felt my Self warm & Spoke in verry positive terms
—William Clark
Leaving Good Humored Island
I offered my hand to the 1 & 2 Chief who refusd to recve it. I turned off & went with my men on board the pirogue . . . . we proceeded on about 1 mile & anchored out off a willow Island placed a guard on Shore to protect the Cooks & a guard in the boat, fastened the Perogues [pirogues] to the boat, I call this Island bad humered Island as we were in a bad humer.
—William Clark
Weather Diary
Thermot. at rise
Weather Wind at thermotr. at 4 P.M. Weather Wind at 4 oC. P.M 50 fair S. W. 79 fair W. This day the Tetons and ourselves had nearly come to an open a ruptr [rupture]
—Meriwether Lewis[1]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “day of the month” column and spelled out some abbreviations.
Bad River Encounter Site is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The site is located in Fischers Lilly Park of the city of Fort Pierre.
Notes
| ↑1 | To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “day of the month” column and spelled out some abbreviations. |
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Experience the Lewis and Clark Trail
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.
This page was funded in part by the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, U.S. National Park Service.
This site is provided as a public service by the
Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance
with cooperation and funding from the following organizations:
- Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
- Montana Committee for the Humanities
- Idaho Governor's Lewis and Clark Trail Committee
- The Capital Gallery (Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation)
- 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).