Day-by-Day / December 7, 1804

December 7, 1804

Hunting buffalo

Sheheke tells the captains that there is a large buffalo herd nearby, and Lewis organizes a group of hunters. Sgt. Gass is impressed with the ability of the Mandan hunters and their well-trained horses. By day’s end, several hunters are frostbitten and Clark issues half a gill of rum.

The Buffalo are Coming!

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

The Mandan Buffalo Hunt

Charles Fritz

30″ x 60″ oil on canvas

Indians on horses chase a buffalo on a snowy hill

© 2009 by Charles Fritz. Used by permission.

Buffalo Hunt

[Big White] told us that the buffaloe were in the prairie coming into the bottom. Captain Lewis and eleven more of us went out immediately, and saw the prairie covered with buffaloe and the Indians on horseback killing them . . . . They shoot them with bows and arrows, and have their horses so trained that they will advance very near and suddenly wheel and fly off in case the wounded buffaloe attempt an attack.
—Patrick Gass

Related: Sheheke (Big White) and Yellow Corn | The American Buffalo

Dividing the Spoils

those we did not get in was taken by the indians under a Custon which is established amongst them ‘i ‘e. any person Seeing a buffalow lying without an arrow Sticking in him, or Some purticular mark takes possesion, many times (as I am told) a hunter who Kills maney Buffalow in a chase only Gets a part of one, all meat which is left out all night falls to the Wolves which are in great numbers . . .
—William Clark

Related: The Mandans

Processing the Harvest

. . . as the River Shut up last night the Ice had not Got Strong enofe to bear the Buffalow out in the middle of the R. but we dragged Sd. bufo. down near Shore & dressed it. it was a cow with calf our Interpreters Squaws cut the calf.
—John Ordway

Sacagawea may have been one of the wives. However, both Toussaint Charbonneau and René Jusseaume had wives with them.
Also related: Defining ‘Squaw’ | Harvesting the Hunt

Frostbite

the prarie being covered with Snow and extreamly cold 2 of our men Got their feet frost Bitten & one Got his Ear frost bitten this day by being exposed in the praries. a half Gill of Taffee gave to the men by our officers this evening.
—William Clark

Taffeta, Clark’s “Tafee,” was a low-quality rum. See Alcohol Rations.

 

Weather Diary

Ther. at sun symbol rise Weather Wind at sun symbol rise Thert. at 4 P.M. Weather Wind at 4 P.M. River
[0] fair N. W 1 cloudy N W rise 2 ft. ½ in.

last night the river blocked up with ice which was 1½ inches thick in the part that had not previously frosen— The Buffaloe appear go out with a party in quest of them kill 14. the mandanes take two—the reasen—
—Meriwether Lewis[2]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “River” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.

Related: Thermometers and Temperatures | Weather Observations

logo: Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail logo: National Park Service

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

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 To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “River” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.

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.

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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
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with cooperation and funding from the following organizations:

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).