Sept 09
Camp Fortunate -- Lewis and Clark 1805
After a few days to see some of Southwest Montana, left Dillon, MT now on this final leg down to Salt Lake city before heading back to BHM via Southwest.
Came across a significant place. Now it's officially Clark canyon reservoir. In 1805 it was named Camp Fortunate ... the place where the separated Lewis and Clark expition reunited after scouting different routes / rivers / and supplies for the final push to the Pacific. They had come as far as possible in waterborne canoes on the Missouri and Jefferson rivers, and were now looking for pack mules and horses to go over the mountains to the Pacific. Lewis camped here for a week before Clarks party found this camp. The indians recognized Sakajawa with Clarks troop/ party and felt they could trust the explorers and set about helping them to secure pack mules and horses.
This was not planned so stumbling onto another Lewis and Clark trail / camp is a bonus. They were here! It's good to see what they saw geologicly; the mountains and terrain.
Also significant ... I think just by coincedence.... not that Lewis and Clark knew.... this is the 45th parallel ; the 45th Lattitude. The halfway point between the equator and north pole.
*** from Montana state parks website
On August 13, 1805, Lewis finally made contact with more of Sacagawea's tribe. He was anxious to trade for horses to cross the mountain ranges ahead, but moved cautiously when he at last approached an entire camp of the Shoshone.
He first spotted two women and a man foraging. The Shoshone stood their ground as Lewis approached, extending the American flag and repeating "tab-ba-bone." The three fled, but a mile further on Lewis met with three more women. One fled, but Lewis presented the other two with gifts and painted their faces with vermilion as a sign of peace.
The young woman actually had warned the camp and "about 60 warriors mounted on excellent horses who came in nearly full speed" came to meet Lewis and his men.
This first contact made for a tense situation, as Lewis and his men were vastly outnumbered. Fortunately, Lewis' restraint and caution paid off:
It was here that the Corps got its first news of the ocean from an older member of the tribe. Lewis wrote: "he had understood from the persed nosed (Nez Perce) who inhabit this river below the rocky mountains that it ran a great way toward the setting sun and finally lost itself in a great lake of water which was illy tasted."
The party also had its first taste of salmon and was warned that game would be scarce on the trail across the mountains.
Lewis waited anxiously for Clark to arrive. A wrong turn, the strength of the Big Hole River, and the shallow, rocky waters of the Jefferson River held Clark back. The Shoshone were eager to reach the buffalo hunting ground in the east. Lewis detained them with intriguing descriptions of slave York's appearance and promises of gifts. He finally had to hand his rifles over to the Shoshone to convince them they were not allies of an enemy tribe laying a trap.
Lewis' luck improved phenomenally when Clark finally arrived. A woman of the tribe recognized Sacagawea almost immediately. She had been with Sacagawea the day she was kidnapped by the Hidatsa and had barely escaped. The commanders arranged a trade session quickly. As if Sacagawea's acceptance by the tribe wasn't opportune enough, she recognized the leader of the band, Cameahwait, as her brother. These strokes of luck, combined with Clark's nick-of-time arrival, led to the name Camp Fortunate.
The horse-trading proceeded by means of a language chain. Sacagawea translated Shoshone to Hidatsa for her husband who translated into French. Private Labiche then translated into English. Horses secured, they broke up boxes and cut their boat paddles to make saddles for the mountain ride. Lewis demonstrated his prized air rifle to the tribe.
During his inspection of the horses, Lewis noticed Spanish brands on many and even an occasional Spanish-made bridle or bit. Unfortunately for many of the tribes, the Spanish were willing to trade their horses but not their weapons. The Shoshone, like many others, had been forced west and south by pressure from better-armed tribes. In fact, this band of Shoshone was almost as short of food as the Corps, but the natives still shared what they had.
More than a week after they first met with the tribe, the expedition set out to find navigable waters on the other side of the mountains.
***** from Lewis and Clark trail.com
August 17, 1805
"I had not proceeded on one mile before I saw at a distance Several Indians on horseback Comeing towards me. The Intertrepeter & Squar who were before me at Some distance danced for the joyful sight, and She made signs to me that they were her nation, as I aproached nearer them descovered one of Capt Lewis party; the met me with great signs of joy... those Indians sung all the way to their Camp... Three Chiefs with Capt. Lewis met me with great cordialliaty embraced and took a Seat on a white robe, the Main Chief imedeately tied to my hair Six Small pieces of Shells resembling perl which is highly Valued by those people"
Captain Clark
" Shortly after Capt. Clark arrived with the Interpreter Charbono, and the Indian woman, who proved to be sister of the Chif Cameahwait. the meeting of those people was really affecting, particularly between Sah cah - gar-we-ah and an Indian woman, who had been taken prisoner at the same time with her, and who had afterwards escaped from the Minnetares and rejoined her nation ... we now formed our camp" (Camp Fortunate)
Captain Lewis ****
Yellowstone Tracks of the StoneBear Dillon to IF
Sept 09
Camp Fortunate -- Lewis and Clark 1805
after a few days to see some of Soouthwest Montana, left Dillon, MT now on this final leg down to Salt Lake city before heading back to BHM via Southwest.
Came across a significant place. Now it's officially Clark canyon reservoir. In 1805 it was named Camp Fortunate ... the place where the separated Lewis and Clark expition reunited after scouting different routes / rivers / and supplies for the final push to the Pacific. They had come as far as possible in waterborne canoes on the Missouri and Jefferson rivers, and were now looking for pack mules and horses to go over the mountains to the Pacific. Lewis camped here for a week before Clarks party found this camp. The indians recognized Sakajawa with Clarks troop/ party and felt they could trust the explorers and set about helping them to secure pack mules and horses.
This was not planned so stumbling onto another Lewis and Clark trail / camp is a bonus. They were here! It's good to see what they saw geologicly; the mountains and terrain.
Also significant ... I think just by coincedence.... not that Lewis and Clark knew.... this is the 45th parallel ; the 45th Lattitude. The halfway point between the equator and north pole.
*** from Montana state parks website
On August 13, 1805, Lewis finally made contact with more of Sacagawea's tribe. He was anxious to trade for horses to cross the mountain ranges ahead, but moved cautiously when he at last approached an entire camp of the Shoshone.
He first spotted two women and a man foraging. The Shoshone stood their ground as Lewis approached, extending the American flag and repeating "tab-ba-bone." The three fled, but a mile further on Lewis met with three more women. One fled, but Lewis presented the other two with gifts and painted their faces with vermilion as a sign of peace.
The young woman actually had warned the camp and "about 60 warriors mounted on excellent horses who came in nearly full speed" came to meet Lewis and his men.
This first contact made for a tense situation, as Lewis and his men were vastly outnumbered. Fortunately, Lewis' restraint and caution paid off:
It was here that the Corps got its first news of the ocean from an older member of the tribe. Lewis wrote: "he had understood from the persed nosed (Nez Perce) who inhabit this river below the rocky mountains that it ran a great way toward the setting sun and finally lost itself in a great lake of water which was illy tasted."
The party also had its first taste of salmon and was warned that game would be scarce on the trail across the mountains.
Lewis waited anxiously for Clark to arrive. A wrong turn, the strength of the Big Hole River, and the shallow, rocky waters of the Jefferson River held Clark back. The Shoshone were eager to reach the buffalo hunting ground in the east. Lewis detained them with intriguing descriptions of slave York's appearance and promises of gifts. He finally had to hand his rifles over to the Shoshone to convince them they were not allies of an enemy tribe laying a trap.
Lewis' luck improved phenomenally when Clark finally arrived. A woman of the tribe recognized Sacagawea almost immediately. She had been with Sacagawea the day she was kidnapped by the Hidatsa and had barely escaped. The commanders arranged a trade session quickly. As if Sacagawea's acceptance by the tribe wasn't opportune enough, she recognized the leader of the band, Cameahwait, as her brother. These strokes of luck, combined with Clark's nick-of-time arrival, led to the name Camp Fortunate.
The horse-trading proceeded by means of a language chain. Sacagawea translated Shoshone to Hidatsa for her husband who translated into French. Private Labiche then translated into English. Horses secured, they broke up boxes and cut their boat paddles to make saddles for the mountain ride. Lewis demonstrated his prized air rifle to the tribe.
During his inspection of the horses, Lewis noticed Spanish brands on many and even an occasional Spanish-made bridle or bit. Unfortunately for many of the tribes, the Spanish were willing to trade their horses but not their weapons. The Shoshone, like many others, had been forced west and south by pressure from better-armed tribes. In fact, this band of Shoshone was almost as short of food as the Corps, but the natives still shared what they had.
More than a week after they first met with the tribe, the expedition set out to find navigable waters on the other side of the mountains.
***** from Lewis and Clark trail.com
August 17, 1805
"I had not proceeded on one mile before I saw at a distance Several Indians on horseback Comeing towards me. The Intertrepeter & Squar who were before me at Some distance danced for the joyful sight, and She made signs to me that they were her nation, as I aproached nearer them descovered one of Capt Lewis party; the met me with great signs of joy... those Indians sung all the way to their Camp... Three Chiefs with Capt. Lewis met me with great cordialliaty embraced and took a Seat on a white robe, the Main Chief imedeately tied to my hair Six Small pieces of Shells resembling perl which is highly Valued by those people"
Captain Clark
" Shortly after Capt. Clark arrived with the Interpreter Charbono, and the Indian woman, who proved to be sister of the Chif Cameahwait. the meeting of those people was really affecting, particularly between Sah cah - gar-we-ah and an Indian woman, who had been taken prisoner at the same time with her, and who had afterwards escaped from the Minnetares and rejoined her nation ... we now formed our camp" (Camp Fortunate)
Captain Lewis ****
