The Lewis and Clark Expedition
Small Arms, Personnel, and Miscellany
By Walt Walker
A nine-part series examining some details of the
Corps of Discovery to make the Expedition more personal
Chapter 3: Up the Missouri to Fort Mandan and Winter Camp
Pierre Cruzatte and Francois Labiche came aboard at St. Charles, their dates of enlistment being the same, May 16, 1804. They each had been recruited earlier. They were issued rifles and each also brought their “fuzees”, being cited as fowlers much later.
The Captains issued orders on the 26th of May,1804 directing each squad to form only one mess. Hall and Howard were removed from Pryor’s squad. Hall was assigned to Ordway’s squad and Howard was unassigned.
The three sergeants’ duties were issued for the management of the Batteaux and the men. Cruzatte and Labiche were directed to be bowsman and larboard oarsman on alternate days. One man from the rowing crew, excepting Howard and the two bow and two stern oarsmen, would be furnished daily to assist the men in the White Pirogue. With these duties, the sergeants, Cruzatte, and Labiche did not have much time to hunt except for the times when the keelboat was stopped for the night or for repairs. The main hunters mentioned in this first part of the voyage were the Field brothers, Drouillard, Shields, and Collins. Usually, two or three hunters went out at a time because most men were needed to man the keelboat. The Kentucky men and the two soldiers, Collins and Willard, were the hunters on this leg.
Reed deserted on August 4th, 1804. He stole a Harpers Ferry rifle, shot pouch, powder, and ball. When he was caught and confessed on August 18th he was expelled from the party. However, he was kept on to be returned with Warfington’s party in 1805.
After Floyd’s death on August 20th, 1804, Patrick Gass was chosen by a large majority of the men to take his place on August 22nd, 1804. This was accomplished by orders dated August 26th, 1804. Floyd’s death left one extra rifle. Gass was issued this rifle.
From this time until the party arrived at the Mandan Villages, Gass and Howard were added to the list of hunters. However, the Field brothers, Shields, Colter, the captains, and Drouillard continued to do most of the hunting. On the 8th of October 1804, Frazer, in the return party, was transferred to the permanent party in John Newman’s place.
From September 24 through October 5 the Corps was travelling through Teton Sioux territory and did not hunt because of perceived hostilities from the Teton. After they passed into Aricara territory they resumed hunting and once beyond the Aricaras' villages game became plentiful again. By the time they reached the Heart River at present day Bismarck game was scarce again. From there to the Mandan villages they encountered several tribal hunting parties and did not hunt again until building and settling in to winter quarters near the Mandan villages. They hunted the same territory between the Mandan villages and the Heart River over the course of the winter, most of it done from 30 to 50 miles below Fort Mandan.
Once the site of the fort at the Mandan Villages was chosen, the work began on the 2nd of November, 1804. Most of the men were engaged in building and finishing the fort for most of November. Willard, Shields, and Bratton, all of whom were blacksmiths, were likely retained to help build the fort. Shields was also a carpenter as was Gass and they were needed at the fort. The sergeants and all the other enlisted men would also be needed. The blacksmiths were kept busy all winter making items to trade for food and making repairs as needed. Drouillard, Cruzatte, and Labiche's interpretive skills were needed throughout the winter. Several of the men became ill from colds, etc. and the very cold weather for most of November kept the men inactive at times.
Six men, most likely the Field Brothers, Colter, Collins, Gibson, or Shannon and including Drewyer were sent out on November 3rd to hunt downriver. These men were the best hunters. The hunters were successful because the game was more plentiful far away from habitations and the severe cold kept the meat from spoiling. The hunters went on forays for days at a time as the game was not to be found nearby. The hunters harvested large quantities of game.
Of the aforementioned prior-enlisted men, only Collins and Willard were excellent hunters but Willard's blacksmithing duties kept him from hunting. The other prior-enlisted men’s participation was not significant. Each of the three sergeants hunted, but only Gass was mentioned as being on more than one of the hunting forays from Fort Mandan. Some of the hunting parties were very large and consisted of the hunters with rifles and other men with their muskets.
Over the winter at Fort Mandan, the Corps enlisted a Frenchman named Jean Baptiste LePage who had been living in the Hidatsa villages. LePage was enlisted to replace Reed. He didn’t seem to have any particular ties to the villages, so he most likely brought his personal firearm, either a rifle or a fuzee. He was cited as hunting elk later, so he might have had his own rifle. LePage was enlisted to be a laborer and also because of his knowledge of some of the country into which they would be traveling.
He was rarely listed as hunting until late winter and spring at Fort Clatsop and, again, in the Nez Perce country in 1806. When the Corps returned to the Mandan villages in 1806, LePage continued on with them to St. Louis.
The Corps also hired Toussaint Charbonneau (aka: Charbono) as an interpreter. He was accompanied by one of his Shoshone wives, Sacacawea and their child, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau (Pomp).
Small Arms, Personnel, and Miscellany
By Walt Walker
A nine-part series examining some details of the
Corps of Discovery to make the Expedition more personal
Chapter 3: Up the Missouri to Fort Mandan and Winter Camp
Pierre Cruzatte and Francois Labiche came aboard at St. Charles, their dates of enlistment being the same, May 16, 1804. They each had been recruited earlier. They were issued rifles and each also brought their “fuzees”, being cited as fowlers much later.
The Captains issued orders on the 26th of May,1804 directing each squad to form only one mess. Hall and Howard were removed from Pryor’s squad. Hall was assigned to Ordway’s squad and Howard was unassigned.
The three sergeants’ duties were issued for the management of the Batteaux and the men. Cruzatte and Labiche were directed to be bowsman and larboard oarsman on alternate days. One man from the rowing crew, excepting Howard and the two bow and two stern oarsmen, would be furnished daily to assist the men in the White Pirogue. With these duties, the sergeants, Cruzatte, and Labiche did not have much time to hunt except for the times when the keelboat was stopped for the night or for repairs. The main hunters mentioned in this first part of the voyage were the Field brothers, Drouillard, Shields, and Collins. Usually, two or three hunters went out at a time because most men were needed to man the keelboat. The Kentucky men and the two soldiers, Collins and Willard, were the hunters on this leg.
Reed deserted on August 4th, 1804. He stole a Harpers Ferry rifle, shot pouch, powder, and ball. When he was caught and confessed on August 18th he was expelled from the party. However, he was kept on to be returned with Warfington’s party in 1805.
After Floyd’s death on August 20th, 1804, Patrick Gass was chosen by a large majority of the men to take his place on August 22nd, 1804. This was accomplished by orders dated August 26th, 1804. Floyd’s death left one extra rifle. Gass was issued this rifle.
From this time until the party arrived at the Mandan Villages, Gass and Howard were added to the list of hunters. However, the Field brothers, Shields, Colter, the captains, and Drouillard continued to do most of the hunting. On the 8th of October 1804, Frazer, in the return party, was transferred to the permanent party in John Newman’s place.
From September 24 through October 5 the Corps was travelling through Teton Sioux territory and did not hunt because of perceived hostilities from the Teton. After they passed into Aricara territory they resumed hunting and once beyond the Aricaras' villages game became plentiful again. By the time they reached the Heart River at present day Bismarck game was scarce again. From there to the Mandan villages they encountered several tribal hunting parties and did not hunt again until building and settling in to winter quarters near the Mandan villages. They hunted the same territory between the Mandan villages and the Heart River over the course of the winter, most of it done from 30 to 50 miles below Fort Mandan.
Once the site of the fort at the Mandan Villages was chosen, the work began on the 2nd of November, 1804. Most of the men were engaged in building and finishing the fort for most of November. Willard, Shields, and Bratton, all of whom were blacksmiths, were likely retained to help build the fort. Shields was also a carpenter as was Gass and they were needed at the fort. The sergeants and all the other enlisted men would also be needed. The blacksmiths were kept busy all winter making items to trade for food and making repairs as needed. Drouillard, Cruzatte, and Labiche's interpretive skills were needed throughout the winter. Several of the men became ill from colds, etc. and the very cold weather for most of November kept the men inactive at times.
Six men, most likely the Field Brothers, Colter, Collins, Gibson, or Shannon and including Drewyer were sent out on November 3rd to hunt downriver. These men were the best hunters. The hunters were successful because the game was more plentiful far away from habitations and the severe cold kept the meat from spoiling. The hunters went on forays for days at a time as the game was not to be found nearby. The hunters harvested large quantities of game.
Of the aforementioned prior-enlisted men, only Collins and Willard were excellent hunters but Willard's blacksmithing duties kept him from hunting. The other prior-enlisted men’s participation was not significant. Each of the three sergeants hunted, but only Gass was mentioned as being on more than one of the hunting forays from Fort Mandan. Some of the hunting parties were very large and consisted of the hunters with rifles and other men with their muskets.
Over the winter at Fort Mandan, the Corps enlisted a Frenchman named Jean Baptiste LePage who had been living in the Hidatsa villages. LePage was enlisted to replace Reed. He didn’t seem to have any particular ties to the villages, so he most likely brought his personal firearm, either a rifle or a fuzee. He was cited as hunting elk later, so he might have had his own rifle. LePage was enlisted to be a laborer and also because of his knowledge of some of the country into which they would be traveling.
He was rarely listed as hunting until late winter and spring at Fort Clatsop and, again, in the Nez Perce country in 1806. When the Corps returned to the Mandan villages in 1806, LePage continued on with them to St. Louis.
The Corps also hired Toussaint Charbonneau (aka: Charbono) as an interpreter. He was accompanied by one of his Shoshone wives, Sacacawea and their child, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau (Pomp).
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