Page 9 - DrivingTourBooklet2020

Viewing Points: Soon Chief Partisan, complaining that the gifts were inadequate, became
1. Western Shore of Marion’s
Island. Traveling on Highway
83, in the city of Fort Pierre, turn
east on Stanley Road. Go to the
end of the road. Somewhere in
the vicinity of the trees ahead,
formerly the western shore
of Marion’s Island, Lewis and
Clark camped on the night of
September 25, 1804.
Bad Humored Island Sign
Wednesday, September 26, 1804
Lewis and Clark and their party including Chief Black Buffalo who was
acting friendly, left Bad Humored Island early. After traveling about four
and one-half miles, they anchored in the Missouri River about 100 yards
from shore (below Oahe Dam in the vicinity of the swimming beach and
camping area of present-day Corps of Engineers Campgrounds No. 1 & 2,
opposite Snake Butte.)
En route, the western bank of the river was lined with men, women,
and children from Grand Chief Black Buffalo’s village, watching the
procession of boats. His village was located on the plain west of the shore.
It consisted of about eighty lodges (tepees) and 800 people. In the center
of the village was a large council house. Clark recorded that “this house
formed a three-fourths circle of skins well dressed and sown together.”
Captain Lewis and five men went on shore with the Teton chiefs. After
a couple of hours Captain Lewis returned and reported that his hosts
seemed friendly and wanted the captains to stay for a feast and evening
dance. Captain Clark went ashore and was immediately placed upon a
decorated buffalo robe and carried to the council house by six Indians.
They put him down on a white dressed robe and then returned for Captain
Lewis, whom they took to the council house in the same manner.
About seventy men were seated within a circle in the council house.
Grand Chief Black Buffalo picked up the pipe of peace and pointed it to
the heavens, the four quarters of the globe, and to the earth. After a short
speech, he lighted the pipe and presented it to the captains to smoke. The
group then feasted on a meal of cooked dog, pemmican, and ground potato.
About dark, a large fire was started in the center in preparation for a dance. process the river channel was routed to the east of Marion’s Island. Mari-
Clark described the dance: “About ten musitions (sic) playing on
tamboreens (made of hoops and skin stretched), long sticks with deer
and goats [antelope] hoofs tied so as to make a gingling noise, and many
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unruly. He wanted more gifts before he would let them continue upstream.
Captain Clark finally convinced the chiefs to go with him in the rowboat
to the shore in the vicinity of what is now known as Lilly Park in the City
of Fort Pierre, SD.
Captain Clark, as quoted directly, wrote “As soon as I landed the
perogue (rowboat with six oars), three of their young men seased(sic) the
cable. The chief soldier huged the mast, and the second chief (Partisan)
was very insolent both in words and justures...declaring I should not go
on, stateing that he had not received presents sufficient from us. His
justures were of such a personal nature I felt myself compeled to draw
my sword (and made a signal to the keelboat to prepare for action). At
this motion Captain Lewis ordered all men under arms in the keelboat.
Most of the warriors appeared to have their bows strung and took out
their arrows from the quivers. Grand Chief [Black Buffalo] then took hold
of the roap and ordered the young warriors away.”
Clark was not permitted to leave the shore so he sent his men back to
the keelboat for reinforcements. The rowboat soon returned with twelve
armed men. The large swivel gun on the keelboat was loaded with six-
teen musket balls. The small swivel guns on the rowboats were loaded
with buckshot. The boats’ guns and all of the soldiers’ muzzle-loading
guns were aimed at the Indians. Clark said, “This movement caused a no:
[number] of the Indians to withdraw at a distance.” By now, the party of
Indians had grown to about 100.
Lewis and Clark did not intend to be bullied. The confrontation with
the Teton was diffused. Clark joined his men on the rowboat and started
returning to the keelboat. After traveling about ten paces, Chief Black
Buffalo, Chief Buffalo Medicine, and two principal men waded in after
him and asked to be taken aboard, to which he agreed. The explorers,
along with the four Indians, traveled about a mile upriver and anchored
near the west side of a willow island. Sergeant Ordway noted in his jour-
nal “our camp was on a willow island in the middle of the river, at our
starbord (sic) side.” Guards were stationed on shore and on the keelboat.
The two rowboats were tied to the keelboat. The four Indians stayed with
them that night. Clark called the island “Bad Humored Island” because
he was in a bad humor. (Bad Humored Island was later called Marion’s
Island. In 1907 the Chicago and Northwestern Railway built a bridge over
the Missouri River, crossing the northerly portion of the island. During the
on’s Island has since merged with the east shore of the city of Fort Pierre.)
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