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A Legacy of Peace

By: LC200 staff

The Corps of Discovery had regrouped and was ready to set out on the final leg of their journey. With the two “Illinois hunters,” Dixon and Handcock, the Expedition pushed off the afternoon of August 12, 1806 heading for St. Louis, 1700 miles downriver. Captain Clark had some other business to attend to before they got there.

Dixon had been wounded in the leg during an encounter with the Teton Sioux the year before. He also said the Mandans and Minetarries were at war with the Ricaras, and the Assinniboins were at war with the Mandans. Some deaths had been recorded and a general outbreak of squabbling seemed to be the order of the day for these and the other tribes along the route. Clark noted, “we shall endeavor to bring about a peace” and “prevail on some of their chiefs to accompany us to the United States.” The Expedition camped that night near the entrance to Shabonos Creek, today’s Bear Den Creek.

The many pow wows and showy ceremonies the Captains had held with these tribes during the trip upriver the year before had proven to have been less than successful. The uneasy truce they had established quickly disappeared. Several of the chiefs that Clark talked with attributed the problems to a few young hot heads who would not take counsel. They wanted to prove themselves as warriors on the field of combat. Clark realized that he would need to rebuild the truce and re-establish a mutual trust between the tribes. If he were to ever get some of the chiefs to accompany him to the United States, peace must first be established.

From August 14 through August 22, 1806 Clark visited many villages of Mandans, Minetares, Ricara and Cheyenne as the Expedition slowly made its way down the Missouri, only traveling far enough to reach the next tribe or village. Clark notes in his journal that he “spoke to them as we had done when we were with them last” and he repeated his invitation to the chiefs to accompany him. Clark thought that getting chiefs to go to Washington would show them how powerful the United States was thus gain the Indians as allies for trade rather than the Indians trading with the English. So what Clark was doing would have a significant impact on American foreign policy. During this series of pow wows every chief basically told Clark they would like to go with him, but they were afraid of the Sioux who the Expedition had to pass further down the river.

Clark’s diplomatic efforts were completed on the 22nd. During a final pow wow the chiefs all put the blame for their warring with one another on the Sioux who lived to the south. They eventually all agreed to Clark’s counsel of making peace with one another and only going to war if they were attacked. He had suggested the Mandans, Hidatsas, Arickaras and Cheyenne form an alliance of mutual protection against the Sioux. This was agreed to. With that accomplished, Clark prepared to set off for St. Louis. He was now near territory claimed by the Teton Sioux and, although no more chiefs would accompany him to the United States, he did have one Mandan chief with him and he had brokered at least a temporary peace.

It is important to note that from the time the Expedition first encountered Indians in early August until the departure from the Ricara and Cheyenne Villages on August 22nd, the Corps of Discovery received a warm welcome at every stop. One place Clark notes that the Indians acted as if they were sorry to see Clark and his men go. These people who lived along the Missouri River from western North Dakota to the northern part of South Dakota were basically peaceful if allowed to be, but the problem Clark continually ran in to was the Sioux would not let these people be peaceful. This was the message given to Clark by the chiefs.

There was a long history of warfare between the Mandans and the Sioux. The Mandan chief who agreed to accompany Clark pointed out places along the river where former villages had been located. He told of how the Mandan Villages just south of present day Bismarck, North Dakota used to number 7 but had been reduced to 2 by wars with the Sioux and small pox.

Some other events had taken place during Clark’s peacemaking. On August 15th John Colter was paid up and allowed to separate from the Corps of Discovery. He departed with the two Illinois hunters, Dixon and Handcock, who were headed back upriver to the Yellowstone River to trap beaver. The next day Clark gave the swivel gun to “One Eye Chief” of the Minetares “to make him a stronger ally.” The expedition had no further use for the gun since it could not be fired from the canoes.

A third event was that Clark paid Toussant Charbonneau for his services and they parted company; his use as an interpreter was no longer needed. Clark offered to transport him to St. Louis if he so desired, but Charbonneau declined, preferring to stay with the Mandans. Clark also offered to take Pomp to raise and educate, but Charbonneau and Sacajawea determined that since the boy was only 19 months old “and not yet weaned” they would wait for one year then, if Clark was still so inclined, the arrangements would be made.