Contents Letters: Bad River encounter; Crimson Bluffs 2 From the Directors: Spreading the word in Two Med country 3 From the Bicentennial Council: L&C from different perspectives 4 Trail Notes: Eyes and ears along the Lewis & Clark Trail 6 Tales of the Variegated Bear 8 The captains scoffed at the Mandans’ reports of its ferocity — until they tangled with the “turrible” beast on the high Missouri By Kenneth C. Walcheck Grizzlies, p. 8 Meriwether Lewis’s Air Gun 15 His pneumatic wonder amazed the Indians — but was it a single shot weapon or, as new evidence suggests, a repeater? By Michael F. Carrick Neatness Mattered 22 Hair, beards, and the Corps of Discovery By Robert J. Moore, Jr. The Utmost Reaches of the Missouri 29 Two latter-day explorers describe their quest for the river’s “distant fountain,” 100 miles southeast of Lemhi Pass By Donald F. Nell and Anthony Demetriades Reviews 34 Gunmaker Isaiah Lukens, p. 15 Lewis and Clark among the Grizzlies; Or Perish in the Attempt In Brief: Wheeler, McMurtry, Gass, Best Little Stories L&C Roundup 38 New leadership; kudos; President Bush on Corps of Discovery Gary Moulton’s White House remarks 44 Annual meeting photo spread: Louisville, July 2002 48 On the cover John F. Clymer’s painting Hasty Retreat dramatically depicts one of the many encounters between members of the Corps of Discovery and grizzly bears on the upper Missouri. For more on the explorers’ travails with the variegated bear, see Kenneth Walcheck’s article beginning on page 8 and the review of Paul Schullery’s new book on page 34. Courtesy Doris Clymer and The Clymer Museum of Art. Hair and beards, p. 22 November 2002 We Proceeded On ! 1 Letters Bad River encounter; Crimson Bluffs I must take issue with parts of Dr. James ing to avoid war with Great Britain, the November 2002 • Volume 28, Number 4 Ronda’s article “Tough Times at the Bad” era’s superpower, while also dealing with We Proceeded On is the official publication of (WPO, May 2002). party politics, judicial review, westward the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, The article is about the Teton (Lakota) expansion, slavery, federalism versus Inc. Its name derives from a phrase that appears Sioux. As sources for this article and for states rights, and many other heated is- repeatedly in the collective journals of the his account of the Bad River encounter sues of the day. expedition. 2002 in his 1984 book, Lewis and Clark among SAM BLOBERG E. G. Chuinard, M.D., Founder the Indians, Ronda relies mainly on the Evergreen, Colo. ISSN 02275-6706 explorers’ journals, other contemporary writings by white traders, and articles by Editor modern scholars. Missing, apparently, are J. I. Merritt oral histories handed down by the Teton 51 N. Main Street Sioux themselves. In the absence of such Pennington, NJ 08534 sources, much of what he has to say about 609-818-0168 [email protected] the Indians’ attitudes, motivations, and politics remains speculative. Art Direction I also question Ronda’s view that the Margaret Davis Design Princeton, New Jersey captains didn’t know what they were do- ing during this episode and came off badly Printed by James-Allan Printing & Design, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania as a result. He writes, for example, that The Crimson Bluffs “Compared to these Lakotas, Lewis and Clark were country boys in the hands of Editorial Board Missouri River site dedicated real sharpies.” It seems to me, however, Gary E. Moulton, Leader that it was Clark who gained the most by As president of the Crimson Bluffs Chap- Lincoln, Nebraska not backing down, by not giving in as ter I want to thank WPO for its coverage Robert C. Carriker Black Buffalo did, and by not allowing the of our successful efforts to protect the Spokane, Washington Sioux to control the situation. Crimson Bluffs, a Land and Clark land- Robert K. Doerk, Jr. Ronda would have us believe that mark on the upper Missouri (L&C Fort Benton, Montana Lewis and Clark were dunces who Roundup, May 2002). Glen Lindeman bumbled and stumbled through their ad- Readers may be interested to know Pullman, Washington venture with no idea about the world they that we dedicated the 50-acre site on July entered. This may be true to some extent, 27. Undaunted by rain, approximately Membership Information but it is also true that the Corps of Dis- 150 people from Broadwater County and covery met dozens of tribes representing other parts of Montana arrived under Membership in the Lewis and Clark Trail many languages and cultures, and in the cloudy skies to take part in the com- Heritage Foundation, Inc. is open to the public. Information and applications are available by vast majority of those encounters the ex- memoration and to view the “remarkable writing Membership Coordinator; Lewis and plorers succeeded in fostering remarkable bluff of a crimson coloured earth,” as Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, P.O. Box relationships. Much of the credit goes to Lewis described it on July 24, 1805. En- 3434, Great Falls, MT 59403. the friendliness of the Indians themselves, hancing the festivities were a bald eagle We Proceeded On, the quarterly magazine of but Lewis and Clark and the American and a flight of white pelicans gliding over the Foundation, is mailed to current members ideals they represented also deserve the river. in February, May, August, and November. credit. Few explorers fared as well. Today, the Crimson Bluffs are as beau- Finally, I dispute Ronda’s assertion tiful as they were when the Corps of Dis- Annual Membership Categories that in 1804, “the politics of the northern covery passed them nearly 200 years ago, Student $30 Great Plains was every bit as complex as and now that they are in public owner- Individual/Library/Nonprofit $40 the politics of Washington, D.C.” This ship they will remain in a pristine state Family/International/Business $55 statement is apologia, not scholarship. for future generations. We are grateful to Heritage Club $75 Explorer Club $150 How could the politics of Plains Indians, everyone who helped us celebrate this Jefferson Club $250 numbering in the tens of thousands, pos- special occasion. Discovery Club $500 sibly be as complex as those of a new and ROSE OLESON Expedition Club $1,000 evolving democracy of 5.5 million Townsend, Mont. Leadership Club $2,500 people? I know that the tribes, threatened by white encroachment, were dealing WPO welcomes letters. We may edit them The Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, Inc. is a tax-exempt nonprofit corporation. Individual with many pressing matters in a rapidly for length, accuracy, clarity, and civility. membership dues are not tax deductible. The portion changing context. But on the banks of the Send them to us c/o Editor, WPO, 51 N. Main of premium dues over $40 is tax deductible. Potomac, Lewis’s mentor, Thomas Jeffer- St., Pennington, NJ 08534 (e-mail: wpo@ son, was fighting Barbary pirates and try- lewisandclark.org). 2 ! We Proceeded On November 2002 From the Directors The Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, Inc. Spreading the word in Two Med country P.O.B. 3434, Great Falls, MT 59403 406-454-1234 / 1-888-701-3434 just spent the evening with a tennial kickoff in January or in Phila- Fax: 406-771-9237 wonderful group from the Phoe- delphia next August for the Foun- www.lewisandclark.org I nix, Arizona, area. They come ev- dation’s annual meeting. The mission of the LCTHF is to ery year to spend a peaceful week at Their visit also presented the oppor- stimulate public appreciation of the Rising Wolf, a guest ranch on the south tunity to talk about tribal relations and Lewis and Clark Expedition’s fork of Two Medicine River owned by the good work being done by the Bi- contributions to America’s heritage and our old friends Jim and centennial Council’s to support education, research, development, and preservation of the Patti Stewart. Jim and I Council of Tribal Advi- Lewis and Clark experience. have talked around the sors (COTA) to ensure Officers ranch’s dinner table on that tribal lands and cul- President many a long evening tures along the L&C Larry Epstein about my long love affair Trail are respected. I Cut Bank, Mont. with the story of Lewis made a point of remind- President-Elect and Clark, my work ing them that the entire Ron Laycock with the Foundation, evening of our tour was Benson, Minn. and my participation in spent on the Blackfeet Vice-President the upcoming L&C Bi- Reservation. In addition Gordon Julich centennial. When he asked if I’d mind to exploring the Fight Site we looked Blue Springs, Mo. taking these folks on a tour of “Two at tipi rings and a pushkin (buffalo Secretary Med” country and the site of Camp jump). We also talked about the criti- Jane Schmoyer-Weber Disappointment, where Meriwether cal importance of maintaining good re- Great Falls, Mont. Lewis had his fateful encounter with a lations with the tribal members and the Treasurer group of Indians (either Blackfeet or ranchers whose property we crossed to Steven G. Lee Clarkston, Wash. Gros Ventres of the Prairie), I jumped get to these sites. at the chance. Immediate Past President Jane Henley My interaction with Jim and Patti’s Taking the message to others Keswick, Va. guests brings into focus what so many It was the kind of evening that is surely members of the Lewis and Clark Trail repeated nearly every day somewhere Executive Director Heritage Foundation do routinely as along the Lewis and Clark Trail—a tell- Carol A.