“In a feat not generally recognized, the Expedition became the first federally-funded transcontinental dance troupe.”

James Ronda (?)

“The white men, as usual, danced for the Indians, whose modern descendents could still describe the scene in the 1930s. Potts&emdash;his monosyllabic name was easy for the redskins to remember&emdash;‘he boss over mans how to do funny dance and sing songs, and all laugh.’”

Bakeless quoting
Nez Perce statements.

"passed the evening very agreeable dancing with the french ladies, &c."

"in the Evening we were amused at a Ball, which was attended by a number of the French ladies, who were remarkably fond of dancing."

Whitehouse

“...men verry lively Danceing & Singing &c.”

Clark

After talking and exchanging gifts with the Otoes, and after carrying out Moses Reed’s sentence (run the gauntlet 4 times--about 500 lashes--and no longer considered to part of the permanent party), there’s a dance to celebrate Captain Lewis’s 30th birthday:

“...posponed the furthe consultation untill tomorrow. had a Dance which lasted untile 11 oClock, the Close of Cap Lewis Birthday. a fine evening wind S. E”

“the evening was Closed with an extra Gill of Whiskey & a Dance untill 11 o’clock.”

Clark

"...at Dark the Dance began as usial and performed as last night. womin with ther Husbands & relations cloths arms Scalps on poles &c. &c."

Clark

"...on my return found maney Inds. at our Camp, gave the party a dram, they Danced as is verry Comn. in the evening which pleased the Savages much. Wind S. E."

Clark

"...Soon after those Chiefs left us, the Grand Chief of the Mandans came Dressed in the Clothes we had given with his 2 small Suns, and requested to See the men Dance which they verry readily gratified him in...."

[Also, in other entry for the day--see Moulton, v. 3, p. 218--Clark writes: “...the men Dancd untill 10 oClock which was common with them....”]

Clark

Hidatsas have been alarmed at reports that whites are in league with the Sioux. The Hidatsa chiefs have therefore come to Fort Mandan to seek the truth.

"cold & chilly, the Ice Ran in the River thick. we finished dobbing & covering & compleating the remainder of our huts &.C&emdash; Capt Lewis & command brought with them three chiefs from the upper villages of the Grovantaur.1 they appear to be verry friendly. Gave us a little corn & were Glad to come & see us. they Sd. that the Manden nation told them that we would do them harm, & that was the reason they had not been to see us before. we had a dance this evening. Rivet danced on his head &C"

Clark writes in v. 3, p.241: “The two chiefs much pleased witht their treatments & the Cherefullness of the party, who Danced to amuse them &c. &c.”

Ordway

"The Day was ushered in by the Discharge of two Cannon, we Suffered 16 men with their musick to visit the 1st Village for the purpose of Dancing, by as they Said the perticular request of the Chiefs of that village, about 11 oClock I with an inturpeter & two men walked up to the Village....
I found them much pleased at the Danceing of our men, I ordered my black Servent to Dance which amused the Croud verry much, and Some what astonished them, that So large a man Should be active &c. &c."

Clark

Four Hidatsas made rare visit to fort yesterday. Captains want to impress them, so treat them exceedingly well, including dancing for them. Today, 30 Mandans arrive, including 6 chiefs. The Hidatsas tell the Mandans that they are liars, having told them that the whites would kill them. Yet “they had been with them all night, Smoked in the pipe and have been treated well and the whites had danced for them, observing the Mandans were bad and ought to hide themselves....”

Clark

“Visited by the 2nd Chief of the Grand Village of the Minetarrees.... he Delayed all night, & Saw the men Dance, which is common amusement with the men....”

In his entry for the following day, Clark again mentions today’s activities, including, “in The evening the men Danced....”

Clark

"Gees and Ducks pass up the river. all the party in high Sperits they pass but fiew nights without amuseing themselves danceing possessing perfect harmony and good understanding towards each other, Generally helthy except Venerials Complaints which is verry Common amongst the natives and the men Catch it from them"

[MN: in previous entry, but for same day, Clark adds “those favores bieng easy acquired.” Moulton, V. 3, p322]

Clark

Lewis writes: “...gave each man a small dram. notwithstanding the allowance of sperits we issued did not exceed 1/2 pn. man several of them were considerably effected by it; such is the effects of abstaining for some time from the uce of sperituous liquors; they were all very merry."

Lewis

In Lewis’s journal entry for the 9th, he clearly lays out his reasoning for believing the south fork the Missouri. He continues:
"Those ideas as they occurred to me I indevoured to impress on the minds of the party all of whom except Capt. C. being still firm in the beleif that the N. Fork was the Missouri and that which we ought to take; they said very cheerfully that they were ready to follow us any wher we thought proper to direct but that they still thought that the other was the river and that they were affraid that the South fork would soon termineate in the mountains and leave us at a great distance from the Columbia. Cruzatte who had been an old Missouri navigator and who from his integrity knowledge and skill as a waterman had acquired the confidence of every individual of the party declared it as his opinion that the N. fork was the true genuine Missouri and could be no other."

Since his men are so determined, Lewis sends a party ahead up the Missouri to try to find the falls. What happens that night?
"In the evening Cruzatte gave us some music on the violin and the men passed the evening in dancing singing &c and were extreemly cheerfull.”

Clark adds:
"in the evening the party amused themselves danceing and Singing Songes in the most Social manner."

Lewis

"...in the evening the Capts revived the party with a dram. they had a
frolick fiddled & danced & Sang untill late in the evening...."

Ordway

[version 1]
"...the officers gave the party a dram, the fiddle played and they danced late &c we had a light Shower of rain late in the evening.&emdash; rope works made."

[version 2&emdash;p. 192]
"...We were employ’d in erecting Rope works, during this day; we had a Shower of rain late this evening, Our Officers gave each Man of the party a dram of Spirits, and they seem much recruited since we encamped here.&emdash;"

Whitehouse

The expedition is in the middle of portaging the Great Falls. Lewis writes:

"...The party that returned this evening to the lower camp reached it in time to take one canoe on the plain and prepare their baggage for an early start in the morning after which such as were able to shake a foot amused themselves in dancing on the green to the music of the violin which Cruzatte plays extreemly well...."

On the same day, Clark writes:

"...the party amused themselves with danceing untill 10 oclock all Chearfullness and good humer, they all tied up their loads to make an early Start in the morning."

Lewis and Clark

"a beautiful clear pleasant warm morning. ...it being the 4th of Independence we drank the last of our ardent Spirits except a little reserved for Sickness. the fiddle put in order and the party amused themselves dancing all the evening untill about 10 oClock in a Sivel & jovil manner. late in the evening we had a light Shower of rain but did not last long.&emdash;"

Ordway

"matters being thus far arranged I directed the fiddle to be played and the party danced very merily much to the amusement and gratification of th natives, though I must confess that the state of my own mind at this moment did not well accord with the prevailing mirth as I somewhat feared that the caprice of the indians might suddenly induce them to withhold their horses from us without which my hopes of prosicuting my voyage to advantage was lost; however I determined to keep the indians in a good humour if possible, and to loose no time in obtaining the necessary number of horses...."

Lewis

"…we had also a fire made for those people to Sit around in the middle of our Camp, and Peter Crusat Played which pleased those nativs exceedingly. the two Chiefs and Several men deturmined to delay all night (yorked Danced for the Inds) with us…"

"…Dried all our wet articles and repared our Canoes to day, and the Party amused themselves at night danceing. The Flees which the party got on them at the upper & great falls, are very troublesom and dificuelt to get rid of, perticularly as the me[n] have not a Change of Clothers to put on, they Strip off their Clothes and kill the flees, dureing which they remain neckid."

Clark

"...They deturmined to Stay with us all night, we had a fire made for them & one man played on the violin which pleased them much my Servent danced.... our men danced to night."

Clark

"...towards evening we arived at a large village at the mouth of a creek where we Camped ...they had a dance at our fire this evening. nearly the Same manner & way as those on the Missourie. we played the fiddle and danced &C. Several of the Flat heads continue on with us & assist us as much as lyes in their power.&emdash;"

Ordway

"…after we had arrarnged our camp we caused all the old and brave men to set arround and smoke with us. we had the violin played and some of the men danced; after which the natives entertained us with a dance after their method…. "[Lewis proceeds to describe the dance]

Lewis

"…we Caused all the old & brave men to Set around and Smoke with us. we Caused the fiddle to be played and Some of the men danced. after them the nativs danced. they dance different from any Indians I have Seen…. "[Clark proceeds to describe dance.]

Clark

"…they [the Indians] insisted on our dancinq this evening but it rained a little the wind blew hard and the weather was cold, we therefore did not indulge them."

[Clark also mentions this in his entry for the same day.]

Lewis

Clark concludes a letter to Charbonneau, outlining what Clark is willing to give Charbonneau, with the following:

"...Wishing you and your family great suckcess & with anxious expectations of seeing my little danceing boy Baptiest I shall remain your Friend,

WILLIAM CLARK"

Clark