Re-portaging the Great Falls
by Phil Scriver
Honor Guard members hauling a cart loaded with a canoe and baggage
Sergt Ordway and nine men who were coming downriver from the Three Forks by canoe reached the Upper Portage Camp mid afternoon of July 19 where they joined Sergt Gass and five men from Lewis’ main party who were waiting at the Great Falls. They brought with them six canoes and the baggage the Expedition had cached at Camp Fortunate. After re-portaging the Great Falls they were to retrieve the white pirogue and meet Lewis and his men at the mouth of the Marias. The rest of that day and the next the group rested and did chores in camp in preparation for the portage. But the four horses that were to be used to pull the loaded carts had other ideas.
When the party arose early the morning of the 21st their horses were nowhere to be found. While several men were out searching for the missing horses the rest of the party loaded two small canoes and baggage on the two carts. The horses were still AWOL so the men pulled the carts “some distance” along the portage before stopping for the night.
It was decided to spend one more day searching for the missing horses before giving them up for lost; the men may well have remembered all too well how difficult the portage had been the year before and how much easier it would be with horses to pull the wagons.
The stray horses were finally found at the Great Falls the morning of the 22nd, brought back and hitched to the loaded carts. They proceeded five miles before an axletree broke. Carts were unloaded and taken back to the Upper Camp for repair. Part of the crew remained with the baggage.
The morning of the 23rd the party set out from the Upper Camp with two more canoes, one small and one large, and more baggage. They managed to get these both to Willow Run that night. The large canoe was too heavy for the cart and caused continual breakdowns. Additionally it had started raining making the prairies so muddy that travel was only with total effort of all the men and horses. Camp that night was at the Willow Run.
The next morning the carts were unloaded and taken back to the Upper Camp to get the other two canoes and any remaining baggage. When they got there and examined the canoes they loaded the small one, but decided to leave the large one where it lay. It was in need of repair and too heavy to haul on the cart. The rains had made the prairies so soft the cart could not be pulled through the mud. This canoe was also heavier because it had soaked up rain water. The Sergts determined they could get by with only five canoes since they would soon have the white pirogue. They set out with the small canoe and stopped along the way to pick up one of the two canoes still on the portage from the 22nd. That day one cart and canoe made it as far as Willow Run while the other one was taken on to the mouth of Portage Creek. Part of the party camped at Portage Creek while the rest were at Willow Run.
On the 25th the last canoe from Upper Camp was taken on to Portage Creek from Willow Run while the crew that had stayed at Portage Creek went back on the portage to retrieve the last canoe and took it to Portage Creek. When they reached Willow Run the other crew had just loaded one of the canoes there. Everyone went on to Portage Creek where they stayed for the night.
The portage was almost complete. The 26th eight men went to Willow Run and got the last canoe while the rest of the party moved the canoes at Portage Creek and the baggage to the Lower Portage Camp. Colter and Potts ran the canoes down the rapids in the Missouri while the others took the baggage overland. Camp that night was at Lower Portage Camp.
Gass and Willard left the next morning with the four horses. After crossing the Missouri to the north side they went twenty miles to the Teton River then followed it ten more miles before camping. By 1:00 p.m. they were at the mouth of the Marias. Ordway and the rest of the party hauled the white pirogue out made repairs then loaded their baggage on the pirogue and five canoes; without fanfare they left the Lower Camp. Their camp the night of the 27th was on the south side of the river. After only traveling a short distance the next morning they met Lewis at what is now Fort Benton; handshakes all around then on to the Marias, arriving there minutes ahead of Gass and Willard.
When the party arose early the morning of the 21st their horses were nowhere to be found. While several men were out searching for the missing horses the rest of the party loaded two small canoes and baggage on the two carts. The horses were still AWOL so the men pulled the carts “some distance” along the portage before stopping for the night.
It was decided to spend one more day searching for the missing horses before giving them up for lost; the men may well have remembered all too well how difficult the portage had been the year before and how much easier it would be with horses to pull the wagons.
The stray horses were finally found at the Great Falls the morning of the 22nd, brought back and hitched to the loaded carts. They proceeded five miles before an axletree broke. Carts were unloaded and taken back to the Upper Camp for repair. Part of the crew remained with the baggage.
The morning of the 23rd the party set out from the Upper Camp with two more canoes, one small and one large, and more baggage. They managed to get these both to Willow Run that night. The large canoe was too heavy for the cart and caused continual breakdowns. Additionally it had started raining making the prairies so muddy that travel was only with total effort of all the men and horses. Camp that night was at the Willow Run.
The next morning the carts were unloaded and taken back to the Upper Camp to get the other two canoes and any remaining baggage. When they got there and examined the canoes they loaded the small one, but decided to leave the large one where it lay. It was in need of repair and too heavy to haul on the cart. The rains had made the prairies so soft the cart could not be pulled through the mud. This canoe was also heavier because it had soaked up rain water. The Sergts determined they could get by with only five canoes since they would soon have the white pirogue. They set out with the small canoe and stopped along the way to pick up one of the two canoes still on the portage from the 22nd. That day one cart and canoe made it as far as Willow Run while the other one was taken on to the mouth of Portage Creek. Part of the party camped at Portage Creek while the rest were at Willow Run.
On the 25th the last canoe from Upper Camp was taken on to Portage Creek from Willow Run while the crew that had stayed at Portage Creek went back on the portage to retrieve the last canoe and took it to Portage Creek. When they reached Willow Run the other crew had just loaded one of the canoes there. Everyone went on to Portage Creek where they stayed for the night.
The portage was almost complete. The 26th eight men went to Willow Run and got the last canoe while the rest of the party moved the canoes at Portage Creek and the baggage to the Lower Portage Camp. Colter and Potts ran the canoes down the rapids in the Missouri while the others took the baggage overland. Camp that night was at Lower Portage Camp.
Gass and Willard left the next morning with the four horses. After crossing the Missouri to the north side they went twenty miles to the Teton River then followed it ten more miles before camping. By 1:00 p.m. they were at the mouth of the Marias. Ordway and the rest of the party hauled the white pirogue out made repairs then loaded their baggage on the pirogue and five canoes; without fanfare they left the Lower Camp. Their camp the night of the 27th was on the south side of the river. After only traveling a short distance the next morning they met Lewis at what is now Fort Benton; handshakes all around then on to the Marias, arriving there minutes ahead of Gass and Willard.