Dustin White
Editor

Half a year into the expedition, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark had finally made their way to present day North Dakota. Fall had settled in, and temperatures were plunging below zero. It was Oct. 14, 1804. 

The day was marked with turmoil. On Oct. 13, private John Newman had been court-martialed. He was found guilty of uttering “mutinous expressions.” 

Upon arriving into North Dakota, Newman would be given 75 lashes, on his bare back, and banished from the permanent party. 

Witnessing the punishment, the Arikara leader, Arketarnarshar, who was accompanying the expedition as a temporary guide, cried out in pity for Newman, saying that it would have been better for the party to have killed him instead of subject Newman to such public humiliation. 

Continuing the journey with a bloodied man in tow, Lewis and Clark came upon their first earth lodge villages. All that they found was mats and toys. Smallpox had traveled ahead of the expedition, wiping out villages in it’s path. 



First contact
Almost two weeks after entering into North Dakota, Lewis and Clark encountered their first Mandan Village, Mitutanka, near present day Stanton. 

There were a total of two Mandan villages, as well as three villages inhabited by the Hidatsa and Arahami tribes. The party was hesitant as they were unaware as to how the Mandan and Hidatsa would receive them. 

With the exception of one account of violence, where Joseph Whitehorse struck a Mandan individual with a spoon, the two groups found themselves in a peaceful relationship. The warm reception convinced Lewis and Clark that they would stay the winter with the Mandan and Hidatsa. 

Fort Mandan
Having found a suitable location to stay the winter, Lewis and Clark began work on Fort Mandan on Nov. 3. 

Completion of the fort wouldn’t be completed until Christmas day; however, because of the cold, the party moved in early. 

Shortly after work had commenced on Fort Mandan, Toussaint Charbonneau was signed on as an interpreter for the journey that would once again begin after winter was over. His Shoshoni wife, Sacagawea, would accompany the party.

As Christmas continued to near, the temperatures would steadily drop. By Dec. 17, they had reached 43 degrees below zero. 

Christmas
On Christmas Eve, 1804, the final touches to Fort Mandan were being placed. The party was getting ready for Christmas. 

As morning came on Dec. 25, snow was falling on the fort. The men were in high spirits, waking the captains with “salutes” of gunfire. 

With the men drinking rum mixed with water, the party was permitted to fire the cannon three times, as the United States flag was raised over the fort. It would be the first time the flag would be raised in North Dakota.