Return to story

Historians speculate on Pompy's illness Series on Web site

June 10, 2006 12:50 am

SEX WAS USED by various Indian tribes for purposes other than reproduction and pleasure. During the previous winter (1804-05) with the Mandan Indians, sex was used to gain spiritual power. During the winter of 1805-06, the Clatsop Indians utilized their women to do their bargaining and often sealed the trade with sex.

There were no prohibitions among the Nez Perce on having sex with the whites. The journals are silent on the subject. We can only speculate that, during the more than a month when the Corps was in proximity with the Nez Perce, liaisons did take place as they had with other tribes near whom they lived.

In 1877, in the Nez Perce war, William H. Jackson photographed an older, blue-eyed, sandy-haired man taken prisoner by the American army. The Nez Perce had no doubt that this was a son of Capt. William Clark. There is no way to prove it now, but Indian oral history is often accurate.

Encamped among the Nez Perce, the captains added to their recorded knowledge of the tribe while they waited for the snow to melt in the Bitterroots.

Pompy got sick: Pompy (Sacagawea and Charbonneau's infant boy, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, nicknamed "Pompy" by Capt. Clark) became ill with swelling in the neck. Historians are divided as to what really ailed the child. Speculations include an abscess on the neck, mumps, tonsillitis, an infected lymph gland and mastoiditis.

From the Journals, week of May 22, 1806:

MAY 22: "most of the [Indian] women went out early with their horses to dig roots the men went early to a Swet [sweat] house built a large fire and put in a large quantity of Small Stone and het [heated] them red hot then put them in some water they Signed [using sign language] to me that it was to help them of Some disease & Sore eyes, &c [etc.]" --Sgt. OrdwayMAY 23: "The Child is Something better this morning that it was last night. we apply a fresh poltice of the wild Onion which we repeeted twice in the Course of the day. the swelling does not appear to increase any Since yesterday " --Capt. LewisMAY 24: "The child was very wrestles [restless] last night; it's jaw and the back of it's neck are much more swollen than they were yesterday tho' his fever has abated considerable, we gave it a doze of creem of tarter and applied a fresh politice of onions "--Capt. LewisMAY 25: "It rained the greater part of last night and continued until 6 a.m. our grass tent is impervious to the rain. the Child is more unwell than yesterday, we gave it a doze of creem of tarter which did not operate [work], we therefore gave it a clyster [enema] in the evening " --Capt. LewisMAY 26: "[Pvt. John] Collins, [Pvt. George] Shannon and [Pvt. John] Colter set out to hunt on the high lands The Clyster given the Child last evening operated very well. it is clear of fever this evening and is much better, the swelling is considerably abated and appears as if it would pass without coming to a head "--Capt. LewisMAY 27: "Holastillpilp [a Nez Perce chief] told us that most of the horses we saw running at large belonged to himself and his people, and whenever we were in want of meat we would kill any of them we wished I doubt whether a great number of our countrymen would see us fast many days before their compassion would excite them to a similar act of liberality "--Capt. LewisMAY 28: "Collins, Shannon and Colter returned with eight deer discovered a ford where they were enabled to pass it [the Clearwater River] with their horses deer were very abundant they informed us, but there were not many bear The Child is also better, he is free of fever, the imposthume [abscess] is not so large but seems to be advancing to maturity "--Capt. LewisNEXT WEEK: A canoe sank, trade merchandise ran out and Charbonneau's pack horse fell into the river.NOTE: The Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center in Charlottesville has a 55-foot full-scale keelboat on its property in Darden Towe Park off State Route 20 northeast of Charlottesville (Stony Point Road) adjacent to the Rivanna River. It has also embarked on a fundraising campaign to create a hands-on center for children of all ages to participate in Lewis and Clark's adventures. Every third Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon a boat-building workshop is being held next to the keelboat barn. For details, visit lewisandclarkeast.org.BILL SPEIDEN of Orange County serves on the board of directors of the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center in Charlottesville. Call him at 540/672-2596, or e-mail
Email: oxpwr@yahoo.com. --Sgt. Ordway

MAY 23: "The Child is Something better this morning that it was last night. we apply a fresh poltice of the wild Onion which we repeeted twice in the Course of the day. the swelling does not appear to increase any Since yesterday " --Capt. Lewis

MAY 24: "The child was very wrestles [restless] last night; it's jaw and the back of it's neck are much more swollen than they were yesterday tho' his fever has abated considerable, we gave it a doze of creem of tarter and applied a fresh politice of onions "-- Capt. Lewis

MAY 25: "It rained the greater part of last night and continued until 6 a.m. our grass tent is impervious to the rain. the Child is more unwell than yesterday, we gave it a doze of creem of tarter which did not operate [work], we therefore gave it a clyster [enema] in the evening " --Capt. LewisMAY 26: "[Pvt. John] Collins, [Pvt. George] Shannon and [Pvt. John] Colter set out to hunt on the high lands The Clyster given the Child last evening operated very well. it is clear of fever this evening and is much better, the swelling is considerably abated and appears as if it would pass without coming to a head "--Capt. LewisMAY 27: "Holastillpilp [a Nez Perce chief] told us that most of the horses we saw running at large belonged to himself and his people, and whenever we were in want of meat we would kill any of them we wished I doubt whether a great number of our countrymen would see us fast many days before their compassion would excite them to a similar act of liberality "--Capt. LewisMAY 28: "Collins, Shannon and Colter returned with eight deer discovered a ford where they were enabled to pass it [the Clearwater River] with their horses deer were very abundant they informed us, but there were not many bear The Child is also better, he is free of fever, the imposthume [abscess] is not so large but seems to be advancing to maturity "--Capt. LewisNEXT WEEK: A canoe sank, trade merchandise ran out and Charbonneau's pack horse fell into the river.NOTE: The Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center in Charlottesville has a 55-foot full-scale keelboat on its property in Darden Towe Park off State Route 20 northeast of Charlottesville (Stony Point Road) adjacent to the Rivanna River. It has also embarked on a fundraising campaign to create a hands-on center for children of all ages to participate in Lewis and Clark's adventures. Every third Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon a boat-building workshop is being held next to the keelboat barn. For details, visit lewisandclarkeast.org.BILL SPEIDEN of Orange County serves on the board of directors of the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center in Charlottesville. Call him at 540/672-2596, or e-mail
Email: oxpwr@yahoo.com. --Capt. Lewis

MAY 26: "[Pvt. John] Collins, [Pvt. George] Shannon and [Pvt. John] Colter set out to hunt on the high lands The Clyster given the Child last evening operated very well. it is clear of fever this evening and is much better, the swelling is considerably abated and appears as if it would pass without coming to a head " --Capt. Lewis

MAY 27: "Holastillpilp [a Nez Perce chief] told us that most of the horses we saw running at large belonged to himself and his people, and whenever we were in want of meat we would kill any of them we wished I doubt whether a great number of our countrymen would see us fast many days before their compassion would excite them to a similar act of liberality " --Capt. Lewis

MAY 28: "Collins, Shannon and Colter returned with eight deer discovered a ford where they were enabled to pass it [the Clearwater River] with their horses deer were very abundant they informed us, but there were not many bear The Child is also better, he is free of fever, the imposthume [abscess] is not so large but seems to be advancing to maturity " --Capt. Lewis

NEXT WEEK: A canoe sank, trade merchandise ran out and Charbonneau's pack horse fell into the river.

NOTE: The Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center in Charlottesville has a 55-foot full-scale keelboat on its property in Darden Towe Park off State Route 20 northeast of Charlottesville (Stony Point Road) adjacent to the Rivanna River. It has also embarked on a fundraising campaign to create a hands-on center for children of all ages to participate in Lewis and Clark's adventures. Every third Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon a boat-building workshop is being held next to the keelboat barn. For details, visit lewisandclarkeast.org.

BILL SPEIDEN of Orange County serves on the board of directors of the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center in Charlottesville. Call him at 540/672-2596, or e-mail
Email: oxpwr@yahoo.com.