James's Account of S. H. Long's Expedition, 1819-1820, part 2

In Short

This volume forms the second part of Edwin James’s official chronicle detailing Major Stephen H. Long’s government-sponsored expedition through the Western territory of the United States. Combining scientific precision with vivid narrative observation, the account tracks the journey across the Great Plains toward the Rocky Mountains. James documents the social structures, spiritual practices, languages, and daily lives of Indigenous nations—including the Omaha, Iowa, Oto, and Pawnee—while recording the region's flora, fauna, and geological formations. It has lasted as a pivotal primary document of American exploration, capturing a transformative moment of early encounters, natural discovery, and cultural documentation.

The Story

The narrative begins deep within the communities of the Missouri River basin, focusing extensively on the ethnography of the Omaha and neighboring nations. James details the complex realities of native life, moving from domestic affairs—such as marriage, child-rearing, and the vulnerable position of women—to medical traditions and religious worldviews. He observes the rituals of native healers, who deploy physical suction, friction, and rhythmic vocalizations to treat the sick, while framing health and mortality around the will of the Wahconda, the supreme spirit.

As the expedition moves from winter quarters toward the open plains, the focus shifts to diplomacy and intertribal dynamics. The narrative records formal war practices, peace negotiations, and dramatic exchanges between tribes. It recounts striking local events, such as the heroic intervention of Petalesharoo against human sacrifice, alongside daily encounters with leaders like Wangewaha of the Iowa, who expresses keen curiosity about Western astronomy despite the skepticism of his peers.

Setting out on land from Engineer Cantonment toward Council Bluff and across the rivers of present-day Iowa and Nebraska, the party enters an endless expanse of open prairie. James turns his eye to the natural world: the seasonal fires that strip the plains, the glistening white blooms of the evening primrose, and the expansive colonies of prairie dogs whose intricate burrows pit the landscape. The expedition follows the course of the Platte River, charting its shallow, turbid waters while closely analyzing soil and rock samples to infer the geological nature of the interior.

As the group progresses westward, the vast plain terminates abruptly against dramatic sandstone walls and granitic ridges. Reaching the base of the Rocky Mountains, the travelers behold bare granite peaks rising above deep torrent-carved fissures, their summits covered in snow. Here, amidst the physical struggle of the journey, James cataloging new biological discoveries, including the blue columbine. The volume culminates in military and diplomatic councils, where formal speeches by American officers assert federal authority, issue stern warnings against violence, and distribute presents, sealing a delicate peace on the imperial frontier.

How It Unfolds

Life among the Omawhaws James opens with intimate observations of native domesticity, detailing familial affection, tribal law, and the precarious position of Indian wives. He recounts the emotional trial of an Omaha woman fighting to retain her child against a trader who intends to send the boy away to white settlements.

Rituals of healing and magic The narrative turns to Indigenous medicine, describing how practitioners apply friction, violent suction, and rhythmic gourd-rattling to cure disease. James notes that fees are paid based on wealth and length of illness, with failure attributed to the absolute summons of the Wahconda.

Plains diplomacy and sign language The expedition witnesses the complex interactions between the Oto, Iowa, and Pawnee nations during trading visits and mock battles. James carefully catalogs the intricate manual sign language used across tribes to communicate concepts like hunting, theft, squaw, bison, and death.

Trek along the Platte Leaving winter cantonments behind, the party marches across denuded prairies and swollen creeks, enduring heavy rains without tents. James records the unique flora of the plains, such as silvery legumes and wild primroses, while describing the expansive, engineered towns of the prairie dog.

Arrival at the Rocky Mountains The woodless plain suddenly yields to massive, vertical walls of sandstone and towering granite cliffs. The party encamps at the foot of the mountains, eager to explore the dramatic chasms, collect unknown botanical specimens, and examine the crystalline feldspar that proves the primitive geological origin of the range.

Councils of authority The volume concludes with formal diplomatic speeches delivered to assembled Pawnee leaders. American representatives demand order, warn against attacking neighboring tribes, and distribute trade goods to solidify territorial influence.

The People

Edwin James Serving as the expedition's botanist, geologist, and official narrator, James seeks to systematically record the natural resources and human cultures of the American West. Facing physical exposure to rain, rough terrain, and lost equipment, he remains an exacting observer who meticulously collects plant species, analyzes rock formations, and transcribes native vocabularies.

Wangewaha (Hard Heart) The chief of the Iowa nation, Wangewaha is an inquisitive leader who seeks to understand the manners and science of white Americans. His desire to learn—exemplified by his inquiry into whether the Earth revolves around the Sun—puts him at odds with conservative members of his tribe who scoff at non-apparent truths.

Wacora A devoted Omaha warrior trusted by the trader Manuel Lisa, Wacora demonstrates fierce loyalty and tactical skill. Entrusted with sensitive missions, he faces ambushes, engages hostile war parties, and risks his life to deliver intelligence, embodying the high stakes of intertribal warfare.

Petalesharoo A brave Pawnee Loup warrior whose fame spreads through his brave resistance to traditional cruelty. His actions to abolish human sacrifice represent a pivotal shift in his tribe's religious customs, earning him widespread admiration among both native peoples and American observers.

In Its Own Voice

When an Omaha mother faces the loss of her infant to a departing trader, she defends her natural rights with poignant clarity:

"Is my child a dog, that I should sell him for merchandize?"

Observing the specialized practices of native healers, James notes the physical strain undergone by practitioners like Mon-cha-wahconda:

"He makes much noise in the operation, by inhaling and expelling the air forcibly through his nostrils, and at the same time jerks his head from side to side, tugging at the part to facilitate the process."

As the expedition reaches the dramatic geographic shift between the plains and the Rockies, James captures the sudden change in terrain:

"At eleven o'clock we arrived at the boundary of that vast plain, across which we had held our weary march for a distance of near one thousand miles, and encamped at the base of the mountain."

What It's Really About

Beneath its day-by-day itinerary, the narrative is an inquiry into the unknown potential and human diversity of the North American continent. It contrasts the empirical mindset of early American science with the deep-seated spiritual and practical worldviews of Plains tribes.

The text addresses questions of cultural survival, geopolitical dominance, and environmental scale. By documenting non-verbal sign languages, tribal migrations, and native astronomy alongside botanical catalogs, James argues implicitly that the Western wilderness is not an empty void, but a densely populated, highly structured world with its own ancient history. Simultaneously, the volume captures the early mechanics of American westward expansion, showing how scientific documentation served as a prelude to political and territorial control.

Why Read It Today

This volume will deeply satisfy readers who love primary historical accounts, environmental history, and authentic early frontier literature. Reading it feels like looking through an unfiltered lens at the North American continent before massive settlement altered its landscape. What lingers long after reading is the remarkable precision of the detail: the silver sheen of wind-blown prairie legumes, the exact hand gestures used to signal "bison" or "pretty," and the quiet majesty of discovering a blue columbine at the foot of the Rockies.

Prospective readers should be prepared for the formal, dense prose of early nineteenth-century scientific writing. The narrative moves at the measured pace of an overland march, frequently shifting from dramatic human encounters to lengthy cataloging of bone structures, plant lists, and geographic coordinates. Furthermore, readers will encounter archaic spellings, period trade jargon, and historic Euro-American attitudes toward Indigenous cultures. Yet for those willing to travel at its deliberate speed, the book offers an irreplaceable, firsthand seat on one of the great exploratory ventures in American history.