Two Medicine Fight Site

Two Medicine Site view south

National Register of Historic Places

Quick Facts

Location:

25 miles southeast of Browning, MT

Significance:

Location of skirmish between Corps and Blackfeet

Designation:

National Register of Historic Places

MANAGED BY:

Public overlook available along the highway

Lewis and Clark NHT Visitor Centers and Museums

This map shows a range of features associated with the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, which commemorates the 1803-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition. The trail spans a large portion of the North American continent, from the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon. The trail is comprised of the historic route of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, an auto tour route, high potential historic sites (shown in black), visitor centers (shown in orange), and pivotal places (shown in green). These features can be selected on the map to reveal additional information. Also shown is a base map displaying state boundaries, cities, rivers, and highways. The map conveys how a significant area of the North American continent was traversed by the Lewis and Clark Expedition and indicates the many places where visitors can learn about their journey and experience the landscape through which they traveled.

Two Medicine Fight Site is a High Potential Historic Site on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.
 

Located along the Two Medicine River, the Two Medicine Fight Site is the location of the only violent encounter on the expedition of Lewis, Clark, and the Corps of Discovery. The site is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark Trail and represents many firsts for the United Sates and for the expedition.

The Two Medicine Fight Site represents the first encounter with the Blackfeet Nation, a Native American Tribe that for much of the trip through Montana had been narrowly avoided. The Blackfeet nation were enemies to many of the tribal nations that the Corps of Discovery were in alliance with, such as the Nez Pearce and Shoshone nations. The Blackfeet Nation was also understandably unwelcoming to white men. It is no surprise that when Meriwether Lewis and three others, George Drouillard (an interpreter hunter, and cartographer), and brothers Joseph and Reubin Field (two of the expeditions top hunters) were walking on Blackfeet Territory and happened on a group of young Blackfeet tribesmen, there was fear of an outbreak of violence. However, the expedition narrowly avoided any violence during the initial meeting.

On the evening of July 26, 1806, the camp was awoken to the sound of Blackfeet attempting to steal firearms. Unsuccessful in their attempt, two to three Blackfeet tribesmen were killed while the rest escaped. Quickly after this encounter, the campsite was packed up and the expedition fled in fear of a larger attack.

In addition to the Two Medicine Fight Site being the first encounter with the Blackfeet Nation and first violent encounter, it was also the first military conflict between the US and a plains tribe.

Today, the Two Medicine Fight Site is still in the Blackfeet Indian territory on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. To access the site, permission is required.