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The little animal found in the plains of the Missouri which I have called the barking squirrel  [16] weighs from 3 to 3½ pounds.    it's form is that of the squirrel.    it's colour is an uniform light brick red grey, the red reather predominating.    the under side of the neck and bely are lighter coloured than the other parts of the body.    the legs are short, and it is wide across the breast and sholders in proportion to it's size, appears strongly formed in that part; the head is also bony muscular and stout, reather more blontly terminated wider and flatter than the common squirrel.    the upper lip is split or divided to the nose.    the ears are short and lie close to the head, having the appearance of being cut off, in this particular they resemble the guinea pig.    the teeth are like those of the squrrel rat &c.    they have a false jaw or pocket between the skin and the mustle of the jaw like that of the common ground squrrel but not so large in proportion to their size.    they have large and full whiskers on each side of the nose, a few long hairs of the same kind on each jaw and over the eyes.    the eye is small and black.    they have five toes on each foot of which the two outer toes on each foot are much shoter than those in the center particularly the two inner toes of the fore feet, the toes of the fore feet are remarkably long and sharp and seem well adapted to cratching or burrowing those of the hind feet are neither as long or sharp as the former; the nails are black.    the hair of this animal is about as long and equally as course as that of the common grey squrrel of our country, and the hair of the tail is not longer than that of the body except immediately at the extremity where it is somewhat longer and frequently of a dark brown colour.    the part of generation in the female is placed on the lower region of the belly between the hinder legs so far forward that she must lie on her back to copolate.    the whole length of this animal is one foot five inches from the extremity of the nose to that of the tail of which the tail occupyes 4 inches.    it is nearly double the size of the whistleing squirrel of the Columbia.    it is much more quick active and fleet than it's form would indicate.    these squirrels burrow in the ground in the open plains usually at a considerable distance from the water yet are never seen at any distance from their burrows.    six or eight usually reside in one burrow to which there is never more than one entrance.    these burrows are of great debth. I once dug and pursued a burrow to the debth of ten feet and did not reach it's greatest debth.    they generally associate in large societies placing their burrows near each other and frequently occupy in this manner several hundred acres of land.    when at rest above ground their position is generally erect on their hinder feet and rump; thus they will generally set and bark at you as you approach them, their note being much that of the little toy dogs, their yelps are in quick succession and at each they a motion to their tails upwards.    they feed on the grass and weeds within the limits of their village which they never appear to exceed on any occasion.    as they are usually numerous they keep the grass and weeds within their district very closely graized and as clean as if it had been swept.    the earth which they throw out of their burrows is usually formed into a conic mound around the entrance.    this little animal is frequently very fat and it's flesh is not unpleasant.    as soon as the hard frosts commence it shuts up it's burrow and continues within untill spring.    it will eat grain or meat.  [17]

(EastieTrekker @ Dec. 05 2012, 3:44 pm)

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. . . Any guesses on what critter was being described in this entry from July 1, 1806?  I'll reserve my guess for a moment. . . .

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The sawyers will continue their work untill they have cut the necessary quantity of plank, the quantity wanting will be determined by Pryor; during the days they labour they shall recieve each an extra gill of whiskey pr. day, and be exempt from guard duty; when the work is accomplished, they will join the party and do duty in common with the other men.

(WBrim @ Dec. 05 2012, 5:01 pm)

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Just read that part in Stephen Ambroses book about them and they didn't say what type. Just that it was a Prairie dog.

(red dog @ Dec. 05 2012, 5:29 pm)

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If they were 3 1/2 pounds that would be black-tailed prairie dogs