Carol Lynn MacGregor - Lewis & Clark Research Database https://lewisandclarkresearch.org/contributor/carol-lynn-macgregor/ A digital archive of treaties, documents, artwork, and 360° trail panoramas from the Corps of Discovery Wed, 11 Feb 2026 01:27:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 The Journals of Patrick Gass: A New Edition https://lewisandclarkresearch.org/research-articles/the-journals-of-patrick-gass-a-new-edition/ Wed, 11 Feb 2026 01:27:40 +0000 https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/research-articles/the-journals-of-patrick-gass-a-new-edition/ A scholarly analysis of Patrick Gass's expedition journal, the first published account of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, examining its significance and the history of its publication.

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]]> MacGregor examines the publication history and significance of Patrick Gass’s journal, which appeared in 1807 as the first published account of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, preceding the official journals by several years. The article traces how Gass, promoted to sergeant after Charles Floyd’s death, maintained a journal throughout the expedition that offered a distinctive enlisted man’s perspective on events. MacGregor discusses the role of David McKeehan, a Pittsburgh schoolteacher who edited and substantially rewrote Gass’s original text for publication, raising questions about the relationship between the published version and Gass’s actual observations. The article evaluates Gass’s journal as a historical source, noting its particular value for details about daily camp life, construction projects, and the physical demands of the journey that the captains often omitted from their own accounts.

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