Return Journey

March 26, 1806

March 26, 1806

After a wet night, they paddle approximately 18 miles up the Columbia River and camp on an island near an area they call “fannys bottom”. Lewis describes eagles and substitutes for tobacco.

March 27, 1806

March 27, 1806

Near present Deer Island, Oregon, some generous Skilloots give away food with hopes that the expedition hunters will hunt with them. Lewis describes the area’s trees and prepares a salmonberry specimen.

April 2, 1806

April 2, 1806

Clackamas visitors tell the captains about the Willamette River, and Clark sets out to find it. At a village at the that rivers’ mouth, Clark resorts to trickery to entice them to trade for food. At Provision Camp at present…

April 3, 1806

April 3, 1806

Clark concludes his exploration of the Willamette River. On his way back, he learns that a smallpox epidemic had devastated the local population. The group at Provision Camp at present Washougal, Washington are greatly outnumbered by starving Native People, and…

April 7, 1806

April 7, 1806

The expedition spends the day hunting and jerking meat at present Shepperds Dell at the lower end of the Columbia River Gorge. The enlisted men are ordered to practice shooting and to adjust their gun sights. Lewis describes the mountain…

April 9, 1806

April 9, 1806

The expedition’s flotilla moves sixteen miles up the Columbia River Gorge marveling at its many beautiful waterfalls. In one of the villages, Pvt. Colter confiscates a tomahawk stolen the previous year.

April 27, 1806

April 27, 1806

Moving up the Columbia River, the expedition passes the Umatilla River and then climbs to the high plain above Wallula Gap. Late in the day, they are met by Chief Yelleppit who escorts them to his village opposite the mouth…

April 28, 1806

April 28, 1806

A Shoshone prisoner is found at Yelleppit’s village across from the mouth of the Walla Walla and talks begin with Sacagawea, Charbonneau, and one of the French men acting as interpreters. Yelleppit brings Clark a horse, Clark gives medical aid,…

Mill Creek / Quarry

March 23, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 18.5

Aldrich Point campsite

March 24, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 31

Point Adams Clatskanie

March 25, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 49

Bradwood Pt / Puget Island

March 25, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 38

Walker Island / Hump island

March 26, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 60

Goble / Emerald kalama Chemical

March 27, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 74

Bachelor Slough- To Cathlapote

March 29, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 87.5

Hayden Island / Camp

March 30, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 105

Steigerwald Cr Outlet

March 31, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 123

Willamette River

April 2, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 101

Rooster Rock

April 6, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 128.2

Sand Island - Latourell Falls

April 6, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 130

Tanner Creek

April 9, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 144.5

Middle Cascades / Fort Raines-lower portage

April 10, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 147.2

Collins Creek

April 13, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 158

CGIC

April 13, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 149.5

River Mile 177.8

April 14, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 177.8

Seufert Cann./15 mile Cr. / Big Eddy-Spearfish Lake

April 18, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 192

River Mile 196.0

April 19, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 196

Short Narrows

April 20, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 197

Road to Buffalo-Overland Trail

April 21, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 202.5

Pump Station

April 22, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 217

Hartley Canyon

April 22, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 212.5

Rock Creek

April 23, 1806 · Columbia · Mile 229

Meriwether Lewis: March 23, 1806

March 23, 1806 · Meriwether Lewis

Sunday March 23d 1806. Half after 9 A.M. Colter arrived, having killed one Elk, but so distant that we could not send for the meat and get arround…

John Ordway: March 23, 1806

March 23, 1806 · John Ordway

rained hard the greater part of last night, this morning proved so rainy and uncertain that our officers were undetermined for some time whether they had best Set out &…

Patrick Gass: March 23, 1806

March 23, 1806 · Patrick Gass

hunter who remained out last night, came in early, and had killed an elk. We were employed this forenoon in dividing and packing up our loading; and distributing it among…

Clark: March 24, 1806

March 24, 1806 · William Clark

Monday 24th of March 1806 Sent out 15 men verry early this morning for the flesh of the two Elk killed by Drewyer and Fields yesterday. they returned at 8…

Lewis: March 24, 1806

March 24, 1806 · Meriwether Lewis

Monday March 24th 1806. This morning we sent out a party of 15, at light, for the meat, and concluded to take breakfast before we set out. they soon returned.…

Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — John Ordway: March 24, 1806

March 24, 1806 · John Ordway

this morning and brought in the flesh of the 2 Elk killed by the hunters yesterday, at half past 9 we set out and proceed on to « Point Adams…

Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — Patrick Gass: March 24, 1806

March 24, 1806 · Patrick Gass

rain If men went out and brought the meat of the two elk to our camp. The morning was fair and after breakfast they all embarked, except the men belonging…

Clark: March 25, 1806

March 25, 1806 · William Clark

Tuesday 25th of March 1806 Last night and this morning are cool wend hard a head and tide going out, after an early brackfast we proceeded on about 4 miles…

Lewis: March 25, 1806

March 25, 1806 · Meriwether Lewis

Tuesday March 25th 1806. The morning being disagreeably cold we remained and took break-fast. at 7 A.M. we set out and continued our rout along the South Coast of the…

Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — John Ordway: March 25, 1806

March 25, 1806 · John Ordway

going down with their canoe loaded with fish and wapatoes. the winds hard a head and tide against us So we delayd untill 1 oClock P. M. at which time…

Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — Patrick Gass: March 25, 1806

March 25, 1806 · Patrick Gass

morning ; proceeded on to 12 o’clock, when we again halted, the wind and tide being both against us. When the tide 206 GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE began to rise…

Clark: March 26, 1806

March 26, 1806 · William Clark

Wednesday March 26th 1806 The wind blew So hard untill 8 A M. that we detained, we gave a Medal to a Man by the name of Wal-lal-le a principal…

Lewis: March 26, 1806

March 26, 1806 · Meriwether Lewis

Wednesday March 26th 1806. The wind blew so hard this morning that we delayed untill 8 A.M. we gave a medal of small size to a man by the name…

Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — John Ordway: March 26, 1806

March 26, 1806 · John Ordway

the tide rose higher than common and came in under my blankets before I awoke and obledged me to move twise Several more of the party camps were routed also,…

Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — Patrick Gass: March 26, 1806

March 26, 1806 · Patrick Gass

wind, we continued our voyage. As we passed along I sawa great many flowers full blown of different colours: and grass and other herbage growing fast: I saw nettles two…

Clark: March 27, 1806

March 27, 1806 · William Clark

Thursday March 27th 1806. a rainey disagreeable night rained the greater part of the night we Set out this morning verry early and proceeded on to two houses of the…

Lewis: March 27, 1806

March 27, 1806 · Meriwether Lewis

Thursday March 27th 1806. We set out early this morning and were shortly after joined by some of the Skillutes who came along side in a small canoe for the…

Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — John Ordway: March 27, 1806

March 27, 1806 · John Ordway

continued thro the day. we halted at a village2 of the Chilutes nation they treated us in a friendly manner. Gave us Some wapatoes & anchoves to eat. Several Indians…

Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — Patrick Gass: March 27, 1806

March 27, 1806 · Patrick Gass

embarked early and went about 6 miles, when we came to a small Indian village, where the natives received us very kindly. They belong to the Chil-ook nation, and differ…

Clark: March 28, 1806

March 28, 1806 · William Clark

Friday March 28th 1806 This morning we Set out verry early and at 9 A.M. arived at an old Indian Village on the N E side of Deer island where…

Lewis: March 28, 1806

March 28, 1806 · Meriwether Lewis

Friday March 28th 1806. This morning we set out very early and at 9 A.M. arrived at the old Indian Village on Lard side of Deer Island where we found…

Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — John Ordway: March 28, 1806

March 28, 1806 · John Ordway

we Set out eairly and proceeded on to deer Island4 at the Camp of our hunters, about 11 oClock the hunters joined us had killed 7 deer, we drew out…

Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — Patrick Gass: March 28, 1806

March 28, 1806 · Patrick Gass

and at 10 o’clock came to Deer island; where those who had gone ahead in the small canoes had encamped, and all gone out to hunt except one. In a…

Clark: March 29, 1806

March 29, 1806 · William Clark

Saturday March 29th 1806 we Set out very early this morning and proceeded to the head of deer island and took brackfast. the morning was very cold wind Sharp and…

Lewis: March 29, 1806

March 29, 1806 · Meriwether Lewis

Saturday March 29th 1806. We set out early this morning and proceeded along the side of Deer Island; halted at 10 A.M. near its upper point and breakfasted. here we…

Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — John Ordway: March 29, 1806

March 29, 1806 · John Ordway

Saw blossom and wild onions along the South Side in the after- noon we passd the m° of [blank in Ms.] River6 which came in on N. Side which is…

Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — Patrick Gass: March 29, 1806

March 29, 1806 · Patrick Gass

frost and we proceeded on early; passed some old Indian lodges, and in the afternoon came to a large village, where we were received with great kindness, and got fish…

Clark: March 30, 1806

March 30, 1806 · William Clark

Sunday March 30th 1806 we got under way verry early and had not proceeded to the head of the island before we met with the three men of the Clan-nar-min-a-mon’s…

Lewis: March 30, 1806

March 30, 1806 · Meriwether Lewis

Sunday March 30th 1806. We got under way very early in the morning, and had not reached the head of the island before we were met by three men of…

Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — John Ordway: March 30, 1806

March 30, 1806 · John Ordway

River Still riseing & is now so high that the tide has no effect to be perceived at this time considerable of drift wood floating- down the River. Saw 2…

Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — Patrick Gass: March 30, 1806

March 30, 1806 · Patrick Gass

set out early accompanied by several of the natives in canoes. The river is very high, overflowing all its banks. We passed some villages of the natives on Wapto island,…

Clark: March 31, 1806

March 31, 1806 · William Clark

Monday March 31st 1806 we Set out this morning and proceeded untill 8 oClock when we landed on the N. Side opposit one large House of the Shah-ha-la Nation near…

Lewis: March 31, 1806

March 31, 1806 · Meriwether Lewis

Monday March 31st 1806 We set out early this morning and proceeded untill 8 A.M. when we Landed on the N. side opposite one large wooden house of the Shah-ha-la…

Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — John Ordway: March 31, 1806

March 31, 1806 · John Ordway

Set out eairly and proceed on passd a village which was a large one when we went down last fall but the Savages are more Scat- tered along the River…

Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — Patrick Gass: March 31, 1806

March 31, 1806 · Patrick Gass

proceeded on early. One of the men went along shore, and in a short time killed a deer: the deer are very plenty on this part of the river. We…

Clark: April 1, 1806

April 1, 1806 · William Clark

Tuesday April 1st 1806 This morning early we dispatched Sergt. Pryor, with two men in a Small canoe up quick sand river with orders to proceed as far as he…

Alexander Willard

Served as one of the expedition's blacksmiths alongside John Shields. He was court-martialed and sentenced to 100 lashes for sleeping while on sentinel duty — a capital offense. He was the second-to-last surviving member of the expedition, dying in California at age 86.

Arikara

A Caddoan-speaking agricultural people along the Missouri River in present-day South Dakota. The expedition held councils with Arikara chiefs in October 1804. The Arikara were notable for refusing alcohol, saying it "made people into fools."

Blackfeet

An Algonquian-speaking people of the northern Great Plains. The expedition's only violent encounter with Native Americans occurred on July 27, 1806, when Lewis's party met eight Blackfeet warriors near Two Medicine River. Two Blackfeet were killed. This incident poisoned American-Blackfeet relations for decades.

Francois Labiche

An experienced boatman and Indian trader who spoke English, French, and several Native American languages. Labiche served as one of the expedition's key translators and was assigned alongside Pierre Cruzatte to man the bow of the keelboat.

George Drouillard

Son of a French-Canadian father and Shawnee mother, Drouillard was the expedition's premier hunter and sign language interpreter. He was the highest paid member after the captains, and the only man Clark referred to by first name in the journals. Killed by Blackfeet warriors while trapping near Three Forks, Montana in 1810.

George Gibson

Born in Pennsylvania and recruited in Kentucky, Gibson was a skilled hunter and fiddle player who entertained the Corps alongside Pierre Cruzatte. He served as an interpreter using sign language and was one of Clark's most trusted men.

George Shannon

The youngest enlisted member of the Corps, Shannon famously got lost twice during the expedition, once for 16 days surviving on grapes and one rabbit. After the expedition, he studied law, assisted Nicholas Biddle in compiling the official expedition history, and served in the Kentucky and Missouri legislatures.

Hidatsa

Close neighbors of the Mandan living at the Knife River villages. The Hidatsa were the tribe from whom Sacagawea had been captured as a girl. The expedition had complex diplomatic dealings with Hidatsa chiefs, particularly the powerful Le Borgne.

Hugh Hall

Born in Massachusetts and recruited from the 2nd Infantry Regiment. Court-martialed alongside John Collins for being drunk on duty, receiving 50 lashes. Despite this early trouble, he completed the entire expedition.

Hugh McNeal

Accompanied Lewis on the first crossing of the Continental Divide at Lemhi Pass in August 1805, where he reportedly straddled a small stream and declared that he had "lived to bestride the mighty Missouri."

Jean Baptiste Lepage

A French-Canadian trapper who had lived among the Mandan and explored the Black Hills. Hired at Fort Mandan on November 2, 1804 to replace the expelled John Newman. At 43, the oldest member of the permanent party.

John Collins

Born in Maryland, Collins was a reliable hunter ranked in the top five of the Corps. He was court-martialed and received 100 lashes for tapping the expedition's whiskey barrel. Believed killed by Arikara warriors in 1823 during the Ashley-Henry fur trading expedition.

John Colter

Considered one of the Corps' best hunters and scouts, Colter was discharged early on the return journey to join fur trappers. He became the first person of European descent to enter the Yellowstone region and is widely regarded as America's first mountain man. He famously escaped a Blackfeet ambush by outrunning his pursuers naked and barefoot.

John Potts

Born in Germany and formerly a miller. After the expedition, he returned to the upper Missouri as a fur trapper. He was killed by Blackfeet warriors near Three Forks while trapping with John Colter, who narrowly escaped the same ambush.

John Thompson

Clark praised him as "a valuable member of our party." He served the entire journey without significant incident and was among the most quietly dependable members of the Corps.

Mandan

Sedentary agricultural people living in earth lodge villages along the Missouri River in present-day North Dakota. The expedition built Fort Mandan near their villages and spent the winter of 1804-05 among them. The Mandan provided food, shelter, and critical geographic information, and it was here that Charbonneau and Sacagawea joined the expedition.

Nathaniel Hale Pryor

A cousin of Sergeant Charles Floyd, Pryor led the First Squad of six privates during the expedition. Lewis praised him as one of the most capable men on the journey. After the expedition, he served in the War of 1812, became a fur trader, and eventually settled among the Osage Nation.

Neeshnepahkeeook (Cut Nose)

One of the four great Nez Perce chiefs who met with Lewis and Clark during the May 1806 councils, participating in extended diplomatic discussions about intertribal peace and American trade.

Nez Perce

The Nez Perce people of present-day Idaho saved the expedition from starvation when the Corps descended from the Bitterroots in September 1805, feeding them roots and dried fish. They helped build canoes, watched the expedition's horses, and provided guides.

Peter Weiser

Served reliably throughout the expedition. Afterward worked for fur trader Manuel Lisa, returning to Montana in 1807. He traveled alone through western Idaho during winter 1807-1808; the Weiser River in Idaho now bears his name.

Pierre Cruzatte

Half French and half Omaha, Cruzatte was recruited for his expert skills as a Missouri River boatman and his fiddle playing, which provided entertainment and facilitated diplomacy with Native peoples. Blind in one eye and nearsighted in the other, he accidentally shot Meriwether Lewis while hunting elk in August 1806.

Reubin Field

One of the "Nine Young Men from Kentucky," Reubin was among the Corps' finest hunters. During the encounter with the Blackfeet on July 27, 1806, he fatally stabbed a warrior through the heart while defending the expedition's weapons and horses.

Richard Windsor

Best remembered for a harrowing incident on June 7, 1805, when he nearly fell from a 300-foot cliff along the Missouri River. Lewis, who was on the same narrow trail, talked him through the crisis. A reliable hunter throughout the expedition.

Robert Frazer

Joined the permanent party on October 8, 1804 after Moses Reed's expulsion. He kept a journal and created a map of the expedition route that, while crude, provided an early cartographic record. His journal manuscript was lost.

Seaman

A large Newfoundland dog purchased by Lewis in Pittsburgh for $20. Seaman accompanied the expedition for its entire duration, serving as a hunter, guard against grizzly bears and buffalo, and valued companion. The only animal to complete the entire trip.

Silas Goodrich

The Corps' most accomplished fisherman, Goodrich regularly supplied the expedition with fresh fish throughout the journey. At the Great Falls, he caught large numbers of cutthroat trout that supplemented the Corps' diet and provided Lewis with specimens for scientific study.

Thomas Howard

From Massachusetts. Court-martialed in February 1805 for climbing the Fort Mandan wall after hours rather than using the gate, potentially compromising the fort's security. Completed the entire journey.

Tunnachemootoolt (Broken Arm)

The great head chief of the Kamiah-area Nez Perce. He hosted a major council in May 1806 where the captains discussed peace proposals. His village was the expedition's base camp while they waited for snow to clear from the Bitterroot passes.

Twisted Hair

A Nez Perce chief who befriended the starving Corps when they descended from the Bitterroot Mountains in September 1805. He helped them find timber for dugout canoes and agreed to watch their horses.

Walla Walla

A Sahaptian-speaking people led by Chief Yelleppit. On the return journey in 1806, Yelleppit hosted the Corps for two days and provided canoes and horses.

William Bratton

One of the "Nine Young Men from Kentucky," Bratton served as hunter, blacksmith, and gunsmith. In spring 1806 he was incapacitated by a severe back ailment until a Native American sweat lodge treatment cured him. He later served in the War of 1812 at the Battle of New Orleans.

William Werner

Had a fight with John Potts at Camp Dubois during preparation and was convicted of being absent without leave. Despite disciplinary issues, he completed the full journey to the Pacific and back.

Yelleppit

Described by Clark as "a bold handsom Indian, with a dignified countenance about 35 years of age." He provided canoes and horses to the expedition during their 1806 return journey.

Antelope bush, bitterbush

Purshia tridentata · Plant

Common on sagebrush plains, Bitterbush is important food for wildlife. Pursh used different genus, changed in his honor.

Arrowleaf balsamroot

Balsamorhiza sagittata · Plant

Spring-flowering sunflower of sagebrush areas; native cultures used roots medicinally and ate shoots, leaves and seeds.

Bear Grass

Xerophyllum tenax · Plant

Lewis described bear grass on June 15, 1806, on the Lolo Trail in the Bitterroot Mountains, noting "There is a great abundance of a species of bear-grass which grows on every part of these mountains."...

Big sagebrush

Artemisia gardneri · Plant

Dominant sagebrush of the West. Lewis noted many sages in the arid west, but no specimen for this species is on record.

Biscuit root; Lewis's lomatium

Lomatium triternatum · Plant

The journals do not quote Lewis describing this plant directly; the roots are documented through the herbarium specimens and Lewis’s Camp Chopunnish entries on the cous harvest. On May 10,…

Bitterroot

Lewisia rediviva · Plant

The bitterroot is perhaps the most celebrated botanical discovery of the expedition. Lewis collected it on July 1, 1806, at Travelers' Rest near the Bitterroot River in Missoula County, Montana. Botanist Frederick Pursh established the...

Bitterroot; rock rose

Lewisia rediviva · Plant

As name implies, Lewis found root bitter; natives ate it heartily. Named for Lewis and ability of dried plant to regrow.

Black hawthorn

Crataegus douglasii · Plant

Whitehead noted two kinds of haw were provided by the Nez Perce at Weippe in 1805. Lewis collected this species in 1806.

Blanketflower; Great-flowered gaillardia

Gaillardia aristata · Plant

New species first collected by Lewis. In 2011, an improved strain called Meriwether was released for garden cultivation.

Broad-tailed hummingbird

Selasphorus platycercus · Bird

Lewis mistook western hummingbirds for the eastern species. The broad-tailed is one possibility of four western species.

California false hellebore

Veratrum californicum · Plant

All parts of plant are violently poisonous. Powdered roots used to control pests, so were actively traded by natives.

Cascara buckthorn

Frangula purshiana · Plant

Collection of wild plants for horticulture and herbal medicines imperil some populations and subspecies of this shrub.

Columbia river chub; Peamouth

Mylocheilus caurinus · Fish

Lewis described both the fish caught by a young Walla Walla boy and the bone “fishhook” he used. Only species in genus.

Columbian ground squirrel

Urocitellus columbianus · Mammal

This Rocky Mountain ground squirrel forms colonies in sage or grass openings. Day active, defending nests from others.

Columbian toad

Anaxyrus boreas · Amphibian

Like many frog and toad species, western toads are declining in some areas due to habitat loss and spread of a fungus.

Cous

Lomatium cous · Plant

Cous roots gathered in early spring, pounded into cakes, then sun-dried were diet staple of tribes on Columbia Plateau.

Cut-leaved daisy

Erigeron compositus · Plant

Pursh named species the E. compositus for the dissected leaves. Found in sandy or rocky areas across North America.

Death camas

Anticlea elegans · Plant

Lewis collected this attractive plant before crossing Lewis and Clark Pass. All parts are highly poisonous.

Elegant Mariposa lily

Calochortus elegans · Plant

Pursh recognized this as a new genus, not just a new species. He fittingly chose Calochortus, meaning “beautiful grass.”

Forster's tern

Sterna forsteri · Bird

Gull-like birds with black caps reported while in flight only. Could possibly have been Franklin’s Gulls.

Gairdner's yampah; fennel

Perideridia gairdneri · Plant

In the Lemhi Valley, Lewis described how the Shoshones fed their starving children roots of this staple food plant.

Gardner's saltbush

Atriplex gardneri · Plant

One of the few plants successfully used to reclaim processed oil shale spoils. Stabilizes and fortifies soils.

Greasewood

Sarcobatus vermiculatus · Plant

This plant was mostly used for digging sticks in the past. Now it is used to restore areas by removing salts from soil.

Hairy woodpecker

Dryobates villosus · Bird

Of 14 subspecies of Hairy Woodpecker, the one identified by Coues from Lewis’s notes is not found north of California.

Lanceleaf springbeauty

Claytonia lanceolata · Plant

Spring Beauty has small flowers with pink stripes on each white petal. The small tubers are eaten and used as fodder.

Large monkey flower

Mimulus guttatus · Plant

Lewis collected yellow monkey flower as he started up the Blackfoot River. It is commonly found along streams and seeps.

Large-headed clover

Trifolium macrocephalum · Plant

An eye for potential forage plants may explain Lewis’s interest in this clover, although a showy flower cluster helped.

Lewis's blue flax

Linum lewisii · Plant

Lewis described plant from bottomlands in 1805, thought it as useful as cultivated plant. Collected in Sun Valley, 1806.

Lewis's syringa, Lewis's mockorange

Philadelphus lewisii · Plant

Fragrant white blossoms adorn this shrub in early spring. Found west of Continental Divide. Named for Lewis.

Lewis's Wild Flax

Linum lewisii · Plant

Lewis collected the first specimen of this wild flax on July 9, 1806, near the Sun River in Montana, during the expedition's return journey. Frederick Pursh named the species in Lewis's honor. The delicate blue...

Linearleaf phacelia

Phacelia linearis · Plant

In naming this species, Pursh placed in wrong genus and area (Missouri, instead of Columbia). Not corrected until 1895.

Lousewort

Pedicularis cystopteridifolia · Plant

Louseworts are hemiparasites, being partly dependent on neighboring plants for nourishment, therefore hard to cultivate.

Menzies' larkspur

Delphinium menziesii · Plant

The only larkspur or delphinium collected by Lewis, this is restricted to the Columbia Gorge and area west of Cascades.

Mission bells; rice root

Fritillaria affinis · Plant

Edible roots on this spring flower led to “Rice Root” as one common name. Found on cliffs of the Pacific and Cascades.

Moose

Alces alces · Mammal

The Corps’ only reliable report of moose was the wounding of one near Lewis and Clark Pass. Lewis’s “dog much worried.”

Mountain lady's slipper

Cypripedium montanum · Plant

Lewis knew the eastern lady’s slipper, which may explain why he did not collect this new species near Lolo Hot Springs.

Buffalo Chase, Mouth of the Yellowstone

George Catlin, 1832–1833

George Catlin's Buffalo Chase, Mouth of the Yellowstone depicts a group of mounted Plains hunters pursuing bison across open prairie near the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers. The composition centers on a hunter…

Fort Union, Mouth of the Yellowstone River

George Catlin, 1832

Catlin's view shows the American Fur Company's Fort Union, completed in 1828 at the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers in what is now western North Dakota. The painting presents the post from a…

Junction of the Yellowstone River with the Missouri

Karl Bodmer, 1833

Bodmer's aquatint shows the broad flat confluence where the Yellowstone River empties into the Missouri in what is now western North Dakota, near the Montana border. The composition is dominated by sky and water, with…

Meriwether Lewis

Charles Willson Peale, 1807

Charles Willson Peale's portrait shows Meriwether Lewis from the chest up, turned slightly to the viewer's right against a plain dark background. Lewis wears civilian dress: a dark coat over a high-collared white shirt and…

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Thomas Moran, 1872

Moran's canvas depicts the Yellowstone River plunging through its canyon from a high vantage on the south rim, looking downstream toward the Lower Falls. The composition organizes the scene around the vertical drop of water…

1792 Contract Rifle (Expedition Primary Rifle)

The primary long arm of the Corps of Discovery was not, as long believed, the Model 1803 Harpers Ferry Rifle, but rather the 1792 Contract Rifle — a Pennsylvania-style, single-shot,…

Battle Axes (Shields's Fort Mandan Manufacture)

During the winter of 1804-1805 at Fort Mandan, expedition blacksmith John Shields and fellow smith Alexander Willard devised an ingenious economy: they cut a burned-out stove into small squares and…

Blunderbusses (Pirogue-Mounted)

Two blunderbusses were mounted on swivel pivots on the sterns of the two pirogues (large open boats) that accompanied the keelboat upriver. A blunderbuss is a short, heavy smoothbore firearm…

Buffalo Hide Shield

Buffalo hide shields were among the most important defensive weapons and spiritual objects of the Plains nations. Made from the thick hide of a buffalo bull’s hump or neck —…

Bullet Molds

Fifteen pairs of bullet molds were obtained at Harpers Ferry Arsenal, one for each rifleman. These were scissor-type iron molds that clamped together to form a spherical cavity. Molten lead…

Clark's Elegant Fusil

Clark brought what the expedition journals describe as “an elegant fusil” — a lightweight gentleman’s sporting smoothbore. A fusil (from the French) was a lighter, more refined version of a…

Clark's Squirrel Rifle

William Clark brought a personal small-caliber rifle of .36 caliber, commonly known as a “squirrel rifle.” These were light, accurate Pennsylvania-style long rifles designed for small game hunting and target…

Coup Stick

The coup stick was a ceremonial weapon unique to Plains Indian warfare, used to “count coup” — the act of touching an enemy in battle without killing him, which was…

Espontoon (Spontoon)

The espontoon was a traditional officer’s polearm, a descendant of the pike, carried as both a symbol of rank and a functional weapon. It featured an elaborate spear-like head, often…

Girandoni Air Rifle

The Girandoni air rifle was arguably the most significant weapon of the entire expedition, serving more as a diplomatic instrument than a weapon of war. Designed by Italian-Tyrolean watchmaker and…

Indian Peace Medal (Jefferson)

The Indian peace medals carried by Lewis and Clark were among the most important diplomatic tools of the expedition, second only to the air rifle in their impact on Native…

Keelboat Swivel Gun

A small naval cannon mounted on a swivel in the bow of the keelboat (the 55-foot vessel that carried the expedition up the Missouri River from May 1804 to April…

Kentucky/Pennsylvania Long Rifle

Several members of the Corps of Discovery carried personal Kentucky (or Pennsylvania) long rifles, the iconic frontier weapon of early America. These rifles were known for their exceptional accuracy at…

Lance / War Spear

War lances were prestige weapons carried by prominent warriors and military society leaders among the Plains nations. Unlike bows and clubs, which were primarily practical weapons, the lance was often…

Lewis's Fowling Piece

Lewis brought a personal fowling piece — an extra-long smoothbore shoulder gun used primarily for bird hunting. Fowlers were common sporting arms of the era, with long barrels (typically 42-48…

Model 1795 Springfield Musket

The Model 1795 was the first standard U.S. military musket, closely copied from the French Charleville Model 1763/66 that had been imported during the American Revolution. Since there were approximately…

Model 1799 Horseman's Pistols

In 1803, Lewis requisitioned a pair of horse pistols from the Schuylkill Arsenal in Philadelphia. These were large-caliber, single-shot flintlock pistols designed to be carried in saddle holsters. Using the…

Native Tomahawks (Traditional and Trade)

The tomahawk existed in two broad categories during the Lewis and Clark era: traditional stone-headed versions (a shaped stone lashed to a wooden handle) and European-manufactured trade versions (iron or…

Northwest Trade Gun (Fusil)

By the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Northwest trade guns were the most common firearms among Native peoples of the Upper Missouri and beyond. Lewis described the tribes…

Officers' Swords

Both Lewis and Clark carried swords as commissioned officers, though the exact pattern each carried is unknown. The 1787 U.S. regulations called for iron or steel mounted sabers of 36…

Plains Indian Bow and Arrows

The bow and arrow remained the primary ranged weapon of most Native American nations encountered by the Lewis and Clark Expedition, even as trade guns became increasingly available. The short,…

Plains Indian War Club

War clubs were among the most important weapons and status symbols of the Northern Plains nations encountered by the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Styles varied widely among nations: the Sioux…

Pocket Pistols with Secret Triggers

On May 21, 1803, Lewis purchased a pair of pocket pistols from Robert Barnhill’s gun shop at 63 North Second Street in Philadelphia for $10. The surviving receipt reads: “Bot.…

Powder Horns and Shot Pouches

Each of the 15 riflemen was issued a powder horn and shot pouch. The powder horn was a hollowed-out cow or ox horn, sealed at both ends, with a measuring…

Clark's Letter to Brother Jonathan Announcing Return

William Clark, 1806

Clark wrote to Jonathan from St. Louis on September 23, 1806, the day of their triumphant return. His letter provided personal details about the journey that he would not have…

Council with the Teton Sioux at Bad River

Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, 1804

The encounter began with a council on September 25, 1804, where communication was hampered by the lack of a competent Sioux interpreter. After distributing gifts, tensions escalated when warriors seized…

Lewis's Astronomical Observations and Calculations

Meriwether Lewis, 1804

Lewis was trained in celestial navigation by Andrew Ellicott and Robert Patterson before the expedition. Using a sextant, chronometer, and artificial horizon, he recorded observations of the sun, moon, and…

Lewis's Descriptions of New Animal Species

Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, 1806

Among the most notable species described were the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) — which nearly killed several expedition members — the pronghorn antelope, the black-tailed prairie dog (live specimens…

Lewis's Descriptions of New Plant Species

Meriwether Lewis, 1806

Lewis received botanical training from Benjamin Smith Barton at the University of Pennsylvania before the expedition. Throughout the journey, he collected and described specimens including Lewis’s monkey-flower (Mimulus lewisii), bitterroot…

Lewis's Letter to Jefferson Announcing the Expedition's Return

Meriwether Lewis, 1806

Writing from St. Louis, Lewis summarized the expedition’s key findings: “In obedience to your orders we have penetrated the Continent of North America to the Pacific Ocean.” He described the…

Private Whitehouse's Journal

Joseph Whitehouse, 1804

Two versions of Whitehouse’s journal exist: an original rough journal and a later paraphrased version that Whitehouse apparently prepared for publication (which never occurred). The journal provides unique observations about…

Sergeant Floyd's Journal

Charles Floyd, 1804

Floyd’s journal is the shortest of the expedition journals, ending abruptly as his illness worsened. His entries record the daily progress up the Missouri, encounters with the Oto and Missouri…

Sergeant Gass's Journal (Published 1807)

Patrick Gass, 1807

Gass’s account was published as “A Journal of the Voyages and Travels of a Corps of Discovery” in 1807. As the expedition carpenter, Gass provided unique details about the construction…

Sergeant Ordway's Journal

John Ordway, 1804

Ordway’s journal is particularly valuable because it covers the entire expedition without the gaps found in Lewis’s journal. It documents daily routines, hunting results, weather observations, and events in camp…

The Journals of Lewis and Clark

Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, 1804

Lewis and Clark each maintained separate journals, though Lewis’s entries are notably absent for long periods (leading to enduring speculation about what he was doing during these gaps). Clark was…

Nez Perce National Historical Park

Encompasses 38 sites across four states commemorating the Nez Perce people who provided crucial assistance to Lewis and Clark in September 1805, saving the starving expedition.

Pompeys Pillar National Monument

Features William Clark’s signature dated July 25, 1806 — the only remaining physical evidence of the expedition along the entire route. Also contains Native American petroglyphs and a visitor center.

Travelers' Rest State Park

The only archaeologically verified Lewis and Clark campsite in the nation. Physical evidence includes a mercury-tainted latrine, fire hearths, and lead musket ball fragments.

The Nez Perce and the Lewis and Clark Expedition

A Nez Perce perspective on the arrival and stay of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in Nez Perce territory, incorporating tribal oral histories and cultural context.