3416 Entries
Journal Entries
Original journal entries from all six expedition journalists: Lewis, Clark, Floyd, Ordway, Gass, and Whitehouse. Sourced from the Thwaites Edition (1904-1905).
No journal entries match your filters. Try adjusting your search criteria.
Aug
21
1803
Lewis Purchases Seaman the Newfoundland Dog
While waiting in Pittsburgh for the keelboat to be finished, Meriwether Lewis bought a Newfoundland dog for $20 and named him Seaman. The Newfoundland breed was known for…
Aug
22
1803
Lewis Prepares to Depart Pittsburgh
In Pittsburgh, Lewis pressed on with preparations for the Ohio River journey, though the keelboat commissioned months earlier remained unfinished. He spent the day supervising the final stages…
Aug
23
1803
Lewis Awaits the Keelboat in Pittsburgh
Lewis spent another frustrating day in Pittsburgh waiting for the keelboat to be finished, as the builder's slow pace continued to test his patience. He put the delay…
Aug
24
1803
Preparations Continue at Pittsburgh
Still delayed in Pittsburgh waiting on his keelboat, Lewis spent the day organizing the scientific instruments that would be vital for charting unknown territory, including a chronometer, sextant,…
Aug
25
1803
Lewis Reviews Supplies at Pittsburgh
With the keelboat still delayed, Lewis used the time to inventory the expedition's medical stores, which had been assembled under the direction of Philadelphia physician Dr. Benjamin Rush.…
Aug
26
1803
Final Days of Waiting in Pittsburgh
Lewis worried about the steadily dropping water levels on the Ohio River, knowing that each day of delay made downstream navigation more difficult. The boat builder again assured…
Aug
27
1803
Lewis Inspects the Nearly Complete Keelboat
Lewis inspected the nearly completed keelboat that would serve as the expedition's main vessel. The 55-foot craft had a 32-foot mast and could be moved by sail, oars,…
Aug
28
1803
Final Preparations at Pittsburgh
Lewis made final preparations to depart down the Ohio River, loading supplies onto the keelboat and hiring experienced river hands to help navigate the difficult low waters expected…
Aug
29
1803
Loading the Keelboat at Pittsburgh
With the keelboat finally completed, Lewis oversaw the loading of supplies and equipment for the expedition. The cargo included 14 bales of Indian presents such as beads, mirrors,…
Aug
30
1803
Eve of Departure from Pittsburgh
On his last day in Pittsburgh before launching the expedition, Lewis tied up loose ends in preparation for departure the following morning. He settled his accounts with local…
Aug
31
1803
Lewis Departs Pittsburgh on the Ohio River
Meriwether Lewis finally left Pittsburgh on the keelboat with eleven hands, starting the descent down the Ohio River. Unusually low water, sometimes only six inches deep over gravel…
Sep
1
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 1, 1803
Below Pittsburgh on the Ohio River, Lewis encountered exceptionally low water that made navigation difficult. The keelboat repeatedly grounded on gravel bars and shallow riffles, forcing the crew…
Sep
2
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 2, 1803
The expedition continued its journey down the Ohio River, encountering shallow stretches that the boat could not easily pass. To overcome these obstacles, Lewis hired local oxen teams…
Sep
3
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 3, 1803
Travel down the Ohio River was slow due to unusually low water levels, which local residents described as the worst they could remember. Despite these challenging conditions and…
Sep
4
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 4, 1803
Traveling down the Ohio River, Lewis moved past a number of small settlements, pausing now and then to gather supplies. The surrounding country was well-populated, with farms and…
Sep
5
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 5, 1803
On the Ohio River, the keelboat ran into more shallow riffles that blocked easy passage. To get past them, Lewis directed the crew to unload the boat's cargo,…
Sep
6
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 6, 1803
Lewis pushed slowly down the Ohio River, covering only a few miles as persistently low water levels hampered progress. Along the way, he took note of the surrounding…
Sep
7
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 7, 1803
On this day, the expedition continued its slow and difficult passage down the Ohio River, where low water and obstacles hampered progress. Lewis spent much of the day…
Sep
8
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 8, 1803
Lewis continued his journey down the Ohio River, passing the mouth of the Little Muskingum River along the way. The crew encountered several challenging sections where the river…
Sep
9
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 9, 1803
The expedition approached Marietta, Ohio, situated at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers. Marietta was noted as one of the oldest settlements in the Northwest Territory.
Sep
10
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 10, 1803
On September 10, 1803, Lewis stopped at Marietta, Ohio, a thriving river town that had been founded in 1788. He used the visit to resupply the expedition and…
Sep
11
1803
Seaman Catches Squirrels Swimming Across the Ohio
While traveling down the Ohio River, Lewis observed large numbers of gray squirrels swimming across the water in a mass migration. His Newfoundland dog, Seaman, repeatedly leaped from…
Sep
12
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 12, 1803
Traveling below Marietta on the Ohio River, Lewis encountered slightly improved conditions that allowed for easier passage. He covered more miles on this day than on any previous…
Sep
13
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 13, 1803
Lewis continued his journey down the Ohio River through increasingly rural terrain. The Virginia shore, which is part of present-day West Virginia, was marked by steep, forested hills,…
Sep
14
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 14, 1803
On this day, the expedition continued down the Ohio River, passing the mouth of the Little Kanawha River. Lewis observed coal deposits exposed in the riverbanks, taking note…
Sep
15
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 15, 1803
Lewis traveled down the Ohio River and passed Blennerhassett Island, a large and scenic island located near what is today Parkersburg, West Virginia. He noted that the island's…
Sep
16
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 16, 1803
The expedition continued its descent down the Ohio River. During the day, Lewis took advantage of available opportunities to practice celestial observations, working to sharpen the navigational and…
Sep
17
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 17, 1803
Lewis continued his journey down the Ohio River, observing the landscape becoming increasingly wild and undeveloped. Dense forests of oak, walnut, and hickory trees stretched along both banks…
Sep
18
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 18, 1803
On this day, Lewis continued down the Ohio River, passing the mouth of the Hocking River. River conditions had improved, with higher water levels allowing the party to…
Sep
19
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 19, 1803
The expedition continued its journey downstream along the river, heading toward the falls at Louisville. Lewis anticipated his upcoming meeting with William Clark, who was waiting at Clarksville,…
Sep
20
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 20, 1803
On this day, the expedition passed Gallipolis, Ohio, a frontier settlement on the Ohio River that had been established in 1790 by French immigrants. The residents of the…
Sep
21
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 21, 1803
As Lewis continued down the Ohio River, the waterway grew wider and deeper, allowing him to cover more miles each day. The improved conditions boosted his hopes of…
Sep
22
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 22, 1803
On this day, Lewis traveled past the mouth of the Great Kanawha River, a major tributary of the Ohio. The confluence opened up into a broad, easily navigable…
Sep
23
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 23, 1803
The expedition continued its journey down the Ohio River, passing the point where the present-day states of Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky converge. At this time, the three-state…
Sep
24
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 24, 1803
On this day, Lewis traveled along a wider and deeper section of the Ohio River, which allowed for smoother and faster progress. Taking advantage of the easier navigation,…
Sep
25
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 25, 1803
While traveling down the upper Ohio River valley, Lewis observed the hilly terrain and noted shifts in geology and vegetation as he continued his journey south and west.…
Sep
26
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 26, 1803
On this day, the expedition approached the mouth of the Big Sandy River, which formed the boundary between Virginia and Kentucky. As they continued downstream, the Ohio River…
Sep
27
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 27, 1803
The expedition continued downstream along the Ohio River through Kentucky. Lewis took note of the rich, fertile bottomlands lining the river, the same productive soils that had attracted…
Sep
28
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 28, 1803
The expedition continued down the Ohio River, making steady progress in deeper water. The keelboat performed well during the journey, and Lewis began to feel increasingly confident in…
Sep
29
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 29, 1803
Lewis traveled down the Ohio River and approached the mouth of the Scioto River, near the settlement of Portsmouth, Ohio. As he continued downstream toward Cincinnati, he observed…
Sep
30
1803
Lewis: Ohio River Journey, September 30, 1803
On the last day of September 1803, Meriwether Lewis continued traveling down the Ohio River. This marked one full month since his departure from Pittsburgh, during which he…
Oct
1
1803
Lewis: October 1, 1803
Lewis and his crew continued their journey down the Ohio River, traveling through Kentucky. River conditions grew more favorable as they moved farther downstream, allowing the party to…
Oct
2
1803
Lewis: October 2, 1803
Lewis pressed on down the Ohio River along the Kentucky shore. River conditions grew more favorable as the party moved downstream, allowing the crew to make steady progress…
Oct
3
1803
Lewis: October 3, 1803
Lewis and his crew continued their journey down the Ohio River along Kentucky, finding that river conditions improved as they traveled further downstream. With easier passage, the party…
Oct
4
1803
Lewis: October 4, 1803
Lewis pressed on down the Ohio River along the Kentucky shore. Conditions on the water improved as he traveled farther downstream, easing the difficulties that had slowed earlier…
Oct
5
1803
Lewis: October 5, 1803
As the expedition approached Cincinnati along the Ohio River, the surrounding landscape showed signs of growing settlement. Both the Ohio and Kentucky shores were lined with farms and…
Oct
6
1803
Lewis: October 6, 1803
As the expedition neared Cincinnati, the surrounding landscape grew noticeably more developed. Farms and small communities appeared with greater frequency along both the Ohio and Kentucky banks of…
Oct
7
1803
Lewis: October 7, 1803
As the expedition neared Cincinnati, Lewis observed the landscape becoming more developed and inhabited. Farms and small settlements appeared along both the Ohio and Kentucky banks of the…
Oct
8
1803
Lewis: October 8, 1803
On October 8, 1803, Lewis continued down the Ohio River toward Cincinnati, traveling through country that was noticeably more developed than the wilderness he had passed earlier. Farms…
Oct
9
1803
Lewis: October 9, 1803
Lewis arrived at Cincinnati, one of the largest towns along the Ohio River and a bustling frontier settlement of several thousand residents. He paused there to restock supplies,…
Oct
10
1803
Lewis: October 10, 1803
Lewis arrived at Cincinnati, one of the largest towns along the Ohio River and a busy frontier settlement of several thousand residents. He paused there to restock supplies,…
Oct
11
1803
Lewis: October 11, 1803
Lewis arrived at Cincinnati, then one of the largest towns along the Ohio River and a bustling frontier community of several thousand residents. He paused there to take…
Oct
12
1803
Lewis: October 12, 1803
On this day, Lewis arrived at Cincinnati, then one of the largest towns along the Ohio River and a bustling frontier settlement of several thousand residents. He paused…
Oct
13
1803
Lewis: October 13, 1803
Traveling downstream from Cincinnati, the expedition found the Ohio River widening and its current quickening, conditions that helped speed their journey. Lewis pushed forward steadily through the frontier…
Oct
14
1803
Lewis: October 14, 1803
Lewis left Cincinnati and resumed travel down the Ohio River, heading toward the Falls of the Ohio at Louisville. During his time in Cincinnati, he had taken the…
Oct
15
1803
Lewis: October 15, 1803
Traveling downstream from Cincinnati, the expedition found the Ohio River widening and its current quickening, which helped speed their journey. Lewis made strong daily progress, covering considerable distances…
Oct
16
1803
Lewis: October 16, 1803
Traveling on the Ohio River below Cincinnati, Lewis continued downstream and passed the mouth of the Kentucky River along with several other tributaries entering the Ohio. The surrounding…
Oct
17
1803
Lewis: October 17, 1803
Lewis continued downriver on the Ohio below Cincinnati, passing the mouth of the Kentucky River along with several other tributaries. The surrounding country was densely forested, broken only…
Oct
18
1803
Lewis: October 18, 1803
Lewis continued down the Ohio River below Cincinnati, passing the mouth of the Kentucky River along with several other tributaries. The surrounding country was heavily forested, with only…
Oct
19
1803
Lewis: October 19, 1803
Lewis traveled down the Ohio River below Cincinnati, passing the mouth of the Kentucky River along with several other tributaries. The surrounding country was densely wooded, broken only…
Oct
20
1803
Lewis: October 20, 1803
On this day, Lewis continued down the Ohio River below Cincinnati, passing the mouth of the Kentucky River along with several other tributaries. He observed densely forested country…
Oct
21
1803
Lewis: October 21, 1803
On this day, the expedition approached the Falls of the Ohio near Louisville. Lewis made preparations to navigate the rapids, which represented the only major obstruction along the…
Oct
22
1803
Lewis: October 22, 1803
On October 22, 1803, Meriwether Lewis approached the Falls of the Ohio near Louisville, the most significant navigational hazard on the Ohio River. He prepared to maneuver his…
Oct
23
1803
Lewis: October 23, 1803
On this day, the expedition approached the Falls of the Ohio near Louisville. Lewis made preparations to navigate the rapids, which were the only major obstruction along the…
Oct
24
1803
Lewis: October 24, 1803
On this day, the expedition approached the Falls of the Ohio at Louisville. Lewis prepared to navigate the rapids, which were the only major obstruction along the Ohio…
Oct
25
1803
Lewis: October 25, 1803
On this day, the expedition approached the Falls of the Ohio near Louisville. Lewis prepared to navigate the only significant obstruction along the Ohio River, a stretch of…
Oct
26
1803
Lewis & Clark: October 26, 1803
Lewis reached the Falls of the Ohio and joined William Clark at Clarksville in the Indiana Territory, just across the river from Louisville. This meeting marked the formal…
Oct
27
1803
Lewis & Clark: October 27, 1803
Lewis reached the Falls of the Ohio and met William Clark at Clarksville in the Indiana Territory, across the river from Louisville, Kentucky. This meeting marked the formal…
Oct
28
1803
Lewis & Clark: October 28, 1803
Lewis reached the Falls of the Ohio and joined William Clark at Clarksville in the Indiana Territory, just across the river from Louisville. The meeting marked the formal…
Oct
29
1803
Lewis & Clark: October 29, 1803
At Clarksville, Lewis and Clark began their formal partnership for the expedition, reviewing potential recruits and planning the journey ahead. The two captains brought complementary strengths to the…
Oct
30
1803
Lewis & Clark: October 30, 1803
At Clarksville, Lewis and Clark started their formal partnership, reviewing potential recruits and laying out plans for the upcoming expedition. Clark contributed his experience with frontier life and…
Oct
31
1803
Lewis & Clark: October 31, 1803
At Clarksville, Lewis and Clark started collaborating on the expedition, reviewing potential recruits and outlining their plans. Their skills proved complementary: Clark brought experience in frontier living and…
Oct
31
1803
Patrick Gass: October 31, 1803
Strong westerly winds kept the party in camp throughout the day, halting travel. During the layover, an Indian man and woman arrived from upriver in two canoes loaded…
Nov
1
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 1, 1803
Lewis and Clark pressed on down the Ohio River from Clarksville with their expanding party of recruits. Along the way, they stopped at Fort Massac, a former French…
Nov
2
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 2, 1803
Lewis and Clark pushed on down the Ohio River from Clarksville with their expanding party of recruits. Along the way, they stopped at Fort Massac, a former French…
Nov
3
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 3, 1803
Lewis and Clark pressed on down the Ohio River from Clarksville with their newly assembled company of recruits. Along the way, they stopped at Fort Massac, a former…
Nov
4
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 4, 1803
Lewis and Clark pressed on down the Ohio River from Clarksville with their expanding party of recruits. Along the way, they stopped at Fort Massac, an old French…
Nov
5
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 5, 1803
Lewis and Clark pressed onward down the Ohio River from Clarksville with their expanding party of recruits. They reached Fort Massac, a former French outpost on the Illinois…
Nov
6
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 6, 1803
Lewis and Clark traveled down the Ohio River from Clarksville with their assembled recruits. Along the way, they stopped at Fort Massac, a former French fortification located on…
Nov
7
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 7, 1803
Lewis and Clark pressed on down the Ohio River from Clarksville with their expanding party of recruits. Along the way they reached Fort Massac, an old French outpost…
Nov
8
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 8, 1803
Lewis and Clark pushed on from Clarksville down the Ohio River with their expanding party of recruits. Along the way they stopped at Fort Massac, a former French…
Nov
9
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 9, 1803
Lewis and Clark pressed on down the Ohio River from Clarksville with their expanding party of recruits. They stopped at Fort Massac, a former French outpost on the…
Nov
10
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 10, 1803
Lewis and Clark pressed on down the Ohio River from Clarksville with their expanding party of recruits. Along the way, they stopped at Fort Massac, a former French…
Nov
11
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 11, 1803
The expedition arrived at the meeting point of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, near what is now Cairo, Illinois. After traveling down the Ohio, the party turned northward…
Nov
12
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 12, 1803
The expedition arrived at the meeting point of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, near what is now Cairo, Illinois. After traveling down the Ohio, the party turned and…
Nov
13
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 13, 1803
The expedition arrived at the meeting of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, near what is now Cairo, Illinois. After reaching this important junction, the party turned upstream and…
Nov
14
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 14, 1803
The expedition arrived at the meeting point of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, near what is now Cairo, Illinois. After reaching this junction, the party turned upstream and…
Nov
15
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 15, 1803
The expedition arrived at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, near what is now Cairo, Illinois. From this point, the party turned northward and began the…
Nov
16
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 16, 1803
The expedition arrived at the meeting point of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, near what is today Cairo, Illinois. After reaching this confluence, the party turned upstream and…
Nov
17
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 17, 1803
The expedition arrived at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, near what is now Cairo, Illinois. From there, the party turned upstream and began the challenging…
Nov
18
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 18, 1803
The expedition arrived at the meeting point of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, near what is now Cairo, Illinois. After reaching this junction, the party turned upstream and…
Nov
19
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 19, 1803
The expedition arrived at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, near what is now Cairo, Illinois. From there, the party turned northward and began the strenuous…
Nov
20
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 20, 1803
The expedition arrived at the meeting of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, near what is now Cairo, Illinois. From there, they turned north and began pushing up the…
Nov
21
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 21, 1803
The expedition continued upriver on the Mississippi, heading toward its junction with the Missouri. The river's strong current slowed their progress, but the crew was steadily building the…
Nov
22
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 22, 1803
Lewis and Clark pushed up the Mississippi River, heading toward its junction with the Missouri. The river's strong current slowed their progress, but the crew steadily improved their…
Nov
23
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 23, 1803
The expedition continued its slow journey up the Mississippi River, pushing against a strong current as they headed toward the mouth of the Missouri. Despite the difficult progress,…
Nov
24
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 24, 1803
The expedition continued upstream on the Mississippi River, heading toward its junction with the Missouri. The river's powerful current slowed their progress, but the crew was steadily building…
Nov
25
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 25, 1803
The expedition continued upriver on the Mississippi, working their way toward the mouth of the Missouri. The Mississippi's strong current slowed their progress, but the crew was steadily…
Nov
26
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 26, 1803
Lewis and Clark pushed northward up the Mississippi River, making their way toward the mouth of the Missouri. The river's powerful current slowed their progress, but the crew…
Nov
27
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 27, 1803
The expedition continued up the Mississippi River, heading toward the mouth of the Missouri. The river's strong current slowed their progress, but the crew was steadily building teamwork…
Nov
28
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 28, 1803
The expedition continued its journey up the Mississippi River, working its way toward the mouth of the Missouri. The river's powerful current slowed their progress, but the crew…
Nov
29
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 29, 1803
The expedition continued upriver on the Mississippi, heading toward its junction with the Missouri. The strong current slowed their progress, but the crew was building teamwork and experience…
Nov
30
1803
Lewis & Clark: November 30, 1803
The expedition pushed northward up the Mississippi River, working their way toward the mouth of the Missouri. The river's powerful current slowed their progress, but the crew was…
Dec
1
1803
Camp Dubois: December 1, 1803
Lewis and Clark reached the mouth of the Wood River (Riviere du Bois) on the Illinois side of the Mississippi, directly across from where the Missouri River empties…
Dec
2
1803
Camp Dubois: December 2, 1803
Lewis and Clark reached the mouth of the Wood River (Riviere du Bois) on the Illinois side of the Mississippi, directly across from where the Missouri River empties…
Dec
3
1803
Camp Dubois: December 3, 1803
Lewis and Clark reached the mouth of the Wood River (Riviere du Bois) on the Illinois side of the Mississippi, directly across from where the Missouri River empties…
Dec
4
1803
Camp Dubois: December 4, 1803
Lewis and Clark reached the mouth of the Wood River (Riviere du Bois) on the Illinois side of the Mississippi, directly across from where the Missouri River empties…
Dec
5
1803
Camp Dubois: December 5, 1803
Lewis and Clark reached the mouth of the Wood River on the Illinois side of the Mississippi, directly across from where the Missouri River empties in. They chose…
Dec
6
1803
Camp Dubois: December 6, 1803
Lewis and Clark reached the mouth of the Wood River on the Illinois side of the Mississippi, directly across from where the Missouri River joins. They chose this…
Dec
7
1803
Camp Dubois: December 7, 1803
Lewis and Clark reached the mouth of the Wood River (Riviere du Bois) on the Illinois side of the Mississippi, directly across from where the Missouri River flows…
Dec
8
1803
Camp Dubois: December 8, 1803
Lewis and Clark reached the mouth of the Wood River on the Illinois side of the Mississippi, directly across from where the Missouri River joins. They chose this…
Dec
9
1803
Camp Dubois: December 9, 1803
Lewis and Clark reached the mouth of the Wood River (Riviere du Bois) on the Illinois side of the Mississippi, directly across from where the Missouri River empties…
Dec
10
1803
Camp Dubois: December 10, 1803
Lewis and Clark reached the mouth of the Wood River (Riviere du Bois) on the Illinois side of the Mississippi, directly across from where the Missouri River empties…
Dec
11
1803
Camp Dubois: December 11, 1803
Lewis and Clark reached the mouth of the Wood River (Riviere du Bois) on the Illinois side of the Mississippi, directly across from where the Missouri River empties…
Dec
12
1803
Camp Dubois: December 12, 1803
Lewis and Clark reached the mouth of the Wood River (Riviere du Bois) on the Illinois side of the Mississippi, directly across from where the Missouri River empties…
Dec
13
1803
Camp Dubois: December 13, 1803
At Camp Dubois, the expedition's men worked on building winter huts and started a demanding training regimen to ready themselves for the upcoming journey. Clark oversaw the camp's…
Dec
14
1803
Camp Dubois: December 14, 1803
At Camp Dubois, the expedition's winter encampment, men worked on building their winter quarters and started an intensive training regimen to prepare for the upcoming journey. Clark oversaw…
Dec
15
1803
Camp Dubois: December 15, 1803
At Camp Dubois, the expedition members worked on building winter huts and started an intensive training regimen to ready themselves for the journey west. Clark oversaw the daily…
Dec
16
1803
Camp Dubois: December 16, 1803
At Camp Dubois, the expedition members worked on building winter huts and started a demanding training regimen to ready themselves for the upcoming journey. Clark oversaw the daily…
Dec
17
1803
Camp Dubois: December 17, 1803
At Camp Dubois, the expedition party worked on building winter huts and started a demanding training program in preparation for the journey west. Clark oversaw the camp, leading…
Dec
18
1803
Camp Dubois: December 18, 1803
At Camp Dubois, the expedition members worked on building winter huts and started an intensive training regimen to prepare for the upcoming journey. Clark oversaw the daily routine,…
Dec
19
1803
Camp Dubois: December 19, 1803
At Camp Dubois, the expedition party worked on building winter huts and began an intensive training regimen to prepare for the trip west. Clark oversaw daily operations at…
Dec
20
1803
Camp Dubois: December 20, 1803
At Camp Dubois, the expedition members built winter huts and started an intensive training regimen to prepare for the upcoming journey. Clark oversaw daily drills, enforced discipline, and…
Dec
21
1803
Camp Dubois: December 21, 1803
At Camp Dubois, the expedition members worked on building winter huts and started an intensive training program to ready themselves for the upcoming journey. Clark oversaw the daily…
Dec
22
1803
Camp Dubois: December 22, 1803
At Camp Dubois, the expedition's winter encampment, the men worked on building huts and undertook intensive training in preparation for the upcoming journey. Clark remained on site to…
Dec
23
1803
Camp Dubois: December 23, 1803
At Camp Dubois, the men worked on building winter huts and started an intensive training program in preparation for the upcoming expedition. Clark oversaw the camp on a…
Dec
24
1803
Camp Dubois: December 24, 1803
At Camp Dubois, expedition members worked on building winter huts and started a demanding training regimen to ready themselves for the upcoming journey. Clark oversaw the daily routines,…
Dec
25
1803
Camp Dubois: December 25, 1803
At Camp Dubois, the expedition's winter encampment, the men built huts and started an intensive training regimen to prepare for the journey west. Clark remained at camp overseeing…
Dec
26
1803
Camp Dubois: December 26, 1803
At Camp Dubois, the expedition members worked on building winter huts and started a demanding training regimen to ready themselves for the upcoming journey. Clark oversaw daily drills,…
Dec
27
1803
Camp Dubois: December 27, 1803
At Camp Dubois, the expedition party focused on preparation for the upcoming journey. The men built winter huts and started an intensive training regimen. Clark remained at camp,…
Dec
28
1803
Camp Dubois: December 28, 1803
At Camp Dubois, the expedition party worked on building winter huts and started an intensive training regimen to prepare for the upcoming journey. Clark stayed at camp to…
Dec
29
1803
Camp Dubois: December 29, 1803
At Camp Dubois, the expedition members worked on building winter huts and started an intensive training program in preparation for their westward journey. Clark remained at camp, overseeing…
Dec
30
1803
Camp Dubois: December 30, 1803
At Camp Dubois, the expedition members worked on building winter huts while starting the demanding training regimen meant to ready them for the upcoming journey. Clark oversaw daily…
Dec
31
1803
Camp Dubois: December 31, 1803
At Camp Dubois, the expedition members built winter quarters and started an intensive training regimen in preparation for the upcoming journey. Clark remained at camp, overseeing daily drills,…
Jan
1
1804
Camp Dubois: January 1, 1804
On New Year's Day at Camp Dubois, Clark devoted his time to cartographic work, compiling maps and charts from information gathered through fur traders and earlier explorers. He…
Jan
2
1804
Camp Dubois: January 2, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the recruits continued preparing for the upcoming expedition. The winter months proved difficult, testing the volunteers' resolve and commitment. Discipline problems surfaced periodically among the…
Jan
3
1804
Camp Dubois: January 3, 1804
At Camp Dubois, expedition members continued organizing supplies for the upcoming journey. Stores were cataloged, packed, and arranged to allow efficient loading onto the keelboat and pirogues. Because…
Jan
4
1804
Camp Dubois: January 4, 1804
Lewis traveled back to Camp Dubois from St. Louis, bringing fresh intelligence and supplies to the winter encampment. While in St. Louis, he had to manage a delicate…
Jan
5
1804
Camp Dubois: January 5, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition members spent the day on training exercises aimed at preparing for the upcoming journey up the Missouri River. The men practiced essential river…
Jan
6
1804
Camp Dubois: January 6, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the men continued their preparations for the upcoming expedition under Clark's supervision. The day's activities followed an established routine of military drills, marksmanship practice, and…
Jan
7
1804
Camp Dubois: January 7, 1804
During this period at the expedition's winter staging area, Lewis spent much of his time traveling to St. Louis. There he met with traders, Spanish officials, and other…
Jan
8
1804
Camp Dubois: January 8, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark spent the day working on maps and charts in preparation for the upcoming expedition. He compiled geographic information gathered from fur traders and earlier…
Jan
9
1804
Camp Dubois: January 9, 1804
At Camp Dubois, recruits carried on with their winter preparations for the upcoming expedition. Discipline remained an ongoing concern, as some men were caught drinking or fighting during…
Jan
10
1804
Camp Dubois: January 10, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition continued organizing its supplies, cataloging, packing, and arranging stores for loading onto the keelboat and pirogues. Careful attention was paid to weight, since…
Jan
11
1804
Camp Dubois: January 11, 1804
Lewis came back to Camp Dubois from St. Louis, bringing fresh intelligence and additional supplies for the expedition. While in St. Louis, he had to handle a delicate…
Jan
12
1804
Camp Dubois: January 12, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the men spent the day on river navigation training in preparation for the upcoming Missouri River journey. They practiced essential boat-handling skills including poling, rowing,…
Jan
13
1804
Camp Dubois: January 13, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the men kept up their training under Clark's supervision. The day's routine involved military drills, marksmanship practice, and exercises in handling the boats. Clark enforced…
Jan
14
1804
Camp Dubois: January 14, 1804
During this period, Lewis traveled often to St. Louis to meet with traders, Spanish officials, and others familiar with the Missouri River and the territory beyond. These conversations…
Jan
15
1804
Camp Dubois: January 15, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark spent the day on cartographic work, compiling maps and charts from information gathered from fur traders and earlier explorers. He began drafting route maps…
Jan
16
1804
Camp Dubois: January 16, 1804
At Camp Dubois, recruits continued preparing for the expedition during the winter. Discipline problems surfaced from time to time, including incidents of drinking and fighting among the men.…
Jan
17
1804
Camp Dubois: January 17, 1804
At Camp Dubois, expedition members continued the careful work of organizing supplies for the upcoming journey. Stores were cataloged, packed, and arranged so they could be loaded efficiently…
Jan
18
1804
Camp Dubois: January 18, 1804
Lewis came back to Camp Dubois from St. Louis, bringing fresh information and supplies for the expedition. During his time in St. Louis, he had to handle a…
Jan
19
1804
Camp Dubois: January 19, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition members spent the day on training exercises aimed at building the river navigation skills they would rely on once underway. The men practiced…
Jan
20
1804
Camp Dubois: January 20, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the men continued their preparations for the upcoming expedition under Clark's supervision. The day's activities included military drills, marksmanship practice, and exercises in handling boats.…
Jan
21
1804
Camp Dubois: January 21, 1804
During the winter at Camp Dubois, Lewis spent considerable time away in St. Louis, where he met with traders, Spanish officials, and others familiar with the Missouri River…
Jan
22
1804
Camp Dubois: January 22, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark spent the day working on maps and charts in preparation for the upcoming expedition. He compiled geographic information gathered from fur traders and earlier…
Jan
23
1804
Camp Dubois: January 23, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the recruits continued their winter preparations for the expedition. Discipline remained an ongoing concern, with some men caught drinking or fighting. Clark addressed these infractions…
Jan
24
1804
Camp Dubois: January 24, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition continued organizing supplies, cataloging, packing, and arranging stores for efficient loading onto the keelboat and pirogues. Because the boats would soon have to…
Jan
25
1804
Camp Dubois: January 25, 1804
Lewis arrived back at Camp Dubois after a trip to St. Louis, bringing additional intelligence and supplies for the expedition. While in St. Louis, he had to manage…
Jan
26
1804
Camp Dubois: January 26, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the men spent the day on training exercises aimed at building river navigation skills. They practiced poling, rowing, and cordelling, the technique of towing a…
Jan
27
1804
Camp Dubois: January 27, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark oversaw another day of preparation for the expedition. The men continued their training routine, which included military drills, marksmanship practice, and boat handling exercises.…
Jan
28
1804
Camp Dubois: January 28, 1804
During this period, Lewis traveled often to St. Louis to meet with traders, Spanish officials, and others familiar with the Missouri River and the territory upstream. These conversations…
Jan
29
1804
Camp Dubois: January 29, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark spent the day working on maps and charts, compiling geographic information gathered from fur traders and earlier explorers. He began drafting route maps intended…
Jan
30
1804
Camp Dubois: January 30, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the recruits continued their winter preparations for the upcoming expedition. Discipline remained an ongoing concern, with periodic incidents of drinking and fighting among the men.…
Jan
31
1804
Camp Dubois: January 31, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition continued organizing supplies in preparation for departure. Stores were cataloged, packed, and arranged for efficient loading onto the keelboat and pirogues. Because the…
Feb
1
1804
Camp Dubois: February 1, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the recruits carried on with their winter preparations for the coming expedition. Discipline remained an ongoing concern, with some men caught drinking or fighting during…
Feb
2
1804
Camp Dubois: February 2, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition continued organizing supplies for the journey ahead. Stores were cataloged, packed, and arranged to allow efficient loading onto the keelboat and pirogues. Because…
Feb
3
1804
Camp Dubois: February 3, 1804
Lewis arrived back at Camp Dubois from St. Louis, bringing additional intelligence and supplies for the expedition. During his time in St. Louis, he had to manage a…
Feb
4
1804
Camp Dubois: February 4, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition members spent the day drilling on essential river navigation skills. Training included poling, rowing, and cordelling — the practice of towing boats upstream…
Feb
5
1804
Camp Dubois: February 5, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the men kept up their preparations for the expedition under Clark's direction. The day's routine included military drills, marksmanship practice, and exercises in handling the…
Feb
6
1804
Camp Dubois: February 6, 1804
On this date, Lewis was often away from camp, traveling to St. Louis to meet with traders, Spanish officials, and others familiar with the Missouri River and the…
Feb
7
1804
Camp Dubois: February 7, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark spent the day working on maps and charts in preparation for the upcoming expedition. He compiled geographic information gathered from fur traders and earlier…
Feb
8
1804
Camp Dubois: February 8, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the recruits continued their winter preparations for the expedition. Discipline remained an ongoing concern, with some men caught drinking or fighting. Clark addressed these infractions…
Feb
9
1804
Camp Dubois: February 9, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition continued organizing its supplies, cataloging, packing, and arranging stores for loading onto the keelboat and pirogues. Careful attention was given to the weight…
Feb
10
1804
Camp Dubois: February 10, 1804
Lewis arrived back at Camp Dubois after a trip to St. Louis, bringing additional supplies and intelligence gathered during his stay. While in St. Louis, he had to…
Feb
11
1804
Camp Dubois: February 11, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the men spent the day training in river navigation techniques essential for the upcoming Missouri River journey. Drills included poling, rowing, and cordelling, the practice…
Feb
12
1804
Camp Dubois: February 12, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark oversaw another day of training for the expedition party. The men ran through their daily routine of military drills, marksmanship practice, and exercises in…
Feb
13
1804
Camp Dubois: February 13, 1804
During the winter preparations near the Mississippi, Lewis made frequent trips to St. Louis to meet with traders, Spanish officials, and others familiar with the Missouri River country.…
Feb
14
1804
Camp Dubois: February 14, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark spent the day working on maps and charts in preparation for the upcoming expedition. He gathered and compiled geographic information from fur traders and…
Feb
15
1804
Camp Dubois: February 15, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the recruits continued preparing for the upcoming expedition during the winter months. Discipline problems surfaced from time to time, with some men caught drinking or…
Feb
16
1804
Camp Dubois: February 16, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition continued organizing its supplies, cataloging, packing, and arranging stores for loading onto the keelboat and pirogues. Each item was carefully evaluated to justify…
Feb
17
1804
Camp Dubois: February 17, 1804
Lewis returned to Camp Dubois from St. Louis, bringing back additional intelligence and supplies for the expedition. During his time in St. Louis, he had to navigate a…
Feb
18
1804
Camp Dubois: February 18, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the men spent the day on river navigation training. They practiced poling, rowing, and cordelling, which is the technique of towing a boat with ropes…
Feb
19
1804
Camp Dubois: February 19, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark continued overseeing the training and preparation of the men for the upcoming expedition. The day's routine included military drills, marksmanship practice, and exercises in…
Feb
20
1804
Camp Dubois: February 20, 1804
During the winter of preparation, Lewis spent much of his time traveling to St. Louis to meet with traders, Spanish officials, and others familiar with the Missouri River…
Feb
21
1804
Camp Dubois: February 21, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark spent the day on cartography work, compiling maps and charts from information gathered from fur traders and earlier explorers. He began drafting route maps…
Feb
22
1804
Camp Dubois: February 22, 1804
At Camp Dubois, recruits continued their winter preparations for the expedition. Discipline problems surfaced periodically, with some men caught drinking or fighting. Clark addressed these infractions firmly, working…
Feb
23
1804
Camp Dubois: February 23, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition continued organizing its supplies in preparation for the journey ahead. Stores were cataloged, packed, and arranged for efficient loading onto the keelboat and…
Feb
24
1804
Camp Dubois: February 24, 1804
Lewis traveled back to Camp Dubois from St. Louis, bringing fresh intelligence and supplies for the expedition. During his time in St. Louis, he had to manage a…
Feb
25
1804
Camp Dubois: February 25, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the men spent the day training in river navigation skills essential for the upcoming Missouri River journey. Practice focused on three key techniques: poling, rowing,…
Feb
26
1804
Camp Dubois: February 26, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark oversaw another day of preparations as the men continued their training for the upcoming expedition. The day's activities included military drills, marksmanship practice, and…
Feb
27
1804
Camp Dubois: February 27, 1804
During this period, Lewis often traveled to St. Louis to meet with traders, Spanish officials, and others familiar with the Missouri River and the western country. These conversations…
Feb
28
1804
Camp Dubois: February 28, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark spent the day on cartographic work, compiling maps and charts to prepare for the expedition's journey up the Missouri River. He gathered geographic information…
Feb
29
1804
Camp Dubois: February 29, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the recruits continued preparing for the upcoming expedition during the difficult winter months. Discipline problems surfaced from time to time, with some men caught drinking…
Mar
1
1804
Camp Dubois: March 1, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition continued organizing its supplies in preparation for departure. Stores were cataloged, packed, and arranged for efficient loading onto the keelboat and pirogues. Because…
Mar
2
1804
Camp Dubois: March 2, 1804
Lewis came back to Camp Dubois from St. Louis, bringing further information and supplies for the upcoming expedition. During his time in St. Louis, he had encountered hesitation…
Mar
3
1804
Camp Dubois: March 3, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the men spent the day on training exercises focused on river navigation skills. They practiced poling, rowing, and cordelling, the technique of towing boats with…
Mar
4
1804
Camp Dubois: March 4, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark oversaw another day of training and preparation for the expedition. The men ran through their usual routines, including military drills, marksmanship practice, and exercises…
Mar
5
1804
Camp Dubois: March 5, 1804
During this period, Lewis spent considerable time away from camp in St. Louis, where he met with traders, Spanish officials, and others familiar with the Missouri River and…
Mar
6
1804
Camp Dubois: March 6, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark spent the day working on maps and charts in preparation for the expedition's journey up the Missouri River. He gathered and compiled geographic information…
Mar
7
1804
Camp Dubois: March 7, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the recruits preparing for the expedition continued their training and equipment preparations through the winter. Discipline problems surfaced from time to time, with some men…
Mar
8
1804
Camp Dubois: March 8, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition's crew continued the careful work of organizing supplies for the journey ahead. Stores were cataloged, packed, and arranged so they could be loaded…
Mar
9
1804
Camp Dubois: March 9, 1804
Lewis came back to Camp Dubois from St. Louis, bringing additional information and supplies for the upcoming expedition. While in St. Louis, he had to manage a delicate…
Mar
10
1804
Camp Dubois: March 10, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition members spent the day training in essential river navigation skills. Practice focused on poling, rowing, and cordelling, the technique of towing boats upstream…
Mar
11
1804
Camp Dubois: March 11, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the men continued their preparations for the expedition under Clark's direct supervision. The day's activities followed a structured routine of military drills, marksmanship practice, and…
Mar
12
1804
Camp Dubois: March 12, 1804
During this period, Lewis was often away from camp at St. Louis, where he met with traders, Spanish officials, and others familiar with the Missouri River and the…
Mar
13
1804
Camp Dubois: March 13, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark devoted the day to cartographic work, compiling maps and charts to prepare for the expedition's journey up the Missouri River. He drew on information…
Mar
14
1804
Camp Dubois: March 14, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the recruits continued preparing for the upcoming expedition through the late winter. Discipline remained a recurring concern, with some men caught drinking or fighting during…
Mar
15
1804
Camp Dubois: March 15, 1804
At Camp Dubois, work continued on organizing the expedition's supplies. Stores were cataloged, packed, and arranged for efficient loading onto the keelboat and pirogues. Because the vessels would…
Mar
16
1804
Camp Dubois: March 16, 1804
Lewis traveled back to Camp Dubois from St. Louis, bringing fresh intelligence and additional supplies for the expedition. During his time in St. Louis, he had to manage…
Mar
17
1804
Camp Dubois: March 17, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the men spent the day on training exercises aimed at building the river navigation skills they would rely on throughout the journey ahead. They practiced…
Mar
18
1804
Camp Dubois: March 18, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the men continued their preparatory training under Clark's supervision. The day's activities followed the established routine of military drills, marksmanship practice, and exercises in handling…
Mar
19
1804
Camp Dubois: March 19, 1804
While the expedition party remained at Camp Dubois preparing for the journey ahead, Captain Lewis spent much of his time traveling to St. Louis. There he met with…
Mar
20
1804
Camp Dubois: March 20, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark spent the day working on maps and charts in preparation for the upcoming expedition. He compiled geographic information gathered from fur traders and earlier…
Mar
21
1804
Camp Dubois: March 21, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the recruits continued their winter preparations for the upcoming expedition. Discipline remained an ongoing concern, with some men caught drinking or fighting. Clark addressed these…
Mar
22
1804
Camp Dubois: March 22, 1804
At Camp Dubois, expedition members continued organizing supplies in preparation for the journey ahead. Stores were cataloged, packed, and arranged for efficient loading onto the keelboat and pirogues.…
Mar
23
1804
Camp Dubois: March 23, 1804
Lewis traveled back to Camp Dubois from St. Louis, bringing fresh intelligence and supplies for the expedition. While in St. Louis, he had to manage a delicate diplomatic…
Mar
24
1804
Camp Dubois: March 24, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition members spent the day on training exercises focused on river navigation skills. The men practiced poling, rowing, and cordelling, which involved towing boats…
Mar
25
1804
Camp Dubois: March 25, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark oversaw another day of preparations for the upcoming expedition. The men carried out their regular routines, which included military drills, marksmanship practice, and exercises…
Mar
26
1804
Camp Dubois: March 26, 1804
During this period, Lewis spent much of his time away from camp, traveling to St. Louis to meet with traders, Spanish officials, and others familiar with the Missouri…
Mar
27
1804
Camp Dubois: March 27, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark spent the day working on maps and charts in preparation for the expedition's journey up the Missouri River. He compiled geographic information gathered from…
Mar
28
1804
Camp Dubois: March 28, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the recruits continued preparing for the upcoming expedition during the winter months. Discipline problems surfaced from time to time, with some men caught drinking or…
Mar
29
1804
Camp Dubois: March 29, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition continued organizing its supplies in preparation for departure. Stores were cataloged, packed, and arranged for efficient loading onto the keelboat and pirogues. With…
Mar
30
1804
Camp Dubois: March 30, 1804
On this day, Meriwether Lewis traveled back to Camp Dubois from St. Louis, bringing with him fresh intelligence and additional supplies for the expedition. During his time in…
Mar
31
1804
Camp Dubois: March 31, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition members spent the day training in essential river navigation skills. They practiced poling, rowing, and cordelling, the last being the technique of towing…
Apr
1
1804
Camp Dubois: April 1, 1804
Lewis traveled back to Camp Dubois from St. Louis, bringing additional intelligence and supplies for the upcoming expedition. During his time in St. Louis, he had to manage…
Apr
2
1804
Camp Dubois: April 2, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the men spent the day on training exercises aimed at preparing them for the journey ahead on the Missouri River. They practiced essential river navigation…
Apr
3
1804
Camp Dubois: April 3, 1804
At Camp Dubois, training continued under Clark's supervision. The men carried out their daily routines, which included military drills, marksmanship practice, and exercises in handling the boats. Clark…
Apr
4
1804
Camp Dubois: April 4, 1804
During the winter and early spring of preparation, Lewis spent much of his time in St. Louis rather than at the camp. He held meetings with traders, Spanish…
Apr
5
1804
Camp Dubois: April 5, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark spent the day working on maps and charts in preparation for the upcoming expedition. He gathered geographic information from fur traders and earlier explorers,…
Apr
6
1804
Camp Dubois: April 6, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the recruits continued preparing for the upcoming expedition. Discipline among the men proved to be an ongoing challenge, with periodic incidents of drinking and fighting…
Apr
7
1804
Camp Dubois: April 7, 1804
At Camp Dubois, expedition members continued organizing supplies in preparation for departure. Stores were cataloged, packed, and arranged so they could be loaded efficiently onto the keelboat and…
Apr
8
1804
Camp Dubois: April 8, 1804
Lewis traveled back to Camp Dubois from St. Louis, bringing fresh intelligence and supplies for the expedition. While in St. Louis, he had to manage a delicate diplomatic…
Apr
9
1804
Camp Dubois: April 9, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition members spent the day training in river navigation techniques essential for the journey ahead. The men practiced poling, rowing, and cordelling, the latter…
Apr
10
1804
Camp Dubois: April 10, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark oversaw another day of preparations for the upcoming expedition. The men carried out their regular routines, which included military drills, marksmanship practice, and exercises…
Apr
11
1804
Camp Dubois: April 11, 1804
During the spring of 1804 while the expedition prepared at Camp Dubois, Meriwether Lewis made frequent trips to St. Louis. There he met with traders, Spanish officials, and…
Apr
12
1804
Camp Dubois: April 12, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark spent the day working on maps and charts in preparation for the upcoming expedition. He gathered geographic information from fur traders and earlier explorers,…
Apr
13
1804
Camp Dubois: April 13, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the recruits continued preparing for the upcoming expedition. Discipline remained a recurring concern, with some men caught drinking or getting into fights. Clark addressed these…
Apr
14
1804
Camp Dubois: April 14, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition continued organizing supplies in preparation for departure. Stores were cataloged, packed, and arranged for efficient loading onto the keelboat and pirogues. Because the…
Apr
15
1804
Camp Dubois: April 15, 1804
Meriwether Lewis traveled back to Camp Dubois from St. Louis, bringing additional intelligence and supplies for the upcoming expedition. While in St. Louis, he had to manage a…
Apr
16
1804
Camp Dubois: April 16, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition members spent the day on training exercises aimed at building the river navigation skills they would rely on throughout their journey up the…
Apr
17
1804
Camp Dubois: April 17, 1804
At Camp Dubois, training continued under Clark's supervision. The men worked through their daily routines, which included military drills, marksmanship practice, and boat handling exercises. Clark enforced strict…
Apr
18
1804
Camp Dubois: April 18, 1804
During this period of preparation, Lewis traveled often to St. Louis to meet with traders, Spanish officials, and others familiar with the Missouri River and the western lands.…
Apr
19
1804
Camp Dubois: April 19, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark spent the day compiling maps and charts in preparation for the expedition's journey up the Missouri River. He drew on geographic information gathered from…
Apr
20
1804
Camp Dubois: April 20, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the recruits continued preparing for the upcoming expedition. Discipline remained an ongoing concern, with some men caught drinking or fighting during the long winter months.…
Apr
21
1804
Camp Dubois: April 21, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition continued organizing supplies in preparation for departure. Stores were cataloged, packed, and arranged for efficient loading onto the keelboat and pirogues. Careful attention…
Apr
22
1804
Camp Dubois: April 22, 1804
Lewis came back to Camp Dubois from St. Louis, bringing more information and supplies for the upcoming expedition. During his time in St. Louis, he had to handle…
Apr
23
1804
Camp Dubois: April 23, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition members spent the day on training exercises aimed at building the river navigation skills they would rely on once underway. The men drilled…
Apr
24
1804
Camp Dubois: April 24, 1804
At Camp Dubois, training continued under Clark's supervision as the expedition prepared for its journey. The men spent the day on military drills, marksmanship practice, and boat handling…
Apr
25
1804
Camp Dubois: April 25, 1804
During the spring of 1804, Lewis spent considerable time away from camp making trips to St. Louis. There he met with fur traders, Spanish colonial officials, and others…
Apr
26
1804
Camp Dubois: April 26, 1804
At Camp Dubois, Clark devoted the day to cartographic work, compiling maps and charts from information gathered through fur traders and earlier explorers. He started drafting route maps…
Apr
27
1804
Camp Dubois: April 27, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the recruits continued preparing for the upcoming expedition. Discipline remained an ongoing challenge, with some men caught drinking or fighting during the long winter months.…
Apr
28
1804
Camp Dubois: April 28, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition continued organizing supplies in preparation for departure. Stores were cataloged, packed, and arranged to allow efficient loading onto the keelboat and pirogues. Because…
Apr
29
1804
Camp Dubois: April 29, 1804
Lewis came back to Camp Dubois from St. Louis, bringing additional information and supplies for the expedition. While in St. Louis, he had encountered some hesitation from the…
Apr
30
1804
Camp Dubois: April 30, 1804
At Camp Dubois, the expedition members spent the day on training exercises aimed at building the river navigation skills they would soon rely on. The men practiced poling,…
May
1
1804
Camp Dubois: May 1, 1804
At Camp Dubois, final preparations for departure intensified as Lewis and Clark reviewed the roster of the permanent party. The captains made final decisions about which men from…
May
2
1804
Camp Dubois: May 2, 1804
On this day, the expedition focused on loading their three vessels—the keelboat and two pirogues—with supplies needed for the journey ahead. Clark personally oversaw the work, ensuring the…
May
3
1804
Camp Dubois: May 3, 1804
Lewis remained in St. Louis handling final business matters in preparation for the expedition's departure. Meanwhile, Clark stayed at camp continuing to organize the men and supplies for…
May
4
1804
Camp Dubois: May 4, 1804
Clark spent the day completing final inspections of the expedition's equipment and supplies. The party prepared to set out with enough provisions to last for months, along with…
May
5
1804
Camp Dubois: May 5, 1804
From St. Louis, Lewis sent his final dispatches to President Jefferson before the expedition's departure up the Missouri River. The communications reported on the Corps of Discovery's state…
May
6
1804
Camp Dubois: May 6, 1804
The Corps of Discovery focused on final preparations before departure. Clark assigned each man to a specific boat and set of duties, organizing the company into functional squads.…
May
7
1804
Camp Dubois: May 7, 1804
At Camp Dubois, anticipation built as the expedition's departure drew near. The men spent the day preparing for the long journey ahead, cleaning and inspecting their firearms and…
May
8
1804
Camp Dubois: May 8, 1804
Lewis came back to Camp Dubois from St. Louis as the expedition's departure drew near. With only a few days remaining before setting out, he and Clark used…
May
9
1804
Camp Dubois: May 9, 1804
The boats were fully loaded and ready for departure. Lewis and Clark conducted a final review of the men, their equipment, and their provisions, finding everything as prepared…
May
10
1804
Camp Dubois: May 10, 1804
During the final days at Camp Dubois, the expedition members focused on personal preparations before setting out on their long journey. Some men used the time to write…
May
11
1804
Camp Dubois: May 11, 1804
With departure on the Missouri River fast approaching, Camp Dubois was nearly broken down and packed up. After months of training, gathering supplies, and preparing for the journey…
May
12
1804
Camp Dubois: May 12, 1804
This was the second-to-last day at Camp Dubois, the winter staging ground near the mouth of the Missouri River. Final preparations were underway as the Corps of Discovery…
May
13
1804
Departure: May 13, 1804
On this day, the Corps of Discovery departed Camp Dubois, marking the official start of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Clark led the main party up the Missouri…
May
14
1804
Setting Out from Camp River Dubois
On May 14, 1804, William Clark launched the Corps of Discovery from Camp River Dubois on the Wood River in Illinois, beginning the expedition up the Missouri River.…
May
14
1804
Sgt. Ordway Describes the Departure from Camp Dubois
Sergeant John Ordway, the expedition's senior sergeant, recorded the departure on the afternoon of May 14, 1804. According to his entry, Captain Clark set out at 4 p.m.…
May
14
1804
Charles Floyd: May 14, 1804
On a showery afternoon, Captain Clark launched the western expedition at 3 p.m., departing with a party of three sergeants and 38 working hands crewing the keelboat and…
May
14
1804
Joseph Whitehouse: May 14, 1804
Despite hard rain showers, the expedition departed as planned on this day set by Captain Clark. Residents from the nearby Gotian Settlement gathered to watch the launch. Captain…
May
15
1804
Clark: May 15, 1804
Heavy rain fell through the night and into the morning, extinguishing the fires and soaking some provisions stored atop the pirogues. Two men were sent inland to hunt,…
May
15
1804
Lewis: May 15, 1804
Heavy rain fell through much of the night and into the morning, delaying departure until 7 a.m. The party then traveled past two islands and camped on the…
May
15
1804
Camp River Dubois, Illinois — Charles Floyd: May 15, 1804
The day began rainy but cleared with a favorable wind in the afternoon. The party sailed for a while and camped on the north side of the river,…
May
15
1804
Camp River Dubois, Illinois — Joseph Whitehouse: May 15, 1804
The day began with hard rain as the party set out early on a swift, muddy current, passing islands and a few inhabitants along the way. The weather…
May
15
1804
Camp River Dubois, Illinois — John Ordway: May 15, 1804
The party sailed part of the day and camped on the north side of the river, where some cleared land showed very rich soil. Setting out early the…
May
16
1804
Clark: May 16, 1804
On a fair Wednesday morning, the expedition departed at 5 a.m. and passed a striking bluff the French called Carbonere, noted for its apparent coal and ore deposits.…
May
17
1804
Clark: May 17, 1804
On a fair day at St. Charles, Clark convened a court martial for three men charged with being absent without leave the previous night, with John Collins also…
May
17
1804
St. Charles, Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: May 17, 1804
A pleasant morning greeted the party, who remained in camp awaiting the arrival of Captain Lewis. The evening turned rainy.
May
17
1804
St. Charles, Missouri — John Ordway: May 17, 1804
John Ordway recorded no significant events for this day during the early stages of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. His brief note simply indicates that nothing of importance…
May
17
1804
St. Charles, Missouri — Charles Floyd: May 17, 1804
Sergeant Charles Floyd's brief entry notes that the day was fair, with clear weather during daylight hours, but rain fell during the night. No other events, locations, or…
May
18
1804
Clark: May 18, 1804
On a fine, windy Friday at St. Charles, Clark took equal altitudes with the sextant and oversaw the reloading of the boat and pirogue so the bows would…
May
18
1804
St. Charles, Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: May 18, 1804
On a fair morning in mid-May 1804, members of the expedition continued their final preparations near St. Charles, purchasing additional accessories and supplies needed for the upcoming voyage…
May
18
1804
St. Charles, Missouri — Charles Floyd: May 18, 1804
The expedition remained encamped at St. Charles, Missouri, with no travel or notable activities recorded for the day.
May
19
1804
Clark: May 19, 1804
A violent windstorm from the west-southwest the previous night brought several hours of rain, clearing by 8 a.m. under a cloudy sky. Many visitors, including seven ladies, came…
May
19
1804
St. Charles, Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: May 19, 1804
The day began with rainy, wet weather at the expedition's camp. Captain Lewis arrived in the afternoon, accompanied by several officers from St. Louis. With his arrival, the…
May
19
1804
St. Charles, Missouri — John Ordway: May 19, 1804
Captain Stoddard and Sergeant Worrell arrived at the expedition's location, accompanying another individual. The brief entry notes only this visit, with no further details about the purpose of…
May
19
1804
St. Charles, Missouri — Charles Floyd: May 19, 1804
A rainy day marked by a single notable event: Captain Meriwether Lewis rejoined the expedition party. Sergeant Charles Floyd's brief entry records no other activities, travel, or interactions,…
May
20
1804
Clark: May 20, 1804
On a cloudy, rainy Sunday with strong winds from the previous night, Clark continued writing rolls at St. Charles. A lost letter belonging to George was recovered by…
May
20
1804
Lewis: May 20, 1804
On a fair Sunday morning, Lewis departed St. Louis at noon accompanied by Captain Stoddard, Lieutenants Milford and Worrell, the Chouteaus, Gratiot, and other prominent residents, traveling overland…
May
20
1804
St. Charles, Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: May 20, 1804
On this Sunday, several members of the expedition party attended a Catholic Mass, which the French residents of the area held as their religious service. The men observed…
May
20
1804
St. Charles, Missouri — John Ordway: May 20, 1804
On this day, John Ordway attended Mass and observed the religious service being performed. The journal entry is extremely brief, providing no additional details about the location, other…
May
20
1804
St. Charles, Missouri — Charles Floyd: May 20, 1804
Sergeant Charles Floyd recorded an exceptionally brief entry for this day, noting only that nothing worth relating had occurred. No events, people, locations, weather conditions, or decisions were…
May
21
1804
Clark: May 21, 1804
After spending the morning organizing the party and gathering necessary supplies in St. Charles, the expedition dined with Mr. Ducette and departed at 3:30 PM, sent off with…
May
21
1804
St. Charles, Missouri — Charles Floyd: May 21, 1804
The expedition departed St. Charles at 4 p.m. under showery weather conditions. After a short afternoon of travel along the Missouri River, the party made camp on the…
May
21
1804
St. Charles, Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: May 21, 1804
Rainy weather marked the day as the party loaded additional provisions, including bread, on board. Around 4 p.m. they departed from St. Charles, firing the bow piece and…
May
21
1804
St. Charles, Missouri — John Ordway: May 21, 1804
On a showery day, the expedition members were all in high spirits as they continued their journey. Two men, George Drouillard and Willard, stayed behind to attend to…
May
22
1804
Clark: May 22, 1804
On a cloudy Tuesday following a night of violent rain, the expedition delayed about an hour for four Frenchmen who returned to town to settle forgotten business, then…
May
22
1804
Missouri River near Tavern Cave — Charles Floyd: May 22, 1804
After heavy rain, the expedition set out and traveled 15 miles up the Missouri River, passing Bonhomme Creek on the south bank and camping that night at cliffs…
May
22
1804
Missouri River near Tavern Cave — Joseph Whitehouse: May 22, 1804
The day began with fair weather, and the expedition set out early, making good progress along the river. They passed Canon Creek on the starboard side. In the…
May
22
1804
Missouri River near Tavern Cave — John Ordway: May 22, 1804
The party traveled 15 miles up the river and made camp on the north side near cliffs, where some Indians came to visit them. Setting out again at…
May
22
1804
Missouri River near Tavern Cave — Patrick Gass: May 22, 1804
The expedition continued upriver, passing a creek on the south side, and traveled about fifteen miles before making camp for the night at the Cliffs on the north…
May
23
1804
Clark: May 23, 1804
The expedition set out early but lost an hour after running onto a submerged log. They passed the mouth of the Osage Woman's River, where a settlement of…
May
23
1804
Missouri River near Tavern Cave — Charles Floyd: May 23, 1804
The expedition departed at 6 a.m. on a pleasant day, traveling three and a half miles past the mouth of the Osage Woman River. They passed a notable…
May
23
1804
Missouri River near Tavern Cave — Joseph Whitehouse: May 23, 1804
On a fair morning, the expedition departed at 6 a.m. and made good progress along the river. They passed a small group of settlers known as Boone's Settlement…
May
23
1804
Missouri River near Tavern Cave — Patrick Gass: May 23, 1804
The expedition continued upriver under pleasant weather, passing the mouth of the Osage River on the south side. About a mile and a half above lay Tavern Cove,…
May
24
1804
Clark: May 24, 1804
The expedition set out early and passed a treacherous stretch of the Missouri River where the current rushed against projecting rocks for half a mile, a spot Clark…
May
24
1804
Missouri River near Tavern Cave — Charles Floyd: May 24, 1804
Charles Floyd recorded an uneventful day with nothing remarkable to note. The expedition made camp on the south side of the river.
May
24
1804
Missouri River near Tavern Cave — John Ordway: May 24, 1804
The party camped on the south side of the Missouri River. The entry's footnotes provide background context, identifying Captain Amos Stoddard as the commissioner appointed by President Jefferson…
May
24
1804
Missouri River near Tavern Cave — Patrick Gass: May 24, 1804
A brief entry noting that the expedition camped on the south side of the river for the night. During the day, the boat was caught in a ripple…
May
25
1804
Passing La Charette — Last White Settlement
On May 25, 1804, the Corps of Discovery passed La Charette, a small French village on the Missouri River. Clark observed that the villagers seemed poor but polite…
May
25
1804
Charles Floyd: May 25, 1804
The party traveled four miles, passing Wood River Creek on the south side of the Missouri. The surrounding land was attractive and productive, with rich soil and high…
May
25
1804
Joseph Whitehouse: May 25, 1804
The expedition departed early and passed a small river on the starboard side, traveling through country with rich soil. By evening they reached a small French village called…
May
25
1804
John Ordway: May 25, 1804
The expedition traveled along Wood River on the south side, passing through attractive country with rich soil and high banks. They camped for the night at a small…
May
25
1804
Patrick Gass: May 25, 1804
The expedition passed Wood River, a creek entering from the south side, where the banks were high and the surrounding land was rich and fertile. They arrived at…
May
26
1804
Clark: May 26, 1804
The expedition departed at 7 a.m. following a heavy rainstorm and made good progress under sail with a favorable east-northeast wind, covering 18 miles before another cloud, wind,…
May
26
1804
Lewis: May 26, 1804
Captains Lewis and Clark issued detailed detachment orders reorganizing the Corps of Discovery into structured messes and crews. Three squads under Sergeants Floyd, Ordway, and Pryor were assigned…
May
26
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — Charles Floyd: May 26, 1804
The expedition departed at 7 a.m. amid heavy thunder and rain. Two men were dispatched overland with the horses, with plans to rejoin the main party that evening.…
May
26
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 26, 1804
The expedition got an early start under fair skies, though thunder and rain moved in by evening. During the day, the party passed a waterway known as Otter…
May
26
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — John Ordway: May 26, 1804
The day began with thunder and rain. The expedition continued upriver, passing a stream they called Otter Creek. They made camp for the night on the north side…
May
26
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — Patrick Gass: May 26, 1804
On May 26, 1804, the party sent two members ahead by land with a pair of horses. The main group set out by boat at seven o'clock, traveling…
May
27
1804
Clark: May 27, 1804
On a Sunday morning with a gentle southeast breeze, the expedition encountered two canoes loaded with beaver, elk, and deer skins and buffalo robes coming from the Maha…
May
27
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — Charles Floyd: May 27, 1804
On May 27, 1804, the expedition passed Ash Creek on the south side of the river, noting high cliffs along that bank. They reached the mouth of the…
May
27
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 27, 1804
On a fair morning, the party set out early and traveled along the river. They passed Ash Creek on the north side, with high cliffs on the south…
May
27
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — John Ordway: May 27, 1804
The expedition reached the mouth of the Gasconade River on the south side at 5 p.m. and made camp on an island opposite the river's mouth. Shannon shot…
May
27
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — Patrick Gass: May 27, 1804
The expedition traveled past cliffs on the south side of the river and reached the mouth of the Gasconade River by five in the afternoon. One member of…
May
28
1804
Clark: May 28, 1804
Heavy rain, thunder, and strong southwest winds battered the camp overnight near the mouth of the Gasconnade River. Hunter Reuben Fields killed a deer, and another hunter encountered…
May
28
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — Charles Floyd: May 28, 1804
Rain fell overnight at the expedition's camp. In the morning, several men set out hunting, and one of them succeeded in killing a deer. Floyd's brief entry for…
May
28
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 28, 1804
On a pleasant morning, several men went hunting while the party recorded their latitude at 38°44'. While hunting, the writer discovered a remarkable cave about 100 yards from…
May
28
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — John Ordway: May 28, 1804
The party paused to air out several of the men, who went out hunting. Reuben Fields successfully killed a deer. Ordway also recorded a measurement of the local…
May
28
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — Patrick Gass: May 28, 1804
The weather was fair and dry on this day. Several members of the expedition were sent out to hunt, and one of them succeeded in killing a deer.…
May
29
1804
Clark: May 29, 1804
The expedition spent a rainy, mosquito-plagued morning at the mouth of the Gasconnade River, where Clark and Lewis took astronomical observations to determine their position. Four hunters were…
May
29
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — Charles Floyd: May 29, 1804
Following overnight rain, the party departed at 5 p.m. and traveled three miles up the river. They passed Deer Creek on the south side and made camp just…
May
29
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — John Ordway: May 29, 1804
After hunting in the morning, the expedition departed from the Gasconade River at 5:00 P.M. They traveled three miles, passing Deer Creek on the south side, and made…
May
29
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — Patrick Gass: May 29, 1804
The expedition waited at their location until 5 P.M. for a missing hunter who had not returned. After he still failed to appear, the party moved on, traveling…
May
30
1804
Clark: May 30, 1804
After heavy overnight rain, the expedition set out around 6 to 7 a.m. on May 30, 1804, and pushed upriver against a swift, rising current. The party passed…
May
30
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — Charles Floyd: May 30, 1804
The party set out at 7 a.m. following a severe overnight thunderstorm, and rain with hail continued through most of the day. They passed Rush Creek on the…
May
30
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — John Ordway: May 30, 1804
The party traveled roughly 14 miles up the Missouri River through heavy rain and a hailstorm, encamping at Grind Stone (or Panther) Creek. The previous night, gunshots were…
May
30
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — Patrick Gass: May 30, 1804
After being delayed overnight by rain, the expedition resumed travel at 7 A.M., passing high cliffs on the north shore opposite an island known as Mombran's Tavern. A…
May
31
1804
Clark: May 31, 1804
Heavy rain fell overnight and strong westerly winds blew until 5 p.m., forcing the expedition to remain in place. A small raft carrying bear skins and pelts arrived…
May
31
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — Charles Floyd: May 31, 1804
The expedition stayed in camp for the entire day due to high winds, unable to make progress upriver. A pirogue passed by loaded with bear, beaver, and deer…
May
31
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 31, 1804
On a fair morning with high winds, the expedition set out as usual and continued upriver. They met a pirogue carrying a Frenchman and two Indians, loaded with…
May
31
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — John Ordway: May 31, 1804
Strong winds blew from the northwest throughout the day. Several members of the party went out hunting later in the day, and Reuben Fields succeeded in killing a…
May
31
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — Patrick Gass: May 31, 1804
The party remained in camp all day, kept in place by a strong west wind. An Indian man and woman traveled down the river in two canoes loaded…
Jun
1
1804
Clark: June 1, 1804
The expedition set out early on a fair morning, traveling generally southwest along the Missouri River. They passed the mouth of Little Miry Creek and high, rich land,…
Jun
1
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — Charles Floyd: June 1, 1804
The expedition set out and traveled about twelve miles, passing the Big Muddy River on the north side opposite Willow Island, then Bear Creek on the south, and…
Jun
1
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — Joseph Whitehouse: June 1, 1804
On a pleasant morning, the expedition set out early and continued upriver. They passed the Big Muddy River entering from the north side, noting its low bottomlands, and…
Jun
1
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — John Ordway: June 1, 1804
On a fair day, the expedition set out from Stone Creek at 5 a.m. They traveled about a mile, passing Big Muddy Creek on the north side, with…
Jun
1
1804
Missouri River near Gasconade River — Patrick Gass: June 1, 1804
The expedition continued upriver, passing Big Muddy Creek and Bear Creek before reaching the Osage River around 4 P.M., where they camped through the next day. They measured…
Jun
2
1804
Clark: June 2, 1804
At the confluence of the Missouri and Osage Rivers, Captain Lewis took astronomical observations of the sun and moon, while Clark measured the rivers' widths—875 yards for the…
Jun
2
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — Charles Floyd: June 2, 1804
The party departed at 4 p.m. under clear skies that later turned cloudy with thunder and rain, and an easterly wind. Captain Lewis and George Drouillard went hunting…
Jun
2
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — Joseph Whitehouse: June 2, 1804
The expedition remained in camp for the day so the officers could take astronomical observations. Four men went out hunting and returned around noon with four deer. The…
Jun
2
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — John Ordway: June 2, 1804
At the confluence of the Missouri and Osage Rivers, measurements were taken: the Missouri was recorded at 875 yards wide and the Osage at 397 yards wide. The…
Jun
2
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — Patrick Gass: June 2, 1804
The party hunted during the day, with one deer killed. They set out by boat at five in the afternoon and traveled six miles before making camp for…
Jun
3
1804
Clark: June 3, 1804
On a partly fair Sunday, Clark tried to take equal and meridian altitudes of the sun, but clouds obscured the disk and made the readings unreliable. Captain Lewis…
Jun
3
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — Joseph Whitehouse: June 3, 1804
The day began with fair weather. Several members of the expedition went out hunting, while the officers, Lewis and Clark, occupied themselves with taking astronomical and navigational observations.…
Jun
3
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — John Ordway: June 3, 1804
The party spent part of the day stopped at a location where hunters succeeded in killing five deer. They resumed travel at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, moving…
Jun
3
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — Patrick Gass: June 3, 1804
After killing a deer earlier in the day, the party set out on the river at five in the afternoon. They traveled six miles before making camp for…
Jun
3
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — Charles Floyd: June 3, 1804
The party departed at 4 p.m. under clear skies that turned cloudy with thunder and rain, with winds from the east. Captain Lewis and George Drouillard went hunting…
Jun
4
1804
Clark: June 4, 1804
On a fair Monday, the expedition sent out three hunters and traveled upriver, passing several islands and creeks they named, including Nightingale Creek (after a bird whose song…
Jun
4
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — Charles Floyd: June 4, 1804
The expedition set out on a clear morning. About two miles in, the steersman let the boat run under a tree limb, breaking off the mast. They passed…
Jun
4
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — Joseph Whitehouse: June 4, 1804
The day began with fair weather. The party spent the morning branding several trees, likely to mark their passage. In the afternoon, they set out and traveled about…
Jun
4
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — John Ordway: June 4, 1804
While Ordway was steering the boat near shore, its mast caught in a sycamore limb and broke easily. The party passed a creek on the south side, about…
Jun
4
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — Patrick Gass: June 4, 1804
The expedition continued upriver but broke their mast during the day after steering too close to the shore. In the evening they made camp on the south side…
Jun
5
1804
Clark: June 5, 1804
The expedition jerked the previous day's venison, sent out a small hunting party, and set off at 6 a.m., passing several creeks they named Lead, Little Good Woman,…
Jun
5
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — Charles Floyd: June 5, 1804
On a fair day, the expedition passed Lead Creek on the south side and Little Good Woman Creek on the north, traveling past the Creek of the Big…
Jun
5
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — Joseph Whitehouse: June 5, 1804
On a fair morning, the expedition set out early and continued their journey upriver. They passed a creek on the south side of the river and made camp…
Jun
5
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — John Ordway: June 5, 1804
The expedition traveled nine miles along the river, passing Big Rock Creek, about fifteen yards wide, and Little Good Woman Creek on the north side. Around 11 a.m.,…
Jun
5
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — Patrick Gass: June 5, 1804
The expedition passed Little Goodwoman Creek and Big Rock Creek on the river's north side, encountering two Frenchmen traveling in canoes loaded with furs. After passing a high…
Jun
6
1804
Clark: June 6, 1804
After repairing the mast, the party set out at 7 a.m. under a gentle southeasterly breeze. They passed Split Rock Island and Creek, noting a distinctive hole worn…
Jun
6
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — Charles Floyd: June 6, 1804
The party departed at 5 o'clock and traveled past springs flowing from cliffs. Two miles on, they passed a creek on the north side called the River of…
Jun
6
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — Joseph Whitehouse: June 6, 1804
The expedition departed early and traveled past Lead Creek on the south side and Little Good Woman Creek on the north, noting rich soil and good timber before…
Jun
6
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — John Ordway: June 6, 1804
The party set out at 7 a.m. with a gentle wind helping them push up the river. They passed a notable feature in a projecting rock known as…
Jun
6
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — Patrick Gass: June 6, 1804
The expedition traveled through beautiful country with excellent land, noting that the Missouri River had narrowed to about 300 yards wide with a very strong current. They passed…
Jun
7
1804
Clark: June 7, 1804
The expedition departed early and traveled past an island to the mouth of Big Manitou Creek, about 4.5 miles on, where they breakfasted. Nearby they examined Native American…
Jun
7
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — Joseph Whitehouse: June 7, 1804
Captain Lewis and the hunters traveled two miles to a buffalo lick up the Manitou River on the northeast side of the Missouri, where they observed a salt…
Jun
7
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — John Ordway: June 7, 1804
The expedition traveled past high cliffs and a large spring flowing from the rocks, then reached Big Devil Creek, where they stopped for breakfast. Captain Lewis and several…
Jun
7
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — Charles Floyd: June 7, 1804
The party departed at 5 o'clock and traveled along the river, passing springs flowing from cliffs and a stream on the north side called the River of the…
Jun
8
1804
Clark: June 8, 1804
The expedition departed at daylight and traveled up the Missouri, passing willow islands, deer licks, and reaching the Mine River, about 70-90 yards wide and navigable for pirogues…
Jun
8
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — Charles Floyd: June 8, 1804
The expedition set out early under clear skies with a westerly wind. After five miles, they passed two canoes lashed together, loaded with beaver and otter skins from…
Jun
8
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — Joseph Whitehouse: June 8, 1804
The expedition set out at the usual hour against strong currents, with the white pirogue struggling to cross the river to retrieve meat from the hunters. Drouillard killed…
Jun
8
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — John Ordway: June 8, 1804
The party traveled past a run on the left side above a rocky point, noting deer licks in the area, before reaching the mouth of the Mine River…
Jun
8
1804
Missouri River near Osage River — Patrick Gass: June 8, 1804
The expedition encountered four canoes loaded with furs and pelts heading downstream. They passed the Mine River on the south side, which measured 150 yards wide. The surrounding…
Jun
9
1804
Clark: June 9, 1804
The expedition set out early on a swift, rising river and quickly got stuck on a snag for about fifteen minutes. They passed the Prairie of the Arrows,…
Jun
9
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — Charles Floyd: June 9, 1804
After heavy overnight rain, the expedition set out under clear skies with an easterly wind. They traveled five miles past the Prairie of Arrows on the south side,…
Jun
9
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — Joseph Whitehouse: June 9, 1804
Strong winds halted the expedition for a day, during which Drouillard killed two bears and a buck. Leaving the Charrette Prairie, the party sailed toward the Grand River…
Jun
9
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — John Ordway: June 9, 1804
Heavy rain fell overnight, and a log obstruction delayed the party for half an hour during the day's travel. They passed Prairie and Arrow Creek on the south…
Jun
9
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — Patrick Gass: June 9, 1804
The expedition traveled through beautiful country with excellent land, noting the Missouri River had narrowed to only 300 yards wide with a very strong current. They passed a…
Jun
10
1804
Clark: June 10, 1804
After overnight rain, the party set out early and traveled up the Missouri, passing collapsing banks lined with cottonwoods and reaching the mouths of the two Chariton Rivers,…
Jun
10
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — Charles Floyd: June 10, 1804
The party set out at the usual hour and traveled about 12 miles up the river. They passed Deer Lick Creek on the north side and the two…
Jun
10
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — John Ordway: June 10, 1804
The expedition traveled past hilly land on the river's right and level, fertile ground on the left, where ripe mulberries grew among walnut, hickory, and ash trees draped…
Jun
10
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — Patrick Gass: June 10, 1804
The expedition passed Deer-lick creek on the north side of the river, then three miles further reached the Two Charlottes, also on the north side. The mouths of…
Jun
10
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — Joseph Whitehouse: June 10, 1804
The party reached the Charrotte (Charette) River around 2 o'clock and waited there for the hunters to arrive, suffering from heavy mosquitoes on the northeast side. They observed…
Jun
11
1804
Clark: June 11, 1804
Strong, cold northwest winds blowing directly against the boats forced the expedition to remain in place all day. The crew used the delay productively, drying wet supplies, inspecting…
Jun
11
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — Charles Floyd: June 11, 1804
The expedition remained in camp the entire day due to a strong northwest wind that prevented travel. Skies were clear for most of the day but turned cloudy…
Jun
11
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — John Ordway: June 11, 1804
Strong winds blew from the northwest on this day. A hunting party led by George Drouillard went out into the prairies in search of game. Drouillard had a…
Jun
11
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — Joseph Whitehouse: June 11, 1804
Strong winds in the morning prevented the expedition from traveling, so the commanding officer ordered the party to remain in camp for the day. During this halt, the…
Jun
12
1804
Clark: June 12, 1804
The expedition set out early and navigated through several difficult bends and past Plumb Creek on the larboard side. Around 1 p.m., they encountered two boats coming downriver…
Jun
12
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — Charles Floyd: June 12, 1804
The expedition departed at the usual time under clear skies with a westerly wind, traveling four miles past Plumb Creek on the south side, where cottonwood timber filled…
Jun
12
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — John Ordway: June 12, 1804
On a fair morning, the expedition passed Plum Creek on the south side of the river, an area noted for abundant plums and high, well-timbered land suited for…
Jun
12
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — Patrick Gass: June 12, 1804
In the afternoon, the expedition encountered five pirogues laden with furs and peltry coming downriver from the Sioux nation. The party stayed overnight with the traders who owned…
Jun
12
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — Joseph Whitehouse: June 12, 1804
The expedition departed Charrette Prairie and sailed toward the Grand River. Along the way they encountered seven pirogues loaded with furs bound for Chouteau in St. Louis, and…
Jun
13
1804
Clark: June 13, 1804
The expedition set out early and passed a sharp bend with two creeks named for it, along with a prairie that had once held a Missouri Indian village…
Jun
13
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — John Ordway: June 13, 1804
The party traveled past Creek of the Prairies, noting large prairies and excellent land above it. They passed Round Bend Creek on the north side of the river…
Jun
13
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — Patrick Gass: June 13, 1804
The party traveled up the river, passing a small creek on the north side within a long bend. They made camp at the mouth of the Grand River,…
Jun
14
1804
Clark: June 14, 1804
Setting out at 6 a.m. after a thick fog, the party navigated treacherous shifting sandbars that nearly capsized the boat, saved only by the crew's strenuous efforts. Clark…
Jun
14
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — Charles Floyd: June 14, 1804
The party set out at the usual hour under clear weather and traveled three miles against a strong current. They encountered two canoes carrying three Frenchmen and a…
Jun
14
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — John Ordway: June 14, 1804
On a foggy but fair day, the expedition passed a small prairie on the north side of the Missouri River and struggled against very strong currents. Around 11…
Jun
14
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — Patrick Gass: June 14, 1804
The expedition continued upriver, finding the going difficult because the water had risen overnight. Around midday, they encountered some Frenchmen who had spent the previous winter among the…
Jun
14
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — Joseph Whitehouse: June 14, 1804
The party set out from the Grand River and rowed three miles before entering a bayou. At the bayou's end, they returned to the main river, where rising…
Jun
15
1804
Clark: June 15, 1804
The expedition set out early but quickly struck a sawyer that nearly damaged the boat. They battled a fast-rising, swift river, got briefly stuck on a sand bar,…
Jun
15
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — Charles Floyd: June 15, 1804
After the previous day's exhausting work, the party set out at 5 a.m. and passed Indian Creek on the south side, a 15-yard-wide creek bordered by good level…
Jun
15
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — Joseph Whitehouse: June 15, 1804
The expedition set out from Willow Prairie with a fresh southeast wind, crowded on sail, and traveled 16 miles before camping at an Indian settlement called Little Sioux…
Jun
15
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — John Ordway: June 15, 1804
The party traveled past high land on the south side of the river and passed Indian Creek. They stopped at noon to eat and for Captain Lewis to…
Jun
15
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — Patrick Gass: June 15, 1804
The expedition pushed through very rapid water during the day. They passed a beautiful prairie on the south side of the river where the land rose high, and…
Jun
16
1804
Clark: June 16, 1804
The party set out at 7 a.m. and after about a mile and a half reached the camp of hunters Drouillard and Willard, who had killed two bears…
Jun
16
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — John Ordway: June 16, 1804
The party traveled along the Missouri River past attractive prairies on the north side. The current ran very strong throughout the day, forcing the men to wade in…
Jun
16
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — Patrick Gass: June 16, 1804
The party searched along the riverbanks for timber suitable for making oars but were unable to find any. After the searchers returned, the expedition resumed travel under cloudy…
Jun
17
1804
Clark: June 17, 1804
On a cloudy Sunday with southeast winds, the expedition traveled just one mile before stopping at what they called Rope Walk Camp to make oars and craft a…
Jun
17
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — Charles Floyd: June 17, 1804
Still worn out from the previous day's labor, the party traveled only about a mile before making camp on the north side of the river. They stopped to…
Jun
17
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — Joseph Whitehouse: June 17, 1804
The expedition traveled only one mile by oar before making camp at a site that became known as Rope Walk Camp. The party stopped here to produce equipment…
Jun
17
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — John Ordway: June 17, 1804
The party stopped along the north side of the river to work on equipment, gathering enough timber to fashion twenty oars during the day. Several men were sent…
Jun
17
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — Patrick Gass: June 17, 1804
The expedition resumed its journey on the river but stopped after about a mile to gather timber for making new oars. While the crew worked on crafting the…
Jun
18
1804
Clark: June 18, 1804
Camped along the river, the expedition spent a rainy Monday on maintenance work, repairing ropes, making oars, drying wet sails, and jerking meat. Six hunters sent across the…
Jun
18
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — Charles Floyd: June 18, 1804
The day brought cloudy weather with rain, thunder, and an east wind. The expedition observed that the bottomland in the area was of good quality, with cottonwood as…
Jun
18
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — Joseph Whitehouse: June 18, 1804
The day began with a rapid rainstorm followed by thunder and lightning in the forenoon. Once the weather cleared, the party finished making ropes and oars. The hunters…
Jun
18
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — John Ordway: June 18, 1804
The party remained at camp to finish making oars. Several men were sent out hunting and returned successfully, bringing in four deer and one bear. The hunters reported…
Jun
18
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — Patrick Gass: June 18, 1804
The party hunted successfully, killing five deer and a bear. Observations of the landscape noted contrasting terrain on either side of the river: the south side featured high…
Jun
19
1804
Clark: June 19, 1804
After overnight rain, the crew fitted new oars and set out with a gentle southeast breeze. Shields and another man were sent overland with the horses. The party…
Jun
19
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — Charles Floyd: June 19, 1804
The party set out at 8 o'clock under cloudy skies with an easterly wind, sailing past Tabor Creek on the south side, a roughly 40-yard-wide stream of clear…
Jun
19
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — Joseph Whitehouse: June 19, 1804
The party broke camp at Ropewalk Prairie under clear skies and a sharp wind, sailing about 12 miles before camping near the Tabo River, which flows northeast and…
Jun
19
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — John Ordway: June 19, 1804
The party traveled past a large prairie on the north side of the river and rich bottomland on the south, passing Tabbo Creek. They found gooseberries and raspberries…
Jun
19
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — Patrick Gass: June 19, 1804
The expedition passed a small creek on the north bank and made camp on the south side of the river, opposite a small lake located about two miles…
Jun
20
1804
Clark: June 20, 1804
After a heavy rainstorm, the expedition set out and continued upriver, passing Saukee Prairie on the starboard side opposite a large island, with a gentle southwest breeze and…
Jun
20
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — John Ordway: June 20, 1804
Rain fell as the expedition traveled past Tiger Creek on the north bank and high ground on the south. They passed a large, attractive open meadow known as…
Jun
20
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — Patrick Gass: June 20, 1804
The party continued upriver, passing Tiger Creek, a sizable tributary entering from the north, and made camp for the night on an island. Gass noted that the land…
Jun
21
1804
Clark: June 21, 1804
The river rose three inches overnight, and bowman Peter Cruzatte scouted the waters around a small island, finding swift currents over roaring sands. The crew chose to ascend…
Jun
21
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — Charles Floyd: June 21, 1804
The party departed at 7 a.m. under clear skies, passing two creeks on the south side called Du Beau Creeks, which entered opposite the middle of an island…
Jun
21
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — Joseph Whitehouse: June 21, 1804
The expedition departed from Strong Water Point, where the current ran swift, forcing the men to tow the boat for most of the day. They proceeded to a…
Jun
21
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — John Ordway: June 21, 1804
The expedition traveled past Eue Bow Creek on the south side of the river, with high land to the south and rich bottomland to the north. Ordway spent…
Jun
21
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — Patrick Gass: June 21, 1804
The expedition resumed travel in the morning. Around noon, one of the men went ashore and shot a large bear. The party made camp for the night at…
Jun
22
1804
Clark: June 22, 1804
A violent windstorm with rain blew in from the west at daybreak, delaying departure for about an hour. Once it cleared, the party set out under a gentle…
Jun
22
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — Charles Floyd: June 22, 1804
After a severe overnight thunderstorm with rain and westerly winds, the expedition departed at 7 a.m. under a gentle northwest breeze. They passed Little Fire Creek on the…
Jun
22
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — Joseph Whitehouse: June 22, 1804
Heavy morning rain delayed the party's usual start, but skies cleared by 7 a.m. The previous two days had been extremely hot, warming the water and making travel…
Jun
22
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — John Ordway: June 22, 1804
The day began with rain, high winds from the northeast, and thunder and lightning, but cleared up enough for the party to proceed two miles. One man shot…
Jun
22
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — Patrick Gass: June 22, 1804
The expedition resumed travel in the morning after a delay. Around noon, one of the men went ashore and killed a large bear. By evening, the party made…
Jun
23
1804
Clark: June 23, 1804
The expedition set out at 7 a.m. with a northwest wind, but strong winds blowing down the river forced them to halt at the head of an island…
Jun
23
1804
Missouri River near Arrow Rock — Charles Floyd: June 23, 1804
The party set out at 5 a.m. under cloudy skies with a light northwesterly breeze, but after traveling only three miles they landed because of the wind from…
Jun
23
1804
Missouri River near Arrow Rock — Patrick Gass: June 23, 1804
Strong winds blowing down the river prevented the expedition from making progress, so the party made camp on an island. The day was used to inspect the arms…
Jun
24
1804
Clark: June 24, 1804
The party set out at 6:30 a.m., with Clark rejoining the boat at 8 after an encounter on the bank where he was forced to kill a snake…
Jun
24
1804
Missouri River near Arrow Rock — Charles Floyd: June 24, 1804
The expedition departed at 5 a.m. under clear skies with a northeast wind, sailing along the Missouri River. They passed Hay Creek on the south side, then Chariton…
Jun
24
1804
Missouri River near Arrow Rock — Joseph Whitehouse: June 24, 1804
The expedition set out in the morning and crossed to the west shore of the river. Around noon they stopped to jerk their meat because the weather was…
Jun
24
1804
Missouri River near Arrow Rock — John Ordway: June 24, 1804
The expedition traveled along the river, passing Hay Cabin Creek on the south side, marked by high hills, and Sharriton Cartie Creek on the north side just above…
Jun
24
1804
Missouri River near Arrow Rock — Patrick Gass: June 24, 1804
The expedition continued its voyage upriver, with Captain Clark rejoining the party at nine in the morning, bringing two deer and a bear he had hunted. They passed…
Jun
25
1804
Clark: June 25, 1804
A thick morning fog delayed departure until about 8 a.m. The expedition passed an island and a substantial coal bank on the south side, which appeared to hold…
Jun
25
1804
Missouri River near Arrow Rock — Charles Floyd: June 25, 1804
The party departed at 8 a.m. once the fog lifted, passing a coal mine on the south side above a small island, a small creek named for the…
Jun
25
1804
Missouri River near Arrow Rock — Joseph Whitehouse: June 25, 1804
The expedition set out from Hard Scrabble Prairie and passed two creeks along the way, one called La Beane and the other Rowling Creek, on the southwest side.…
Jun
25
1804
Missouri River near Arrow Rock — John Ordway: June 25, 1804
The expedition set out after a brief stop and passed a coal bank on the north side of the Missouri River containing apparently large coal deposits. They noted…
Jun
25
1804
Missouri River near Arrow Rock — Patrick Gass: June 25, 1804
The expedition continued its voyage along a narrow stretch of river bordered by high land on the south side. The party passed a creek on the south side…
Jun
26
1804
Arrival at the Mouth of the Kansas River
Six weeks into their journey up the Missouri, the expedition arrived at the mouth of the Kansas River, near present-day Kansas City. Clark measured the Kansas River at…
Jun
26
1804
Charles Floyd: June 26, 1804
The expedition set out early and continued upriver, passing an island on the south side. Behind the island, a large creek known as Blue Water Creek (River Le…
Jun
26
1804
Joseph Whitehouse: June 26, 1804
On a clear, very hot morning, the party left their island camp and worked along the east shore, towing the boat by cutting timber from the banks against…
Jun
26
1804
John Ordway: June 26, 1804
The expedition passed an island on the south side, behind which Blue Water Creek emptied into the Missouri. They traveled past hills and high ground along swift water.…
Jun
26
1804
Patrick Gass: June 26, 1804
The expedition passed Bluewater Creek on the south side in the morning. In the afternoon, the tow-rope broke while crossing a sandbar, but the crew managed to bring…
Jun
27
1804
Clark: June 27, 1804
On a fair, warm Wednesday at the mouth of the Kansas River, the party decided to halt for three or four days to take astronomical observations and rest…
Jun
27
1804
Mouth of Kansas River — Joseph Whitehouse: June 27, 1804
The party halted at the mouth of the Kansas River, measuring its width at 230 yards, with the Missouri River about 400 yards across just beyond. The hunters…
Jun
27
1804
Mouth of Kansas River — John Ordway: June 27, 1804
The party worked at the mouth of the Kansas River, cutting timber across the point and building a hedge of logs and brush as a defensive barrier while…
Jun
28
1804
Clark: June 28, 1804
At the mouth of the Kansas River, the party spent a warm, south-windy day on maintenance: taking astronomical observations, checking the compass variation, repairing the pirogue, cleaning the…
Jun
28
1804
Mouth of Kansas River — Charles Floyd: June 28, 1804
The expedition remained in camp throughout the day, taking time to rest and observe the surroundings near the mouth of the Kansas River. The Kansas River was measured…
Jun
28
1804
Mouth of Kansas River — John Ordway: June 28, 1804
On June 28, 1804, Ordway went hunting and walked about a mile, discovering a fine cool spring flowing from the hills that he considered the best water he…
Jun
28
1804
Mouth of Kansas River — Joseph Whitehouse: June 28, 1804
The party halted at the mouth of the Kansas River, which they measured at 230 yards wide, with the river broadening to about 400 yards a little farther…
Jun
29
1804
Clark: June 29, 1804
After several days camped at the mouth of the Kansas River, the captains held a court-martial for privates John Collins and Hugh Hall, charged with drawing and drinking…
Jun
29
1804
Mouth of Kansas River — Charles Floyd: June 29, 1804
The party departed from the mouth of the Kansas River at 4:30 in the afternoon and continued upriver, passing a small stream on the south side. Before leaving,…
Jun
29
1804
Mouth of Kansas River — Joseph Whitehouse: June 29, 1804
The party rested until 4 p.m. before departing and rowing five miles to camp at Wolf Creek. Over the following days they pushed upriver against strong currents past…
Jun
29
1804
Mouth of Kansas River — John Ordway: June 29, 1804
The captains spent the previous night taking astronomical observations and held a court martial. The expedition departed the mouth of the Kansas River at 4:30 PM, traveling up…
Jun
30
1804
Clark: June 30, 1804
The expedition departed very early on this hot Saturday, spotting a large wolf on a sandbar near wild turkeys. About ten miles above the Kansas River, they passed…
Jun
30
1804
Mouth of Kansas River — Charles Floyd: June 30, 1804
The expedition departed very early in the morning and spotted a wolf on the sandbar. They passed the Little Platte River on the north side, noting it to…
Jun
30
1804
Mouth of Kansas River — Joseph Whitehouse: June 30, 1804
The party set out from Green Point at the usual hour with a favorable wind and good water, making successful progress. The day grew extremely hot, and when…
Jun
30
1804
Mouth of Kansas River — John Ordway: June 30, 1804
The expedition spotted a very large wolf on the sandbeach in the morning and traveled about ten miles upriver from the Kansas. They passed the mouth of the…
Jun
30
1804
Mouth of Kansas River — Patrick Gass: June 30, 1804
The expedition continued upriver, finding high land on both banks. They passed a large creek on the north side, named Platt, measuring about fifty yards wide. During the…
Jul
1
1804
Clark: July 1, 1804
After a nighttime sentinel alarm sent the party scrambling to arms, the expedition set out early on a very hot July day, passing Diamond Island and a small…
Jul
1
1804
Missouri River near Leavenworth area — Charles Floyd: July 1, 1804
On a clear day, the expedition set out and passed Biscuit Creek on the south side, then Frog Tree Creek, also on the south side, with a pond…
Jul
1
1804
Missouri River near Leavenworth area — Joseph Whitehouse: July 1, 1804
The party traveled about a mile upriver through the prairie, crossed the river with the white horse, and left it with other horses tended by hunters on the…
Jul
1
1804
Missouri River near Leavenworth area — John Ordway: July 1, 1804
The party set out after a court-martial punished two men for stealing whiskey from the stores; one sentry who got drunk on duty received 100 lashes on the…
Jul
1
1804
Missouri River near Leavenworth area — Patrick Gass: July 1, 1804
The party traveled 12 miles up the river and made camp for the night on an island. The island lay opposite a prairie on the southern bank of…
Jul
2
1804
Clark: July 2, 1804
The expedition set out early, passing the Isles des Parques and the mouths of Parques and Turkey Creeks. The river was suddenly choked with drift wood, likely from…
Jul
2
1804
Missouri River near Leavenworth area — Charles Floyd: July 2, 1804
The expedition departed very early and traveled along the left side of an island, passing a high, beautiful spot on the south bank with poor soil. They noted…
Jul
2
1804
Missouri River near Leavenworth area — John Ordway: July 2, 1804
The expedition traveled past several notable landmarks along the Missouri River, including a high, scenic spot on the south side, Parques (Fence) Creek on the north, and Turkey…
Jul
2
1804
Missouri River near Leavenworth area — Patrick Gass: July 2, 1804
The expedition encountered a large amount of driftwood being carried downstream. During the day they passed a creek on the south side of the river. By evening they…
Jul
2
1804
Missouri River near Leavenworth area — Joseph Whitehouse: July 2, 1804
The party set out under favorable winds that allowed them to sail for about eight hours. They reached a small stream the Indians called Nandowa, meaning Little Woody…
Jul
3
1804
Clark: July 3, 1804
The expedition departed very early under a gentle southerly breeze, passing two islands including the large Isle de Vache (Cow Island). Opposite the island's head on the starboard…
Jul
3
1804
Missouri River near Leavenworth area — Charles Floyd: July 3, 1804
The party set out early under a gentle southern breeze and found a stray horse on the south side that had been lost some time. Strong currents made…
Jul
3
1804
Missouri River near Leavenworth area — John Ordway: July 3, 1804
Under a gentle southern breeze, the party passed a long island and several smaller ones along the Missouri River. They found a stray white horse on the bank…
Jul
3
1804
Missouri River near Leavenworth area — Patrick Gass: July 3, 1804
The expedition continued its journey upriver until noon, when the party halted at a former trading site on the south bank of the river. At the abandoned location,…
Jul
4
1804
Independence Day on the Missouri
On July 4, 1804, the Corps of Discovery marked the 28th anniversary of American independence with a ceremonial cannon shot from the bow at sunrise and named a…
Jul
4
1804
John Ordway: July 4, 1804
On July 4, 1804, the expedition traveled past present-day Leavenworth, Kansas, noting a large lake (likely modern Sugar or Bean Lake) on the north side that the captains…
Jul
4
1804
Patrick Gass: July 4, 1804
On Independence Day 1804, the expedition continued upriver, passing Pond Creek on the north side before stopping for dinner at one o'clock. One member of the party suffered…
Jul
5
1804
Clark: July 5, 1804
The expedition departed early, swimming a horse across the river and passing the site of an old Kansas village. Clark speculated that warfare had pushed the tribe further…
Jul
5
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — Charles Floyd: July 5, 1804
The expedition departed early in the morning, swimming a stray horse across the river to rejoin the other horses. They proceeded about two miles along the bank past…
Jul
5
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — John Ordway: July 5, 1804
The party traveled along the river, passing the site of an old Kansas town abandoned around 1724, likely due to warfare pushing the inhabitants further into the plains.…
Jul
5
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — Patrick Gass: July 5, 1804
The party traveled along the Missouri River, observing high land on the south side. They navigated through a large bend filled with sand bars, which made passage difficult.…
Jul
6
1804
Clark: July 6, 1804
The expedition departed early on a very warm Friday with a southwest wind, navigating past sandbars, a small island, and Reevey's Prairie on the south side, named for…
Jul
6
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — Charles Floyd: July 6, 1804
The expedition departed under a gentle southwesterly breeze, but the river current was so strong that the boats could barely make headway against it. Despite the difficult conditions,…
Jul
6
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — John Ordway: July 6, 1804
The expedition continued upriver in very warm weather, with the men sweating profusely as the river slowly fell. They passed a prairie on the north side known as…
Jul
6
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — Patrick Gass: July 6, 1804
The expedition continued upriver, making good progress over the course of the day. They covered a solid distance before stopping for the night, setting up camp on the…
Jul
7
1804
Clark: July 7, 1804
The expedition set out early on a hot morning, struggling against swift water that forced them to tow the boats with ropes. They passed prairies on the south…
Jul
7
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — Charles Floyd: July 7, 1804
The party departed early and continued upriver under clear, very warm weather. They encountered a stretch of strong current along the south side of the river, which forced…
Jul
7
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — John Ordway: July 7, 1804
On a very warm day, the expedition passed beautiful prairies on the north side of the Missouri known as St. Michel, which from the river resembled farms divided…
Jul
7
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — Patrick Gass: July 7, 1804
The party traveled past a high, attractive prairie on the north side of the river. Along the bank, they killed a wolf and a large wood rat. The…
Jul
8
1804
Clark: July 8, 1804
The party set out early on a Sunday, reuniting with Sergeant Ordway who had been waiting at a creek. Five men fell ill with severe headaches, and several…
Jul
8
1804
Lewis: July 8, 1804
On July 8, 1804, at Nadawa Island, Captains Lewis and Clark issued detachment orders appointing John B. Thompson, William Warner, and John Collins as provision superintendents for the…
Jul
8
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — Charles Floyd: July 8, 1804
The expedition set out at sunrise after overnight rain with an easterly wind. Throughout the day they passed stretches of good, high-quality land along the river. They noted…
Jul
8
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — John Ordway: July 8, 1804
The expedition set out around 8 o'clock and traveled along the north side of Nodaway Island, noting high, well-timbered land on the northern bank. They passed Nodaway Creek…
Jul
8
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — Patrick Gass: July 8, 1804
On July 8, 1804, the expedition traveled along a crooked, narrow stretch of river. Around one o'clock they reached a large island and chose to pass it on…
Jul
8
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — Joseph Whitehouse: July 8, 1804
A favorable wind allowed the party to sail for roughly eight hours during the day's travel. They passed a small stream the men called Little Nadawa, meaning Little…
Jul
9
1804
Clark: July 9, 1804
The expedition set out early after sending a man back to mark a tree signaling their passage to the shore party. They passed an island, a bayou flowing…
Jul
9
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — Charles Floyd: July 9, 1804
The expedition set out early and made about ten miles, sailing for most of the day under rainy skies and high land. They passed Monter Creek and Wolf…
Jul
9
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — Joseph Whitehouse: July 9, 1804
Rainy weather marked the day as the expedition set out at the usual daylight hour. Rain continued through most of the day, and the hunters failed to return…
Jul
9
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — John Ordway: July 9, 1804
The expedition backtracked to a creek to blaze trees as markers for their hunters, then continued upriver. They passed the Creek of the Big Pond, noting a three-mile-long…
Jul
9
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — Patrick Gass: July 9, 1804
Heavy rain fell through midday before clearing. The expedition continued upriver and passed Wolf Creek on the south side. The party member who had been bitten by a…
Jul
10
1804
Clark: July 10, 1804
The expedition set out early to investigate a campfire spotted the previous night, only to find it belonged to their own men, who had not heard calls from…
Jul
10
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — Charles Floyd: July 10, 1804
The party set out at first light and reunited with two men who had fallen behind two days earlier, finding them exhausted and asleep. They passed Pape Creek…
Jul
10
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — John Ordway: July 10, 1804
The party landed near where they had seen a fire the previous night and found their missing men asleep, unaware they had been sent for. They continued upriver,…
Jul
10
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — Patrick Gass: July 10, 1804
The day was fair with favorable winds for travel. The expedition passed an island, with an attractive prairie visible on the south side of the river opposite the…
Jul
10
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — Joseph Whitehouse: July 10, 1804
The party traveled twelve miles and reached the Wolf River (Piettet River de Loup), camping on its west side near a mouth roughly twenty yards wide. The hunters…
Jul
11
1804
Clark: July 11, 1804
The expedition set out early and passed a willow island in a bend on the south side, near the mouth of the Tarkio Creek. Clark went ashore and…
Jul
11
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — Charles Floyd: July 11, 1804
The expedition paused at this location to take astronomical observations and give the fatigued men a chance to rest. Hunters were sent out on the north side of…
Jul
11
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — Patrick Gass: July 11, 1804
The party passed Tarico Creek on the north and stopped at an island opposite Moha Creek on the south side of the river. Seven hunters went out, and…
Jul
11
1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — Joseph Whitehouse: July 11, 1804
The expedition set out early under threatening skies that soon cleared. They passed several islands lying to the east before reaching the mouth of the Grand Nemaha River…
Jul
12
1804
Clark: July 12, 1804
The expedition stayed in camp to take astronomical observations and let the fatigued men rest. Clark took five men by pirogue about two miles up the Nemaha River,…
Jul
12
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — John Ordway: July 12, 1804
The expedition paused while the captains took observations and several hunters went out. Some hunters from the previous day traveled up the Nemaha River, noted as about 80…
Jul
12
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Patrick Gass: July 12, 1804
The expedition paused to allow the men, who were exhausted, to rest. Hunters who had stayed overnight on the south side of the river returned to camp empty-handed,…
Jul
12
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Joseph Whitehouse: July 12, 1804
The expedition remained at their previous campsite for the day. A piebald horse was found on the east side of the river. The hunting party returned to camp…
Jul
13
1804
Clark: July 13, 1804
The party set out at sunrise under a gentle southern breeze, passing the mouth of the Tarkio River about two miles in, where an old channel forms St.…
Jul
13
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Charles Floyd: July 13, 1804
The party set out early and continued upriver, passing the Big Tarkio River on the north side, a creek about 40 yards wide with muddy banks difficult for…
Jul
13
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Joseph Whitehouse: July 13, 1804
The expedition set out early in the morning, swimming their horses across Tarkio Creek to accommodate the hunters. As the wind picked up, they were able to use…
Jul
13
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — John Ordway: July 13, 1804
The expedition passed the mouth of the Big Tarkio River at 10 PM the previous night and endured a violent one-hour storm from the north-northeast followed by a…
Jul
13
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Patrick Gass: July 13, 1804
The expedition enjoyed favorable winds and pleasant weather throughout the day. Traveling along the river, the party passed a creek on the north side. After covering 20 and…
Jul
14
1804
Clark: July 14, 1804
Heavy morning rain delayed departure until 7 a.m. Soon after setting out, a violent northeast windstorm struck the boat near a sand island, nearly dashing it to pieces;…
Jul
14
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Charles Floyd: July 14, 1804
The party set out at daybreak but had traveled only about a mile when a violent storm blew in from the south, lasting roughly an hour and a…
Jul
14
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Joseph Whitehouse: July 14, 1804
Heavy rain and a strong wind hit camp before the party could depart, churning the water so violently that all hands had to get into the river to…
Jul
14
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — John Ordway: July 14, 1804
A sudden violent storm from the northeast struck around 7 a.m., nearly driving the boat onto a sandbar; the men leapt out to hold her steady and dropped…
Jul
14
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Patrick Gass: July 14, 1804
A violent storm struck the expedition around seven, forcing the entire crew to jump into the water to save the boat. The squall passed quickly, and the party…
Jul
15
1804
Clark: July 15, 1804
A heavy morning fog delayed departure until 7 a.m. Drouillard and Sergeant Floyd were sent ashore, and at 9 Clark took two men and walked overland through prairies…
Jul
15
1804
Lewis: July 15, 1804
On this Sunday, Lewis discovered that his chronometer had stopped, despite having been wound the previous noon. This was the third such incident since he acquired the instrument,…
Jul
15
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Charles Floyd: July 15, 1804
The party departed at 6:00 a.m. and traveled along the river, passing two streams on the south side. The first was Plumb Run, where the current was noted…
Jul
15
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — John Ordway: July 15, 1804
The party traveled along the Missouri River with Drouillard and Sergeant Floyd scouting on shore in the morning. After breakfast, Ordway accompanied Captain Clark on the south side,…
Jul
15
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Patrick Gass: July 15, 1804
The expedition continued upriver, passing high land and prairies on the south side where they gathered ripe grapes. Captain Clark and two men traveled overland rather than by…
Jul
15
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Joseph Whitehouse: July 15, 1804
Heavy morning fog delayed the expedition's departure until it lifted. Once underway, the party passed the Nishnabotna River and, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, passed the Little…
Jul
16
1804
Clark: July 16, 1804
The expedition set out very early under a gentle southerly breeze, passing prairies, several willow and sand islands, and a large island the party named Fair Sun. The…
Jul
16
1804
Lewis: July 16, 1804
The expedition departed early on a cloudy Monday morning, making it difficult to find a good spot for celestial observation. Just before noon, the party stopped on the…
Jul
16
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Charles Floyd: July 16, 1804
The party set out very early and traveled along the edge of a prairie under a southerly wind that allowed them to sail. Their boat struck a sawyer…
Jul
16
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — John Ordway: July 16, 1804
The expedition traveled along a prairie where hills came close to the Missouri River, passing several small islands including a large one called Fair Sun. The boat briefly…
Jul
16
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Patrick Gass: July 16, 1804
The expedition enjoyed a fine day with a fair wind as they traveled past a prairie and a long island, beyond which a section of riverbank had collapsed…
Jul
16
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Joseph Whitehouse: July 16, 1804
The expedition enjoyed clear weather and strong winds, making good progress under sail. They passed several islands and a prairie on the east shore where elk were spotted,…
Jul
17
1804
Clark: July 17, 1804
The expedition stayed at Bald Pated Prairie to fix the latitude and longitude and reset the chronometer, which had run down two days earlier. Clark calculated the latitude…
Jul
17
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Charles Floyd: July 17, 1804
The party rested for the day to hunt for fresh meat. Captain Lewis and George Drouillard went out, with Drouillard killing three deer. The surrounding country was prairie,…
Jul
17
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — John Ordway: July 17, 1804
The expedition remained at this location to hunt and take astronomical observations. Several men set out hunting early in the morning across the bald-topped prairie mentioned earlier. Captain…
Jul
17
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Patrick Gass: July 17, 1804
On this day, the expedition's hunters had a successful outing, killing three deer. Patrick Gass's journal entry for July 17, 1804 is exceptionally brief, recording only this single…
Jul
18
1804
Clark: July 18, 1804
On a fair, breezy morning with the river falling, the expedition set out at sunrise and traveled past several islands, including one the French called Bald Pate (Chauve).…
Jul
18
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — John Ordway: July 18, 1804
Under a gentle southeasterly breeze and fair skies, the party continued upriver, passing several islands and prairies with sparse timber except on low, wet points covered with cottonwood,…
Jul
18
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Patrick Gass: July 18, 1804
The expedition traveled with a fair wind and pleasant weather through remarkably open country that appeared as one continuous prairie. Two hunters proceeded overland with the horses, as…
Jul
19
1804
Clark: July 19, 1804
The expedition set out early and passed between two small islands the French called Four le Tourtre, or Baker's Oven Islands, then navigated past yellow-earth clifts and numerous…
Jul
19
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Charles Floyd: July 19, 1804
The expedition departed early and traveled about nine miles upriver, passing several islands and contending with a strong current. They passed an unnamed stream on the south side,…
Jul
19
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — John Ordway: July 19, 1804
The expedition passed Baker's Oven and Baker's Island, then the mouth of a small creek and high yellow-earth bluffs topped with prairie along the south side, where signs…
Jul
19
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Patrick Gass: July 19, 1804
On July 19, 1804, the party traveled past numerous sandbars and high ground along the south side of the river. They stopped for their midday meal at a…
Jul
19
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Joseph Whitehouse: July 19, 1804
The expedition set out under clear skies, passing four islands on the starboard side. Along the shore, the men encountered two large catfish locked together, unable to separate,…
Jul
20
1804
Clark: July 20, 1804
On a cool, foggy morning, the expedition continued upriver despite George Drouillard's illness. Bratton swam back across the river to retrieve a gun and clothes left behind. They…
Jul
20
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Charles Floyd: July 20, 1804
The expedition departed at 6 a.m. and traveled past Cry's Creek (about 35 yards wide) on the south side, noting clifts, a fine spring, and open prairie atop…
Jul
20
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Joseph Whitehouse: July 20, 1804
The expedition set out early and stopped for breakfast at the mouth of Crying Water Creek, about 20 yards wide, on the west side beneath Bald Hill. Around…
Jul
20
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — John Ordway: July 20, 1804
The party departed at sunrise with Sergeant Pryor and J. Fields driving the horses overland, while George Drouillard was sick. They passed a fine limestone and iron-ore spring,…
Jul
20
1804
Missouri River near Platte River mouth — Patrick Gass: July 20, 1804
The expedition passed banks along the south side of the river and noted a creek called the Water-which-cries, or Weeping Stream, which flowed in opposite a willow island.…
Jul
21
1804
Arrival at the Platte River
On July 21, 1804, the expedition reached the mouth of the Platte River, a major landmark marking the transition from the lower to the upper Missouri and the…
Jul
21
1804
Charles Floyd: July 21, 1804
The expedition departed very early in the morning, hoping to locate woodland near the mouth of a river they had passed earlier. Initially unable to find any timber,…
Jul
21
1804
Joseph Whitehouse: July 21, 1804
The party set out early in search of a suitable spot for astronomical observations and a longer encampment. Along the way, they passed a stream on the north…
Jul
21
1804
John Ordway: July 21, 1804
Setting out at sunrise with a gentle southerly breeze, the party made good progress past several islands and timbered highlands containing cemented rock, limestone, and springs. Around 1…
Jul
21
1804
Patrick Gass: July 21, 1804
Aided by a strong morning breeze, the party traveled past numerous willow islands and sandbars before the wind died at nine. By one o'clock they reached the mouth…
Jul
22
1804
Clark: July 22, 1804
The expedition set out very early on this cold, windy Sunday, traveling about 10 miles north-northwest from the Platte River to find a well-timbered spot suitable for taking…
Jul
22
1804
Lewis: July 22, 1804
Lewis devotes this entry not to travel events but to a detailed technical description of the scientific instruments he is using to record celestial observations and map the…
Jul
22
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — John Ordway: July 22, 1804
The expedition traveled along timbered land and prairies on the south side, passing hills that began about ten miles above the Grand River Platte. They went up Mosquito…
Jul
22
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — Patrick Gass: July 22, 1804
The expedition set out early under fair weather, traveling along a stretch where high prairie bordered the south side of the river and timber dotted the northern hills.…
Jul
22
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — Joseph Whitehouse: July 22, 1804
Under clear skies, the expedition remained at their camp on the riverbank and raised the American flag. George Drouillard and Pierre Cruzatte were sent out on a 45-mile…
Jul
23
1804
Clark: July 23, 1804
On a fair morning at Camp White Catfish, ten miles above the Platte River, the captains sent one party to find timber for oars and two others to…
Jul
23
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — Charles Floyd: July 23, 1804
The expedition remained in camp this day, resting and taking astronomical observations at their location. The captains decided to send out men to make contact with local Indian…
Jul
23
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — Joseph Whitehouse: July 23, 1804
On a clear morning, the expedition remained at their camp on the riverbank, where they hoisted the American flag. George Drouillard and Pierre Cruzatte were sent out on…
Jul
23
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — John Ordway: July 23, 1804
The expedition remained at their encampment, where they raised the American flag on the bank and unloaded the boat to air out the cargo. Cruzatte was sent on…
Jul
23
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — Patrick Gass: July 23, 1804
While camped along the Missouri, the party dispatched two men up the Platte River to a nearby Indian nation, carrying a flag and word of the change in…
Jul
24
1804
Clark: July 24, 1804
At White Catfish Camp, ten miles above the Platte River, the day was fair with strong, refreshing southerly winds. Clark spent the day drafting a map while Captain…
Jul
24
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — Charles Floyd: July 24, 1804
The party remained at their camp, raising a large flagstaff in the morning to greet Indians they expected to meet, but rain and wind forced them to take…
Jul
24
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — Joseph Whitehouse: July 24, 1804
The day began with some rain. Four members of the party were assigned to crafting oars for the bateau (the expedition's keelboat). The brief entry records no other…
Jul
24
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — John Ordway: July 24, 1804
On this day, four members of the expedition party were occupied with making oars for the boat. The group also discovered a large quantity of ripe grapes growing…
Jul
25
1804
Clark: July 25, 1804
At White Catfish Camp on a fair Wednesday, several hunters were sent out. Around 2 p.m., Drouillard and Peter returned from a scouting trip to the Oto village,…
Jul
25
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — Joseph Whitehouse: July 25, 1804
The day began pleasant, with several men sent out hunting. Scouts George Drouillard and Peter Cruzatte returned to camp, reporting they had found no Indians; the local tribes…
Jul
25
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — John Ordway: July 25, 1804
On July 25, 1804, hunters George Drouillard and Pierre Cruzatte returned to the expedition after scouting the Oto village, reporting they found no Indians there. Based on signs…
Jul
25
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — Charles Floyd: July 25, 1804
The party set out early under a gentle southern breeze and found a stray horse on the south side that had been lost for some time. The current…
Jul
26
1804
Clark: July 26, 1804
At White Catfish Camp, strong southerly winds blew clouds of sand all day, making it impossible for Clark to work in his tent or on the boat, forcing…
Jul
26
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — Charles Floyd: July 26, 1804
The crew finished making oars on this day. A strong, violent wind blew from the southeast, but otherwise nothing of note occurred. Charles Floyd recorded only these brief…
Jul
26
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — Joseph Whitehouse: July 26, 1804
The day began pleasantly, with several men sent out hunting from the party's camp. George Drouillard returned successfully, having killed two deer and a turkey. Later in the…
Jul
26
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — John Ordway: July 26, 1804
The expedition spent the day at camp focused on hunting and processing game. George Drouillard brought in two deer and a turkey, while most of the party was…
Jul
27
1804
Clark: July 27, 1804
After a brief morning shower at White Catfish Camp ten miles above the Platte, the party spent the morning loading the boat and pirogue and fitting the oars.…
Jul
27
1804
Lewis: July 27, 1804
After a brief rain shower at White Catfish Camp, the party loaded the boat and pirogue, finished making oars and poles, and ferried two horses across to travel…
Jul
27
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — Charles Floyd: July 27, 1804
The party swam their horses across to the south side of the river since the terrain there was better for travel. They set out at noon under a…
Jul
27
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — Joseph Whitehouse: July 27, 1804
On a cloudy morning, the party readied the boat and set out around 1 PM, traveling along high wooded land on the south side. George Shannon killed a…
Jul
27
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — John Ordway: July 27, 1804
The expedition's horses swam across the river, and the party set out under sail around one o'clock, traveling about 15 miles past high wooded land on the south…
Jul
27
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — Patrick Gass: July 27, 1804
The party finished readying the boats and set out at noon under a fair wind and pleasant weather. They traveled twelve miles up the river before making camp…
Jul
28
1804
Clark: July 28, 1804
The expedition set out early on a dark, smoky morning with rain and a northwest wind. They passed the first high bluff above the Nodaway River on the…
Jul
28
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — Joseph Whitehouse: July 28, 1804
On a cloudy morning with strong northeasterly winds, the expedition set out early and traveled past a high bottom prairie on the north side, with timbered ridges and…
Jul
28
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — John Ordway: July 28, 1804
The expedition continued upriver past prairies and high ridges marked by bare, round knobs on the north side, with low cottonwood timber on the south. They passed Round…
Jul
28
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — Patrick Gass: July 28, 1804
The expedition traveled past scenic hills and prairies, noting Round-Knob Creek on the north side of the river and high bluffs on the south. The party made camp…
Jul
28
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — Charles Floyd: July 28, 1804
The party departed at sunrise after overnight rain accompanied by an easterly wind. Throughout the day they traveled past stretches of good, high-quality land. They passed a creek…
Jul
29
1804
Clark: July 29, 1804
On a dark, rainy Sunday with northwest winds, the expedition sent a Frenchman named La Liberté along with an Indian to the Oto camp to invite the tribe…
Jul
29
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — Charles Floyd: July 29, 1804
The party set out after dispatching the encountered Indian along with one of their men to retrieve the rest of his group. The Indian explained he was traveling…
Jul
29
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — Joseph Whitehouse: July 29, 1804
A rainy morning saw the party send an Indian guide and Liberty to bring the rest of the nation in for a treaty. The hunter returned at noon…
Jul
29
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — John Ordway: July 29, 1804
The expedition departed early, sending a French interpreter named J. Barter (elsewhere called La Liberty) along with an Indian to gather the Oto tribe for a council upriver.…
Jul
29
1804
Near Platte River, Council Bluffs area — Patrick Gass: July 29, 1804
On July 29, 1804, one of the expedition's French members departed with an Indian to gather more Native people and meet the party at a suitable landing spot.…
Jul
30
1804
Clark: July 30, 1804
The expedition set out early and traveled a few miles west before camping in a timbered grove beneath a high bluff on the south side, where they raised…
Jul
30
1804
Lewis: July 30, 1804
On July 30, 1804, expedition member Joseph Fields killed an unusual animal that the French engagés called a 'braro' (badger). Lewis noted the species was not found in…
Jul
30
1804
Council Bluffs, Iowa (first council site) — Charles Floyd: July 30, 1804
The party departed very early in the morning and traveled three miles before stopping to wait for the man who had been sent off with an Indian the…
Jul
30
1804
Council Bluffs, Iowa (first council site) — Joseph Whitehouse: July 30, 1804
The expedition set out early to find a campsite where they could wait for Liberté and the Oto Indians in order to hold a treaty council. Around eight…
Jul
30
1804
Council Bluffs, Iowa (first council site) — John Ordway: July 30, 1804
The party traveled upriver searching for a suitable camping spot to await the arrival of the Otoe Indians, eventually stopping around 7 o'clock at high bluffs on the…
Jul
30
1804
Council Bluffs, Iowa (first council site) — Patrick Gass: July 30, 1804
The party set out early and was met by hunters with a deer. By 9 a.m. they reached timbered land at the foot of a high bluff and…
Jul
31
1804
Clark: July 31, 1804
On a fair Tuesday at the expedition's camp, three hunters went out, with George Drouillard bringing back a notably fat buck and the Field brothers returning by 10…
Jul
31
1804
Council Bluffs, Iowa (first council site) — Charles Floyd: July 31, 1804
The expedition remained camped at a location they named Council Bluff, waiting for a delegation of Indians expected to meet with Captains Lewis and Clark. Floyd notes he…
Jul
31
1804
Council Bluffs, Iowa (first council site) — Joseph Whitehouse: July 31, 1804
The expedition rowed about four and a half miles before halting around eight o'clock to make camp on the west side of the river, in a wooded area…
Jul
31
1804
Council Bluffs, Iowa (first council site) — John Ordway: July 31, 1804
At the camp in southeastern Washington County, Nebraska (near the future site of Fort Calhoun), Fields returned without the missing horses and set out again with two men…
Jul
31
1804
Council Bluffs, Iowa (first council site) — Patrick Gass: July 31, 1804
The party's hunters had mixed success today. One returned with a young beaver caught alive in a trap, then went back out and shot a large buck. Two…
Aug
1
1804
Clark: August 1, 1804
On a fair, cool morning at camp, Clark sent two men to retrieve horses that had strayed and another to check whether any Indians had visited the messenger…
Aug
1
1804
Council Bluffs, Iowa (first council site) — Charles Floyd: August 1, 1804
The men sent to retrieve the horses returned successfully, having killed an elk, while other hunters brought in three deer. The anticipated Native delegation arrived, firing many guns…
Aug
1
1804
Council Bluffs, Iowa (first council site) — Joseph Whitehouse: August 1, 1804
Clear weather marked the day at the Council Bluffs camp. George Drouillard caught a young beaver and kept it as a pet. The Field brothers had lost the…
Aug
1
1804
Council Bluffs, Iowa (first council site) — John Ordway: August 1, 1804
The party had a successful day of hunting near their camp. One animal trapped overnight escaped by gnawing off its leg. George Drouillard recovered the horses and brought…
Aug
1
1804
Council Bluffs, Iowa (first council site) — Patrick Gass: August 1, 1804
Two hunters returned with horses and an elk, while others brought in two large bucks and a fawn. The Indians the expedition had been awaiting arrived at dark,…
Aug
2
1804
Clark: August 2, 1804
On a pleasant Thursday with a strong southeast breeze, hunters Drewyer and Colter returned to camp with horses loaded with elk, having found the animals about 12 miles…
Aug
2
1804
Lewis: August 2, 1804
On this day, one of the expedition's hunters brought Lewis a white heron, which he examined and described in detail. Lewis noted the bird's habitat in ponds and…
Aug
2
1804
Council Bluffs, Iowa (first council site) — Joseph Whitehouse: August 2, 1804
A foggy morning found Oto and Missouri Indians camped peacefully near the expedition. After 9 a.m., Captain Lewis convened a council with six Oto and six Missouri chiefs.…
Aug
2
1804
Council Bluffs, Iowa (first council site) — Patrick Gass: August 2, 1804
Hunters returned to camp with horses, an elk, two large bucks, and a fawn. The anticipated Indians arrived at dark, but the French interpreter accompanying them was missing…
Aug
3
1804
First Council with Otoe and Missouri Nations
At a site Lewis named Council Bluff, near present-day Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, the captains held their first formal diplomatic council with Native peoples, meeting with representatives of the…
Aug
3
1804
John Ordway: August 3, 1804
The two captains held a council with the Oto (Zottous) Indians, appointing six chiefs under American authority and presenting them with medals and gifts. The chiefs received the…
Aug
3
1804
Patrick Gass: August 3, 1804
The captains held a council with Oto and Missouri Indians, who responded favorably to news of the change in government and the gestures made on their behalf. Six…
Aug
3
1804
Charles Floyd: August 3, 1804
The captains held a council with the Oto and Missouri tribes, distributing gifts and reaching agreement; the Missouris are a small nation while the Otos are larger, and…
Aug
4
1804
Clark: August 4, 1804
The expedition set out early after a violent northwest windstorm with light rain struck the previous evening around 7 o'clock. They navigated a narrow, snag-filled stretch of river…
Aug
4
1804
Missouri River near Soldier River — Patrick Gass: August 4, 1804
On a clear day, the expedition traveled along the river and passed a creek on the south side that flowed out of nearby ponds. One member of the…
Aug
5
1804
Clark: August 5, 1804
The expedition set out early under threatening winds and rain, though Clark noted thunder and lightning are less common here than in the Atlantic states. The crew killed…
Aug
5
1804
Lewis: August 5, 1804
On August 5, 1804, Lewis recorded detailed natural history observations rather than travel events. He examined a non-venomous snake killed along the riverbank near a large prairie, locally…
Aug
5
1804
Missouri River near Soldier River — Charles Floyd: August 5, 1804
The party set out early in the morning and traveled about two miles before a severe windstorm with rain struck from the northeast. The storm lasted roughly two…
Aug
5
1804
Missouri River near Soldier River — Joseph Whitehouse: August 5, 1804
The party traveled 16 miles and made camp on the south side of the river. The day was otherwise uneventful, with nothing notable to report. However, a member…
Aug
5
1804
Missouri River near Soldier River — Patrick Gass: August 5, 1804
Wind forced the party to halt for two hours before clearing skies allowed them to resume traveling. They passed prairies on both banks of the river and made…
Aug
6
1804
Clark: August 6, 1804
A violent windstorm from the northwest struck around midnight, bringing rain and tearing the colors from the large pirogue. The party set out early and passed a large…
Aug
6
1804
Missouri River near Soldier River — Charles Floyd: August 6, 1804
The party set out early in the morning and continued upriver, passing Soldiers Creek on the north side, which entered behind an island. Around midnight the previous night,…
Aug
6
1804
Missouri River near Soldier River — Joseph Whitehouse: August 6, 1804
Fair weather greeted the party at sunrise as they got underway, passing an island on the larboard side. They traveled 12 miles before stopping for dinner, during which…
Aug
6
1804
Missouri River near Soldier River — Patrick Gass: August 6, 1804
Following a stormy night of wind and rain, the party continued upriver, passing a waterway on the north side located behind an island and known as Soldiers Creek.…
Aug
7
1804
Clark: August 7, 1804
A nighttime storm from the northwest lasted about 45 minutes, and mosquitoes were unusually fierce. The party set out late with a north wind. At 1 o'clock, Clark…
Aug
7
1804
Missouri River near Soldier River — Charles Floyd: August 7, 1804
The expedition departed at 6 a.m. under clear skies and a northwest wind. Floyd recounted how Moses B. Reed had deserted on August 4th, using the excuse of…
Aug
7
1804
Missouri River near Soldier River — Joseph Whitehouse: August 7, 1804
The morning was clear. A four-man party consisting of George Drouillard, Reuben Fields, Bratton, and William Labiche was sent to pursue Moses Reed, who had deserted, with their…
Aug
7
1804
Missouri River near Soldier River — Patrick Gass: August 7, 1804
Around midday, four men were sent to the Otto nation to retrieve a deserter who had not returned on the 4th, with orders to bring him back dead…
Aug
8
1804
Clark: August 8, 1804
On Wednesday, August 8, 1804, the expedition departed at the usual time and navigated a snag-choked bend with some difficulty before passing the mouth of the Little Sioux…
Aug
8
1804
Lewis: August 8, 1804
After passing the Sioux (Stone) River, the expedition noticed feathers drifting on the Missouri for about three miles before discovering an enormous flock of pelicans resting on a…
Aug
8
1804
Missouri River near Soldier River — Patrick Gass: August 8, 1804
The expedition passed a river on the north side called the Little Sioux. Captain Clark and one of the men went hunting and killed an elk, while another…
Aug
9
1804
Clark: August 9, 1804
Thick morning fog delayed departure until 7:30 a.m., when the party set out under a gentle southeast breeze. Clark walked along the shore, observed land similar to the…
Aug
9
1804
Missouri River near Soldier River — Charles Floyd: August 9, 1804
The expedition departed at 7 a.m. after waiting for the thick morning fog to lift, a common condition in the region. Captain Clark and Charles Floyd traveled overland…
Aug
9
1804
Missouri River near Soldier River — Joseph Whitehouse: August 9, 1804
The day began with morning fog that cleared by 8 a.m. A southerly wind allowed the party to make good use of their sails, covering more than 14…
Aug
9
1804
Missouri River near Soldier River — Patrick Gass: August 9, 1804
The party was unable to set out until 7 a.m., then traveled with the help of a gentle breeze. After covering eleven miles, they reached a spot where…
Aug
10
1804
Clark: August 10, 1804
The Corps of Discovery pushed onward up the Missouri River through what is now Nebraska. Members of the party hunted game and recorded observations of the surrounding prairie…
Aug
10
1804
Charles Floyd: August 10, 1804
The party set out early, navigated a shallow sandbar, and traveled 23 miles before camping on a sandbar on the north side, with high hilly land to the…
Aug
10
1804
Joseph Whitehouse: August 10, 1804
The morning began clear with troublesome mosquitoes until the sun rose higher, and the party camped on the east side after traveling 24 miles. Early Saturday, August 11,…
Aug
10
1804
Patrick Gass: August 10, 1804
The expedition camped on the north side of the river after passing along the south side. The brief entry provides no further detail about the day's travel, weather,…
Aug
11
1804
Clark: August 11, 1804
After a stormy dawn with strong northwest winds and rain, the expedition landed on the Lewis side of the river to climb a high bluff where Chief Black…
Aug
11
1804
Missouri River near Little Sioux River — Patrick Gass: August 11, 1804
Despite rain that fell from morning until nine, the party continued traveling until ten, when they stopped at a high bluff that served as the burial site of…
Aug
12
1804
Clark: August 12, 1804
The expedition set out early under a southern breeze along a wider, shallower stretch of river. At noon they stopped to take a meridian altitude reading and measured…
Aug
12
1804
Missouri River near Little Sioux River — Charles Floyd: August 12, 1804
The expedition departed at the usual time and proceeded under a gentle northeast breeze that allowed them to sail. The day was clear. They passed bluffs of red…
Aug
12
1804
Missouri River near Little Sioux River — Joseph Whitehouse: August 12, 1804
A fair morning with a sharp breeze blowing from the south. Over the course of 24 hours, from noon the previous day to noon today, the party traveled…
Aug
12
1804
Missouri River near Little Sioux River — Patrick Gass: August 12, 1804
The party endured an exceptionally bad night of mosquitoes before setting out at daylight. They navigated an eighteen-mile bend in the river whose neck measured only 974 yards…
Aug
13
1804
Clark: August 13, 1804
On Monday, August 13, 1804, the expedition departed at daylight as usual, traveling under a gentle southeasterly breeze and passing an island. From their previous campsite, called Fish…
Aug
13
1804
Missouri River near Little Sioux River — Charles Floyd: August 13, 1804
The expedition departed very early under a gentle southeast breeze and sailed through a cloudy morning that cleared around 10 a.m. They arrived at the Maha (Omaha) village…
Aug
13
1804
Missouri River near Little Sioux River — Joseph Whitehouse: August 13, 1804
The expedition arrived at a fish camp near the Maha (Omaha) Village around 4 o'clock. The commanding officer dispatched a sergeant and four men carrying a white flag…
Aug
13
1804
Missouri River near Little Sioux River — Patrick Gass: August 13, 1804
After contending with wind, the party landed in the afternoon on a sandy beach near the Maha (Omaha) village on the south side of the river. A sergeant…
Aug
14
1804
Clark: August 14, 1804
On a fine Tuesday morning with shifting winds, the party sent to the Maha (Omaha) village returned around noon reporting they found no Indians or fresh signs, as…
Aug
14
1804
Missouri River near Little Sioux River — Charles Floyd: August 14, 1804
The party remained in camp awaiting the return of the men sent on August 7 to pursue a deserter. Floyd notes that the Omaha Indians had abandoned their…
Aug
14
1804
Missouri River near Little Sioux River — Joseph Whitehouse: August 14, 1804
The weather was fair and pleasant. Some of the men went out hunting but returned without any game. The following day, Captain Clark and several men traveled about…
Aug
14
1804
Missouri River near Little Sioux River — Patrick Gass: August 14, 1804
The party reported that scouts had visited a nearby village but found no Indians there. Hunters were sent out but returned empty-handed, as game seemed scarce in the…
Aug
15
1804
Clark: August 15, 1804
Camped three miles northeast of the Maha Village, Clark took ten men to a beaver-dammed creek about a mile southwest, where they fashioned a brush drag from willow…
Aug
15
1804
Missouri River near Little Sioux River — Charles Floyd: August 15, 1804
Captain Lewis led a fishing party of twelve men to a nearby creek, where they caught 709 fish of various kinds. The brief entry records no other notable…
Aug
15
1804
Missouri River near Little Sioux River — Joseph Whitehouse: August 15, 1804
Captain Lewis led a fishing party out the next day and returned with a substantial catch of 709 fish, including nearly 200 pike among them.
Aug
15
1804
Missouri River near Little Sioux River — Patrick Gass: August 15, 1804
The party fished at Maha Creek with brush nets, catching 387 fish of various kinds, and later Captain Lewis led twelve men who took 709 more, including 167…
Aug
16
1804
Clark: August 16, 1804
On a cool, breezy morning at Fishing Camp northeast of the Maha village, Captain Lewis took twelve men to a nearby creek and pond, where they used a…
Aug
16
1804
Missouri River near Little Sioux River — Charles Floyd: August 16, 1804
Captain Lewis and twelve members of the expedition went to a nearby creek to fish. They had a remarkably successful outing, catching 709 fish of various kinds. Sergeant…
Aug
16
1804
Missouri River near Little Sioux River — Joseph Whitehouse: August 16, 1804
The weather was pleasant, and the men spent the day in camp repairing their weapons and clothing. LaBiche returned alone, having become separated from his search party, and…
Aug
17
1804
Clark: August 17, 1804
On a fine, cool day with southeast winds, Clark recorded latitudes and distances of notable places along the river since leaving the mouth of the Dubois, estimating their…
Aug
17
1804
Missouri River near Little Sioux River — Joseph Whitehouse: August 17, 1804
The weather was pleasant, and the men spent the day in camp repairing their firearms and mending their clothing. La Liberté, who had been sent out with a…
Aug
17
1804
Missouri River near Little Sioux River — John Ordway: August 17, 1804
The expedition remained in camp with a southeast wind, still waiting on George Drouillard and the three men sent with him. The men in camp spent the day…
Aug
17
1804
Missouri River near Little Sioux River — Charles Floyd: August 17, 1804
The party remained in camp waiting for men who had not returned the previous night. On Saturday, August 18, the men came back, bringing with them the Grand…
Aug
18
1804
Sgt. Floyd's Last Journal Entry
Sergeant Charles Floyd recorded a short note about his health, stating he had been very sick for some time but believed he had recovered. His optimism proved mistaken:…
Aug
18
1804
John Ordway: August 18, 1804
A party returned with the deserter Moses Reed along with Oto chiefs Big Horse and Little Thief (Petevaliar), a Frenchman, and seven warriors who came to negotiate peace…
Aug
18
1804
Joseph Whitehouse: August 18, 1804
Drouillard and two other men returned to camp bringing back the deserter Moses Reed, along with several Oto leaders: the principal chief Little Thief, another chief called Big…
Aug
19
1804
Clark: August 19, 1804
On a fine Sunday morning with southeast winds, the captains held a council with nine Oto and Missouri chiefs and warriors under an awning, repeating a speech previously…
Aug
19
1804
Floyd's Bluff area, Sgt. Floyd dying — Joseph Whitehouse: August 19, 1804
The expedition held a council with friendly Indians on this day. At 9 o'clock, Captains Lewis and Clark delivered a long speech and conferred with the visitors. They…
Aug
20
1804
The Death of Sergeant Charles Floyd
Sergeant Charles Floyd died on this day, becoming the only member of the Corps of Discovery to die during the expedition. About 22 years old, he had been…
Aug
20
1804
Joseph Whitehouse: August 20, 1804
The expedition departed early under a gentle southeast breeze as the visiting Indians returned to their village. The party sailed well through the morning and stopped at noon…
Aug
20
1804
Patrick Gass: August 20, 1804
The expedition set out early under fair winds and pleasant weather, traveling until a 2 o'clock dinner stop. There, Sergeant Charles Floyd died despite the best efforts of…
Aug
21
1804
Clark: August 21, 1804
The expedition departed very early under a gentle southeast breeze, passing Willow Creek, a 170-foot bluff, Floyd's River, and the mouth of the Sioux River on the starboard…
Aug
21
1804
Missouri River near Vermillion area — Joseph Whitehouse: August 21, 1804
The party departed early under a strong breeze from the south. They passed the mouth of the Grand Sioux River, close beneath a high bluff on the north…
Aug
21
1804
Missouri River near Vermillion area — John Ordway: August 21, 1804
A strong south wind pushed the expedition along well, though they had to reef the sail and struggled to see the channel as sand blew thickly from the…
Aug
21
1804
Missouri River near Vermillion area — Patrick Gass: August 21, 1804
The expedition traveled more than 20 miles, passing colored bluffs, Willow Creek, and the Sioux River along the north side of their route. They made camp for the…
Aug
22
1804
Clark: August 22, 1804
The expedition set out early with a southerly wind, with George Shannon rejoining the boat. They landed at a bluff containing alum, copperas, cobalt, pyrites, and other minerals,…
Aug
22
1804
Missouri River near Vermillion area — Joseph Whitehouse: August 22, 1804
The party set out early against a swift current with a strong southerly wind. They passed a cedar bluff on the south side containing various mineral substances. The…
Aug
22
1804
Missouri River near Vermillion area — John Ordway: August 22, 1804
The expedition traveled upriver against a swift current, aided by a strong south wind. Along the south side, they passed bluffs with cottonwood, elm, maple, oak, and cedar,…
Aug
22
1804
Missouri River near Vermillion area — Patrick Gass: August 22, 1804
The expedition traveled past bluffs on the south side of the river containing copperas, alum, and some kind of ore, and passed a creek along the way. For…
Aug
23
1804
Clark: August 23, 1804
The party set out very early, though two men with the horses had not caught up the previous night. Clark walked ashore and shot a fat buck, while…
Aug
23
1804
Missouri River near Vermillion area — Joseph Whitehouse: August 23, 1804
The party set out early with two hunters going ashore. Captain Clark walked along the bank and shot a fat buck, then the group stopped for breakfast. Two…
Aug
23
1804
Missouri River near Vermillion area — Patrick Gass: August 23, 1804
With a fair wind, the party traveled along a notably straighter stretch of the river. Captain Clark and another man killed a deer and a buffalo, and men…
Aug
24
1804
Clark: August 24, 1804
After overnight and morning rain, the party set out and passed a tall blue clay bluff on the south side that had recently been on fire and was…
Aug
24
1804
Lewis: August 24, 1804
On Friday, August 24th, 1804, Meriwether Lewis recorded a brief entry noting a mechanical problem with the expedition's chronometer. The instrument stopped running shortly after he wound it.…
Aug
24
1804
Missouri River near Vermillion area — Joseph Whitehouse: August 24, 1804
Hunters Drouillard and Colter returned to camp with the horses, having killed an elk which they brought in. At 7 p.m., twelve Oto Indians arrived at the camp,…
Aug
24
1804
Missouri River near Vermillion area — Patrick Gass: August 24, 1804
The party traveled along the Missouri, passing cedar bluffs on the north side where parts were actively burning and various minerals could be found. They observed small red…
Aug
25
1804
Clark: August 25, 1804
Captains Lewis and Clark, with Drouillard, York, Sergeant Ordway, and several other men, hiked from the mouth of White Stone Creek to investigate the so-called Mountain of Little…
Aug
25
1804
Lewis: August 25, 1804
On August 25, 1804, Lewis and his party returned from visiting the so-called Mound of Spirits. Along the way, they spotted the first bats they had seen since…
Aug
25
1804
Spirit Mound, South Dakota — Joseph Whitehouse: August 25, 1804
On a foggy morning, the expedition hosted a council with six Otoe and six Missouri chiefs near their camp. After 9 o'clock, Captain Lewis conducted the treaty, presenting…
Aug
25
1804
Spirit Mound, South Dakota — Patrick Gass: August 25, 1804
The party noted that very large catfish, sometimes weighing up to three hundred pounds together, were being caught in the Missouri River with hook and line. Captains Lewis…
Aug
26
1804
Clark: August 26, 1804
On Sunday, August 26, 1804, the party rejoined the boat at 9 a.m., jerked meat from the previous day's hunt, and prepared elk skins for a tow rope…
Aug
26
1804
Lewis: August 26, 1804
On this day, the commanding officers issued formal orders promoting Patrick Gass to sergeant in the Corps of Volunteers for North Western Discovery, filling the vacancy left by…
Aug
26
1804
Spirit Mound, South Dakota — Joseph Whitehouse: August 26, 1804
The boat was delayed in the morning to butcher an elk Shannon had killed. Around 9 o'clock, a party returned exhausted and nearly out of water, reporting that…
Aug
26
1804
Spirit Mound, South Dakota — Patrick Gass: August 26, 1804
Around 10 a.m., Captains Lewis and Clark returned to camp with their party after exploring a hill in a handsome prairie, where they had searched unsuccessfully for the…
Aug
27
1804
Clark: August 27, 1804
Setting out under a gentle southeast breeze after Drouillard reported he couldn't find Shannon or the missing horses, the party sent Shields and J. Fields back to search…
Aug
27
1804
Lewis: August 27, 1804
On Monday, August 27th, 1804, the Lewis and Clark expedition was positioned along the starboard shore of the Missouri River, directly across from the lower point marking the…
Aug
27
1804
Spirit Mound, South Dakota — Joseph Whitehouse: August 27, 1804
The party set out at sunrise under a gentle southeast breeze after George Drouillard returned and two men were sent to hunt for the horses. They passed a…
Aug
27
1804
Spirit Mound, South Dakota — Patrick Gass: August 27, 1804
The party traveled past bluffs on the south side of the river and stopped for dinner at 2 o'clock near the mouth of the Sacque (Jacques) River. There…
Aug
28
1804
Clark: August 28, 1804
Under a stiff southerly wind, the expedition traveled past a willow island and sandbars on a wide, shallow stretch of river, noting a 70-80 foot white bluff on…
Aug
28
1804
Lewis: August 28, 1804
On this day, Captains Lewis and Clark issued an order regarding meal preparation for the expedition. Each of the two pirogue crews was directed to select one man…
Aug
28
1804
Spirit Mound, South Dakota — Joseph Whitehouse: August 28, 1804
The morning was clear. A party of four men—George Drouillard, Reuben Fields, Bratton, and William Labiche—was sent to pursue Moses Reed, who had deserted, with their location noted…
Aug
28
1804
Spirit Mound, South Dakota — Patrick Gass: August 28, 1804
The expedition traveled with a fair southeast wind, stopping for breakfast at 8 a.m., when their young Indian companion left them to return to his camp near a…
Aug
29
1804
Clark: August 29, 1804
Cloudy with rain overnight and into the morning. The men crafted a tow rope from elk skin while Clark worked on writing a speech. Colter was sent ahead…
Aug
29
1804
Spirit Mound, South Dakota — Joseph Whitehouse: August 29, 1804
A storm with wind and rain hit the camp from the northwest the previous night, leaving a cloudy, thundery morning. Colter was sent out with provisions to find…
Aug
29
1804
Spirit Mound, South Dakota — Patrick Gass: August 29, 1804
Rain blew in from the northwest and continued through much of the night, with a cloudy, thundery morning following. The party stayed well fed on excellent catfish, including…
Aug
30
1804
Meeting the Yankton Sioux
Near present-day Gavins Point, Nebraska, the expedition held a formal council with the Yankton Sioux (Nakota) at Calumet Bluff, marking one of the more successful diplomatic meetings of…
Aug
30
1804
Joseph Whitehouse: August 30, 1804
Heavy fog delayed travel on the river this morning. Around 9 a.m., Native visitors were ferried across in a pirogue. The captains held council, read a speech, named…
Aug
30
1804
Patrick Gass: August 30, 1804
Around nine o'clock, a group of Indians crossed the river to the expedition's camp. Four musicians moved through the camp singing, after which a council was held. Captains…
Aug
31
1804
Clark: August 31, 1804
On a fair Friday near the Yankton Sioux camp, the captains held a council where Chief Shake Hand and several other chiefs delivered speeches accepting the Americans' message,…
Aug
31
1804
Calumet Bluff, meeting with Yankton Sioux — Joseph Whitehouse: August 31, 1804
The day began pleasantly, but the following morning brought rain as the expedition departed from Calumet Bluff. At that location, Captains Lewis and Clark held a council and…
Aug
31
1804
Calumet Bluff, meeting with Yankton Sioux — Patrick Gass: August 31, 1804
The expedition spent the day with a group of Native Americans, some wearing necklaces of white bear claws up to three inches long, and arranged for their old…
Sep
1
1804
Clark: September 1, 1804
The expedition set out under a gentle southern breeze after overnight rain, having returned a kettle left behind by Mr. Dorion. They passed Calumet Bluff, a 170-180 foot…
Sep
1
1804
Calumet Bluff, meeting with Yankton Sioux — Joseph Whitehouse: September 1, 1804
A heavy windstorm with rain struck the previous night, lasting about two hours. The party set out early under cloudy skies, with three men sent hunting; they killed…
Sep
1
1804
Calumet Bluff, meeting with Yankton Sioux — John Ordway: September 1, 1804
The expedition retrieved a forgotten tin kettle for Dorion, returning it across the river along with two fish, then continued upstream under a light southwest breeze. They passed…
Sep
1
1804
Calumet Bluff, meeting with Yankton Sioux — Patrick Gass: September 1, 1804
After two hours of lightning and rain, the party set out early along the north side of an island, with prairie land visible to the south. Three men…
Sep
2
1804
Clark: September 2, 1804
The party set out early on a cold, rainy Sunday with hard northwest winds, thunder, and lightning, landing on the south side beneath a yellow clay bluff about…
Sep
2
1804
Missouri River near Niobrara River — Joseph Whitehouse: September 2, 1804
On a cool, pleasant morning, the party set out at sunrise and made their way along the river. They passed a yellow bluff and noted many signs of…
Sep
2
1804
Missouri River near Niobrara River — John Ordway: September 2, 1804
After a brief overnight wind and rain storm, the party set off early under cloudy skies, briefly sailing with a southeast wind before strong northwest winds forced them…
Sep
3
1804
Clark: September 3, 1804
On a very cold, clear morning with light northwest winds, the expedition set out at sunrise and proceeded along a wide, sandbar-filled river that was rising slightly. Below…
Sep
3
1804
Missouri River near Niobrara River — John Ordway: September 3, 1804
The expedition set off at sunrise under a westerly wind, passing Yellow Bluff where stones lay under the bank near the water, and rounding a large sandy point…
Sep
3
1804
Missouri River near Niobrara River — Patrick Gass: September 3, 1804
The expedition traveled past yellow bluffs and Plumb Creek on the north side of the river, noting a sharp leftward bend before the river curved gradually back to…
Sep
3
1804
Missouri River near Niobrara River — Joseph Whitehouse: September 3, 1804
On a cool, pleasant morning, the party set out at sunrise. During the day's travel they passed a yellow bluff and observed numerous beaver signs along the river.…
Sep
4
1804
Clark: September 4, 1804
On a very cold day with southeasterly winds, the expedition set out early and passed the mouth of White Lime Creek and, about a mile and a half…
Sep
4
1804
Missouri River near Niobrara River — Joseph Whitehouse: September 4, 1804
The party set out early and made good progress under sail, finding wild plums along the way. They passed White Paint Creek and the mouth of the Big…
Sep
4
1804
Missouri River near Niobrara River — John Ordway: September 4, 1804
The expedition set out early and stopped for breakfast at a small creek on the south side, gathering plums and hackberries. Strong southerly winds let them hoist sail…
Sep
4
1804
Missouri River near Niobrara River — Patrick Gass: September 4, 1804
The expedition traveled along the river, passing several notable landmarks on September 4, 1804. They first came to Paint Creek on the south side, about 30 yards wide,…
Sep
5
1804
Clark: September 5, 1804
The expedition set out early under strong southerly winds and rigged a jury mast to sail. They passed a large island where the Poncar (Niobrara) River enters the…
Sep
5
1804
Lewis: September 5, 1804
On this day, the expedition spotted wild antelopes on a hill above the Glauber Salts Springs, but the animals fled before they could be observed clearly, leaving only…
Sep
5
1804
Missouri River near Niobrara River — Joseph Whitehouse: September 5, 1804
On September 5, 1804, the expedition took a cedar mast on board and sent hunters out as they continued under sail. They passed Goat Creek on the north…
Sep
5
1804
Missouri River near Niobrara River — John Ordway: September 5, 1804
The expedition departed early under a strong south wind and passed a large island where the Field brothers and Drouillard hunted. They stopped for breakfast at Goat Creek,…
Sep
5
1804
Missouri River near Niobrara River — Patrick Gass: September 5, 1804
On a clear, windy day the party traveled up the Missouri, passing a timbered island where three hunters disembarked. They noted yellow bluffs with springs on the north…
Sep
6
1804
Clark: September 6, 1804
A brief northwest storm at daybreak delayed the expedition's start, but the party pushed off afterward against a hard headwind on a very cold day. They passed an…
Sep
6
1804
Missouri River near Niobrara River — Joseph Whitehouse: September 6, 1804
On a cloudy day, the expedition continued with several hunters out searching for game. Colter rejoined the party but had been unable to locate the missing George Shannon.…
Sep
6
1804
Missouri River near Niobrara River — John Ordway: September 6, 1804
The expedition set off early but struggled against swift, shallow currents, repeatedly running aground on sandbars and unable to make progress with oars or poles. They crossed to…
Sep
7
1804
First Encounter with a Prairie Dog Village
On September 7, 1804, the Lewis and Clark expedition came across their first black-tailed prairie dog colony in what is now Boyd County, Nebraska. The men observed a…
Sep
7
1804
Joseph Whitehouse: September 7, 1804
The party remained in camp while Captain Lewis and others visited the nearby Indian village of about 80 lodges, each housing roughly ten people, mostly women and children…
Sep
7
1804
John Ordway: September 7, 1804
The party set out very early with a northwest wind and stopped for breakfast at one of Colter's old camps, where jerky had been left. After passing a…
Sep
7
1804
Patrick Gass: September 7, 1804
The expedition traveled past high prairie land with cottonwood on the low river bottoms. On the south side, they discovered a scaffold of neatly dried meat left by…
Sep
8
1804
Clark: September 8, 1804
The expedition set out early under a gentle southeast breeze. After three miles they passed the Pania house, where a man named Troodo had wintered in 1796, with…
Sep
8
1804
Prairie dog village near present-day Chamberlain — Joseph Whitehouse: September 8, 1804
After unsuccessfully dragging the river to recover a lost anchor, the party prepared to depart around 9 a.m. with several chiefs aboard. As they tried to shove off,…
Sep
8
1804
Prairie dog village near present-day Chamberlain — John Ordway: September 8, 1804
Under a gentle southeast breeze, the party traveled up the Missouri, passing a small creek, an island, and an old trading house built in 1796 by Troodo. Drouillard…
Sep
8
1804
Prairie dog village near present-day Chamberlain — Patrick Gass: September 8, 1804
Clear weather and a southeast wind made for good travel as the party passed a dry creek bed. A hunter's earlier buffalo kill had been devoured by wolves,…
Sep
9
1804
Clark: September 9, 1804
The expedition departed at sunrise under a southeast wind, passing the island where they had camped along with three sandy, willow-covered islands. The river was shallow and sandbars…
Sep
9
1804
Lewis: September 9, 1804
On September 9, 1804, Captain Clark made a notable observation along the larboard (left) shore of the river. Beneath a high bluff, he found a bituminous substance seeping…
Sep
9
1804
Prairie dog village near present-day Chamberlain — Joseph Whitehouse: September 9, 1804
The expedition got underway early and observed several herds of buffalo grazing on the hillsides along the south side of the river. Captain Clark went ashore on foot,…
Sep
9
1804
Prairie dog village near present-day Chamberlain — John Ordway: September 9, 1804
The expedition passed an island and saw numerous buffalo herds on the hills along the south side. After breakfasting opposite the island's upper end, the party heard prairie…
Sep
9
1804
Prairie dog village near present-day Chamberlain — Patrick Gass: September 9, 1804
The expedition traveled along the river with high bluffs on the south side and stopped for dinner at a small creek on the south side around 1 o'clock.…
Sep
10
1804
Clark: September 10, 1804
On a cloudy Monday with a gentle southeast breeze, the party set out early and passed several small islands before reaching Cedar Island, a two-mile stretch covered in…
Sep
10
1804
Prairie dog village near present-day Chamberlain — Joseph Whitehouse: September 10, 1804
The expedition started early on a foggy morning and continued upriver. On the south bank, the party came across a striking pile of bones that appeared to belong…
Sep
10
1804
Prairie dog village near present-day Chamberlain — Patrick Gass: September 10, 1804
The expedition set out early, passing high bluffs on the north side and timbered bottomland to the south. By midday they reached black sulphur bluffs on the south…
Sep
11
1804
Clark: September 11, 1804
On a cloudy Tuesday, the expedition set out early along a wide, shallow, sandbar-filled river, with the boat running aground several times. They passed several islands and observed…
Sep
11
1804
Missouri River near White River — Joseph Whitehouse: September 11, 1804
The party set out early under clear skies with a favorable wind, passing a timbered island and high hills and prairie. They reunited with Shannon, who had been…
Sep
11
1804
Missouri River near White River — John Ordway: September 11, 1804
On a rainy day along the Missouri, Captain Clark, Ordway, and others hunted onshore, taking a porcupine, two bull elk, two deer, and two fawns. Ordway climbed a…
Sep
11
1804
Missouri River near White River — Patrick Gass: September 11, 1804
The expedition traveled past a timbered island with hills and prairie on both sides of the river, encountering rain around 1 o'clock. They spotted a rider approaching and…
Sep
12
1804
Clark: September 12, 1804
Under dark, cloudy skies and a hard northwest wind, the expedition struggled to navigate around an island in the middle of the river, where shallow water and swift…
Sep
12
1804
Missouri River near White River — Joseph Whitehouse: September 12, 1804
On a cloudy day, Reubin Fields continued overland with the horse while the party struggled upriver. They passed a long range of black bluffs on the south side…
Sep
12
1804
Missouri River near White River — John Ordway: September 12, 1804
The party set off as usual but progressed slowly against a swift current and headwind. Captain Clark walked along the south shore with Sergeant Gass and Newman. The…
Sep
12
1804
Missouri River near White River — Patrick Gass: September 12, 1804
The expedition passed a long stretch of black bluffs on the south side of the river and a timber-covered island, the only timber visible in an otherwise hilly…
Sep
13
1804
Clark: September 13, 1804
On a dark, drizzly Thursday with cold northwest winds, the expedition set out early and made good progress despite numerous sand bars and very shallow water. George Drouillard…
Sep
13
1804
Lewis: September 13, 1804
On September 13, 1804, Meriwether Lewis shot a blue-winged teal and a porcupine, the latter found in a cottonwood tree along the river's larboard shore. Noting that nearby…
Sep
13
1804
Missouri River near White River — Joseph Whitehouse: September 13, 1804
The day was cloudy with hard rain and high winds. Hunter George Drouillard had a successful night, catching four beaver. The expedition continued upriver, passing a creek on…
Sep
13
1804
Missouri River near White River — John Ordway: September 13, 1804
The expedition traveled past high hills, bottom prairies, and black bluffs, noting wild grapevines heavy with ripe fruit and a stream of alum and copperas water. Rain fell…
Sep
13
1804
Missouri River near White River — Patrick Gass: September 13, 1804
The expedition set sail early under cloudy skies with light rain and a headwind. Along the way, they passed a creek and a long stretch of bluffs on…
Sep
14
1804
Clark: September 14, 1804
The expedition set out early on a cold, drizzly day, traveling along a wide, shallow stretch of river and passing several sandbars and a round island. Three beaver…
Sep
14
1804
Lewis: September 14, 1804
On September 14, 1804, the expedition documented two notable animals from the plains. Captain Clark killed a male pronghorn ("wild goat") weighing 65 pounds, and Lewis recorded its…
Sep
14
1804
Missouri River near White River — Joseph Whitehouse: September 14, 1804
A foggy, cloudy day with some rain made for difficult travel, as shallow water forced the men to wade and haul the barge over sandbars. The party stopped…
Sep
14
1804
Missouri River near White River — John Ordway: September 14, 1804
On a cloudy day with some rain, the expedition struggled through shallow water, with all hands repeatedly wading to drag the boat over sandbars. George Drouillard had caught…
Sep
14
1804
Missouri River near White River — Patrick Gass: September 14, 1804
The expedition struggled forward through shallow water, with all hands wading to drag the boat upstream. They halted for breakfast at 8 a.m., where hunters sent out the…
Sep
15
1804
Clark: September 15, 1804
The party set out early and passed a creek where Shannon had survived on grapes while waiting for what he thought was their boat. At the mouth of…
Sep
15
1804
Missouri River near White River — Joseph Whitehouse: September 15, 1804
The party set out early under cloudy skies, with Collins traveling overland with the horse. They passed Shannon's Creek on the south side and black bluffs on the…
Sep
15
1804
Missouri River near White River — John Ordway: September 15, 1804
The party set off early and passed a creek on the south side where George Shannon had camped for six days; they named it Shannon's Creek. They passed…
Sep
15
1804
Missouri River near White River — Patrick Gass: September 15, 1804
The party set out early, passing a creek and black bluffs along the river, then reached White River on the south side. Gass and another man left the…
Sep
16
1804
Clark: September 16, 1804
On a cloudy Sunday, the expedition traveled just over a mile before camping on the left side of the river in a timbered plain rich with plums and…
Sep
16
1804
Lewis: September 16, 1804
The expedition set out early and stopped by midmorning on the larboard shore above a creek they named Corvus, after a beautiful bird killed there. They decided to…
Sep
16
1804
Missouri River near White River — Joseph Whitehouse: September 16, 1804
The expedition set out early and traveled four miles, passing the mouth of the White River on the south side before stopping at a wooded bottom with sparse…
Sep
16
1804
Missouri River near White River — John Ordway: September 16, 1804
On a cool, clear day, the expedition pushed on to find a suitable camp where they could dry their cargo, reorganize the boats, and rest the men. They…
Sep
16
1804
Missouri River near White River — Patrick Gass: September 16, 1804
The party traversed level plains atop hills teeming with goats and buffalo, then followed a creek southeast to its mouth, which Gass estimated at about 14 miles from…
Sep
17
1804
Clark: September 17, 1804
On a fine day above White River, the party dried out gear and provisions soaked by recent rain, though some food was spoiled. Captain Lewis spent the day…
Sep
17
1804
Lewis: September 17, 1804
Lewis spent the day exploring the prairie between the Missouri River and Corvus Creek, taking six hunters with him at sunrise. He described ripe plum groves, vast prairie…
Sep
17
1804
Missouri River near White River — Joseph Whitehouse: September 17, 1804
Captain Lewis and several members of the expedition went out hunting and returned with a substantial haul: 13 common deer, 2 black-tailed deer, 1 goat, and 3 buffalo.…
Sep
17
1804
Missouri River near White River — John Ordway: September 17, 1804
The party stayed in camp for the day in pleasant weather, with the boat already loaded. Some men went out hunting, and Drouillard caught a beaver. Toward evening,…
Sep
17
1804
Missouri River near White River — Patrick Gass: September 17, 1804
The expedition spent the day hunting and observing wildlife on the plains. Captain Lewis led a hunting party that brought in thirteen common deer, two black-tailed deer, three…
Sep
18
1804
Clark: September 18, 1804
On Tuesday, September 18, 1804, the expedition set out early under a hard northwest headwind that slowed progress despite the boat being lightened. They passed a mile-long island…
Sep
18
1804
Lewis: September 18, 1804
On this date, the expedition recorded its first sighting of brant geese returning south from their northern range, an early sign of the changing season as autumn approached.…
Sep
18
1804
Missouri River near Big Bend — Joseph Whitehouse: September 18, 1804
Drouillard and two other men returned to camp with the deserter Moses Reed, along with the Oto leaders Little Thief and Big Horse, a Frenchman, and seven warriors…
Sep
18
1804
Missouri River near Big Bend — Patrick Gass: September 18, 1804
Clear, pleasant weather accompanied the day's travel, with timbered land along the south bank and hills and prairies to the north, alongside an island and numerous sandbars. The…
Sep
19
1804
Clark: September 19, 1804
On a clear, cool Wednesday with favorable southeast winds, the expedition set out early and passed Prospect Island and the mouths of three rivers known as the Sioux…
Sep
19
1804
Missouri River near Big Bend — John Ordway: September 19, 1804
The party set off early and passed clay bluffs and timbered bottoms along the Missouri. Joseph Fields, traveling with the horse, killed a black-tailed deer that was brought…
Sep
19
1804
Missouri River near Big Bend — Patrick Gass: September 19, 1804
The expedition traveled past large timbered bottoms on both sides of the Missouri River. The party spotted buffalo swimming across the river and killed two. They passed an…
Sep
19
1804
Missouri River near Big Bend — Joseph Whitehouse: September 19, 1804
The expedition set off early under clear skies, passing large timbered bottomlands on both sides of the river. Field killed a black-tailed deer and hung it on the…
Sep
20
1804
Clark: September 20, 1804
On a fair morning with a southeast wind, Clark sent three men with the horse across the Big Bend (Grand Detour) to hunt and prepare jerked provisions while…
Sep
20
1804
Lewis: September 20, 1804
While traveling along the larboard shore at the start of the Big Bend of the Missouri River, Lewis examined a cliff of black, porous rock that initially looked…
Sep
20
1804
Missouri River near Big Bend — Joseph Whitehouse: September 20, 1804
The expedition set off early under clear skies with a favorable wind, passing rising prairie to the north and timbered bottomland to the south. Drouillard and Shields cut…
Sep
20
1804
Missouri River near Big Bend — John Ordway: September 20, 1804
The expedition set off early under a gentle east breeze, passing an island, Prickly Pear Creek, and timbered bottoms while rounding the Big Bend, covering about 27 miles.…
Sep
20
1804
Missouri River near Big Bend — Patrick Gass: September 20, 1804
Under clear skies and a fair wind, the party traveled along the Missouri, passing rising prairies to the north and timbered bottoms to the south. Two men took…
Sep
21
1804
Clark: September 21, 1804
In the early hours, the sandbar where the party was camped began collapsing into the river, forcing a hasty evacuation of men and pirogues just before the bank…
Sep
21
1804
Missouri River near Big Bend — Joseph Whitehouse: September 21, 1804
The expedition set out early under clear skies and traveled past bluffs on the south side, reaching the end of a large bend where the river was only…
Sep
21
1804
Missouri River near Big Bend — John Ordway: September 21, 1804
The expedition set out early and continued upriver, passing scenic high prairies on the north side and a cedar bluff and bottom on the south. They rounded the…
Sep
21
1804
Missouri River near Big Bend — Patrick Gass: September 21, 1804
The expedition traveled along bluffs on the south side of the river for four miles, reaching the end of the Grand Bend about a mile from where they…
Sep
22
1804
Clark: September 22, 1804
A thick morning fog delayed the expedition until 7 a.m. They traveled past beautiful plains teeming with buffalo, and Clark took a noon sun observation placing them at…
Sep
22
1804
Missouri River near Big Bend — Joseph Whitehouse: September 22, 1804
The party set off early on a foggy morning, passing timbered land to the south and high plains to the north. Around 3 p.m. they reached one of…
Sep
22
1804
Missouri River near Big Bend — John Ordway: September 22, 1804
The expedition traveled past timbered shores and high plains where large herds of buffalo grazed. Around 3 o'clock they reached a cedar-covered island, one of the Three Sisters,…
Sep
22
1804
Missouri River near Big Bend — Patrick Gass: September 22, 1804
Traveling along the Missouri River, the party observed timber on the south bank and high plains to the north. Around 3 p.m. they passed Cedar Island, one of…
Sep
23
1804
Clark: September 23, 1804
On a clear Sunday with a gentle southeast breeze, the expedition traveled past Goat Island, two small willow islands, and Elk Island, noting wide sandbars and a shoal…
Sep
23
1804
Missouri River near Big Bend — Joseph Whitehouse: September 23, 1804
The party departed early under clear skies, traveling past timber on the north shore and highlands to the south. They passed Smoke Creek and Elk Island at the…
Sep
23
1804
Missouri River near Big Bend — John Ordway: September 23, 1804
The expedition set out early, passing a timbered bottom rich in grapes on the north side. Captain Clark, returning from shore, reported spotting a large fire on the…
Sep
23
1804
Missouri River near Big Bend — Patrick Gass: September 23, 1804
The party traveled past timbered land and high ground along the Missouri, noting Smoke Creek on the north side, Elk Island with a wooded bottom, and barren hills…
Sep
24
1804
Clark: September 24, 1804
On a fair, easterly-windy day, the expedition set out early and passed several islands, including one where Colter had camped and killed four elk. The crew prepared clothes…
Sep
24
1804
Missouri River near Big Bend — Joseph Whitehouse: September 24, 1804
The expedition departed early and passed a small creek on the south side. Around 3 o'clock, Colter rejoined the group and reported that Indians had stolen his horse…
Sep
24
1804
Missouri River near Big Bend — John Ordway: September 24, 1804
The party set out early under a gentle southeast breeze, passing a prairie on the north side dotted with ripe plum orchards and the mouth of a creek…
Sep
24
1804
Missouri River near Big Bend — Patrick Gass: September 24, 1804
The party passed a small creek on the south side of the river. Around 3 o'clock, the man traveling overland with the horse reported that Indians had stolen…
Sep
25
1804
Tense Confrontation with the Teton Sioux
At the mouth of the Bad River, the expedition faced its most dangerous standoff with the Teton Sioux (Lakota), who controlled trade on the upper Missouri. The Second…
Sep
25
1804
Joseph Whitehouse: September 25, 1804
The expedition waited through the morning for a council with Teton Sioux leaders, who arrived around 10 o'clock with about 50 men. The officers named three chiefs, presenting…
Sep
25
1804
John Ordway: September 25, 1804
The expedition held a council with the Teton Sioux, with about 30 selected to meet under the American flag. Captains Lewis and Clark distributed medals, a flag, tobacco,…
Sep
25
1804
Patrick Gass: September 25, 1804
About 50 Indians arrived at 10 o'clock and the captains named three as chiefs and gave presents. When Captain Clark went ashore with them by pirogue, the Indians…
Sep
26
1804
Clark: September 26, 1804
Setting out early, the expedition stopped at the Sioux chiefs' request so women and children could see the boat. Captain Lewis went ashore with the chiefs, and Clark…
Sep
26
1804
Teton Sioux confrontation near Pierre, SD — Joseph Whitehouse: September 26, 1804
After an early start, the party traveled four miles along the south shore lined with Native people before reaching a Teton Sioux encampment where the band had arranged…
Sep
26
1804
Teton Sioux confrontation near Pierre, SD — John Ordway: September 26, 1804
The expedition set off early and traveled four or five miles along the Missouri before anchoring 100 yards offshore near a Teton Sioux encampment. Captain Lewis visited the…
Sep
27
1804
Clark: September 27, 1804
Camped among the Teton Sioux, the captains gave the two principal chiefs blankets and corn, and Lewis accompanied them ashore while Clark prepared commissions, a medal, and a…
Sep
27
1804
Teton Sioux confrontation near Pierre, SD — John Ordway: September 27, 1804
The party spent the day visiting a Teton Sioux village at the chiefs' request, as another lodge of 600 men and 7 chiefs was expected. Sergeant Gass counted…
Sep
27
1804
Teton Sioux confrontation near Pierre, SD — Patrick Gass: September 27, 1804
Gass and several men visited the nearby Indian camp of about eighty lodges, observing women dressing buffalo skins and noting the people's friendliness, though also their tendency to…
Sep
28
1804
Clark: September 28, 1804
After failing to recover the anchor lost the previous night because sand had buried it, the captains decided to push on. As they prepared to depart, Teton Sioux…
Sep
28
1804
Teton Sioux confrontation near Pierre, SD — John Ordway: September 28, 1804
Clark and the pirogues spent the morning unsuccessfully dragging the river for an anchor lost the previous night. As the expedition prepared to depart, around 200 armed Teton…
Sep
28
1804
Teton Sioux confrontation near Pierre, SD — Patrick Gass: September 28, 1804
The expedition prepared to depart at 9 a.m., but tensions flared when Indians grabbed the boat's rope and refused to release it; Captain Lewis nearly ordered the rope…
Sep
28
1804
Teton Sioux confrontation near Pierre, SD — Joseph Whitehouse: September 28, 1804
The party dragged the river unsuccessfully searching for a lost anchor before preparing to depart around 9 a.m. As they tried to shove off, about 60 Sioux warriors…
Sep
29
1804
Clark: September 29, 1804
The expedition set out early, navigating bad sandbars. Around 9 a.m., they encountered the second Teton chief with two men and a woman on shore, who wanted to…
Sep
29
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — Joseph Whitehouse: September 29, 1804
The party departed early and continued upriver, passing bluffs on the south side. Several Indians appeared onshore, including one or two who identified themselves as 'brave men' and…
Sep
30
1804
Clark: September 30, 1804
On a cold, windy Sunday with intermittent rain, the expedition set out early and was pursued by a lone Indian asking to travel with them to the Arikaras,…
Sep
30
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — Joseph Whitehouse: September 30, 1804
The party set off early under a cloudy sky and continued down the river, spotting a large group of Indians on the south side coming toward them. They…
Sep
30
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — John Ordway: September 30, 1804
Traveling with an east wind, the party passed timbered bottoms and barren hills along the Missouri. They encountered a Teton Sioux who urged them to wait for another…
Sep
30
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — Patrick Gass: September 30, 1804
The expedition traveled past black bluffs on the south side and prairie bottoms on the north. An Indian on shore asked to join them on the way to…
Oct
1
1804
Clark: October 1, 1804
Strong southeast winds and cold weather slowed travel as the party set out early, passing a large island and the former site of two Arikara villages. They reached…
Oct
1
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — Joseph Whitehouse: October 1, 1804
The expedition departed early under cloudy skies with a favorable wind, allowing them to sail rapidly upriver. Around 9 o'clock they passed Dog River, entering from the south…
Oct
1
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — John Ordway: October 1, 1804
Sailing east on a breeze, the party passed an island and an abandoned Arikara village before reaching the mouth of the Cheyenne (Dog) River, navigating sandbars there with…
Oct
1
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — Patrick Gass: October 1, 1804
Cloudy weather with favorable winds allowed the party to sail quickly in the morning. Around 9 o'clock they passed the Dog River (River De Chirn), a large tributary…
Oct
2
1804
Clark: October 2, 1804
After a violent overnight southeast wind, the expedition pushed on through a cold morning with Mr. Jean Vallée briefly aboard. Clark took a meridian altitude fixing latitude at…
Oct
2
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — Joseph Whitehouse: October 2, 1804
The party set out early and continued upriver, passing black bluffs on the north side and a large bottom on the south. Around 2 p.m., they spotted a…
Oct
2
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — John Ordway: October 2, 1804
The party met Mr. Valley, an English-speaking trader among the Sioux, who assured them they would encounter few more troublesome Sioux. He traveled with them briefly before turning…
Oct
2
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — Patrick Gass: October 2, 1804
An English-speaking visitor came aboard and predicted the party would meet no more Indians until reaching the Arikara (Rees) nation. The expedition passed black bluffs and timbered bottoms…
Oct
3
1804
Clark: October 3, 1804
Strong northwest winds and cold rain persisted overnight as the expedition set out at 7 a.m. At noon they landed on a sandbar to inspect the pirogues and…
Oct
3
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — Joseph Whitehouse: October 3, 1804
The party faced a cloudy morning with some rain and got underway at 7:15 a.m. By noon, strong winds blowing down the river forced them to halt for…
Oct
3
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — Patrick Gass: October 3, 1804
On this day, a hunter from the party went out and killed a deer. The expedition remained in place through the day and did not set out on…
Oct
3
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — John Ordway: October 3, 1804
Strong northwest winds and cloudy skies, following overnight thunder and morning rain, delayed departure until after 7 a.m. The party traveled seven miles before the headwind forced a…
Oct
4
1804
Clark: October 4, 1804
Northwest winds and rain forced the party to drop downstream three miles to find a channel deep enough to continue. Several Indians on shore called for them to…
Oct
4
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — Joseph Whitehouse: October 4, 1804
The party departed early in the morning and stopped around 9 o'clock for breakfast. During the halt, a lone Native American man swam across the river to reach…
Oct
4
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — Patrick Gass: October 4, 1804
The party backtracked to the previous day's noon halt and switched to the other side of the river because the water was too shallow and sandbars too numerous…
Oct
4
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — John Ordway: October 4, 1804
The party traveled by river, taking the main channel and passing several Indians along the north side. Around 9 a.m. they stopped for breakfast on the south side,…
Oct
5
1804
Clark: October 5, 1804
After a frosty morning, the expedition set out early and passed a small creek on the larboard side. Around 7 a.m. they encountered three Teton Sioux on shore…
Oct
5
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — Joseph Whitehouse: October 5, 1804
The expedition set out early after a light frost, enjoying clear and pleasant weather. Around 11 o'clock, the party spotted several goats swimming across the river, and one…
Oct
5
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — Patrick Gass: October 5, 1804
The day was clear and pleasant. Around 11 a.m., the party spotted goats swimming across the river; one hunter ran along the shore and shot four, which were…
Oct
5
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — John Ordway: October 5, 1804
The expedition set off early, passing wooded bottoms and spotting several Indians on the north shore. Around 11 o'clock, they encountered a flock of goats (pronghorns) swimming across…
Oct
6
1804
Clark: October 6, 1804
On a cold, windy morning, the expedition set out early and noted large round stones in the middle of the river, likely washed down from nearby hills. They…
Oct
6
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — Joseph Whitehouse: October 6, 1804
The expedition departed early under clear, pleasant skies. Around 11 a.m., they passed a timbered bottom on the south side, where two hunters went ashore and killed an…
Oct
6
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — John Ordway: October 6, 1804
The expedition traveled past black bluffs, hills, and plains with timber only in the river bottoms. Around 1 o'clock they stopped at an abandoned Arikara village on the…
Oct
6
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — Patrick Gass: October 6, 1804
On a clear day, the expedition traveled past bluffs on the south side of the river and timbered bottomlands on the north. Around 11 a.m., they passed an…
Oct
7
1804
Clark: October 7, 1804
On a cloudy, frosty Sunday morning, the expedition set out early and stopped for breakfast at the mouth of a river the Arikara called Sur-war-kar-na, about 90 yards…
Oct
7
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — Joseph Whitehouse: October 7, 1804
The expedition set out early under clear skies, traveling past Goodrich Creek on the north side and a roughly 90-yard-wide river on the south side called the Sirwarkahna.…
Oct
7
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — John Ordway: October 7, 1804
The expedition set out at daylight, passing a creek and stopping for breakfast near a river where an old Arikara village stood, built like one seen the day…
Oct
7
1804
Missouri River near Cheyenne River — Patrick Gass: October 7, 1804
The expedition traveled past a willow bottom and a creek, then reached the Cer-wer-cer-na River on the south side, about 90 yards wide with clear water and a…
Oct
8
1804
Clark: October 8, 1804
On a cool, northwesterly-windy Monday, the expedition traveled past Grouse Island and the mouths of the We-tar-hoo (Wetarhoo) River and the small, mud-choked Maropa or Beaver Dam River…
Oct
8
1804
Arikara villages near present-day Mobridge — Joseph Whitehouse: October 8, 1804
The party set out early under pleasant weather and made steady progress along the river. They passed a stream on the south side known as Slate Run, and…
Oct
8
1804
Arikara villages near present-day Mobridge — John Ordway: October 8, 1804
The expedition continued upriver, passing high land and a stream they called Slate Run, with hunters working a timbered bottom on the north shore. They stopped for dinner…
Oct
8
1804
Arikara villages near present-day Mobridge — Patrick Gass: October 8, 1804
The expedition traveled along a shallow, sandbar-filled stretch of river, passing high land on the south side and bottoms on the north. They passed Slate Run on the…
Oct
9
1804
Clark: October 9, 1804
High winds, rain, and cold prevented the planned council with the Arikara on this Tuesday. Captain Clark gave the visiting chiefs tobacco and promised to speak the following…
Oct
9
1804
Arikara villages near present-day Mobridge — Joseph Whitehouse: October 9, 1804
Stormy weather kept the expedition camped in place for the entire day, providing an opportunity to hold a council with the local Native American nation. Two Frenchmen were…
Oct
9
1804
Arikara villages near present-day Mobridge — John Ordway: October 9, 1804
Cold, windy, and rainy weather kept the planned council with visiting chiefs and other Indians from taking place, though they did come by to see the expedition. The…
Oct
9
1804
Arikara villages near present-day Mobridge — Patrick Gass: October 9, 1804
The expedition spent the day preparing to hold a council with a Native American nation. Captain Lewis, accompanied by some of the men, traveled down to the tribe's…
Oct
10
1804
Clark: October 10, 1804
On a windy day that shifted from southeast to northwest, the expedition held a council with the Arikara at 1 p.m. under an awning near the boat and…
Oct
10
1804
Arikara villages near present-day Mobridge — Joseph Whitehouse: October 10, 1804
On this day, the expedition's officers held a council with local Native American representatives and distributed some presents to them. Whitehouse's brief entry records only this diplomatic meeting,…
Oct
10
1804
Arikara villages near present-day Mobridge — John Ordway: October 10, 1804
Around 2 PM, chiefs and warriors of the three Arikara villages gathered at the camp under the American flag for a council. Captain Lewis delivered a speech, three…
Oct
10
1804
Arikara villages near present-day Mobridge — Patrick Gass: October 10, 1804
The expedition visited an Arikara village of about 60 lodges, where Patrick Gass recorded a detailed description of how the dome-shaped earth lodges were constructed using forked posts,…
Oct
11
1804
Clark: October 11, 1804
On a fine morning with southeast winds, the captains met in council with the Arikara Grand Chief Ka-kaw-issassa, who thanked them for their gifts and counsel, promised peace,…
Oct
11
1804
Arikara villages near present-day Mobridge — Joseph Whitehouse: October 11, 1804
Around noon, Native people from a nearby village visited the expedition's camp, bringing gifts of corn, beans, and squash. They asked the captains to put in a good…
Oct
11
1804
Arikara villages near present-day Mobridge — John Ordway: October 11, 1804
Wind blew from the northwest. Party members learned that a chief had capsized his skin canoe returning home, losing all the goods given to him by the expedition.…
Oct
11
1804
Arikara villages near present-day Mobridge — Patrick Gass: October 11, 1804
Around noon, Arikara Indians brought gifts of corn, beans, and squashes. Their chief expressed a desire for peace with the Mandans and asked the expedition's officers to speak…
Oct
12
1804
Clark: October 12, 1804
On a clear, cold Friday, Clark and the expedition met in council with the second and third Arikara chiefs at their villages, hearing speeches expressing a desire for…
Oct
12
1804
Arikara villages near present-day Mobridge — Joseph Whitehouse: October 12, 1804
The party departed around noon and traveled by river, camping for the night on the north side. One of the Native Americans from the village they had been…
Oct
12
1804
Arikara villages near present-day Mobridge — John Ordway: October 12, 1804
Indians gathered on the riverbank to trade with the expedition, eager especially for red paint; one man swapped a pin hook for moccasins, and the party acquired buffalo…
Oct
12
1804
Arikara villages near present-day Mobridge — Patrick Gass: October 12, 1804
The party spent the morning at an Arikara village to hear a chief speak, though trust was shaken when an axe was stolen from the cook overnight. At…
Oct
13
1804
Clark: October 13, 1804
The expedition set out early under a southeast breeze, passing a camp of Sioux on the starboard side who silently watched without speaking. They passed Stone Idol Creek,…
Oct
13
1804
Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — Joseph Whitehouse: October 13, 1804
The party set off early under cloudy skies. Around noon a light rain began to fall. They halted for two hours, then continued on their way until dark,…
Oct
13
1804
Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — John Ordway: October 13, 1804
The expedition passed a river roughly 50 yards wide on the north side. Around noon a light rain fell, and the party halted for about two hours to…
Oct
13
1804
Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — Patrick Gass: October 13, 1804
The expedition continued upriver, passing Pond River on the north side, a stream about 50 yards wide. One of the Native women accompanied them as they traveled. Around…
Oct
14
1804
Clark: October 14, 1804
Cold rain fell overnight and persisted throughout the day as the party set out early. They passed a creek on the larboard side, 15 yards wide, which Clark…
Oct
14
1804
Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — Joseph Whitehouse: October 14, 1804
The party set out early under cloudy skies with some rain. They continued upriver, passing a creek on the south side, and made camp on the north side…
Oct
14
1804
Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — John Ordway: October 14, 1804
The expedition continued up the Missouri through timbered bottomlands in what is now Campbell County, passing a creek Clark named Stone Idol Creek (modern Spring or Hermaphrodite Creek)…
Oct
14
1804
Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — Patrick Gass: October 14, 1804
The expedition set out early and traveled by water through steady rain that lasted all day. Along the way, they passed a timbered bottomland on the south side…
Oct
15
1804
Clark: October 15, 1804
After rain overnight, the expedition set out early and stopped at two Arikara hunting camps along the Missouri, sharing meals and exchanging fishhooks and beads for meat. They…
Oct
15
1804
Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — Joseph Whitehouse: October 15, 1804
Heavy rain fell through the night, and the party set out early in the morning. Strong south winds delayed their planned departure until afternoon, when the officers decided…
Oct
15
1804
Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — Patrick Gass: October 15, 1804
On a cloudy day, the expedition encountered several Arikara hunting parties traveling down to their villages. The first group, with twelve buffalo-skin canoes loaded with meat and skins…
Oct
15
1804
Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — John Ordway: October 15, 1804
The expedition set off early and encountered a hunting party of Arikara descending the river in 12 buffalo-hide canoes loaded with fat meat. They halted two hours, sharing…
Oct
16
1804
Clark: October 16, 1804
On a rainy Tuesday, the expedition departed with the Arikara chief Arketarnashar (Chief of the Town) aboard, while two young women unsuccessfully sought to join them. They passed…
Oct
16
1804
Lewis: October 16, 1804
Lewis captured a small nocturnal bird of the goatsucker family, which appeared to be entering a dormant state. By the morning of October 18th, with the temperature at…
Oct
16
1804
Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — Patrick Gass: October 16, 1804
On a clear day, the expedition passed a creek on the south side of the river and noted an increase in timber along the banks. Sandbars hindered their…
Oct
16
1804
Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — John Ordway: October 16, 1804
The expedition set out at daylight, passing an abandoned Cheyenne fort and several creeks and rivers along the Missouri. They breakfasted on a willow island and continued under…
Oct
17
1804
Clark: October 17, 1804
On a windy day along the Missouri, Clark walked ashore with the Arikara chief and an interpreter, who shared tribal traditions about turtles, snakes, and a prophetic cave,…
Oct
17
1804
Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — Patrick Gass: October 17, 1804
The day began clear, following an overnight visit from eight Native American men who brought meat and stayed with the party. Captain Lewis distributed gifts to them in…
Oct
17
1804
Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — John Ordway: October 17, 1804
Visiting Native Americans who had brought meat the previous night stayed in camp, singing through much of the night, and received fancy goods from the officers in exchange.…
Oct
18
1804
Clark: October 18, 1804
The expedition set out early on a fine day and passed the mouth of the Cannon Ball River on the south side, named for the round stones resembling…
Oct
18
1804
Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — John Ordway: October 18, 1804
After a frosty night, the expedition set off early with hunters on both banks. Two miles on, they met a canoe carrying two French hunters who had been…
Oct
18
1804
Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — Patrick Gass: October 18, 1804
The expedition set out early on a frosty morning, with hunters dispatched along both shores. After two miles they encountered two Frenchmen in a canoe who had been…
Oct
19
1804
Clark: October 19, 1804
Traveling under a gentle southeasterly breeze on a fine, pleasant day, the party moved up the river through bottoms with more timber than usual and passed a large…
Oct
19
1804
Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — Patrick Gass: October 19, 1804
The party enjoyed clear weather and a favorable wind as they traveled upriver, passing a creek on the south side. Patrick Gass noted that on the previous day's…
Oct
19
1804
Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — John Ordway: October 19, 1804
With a gentle southern breeze, the expedition continued upriver as hunters worked both banks. Two men hunting on the north side quickly killed an elk, which was loaded…
Oct
20
1804
Clark: October 20, 1804
On a Saturday with shifting winds, the expedition continued upriver and Clark spent the day walking ashore to inspect landmarks previously described by Evans. He examined the remains…
Oct
20
1804
Lewis: October 20, 1804
On October 20, 1804, expedition member Pierre Cruzatte encountered a white (grizzly) bear and shot it, wounding the animal. Frightened by the bear's intimidating appearance, Cruzatte abandoned his…
Oct
20
1804
Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — Patrick Gass: October 20, 1804
The day was pleasant, and the party made good progress along the river. Two hunters set out early and returned with a deer by breakfast, after which four…
Oct
20
1804
Missouri River approaching Cannonball River — John Ordway: October 20, 1804
The party traveled along the river with hunters working both banks. They passed a 20-yard-wide creek on the north side, timbered bottomlands, and another creek on the south…
Oct
21
1804
Clark: October 21, 1804
A bitterly cold night with strong northeast winds gave way to rain that froze on contact, then snow throughout the morning. The expedition passed the mouth of the…
Oct
21
1804
Missouri River near Heart River, approaching Mandan — Patrick Gass: October 21, 1804
The expedition pushed on early despite hail and morning snow, traveling past a bottom on the south side and hills along the north bank. They passed a small…
Oct
21
1804
Missouri River near Heart River, approaching Mandan — John Ordway: October 21, 1804
Traveling under a northeast wind, the party set off as usual against a swift current and passed the mouth of the Chischetar (Chewah, or Long Lake) River on…
Oct
22
1804
Clark: October 22, 1804
Around 1 a.m., Clark was struck with severe rheumatism in his neck, and Captain Lewis applied a hot stone wrapped in flannel for temporary relief. The party set…
Oct
22
1804
Missouri River near Heart River, approaching Mandan — Patrick Gass: October 22, 1804
The day began cloudy and cold as the expedition embarked early and continued upriver. Around 9 o'clock, they encountered eleven Sioux Indians traveling down from the Mandan villages.…
Oct
22
1804
Missouri River near Heart River, approaching Mandan — John Ordway: October 22, 1804
The expedition set off early under cloudy, cool skies, with the accompanying canoe party having caught several large beaver over recent nights. Around 9 a.m. they encountered a…
Oct
23
1804
Clark: October 23, 1804
On a cold, cloudy morning with some snow, the expedition set out early and passed five recently deserted Mandan hunting lodges with fires still burning. The party suspected…
Oct
23
1804
Missouri River near Heart River, approaching Mandan — Patrick Gass: October 23, 1804
The day began cloudy, with snow falling from 8 to 11 in the morning. The party passed the site where French traders had reportedly been robbed, but saw…
Oct
23
1804
Missouri River near Heart River, approaching Mandan — John Ordway: October 23, 1804
The party set off early and around 9 a.m. passed an Indian camp on the north side where two Frenchmen had been robbed days earlier. The occupants had…
Oct
24
1804
Clark: October 24, 1804
On a cloudy day with light snow, the expedition traveled through attractive wooded country but saw no game, suggesting local Indians were hunting nearby. Clark's rheumatism in his…
Oct
24
1804
Missouri River near Heart River, approaching Mandan — Patrick Gass: October 24, 1804
The party traveled past scenic hills, prairies, and Round-Knob creek on the river's north side, with hunters rejoining the group. They navigated through fallen timber and met an…
Oct
24
1804
Missouri River near Heart River, approaching Mandan — John Ordway: October 24, 1804
The expedition traveled past a wooded bottomland on the north side of the Missouri River, noting fine oak and cottonwood timber. Around noon they stopped at an island…
Oct
25
1804
Clark: October 25, 1804
On a cold morning with a southeast breeze, the expedition set out early and passed two abandoned Mandan villages on the south side, one deserted long ago and…
Oct
25
1804
Missouri River near Heart River, approaching Mandan — Patrick Gass: October 25, 1804
The expedition set sail early under a fair wind, passing a scenic bottomland on the south side and hills to the north. Numerous Native people, some mounted and…
Oct
25
1804
Missouri River near Heart River, approaching Mandan — John Ordway: October 25, 1804
Traveling with a fine southerly breeze, the expedition sailed past a high prairie on the south side that had once held an Arikara village. Numerous natives on horseback…
Oct
26
1804
Arrival at the Mandan Villages
After nearly six months and 1,600 miles traveling up the Missouri, the expedition arrived at the Mandan and Hidatsa villages near present-day Washburn, North Dakota, a major Northern…
Oct
26
1804
Patrick Gass: October 26, 1804
The expedition traveled past a large willow bottom on the south bank and higher ground to the north. The Mandan Indian who had been accompanying them departed early.…
Oct
26
1804
John Ordway: October 26, 1804
The party traveled past a large willow bottom on the south side and highlands on the north. Around 10 o'clock they stopped at a Mandan hunting camp of…
Oct
27
1804
Clark: October 27, 1804
On a fine, warm Saturday, the expedition set out early and stopped at a Mandan village on the south side, built on a 50-foot rise with large round…
Oct
27
1804
Building Fort Mandan — Patrick Gass: October 27, 1804
The expedition set out early and reached the first Mandan village by 7:30 a.m., stopping for about two hours. The village had 40-50 lodges built like those of…
Oct
27
1804
Building Fort Mandan — John Ordway: October 27, 1804
The expedition set out early and reached the first Mandan village on the south side of the river around 7 a.m., finding about 40 lodges built like those…
Oct
28
1804
Clark: October 28, 1804
Strong southwest winds prevented the planned council with the Mandan and Hidatsa (Gros Ventres) and Watersoon chiefs, as some could not cross the river. Instead, the captains distributed…
Oct
28
1804
Building Fort Mandan — Patrick Gass: October 28, 1804
High winds prevented the planned council from being held on this day. The entry is brief, noting only that the violent wind made it impossible to sit in…
Oct
28
1804
Building Fort Mandan — John Ordway: October 28, 1804
Strong northwest winds prevented the planned council from taking place, as the Indians did not assemble. However, the principal men of the Big Belly tribe traveled down to…
Oct
29
1804
Clark: October 29, 1804
On a fair but windy morning at the Mandan villages, the captains held a council with chiefs of the Mandan, Mahaha, and Hidatsa (Big Belly/Minnetaree) villages under a…
Oct
29
1804
Building Fort Mandan — Patrick Gass: October 29, 1804
Leading men from the Mandan villages, the Watasoons, Sioux, and one representative from the Gros Ventres gathered for a council with the expedition. The meeting opened at 11…
Oct
29
1804
Building Fort Mandan — John Ordway: October 29, 1804
The captains held a council with chiefs and warriors of the Mandan, Gros Ventre, and Wattasoon nations, opening and closing the meeting with cannon fire. Captain Lewis delivered…
Oct
30
1804
Clark: October 30, 1804
Many Mandan chiefs visited the expedition's camp. Two chiefs, including the principal man of the lower village, asked to hear the previous day's speech repeated, and a medal…
Oct
30
1804
Building Fort Mandan — Patrick Gass: October 30, 1804
On a clear and pleasant day, Captain Lewis led a party of expedition members along with one or two Indian guides about six miles up the river to…
Oct
30
1804
Building Fort Mandan — John Ordway: October 30, 1804
To give the Native Americans time to consider and respond to the previous day's council, the expedition paused formal talks. Around 10 a.m., Captain Clark and eight men…
Oct
31
1804
Clark: October 31, 1804
On a fine morning at the Mandan villages, Clark was invited by Black Cat (Posecopsahe), principal chief of the second Mandan village, to his lodge. After ceremonial seating…
Oct
31
1804
Lewis: October 31, 1804
With the river running low and winter approaching fast in a climate where the water often freezes over, the captains decided to make winter camp in the area.…
Oct
31
1804
Building Fort Mandan — Patrick Gass: October 31, 1804
With the Indians still not having given a formal answer to the captains' proposals, Captain Clarke and several men traveled down to the village around noon. There, the…
Oct
31
1804
Building Fort Mandan — John Ordway: October 31, 1804
Strong winds blew from the south, and the Native leaders had not yet responded to the captains' proposals from the previous day's council. Around noon, Captain Clark and…
Nov
1
1804
Clark: November 1, 1804
Chiefs from the lower Mandan village, including Big White (Sha-ha-ca), visited the captains and asked them to stop by their village for corn. They expressed willingness to make…
Nov
1
1804
Lewis: November 1, 1804
Strong winds kept the expedition confined to their camp for most of the day. When the wind finally died down in the evening, the party was able to…
Nov
1
1804
Building Fort Mandan — Joseph Whitehouse: November 1, 1804
Construction of Fort Mandan progressed during 14 days of pleasant weather as men built and finished their huts. A 15-day hunting trip down the river brought back 34…
Nov
1
1804
Building Fort Mandan — Patrick Gass: November 1, 1804
The party traveled downriver searching for a suitable location to establish their winter quarters. By nightfall they had covered nine miles and made camp in a bottomland thick…
Nov
1
1804
Building Fort Mandan — John Ordway: November 1, 1804
With cool northwest winds easing in the afternoon, the party set off downriver around 3 p.m. to scout a suitable site for winter quarters, though the shallow water…
Nov
2
1804
Sgt. Gass Describes Building Fort Mandan
Construction continued on the expedition's winter quarters along the Missouri River. Six men were assigned to making charcoal while the rest cut timber and worked on the buildings.…
Nov
2
1804
John Ordway: November 2, 1804
The party scouted a wooded bottom downriver and selected a site for winter quarters near an old Indian camp in a grove of large cottonwoods. While Captain Lewis…
Nov
2
1804
Patrick Gass: November 2, 1804
The party visited the first village of the Mandans, who provided them with corn. Captain Clark and the remainder of the group moved a half mile downriver and…
Nov
2
1804
Joseph Whitehouse: November 2, 1804
Over 14 days of pleasant weather, the men diligently built and finished their huts at the new fort. A hunting party sent downriver returned after 15 days with…
Nov
3
1804
Clark: November 3, 1804
On a fine but windy Saturday, the Corps began constructing their winter cabins at Fort Mandan. Six men were sent downriver by pirogue to hunt, and the discharged…
Nov
3
1804
Building Fort Mandan — John Ordway: November 3, 1804
Construction of Fort Mandan continued, with the foundation laid for a second line of huts measuring 4 by 14 feet using large, heavy timber. A hunting party departed…
Nov
3
1804
Building Fort Mandan — Patrick Gass: November 3, 1804
Hunters set out by pirogue downriver, expecting to travel 30-40 miles to reach good hunting grounds. The party's winter quarters took shape: two rows of four huts each,…
Nov
4
1804
Toussaint Charbonneau Hired — Sacagawea Joins the Expedition
Toussaint Charbonneau, a French-Canadian fur trader living with the Hidatsa, approached the captains and offered his services as an interpreter, explaining he had just returned from a hunting…
Nov
4
1804
John Ordway: November 4, 1804
Clear, pleasant weather allowed work on the winter quarters to continue. Several French hired hands were discharged, with one set to building a pirogue to descend the Missouri.…
Nov
4
1804
Patrick Gass: November 4, 1804
While unrigging the boat, a sergeant accidentally dislocated his shoulder. Early that morning, an Indian was spotted across the river and brought over, reporting that a Sioux war…
Nov
5
1804
Clark: November 5, 1804
Clark rose early to begin building the second row of huts, working with heavy cottonwood, elm, and small ash logs in their sandy location. Many Indians passed by…
Nov
5
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 5, 1804
The crew began work early, raising another row of huts at their winter encampment and splitting puncheons to lay the lofts, which they planned to cover with earth…
Nov
5
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 5, 1804
Under clear skies and steady winds, the expedition passed a long timbered island where three men disembarked to hunt. They observed yellow bluffs with springs on the north…
Nov
6
1804
Clark: November 6, 1804
At Fort Mandan, the previous night the guard woke Clark to observe an aurora borealis, which shifted in light streaks and floating columns across the northern sky. The…
Nov
6
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 6, 1804
The expedition traveled along the river, passing an attractive bottom prairie on the north side capped by a cottonwood grove, while dark bluffs rose along the south bank.…
Nov
6
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 6, 1804
The night was mostly clear, followed by a clear morning. Around 9 a.m. it clouded over and turned cold, looking likely to snow by 11 a.m. The French…
Nov
7
1804
Clark: November 7, 1804
On this temperate but cloudy and foggy Wednesday, the expedition continued construction of their hut at the winter encampment. No other significant events or decisions were recorded for…
Nov
7
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 7, 1804
The expedition party worked on finishing the captains' quarters at their winter encampment. They hewed down the inside of the room and laid a loft of hewn puncheons…
Nov
7
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 7, 1804
The expedition traveled past high prairie land with cottonwood on the low bottom points. On the south side, they discovered a scaffold of neatly dried meat left behind…
Nov
8
1804
Clark: November 8, 1804
On a cloudy Thursday, the expedition's interpreter Jussome visited a nearby village and returned with news that three Englishmen from the Hudson's Bay Company had arrived and were…
Nov
8
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 8, 1804
The party worked quickly to construct shelter before winter arrived. They tested cottonwood timber and initially found it split well, raising hopes that they could produce enough planks…
Nov
8
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 8, 1804
Under clear skies with a southeast wind, the party traveled past a dry creek bed and high bluffs on the south side, with burnt prairie on the north.…
Nov
9
1804
Clark: November 9, 1804
A very hard frost greeted the morning as the party continued constructing their winter cabins despite difficulties, working under cloudy skies with a northwest wind. Several Indians passed…
Nov
9
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 9, 1804
The expedition traveled along the river with high bluffs on the south side, stopping at 1 o'clock for dinner at a small creek on the south bank. Hunters…
Nov
9
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 9, 1804
Construction of the winter quarters continued as usual through the morning. The party awaited the return of their hunters, as they were badly in need of fresh meat.…
Nov
10
1804
Clark: November 10, 1804
The party rose early and continued construction of their fort. Several Indians visited, including a chief named Half Partia (Half Man), who brought a side of buffalo as…
Nov
10
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 10, 1804
The party set out early, passing high bluffs on the north side and timbered bottomland on the south. At noon they reached black sulphur bluffs on the south…
Nov
10
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 10, 1804
Visitors from the Mandan village arrived by buffalo-hide canoe, bringing the expedition some fat buffalo meat. The men completed raising one line of their huts at the winter…
Nov
11
1804
Clark: November 11, 1804
On a cold Sunday at Fort Mandan, the men continued construction work on the fort, though two of them accidentally cut themselves with an ax. Large ducks were…
Nov
11
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 11, 1804
The party spent the day chinking and roofing their huts at the winter camp. A Shoshone (Snake nation) woman, accompanied by the wife of one of the interpreters,…
Nov
11
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 11, 1804
The party traveled past a timbered island with hills and prairies lining both sides of the river. Rain began at 1 o'clock and continued heavily through the day.…
Nov
12
1804
Clark: November 12, 1804
On a bitterly cold day with freezing temperatures and ice forming along the river, Big White, principal chief of the lower Mandan village, visited and brought about 100…
Nov
12
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 12, 1804
Frost set in overnight, with some freezing. The party continued building their winter quarters as usual. The chief of the lower Mandan village visited and brought buffalo meat,…
Nov
12
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 12, 1804
The expedition passed black bluffs along the south bank and a timbered island, the only timber visible from the area, with the surrounding country consisting entirely of hills…
Nov
13
1804
Clark: November 13, 1804
On a snowy, cold day with ice beginning to run in the river, the party rose early and unloaded the boat before breakfast, storing supplies in a storehouse…
Nov
13
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 13, 1804
With the boat stuck in river ice, the men unloaded its cargo into the unfinished storehouse to keep it from being swept away, then continued construction work. Captain…
Nov
13
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 13, 1804
The expedition set out early under cloudy skies with light rain and a headwind. Traveling along the river, they passed a creek and a long range of bluffs…
Nov
14
1804
Clark: November 14, 1804
At Fort Mandan, the day was cloudy with thick ice running in the river, which had risen half an inch overnight, and some snow falling. Few Indians visited…
Nov
14
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 14, 1804
Around 3 p.m., the party spotted a canoe with two men coming up the river, suspected to be the French trappers who had set off downstream days earlier.…
Nov
14
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 14, 1804
The party struggled upriver through shallow water, with all hands wading to drag the boat along. They stopped for breakfast at 8 a.m., when yesterday's hunters returned with…
Nov
15
1804
Clark: November 15, 1804
On a cloudy Thursday with thicker ice running in the river, George Drouillard and a French engagé arrived back at camp around 10 a.m. from the hunters' camp…
Nov
15
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 15, 1804
A Frenchman returned with news that the pirogue was about eighteen miles downriver, loaded with meat, and that its bow had been damaged by ice. He was sent…
Nov
15
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 15, 1804
The expedition set out early, passing a creek on the south side and black bluffs on the north before reaching the mouth of the White River on the…
Nov
16
1804
Clark: November 16, 1804
A heavy white frost coated the trees in ice under cloudy skies. The men moved into their still-unfinished huts and spent much of the day daubing them with…
Nov
16
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 16, 1804
A heavy, coarse white frost coated everything, including tree branches, throughout the day—thicker than any frost the writer had witnessed back in the States. The air remained dense…
Nov
16
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 16, 1804
The party traveled across level plateaus dotted with goats and buffalo, reaching the head of a creek and following it southeast. Along the way they killed three deer…
Nov
17
1804
Clark: November 17, 1804
On a fine but cold Saturday morning, William Clark noted that the ice on the river had thickened overnight. Several Indians came to visit the encampment, and one…
Nov
17
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 17, 1804
On November 17, 1804, the weather was clear with sunshine on the trees. Around 11 o'clock, a Frenchman arrived bringing a fat elk from the pirogue. The men…
Nov
17
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 17, 1804
Captain Lewis led a hunting party that returned with thirteen common deer, two black-tailed deer, three buffalo, and a wild goat believed to be a true antelope. The…
Nov
17
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Joseph Whitehouse: November 17, 1804
On a cold November day in 1804, Sergeant Gass built a horse sled for one of the North West Company traders, who planned to use it to travel…
Nov
18
1804
Clark: November 18, 1804
On a cold, windy Sunday, Black Cat, chief of the Mandans, visited the expedition and asked many questions about their customs. He explained that his nation had held…
Nov
18
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 18, 1804
The expedition crew continued construction work on a smokehouse, framing it with timber cross-drawing and using chinks, daubing, and a covering of earth and ashes since planks were…
Nov
18
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 18, 1804
On a clear, pleasant day, the expedition traveled past timbered land on the south bank and hills and prairies on the north, passing an island and numerous sandbars.…
Nov
19
1804
Clark: November 19, 1804
On a cold Monday with ice running in the river, the hunting party returned by pirogue with a substantial haul of 32 deer, 12 elk, and a buffalo,…
Nov
19
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 19, 1804
The weather turned pleasant and moderate. The party daubed the storehouse and smokehouse, with everyone busy at various tasks. Around 3 p.m., the hunters returned in the pirogue…
Nov
19
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 19, 1804
The expedition traveled past large timbered bottomlands on both sides of the river. The party spotted buffalo swimming across the river and killed two. They passed an island…
Nov
20
1804
Clark: November 20, 1804
Captains Lewis and Clark moved into their newly built huts at the winter camp. A strong west wind blew through much of the day, though temperatures were mild.…
Nov
20
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 20, 1804
Under clear skies and a fair wind, the party traveled past prairies on the north and timbered bottoms on the south. Two men took the horse overland across…
Nov
20
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 20, 1804
On a warm November day at the expedition's winter quarters, the interpreter hired for communicating with the Gros Ventres (Hidatsa) arrived with four horses loaded with furs and…
Nov
21
1804
Clark: November 21, 1804
On a fine Wednesday with some southwesterly wind, the expedition sent out a pirogue and gathered stone to build chimneys for their winter quarters. The men sorted and…
Nov
21
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 21, 1804
The party traveled along bluffs on the south side of the river for four miles, reaching the end of the Grand Bend, about a mile from where they…
Nov
21
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 21, 1804
The party traveled a short distance down the river to gather stone for the backs of their chimneys, completing four chimney backs during the day's work.
Nov
22
1804
Clark: November 22, 1804
On a fine, warm day at Fort Mandan, Sergeant Pryor and five men were sent by pirogue to the second village to collect 100 bushels of corn arranged…
Nov
22
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 22, 1804
The party traveled past timbered land on the south bank and high plains on the north. Around 3 o'clock they passed Cedar Island, one of the Three Sisters,…
Nov
22
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 22, 1804
The party sent a pirogue to the second Mandan village to trade for corn. The men finished building the backs of the chimneys at their winter quarters. Toward…
Nov
23
1804
Clark: November 23, 1804
On a fair, warm day with a southeasterly wind, the party sent men out to gather stone. Several men were suffering from bad colds, and one man, Shields,…
Nov
23
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 23, 1804
The party traveled past timbered land and high ground, noting Smoke Creek on the north side and passing Elk Island, with a wooded bottom to the north and…
Nov
23
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 23, 1804
On this day, the expedition focused on practical preparations at their camp. The crew set up rope-making equipment, with several men assigned to crafting a large rope. The…
Nov
24
1804
Clark: November 24, 1804
On a warm Saturday with the wind blowing from the southeast, the expedition continued building their winter quarters, covering the huts with hewed puncheons. Several of the men…
Nov
24
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 24, 1804
The expedition passed a small creek on the south side and continued upriver. Around 3 o'clock, the man traveling overland with the horse reported that Indians had stolen…
Nov
24
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 24, 1804
Daily activities continued as usual at the encampment. The guard was reduced in size to a sergeant and three men. Native visitors continued to come to the camp…
Nov
25
1804
Clark: November 25, 1804
On a warm, pleasant Sunday, Captain Lewis set out with two interpreters and six men to visit Indian towns and camps in the area. Work continued on covering…
Nov
25
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 25, 1804
Around 50 anticipated Native visitors arrived at 10 o'clock, and the captains designated three as chiefs and distributed gifts. Five came aboard for about three hours. When Captain…
Nov
25
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 25, 1804
Captain Lewis, the interpreters, and six men departed this morning on an expedition roughly 24 miles upriver to visit a nearby Indian nation. Captain Lewis and the interpreters…
Nov
26
1804
Clark: November 26, 1804
Just before dawn at Fort Mandan, the wind shifted to the northwest and blew hard, bringing sharp, cold air that lasted throughout the day. The sky stayed cloudy…
Nov
26
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 26, 1804
The expedition encountered a large band of Indians lining the south bank of the river. Around 10 a.m., they anchored about 100 yards offshore and met with the…
Nov
27
1804
Clark: November 27, 1804
On a cold, cloudy day with the river clogged by floating ice and a northwest wind, the men finished daubing the fort. Captain Lewis returned from the Mandan…
Nov
27
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 27, 1804
Gass and several men visited a nearby Indian camp of about 80 lodges, observing women dressing buffalo skins and noting the people's friendliness, though also their pilfering and…
Nov
27
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 27, 1804
The crew finished daubing, covering, and completing their huts at the winter encampment despite thick weather. Captain Lewis returned with three chiefs from the upper Hidatsa (Gros Ventre)…
Nov
28
1804
Clark: November 28, 1804
A cold, snowy day with northwest winds and the Missouri River clogged with floating ice. Snow began at 7 a.m. and continued throughout the day, halting work at…
Nov
28
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 28, 1804
The expedition prepared to depart around 9 a.m., with some chiefs aboard intending to travel with them. Tensions flared when Indians grabbed the boat's rope and refused to…
Nov
28
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 28, 1804
Snow fell in the morning with a northeast wind, and the river level was dropping. Ordway also noted tension from the previous evening between George Drouillard and Mr.…
Nov
29
1804
Clark: November 29, 1804
A very cold, windy day with northwest winds and varying snow depths around 13 inches in the woods following snowfall the previous night. The river froze at the…
Nov
29
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 29, 1804
While unrigging the boat in cold weather, a sergeant dislocated his shoulder. The next morning, an Indian was brought across the river and reported that a Sioux war…
Nov
29
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 29, 1804
On a cold, clear, frosty morning with about 12 inches of snow on the ground, the Missouri River dropped about two feet overnight, leaving the expedition's boat sitting…
Nov
30
1804
Clark: November 30, 1804
On a cold November morning, a Mandan messenger reported that a Sioux and Pawnee war party had ambushed Mandan hunters about eight leagues southwest, killing one young chief,…
Nov
30
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 30, 1804
The party traveled along black bluffs to the south and prairie bottom to the north. An Indian on shore asked to join them on the way to the…
Nov
30
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 30, 1804
Around 9 a.m., an Indian arrived across the river with news that a Sioux war party had attacked the Mandans, killing one man on each side, wounding others,…
Dec
1
1804
Clark: December 1, 1804
On a windy Saturday at Fort Mandan, the men worked on setting pickets for the fort. A young chief arrived with news that six Cheyenne (called Shar ha)…
Dec
1
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 1, 1804
The party worked on completing their fort by cutting and carrying pickets. A trader from the North West Company arrived at the fort and reported that Indians had…
Dec
1
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 1, 1804
The party worked on bringing in pickets to fortify their garrison at Fort Mandan. An Indian arrived from the Mandan village reporting that a large group, around 300…
Dec
2
1804
Clark: December 2, 1804
On a mild Sunday that turned colder when the wind shifted north, Mandan chiefs from the lower village arrived at the camp with several young men and four…
Dec
2
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 2, 1804
A group of Cheyenne Indians, accompanied by some Mandans, visited the fort and were noted as civil and good-natured. Work on the fort continued through moderate weather on…
Dec
2
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 2, 1804
The expedition continued on as a number of Cheyenne, also called Dog Indians, arrived from a nearby village to visit. The party received the visitors in a friendly…
Dec
3
1804
Clark: December 3, 1804
On a fine but later cold and windy Monday with northwest winds, the expedition received a visit from the father of a Mandan man who had been killed.…
Dec
3
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Joseph Whitehouse: December 3, 1804
Since Christmas, the expedition has lived peacefully at their fort, with Native visitors bringing daily supplies of corn. To celebrate New Year's Day 1805, the party fired two…
Dec
3
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 3, 1804
On this day, the expedition party began the work of setting up pickets at their winter encampment, hauling and installing the wooden stakes used to form a defensive…
Dec
3
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 3, 1804
The party traveled along a stretch of river bordered by high land on both banks. Around noon, strong winds blowing downstream forced them to stop beneath tall bluffs,…
Dec
4
1804
Clark: December 4, 1804
On a cloudy, raw Tuesday with a northwest wind, the Mandan chief Black Cat and two young chiefs visited the camp and stayed throughout the day, as had…
Dec
4
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 4, 1804
The expedition continued work on fortifying their winter quarters, gathering and setting pickets for the stockade. Black Cat, the chief of the second Mandan village, visited the camp…
Dec
4
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 4, 1804
The party backtracked to their previous day's stopping point at noon to try the other side of the river, since the water was too shallow and sandbars too…
Dec
5
1804
Clark: December 5, 1804
On a cold, raw Wednesday with a southeast wind and light snow, the captains received visitors at their winter quarters. Two men from the North West Company stopped…
Dec
5
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 5, 1804
Construction work at the winter camp continued as usual. The men built a platform on top of the meat and smokehouse to serve as a sentinel's post, allowing…
Dec
5
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 5, 1804
Clear and pleasant weather marked the day. Around 11 o'clock, the party spotted goats swimming across the river; a hunter ran along the shore and killed four, which…
Dec
6
1804
Clark: December 6, 1804
At Fort Mandan, violent north-northwesterly winds brought snow and bitterly cold air, with the thermometer reading 10 degrees above zero at 8 a.m. Around 9 a.m., a Native…
Dec
6
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 6, 1804
Heavy snow and high winds made conditions too disagreeable for the men to continue working, so the day's labor was postponed.
Dec
6
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 6, 1804
On a clear day, the party traveled past bluffs on the south side and timbered bottomlands on the north. Around 11 a.m. they came upon an attractive bottom…
Dec
7
1804
Clark: December 7, 1804
On a bitterly cold Friday with northwest winds and the thermometer at one degree below zero, Big White, the grand chief of the first Mandan village, alerted the…
Dec
7
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 7, 1804
Early in the morning, the Mandan head chief Big White rode urgently to the garrison to report large herds of buffalo approaching the river and prairies full of…
Dec
7
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 7, 1804
The white-headed chief of the first Mandan village came to the garrison to report that buffalo were moving from the prairie into the bottomlands. Captain Lewis and eleven…
Dec
8
1804
Clark: December 8, 1804
On a brutally cold morning at -12°F with a northwest wind, Clark led 15 men, joined by Indians on horseback with arrows, on a buffalo hunt. The party…
Dec
8
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 8, 1804
On a clear, bitterly cold day with a northwest wind and ice hanging in the air like fog, Captain Clark and 14 men, including Ordway, set out from…
Dec
8
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 8, 1804
Despite extreme cold that left several men with frostbitten feet, Captain Clark led a hunting party out in pursuit of buffalo. The hunt was successful, yielding nine buffalo…
Dec
9
1804
Clark: December 9, 1804
On a clear Sunday morning with the thermometer at 7° above zero and an east wind, Captain Lewis took 18 men and 4 horses out to retrieve meat…
Dec
9
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 9, 1804
Around 10 a.m. the previous day, Captain Lewis set out hunting with twelve men, planning to leave some hunters in a bottomland about five miles below the fort…
Dec
9
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 9, 1804
On December 9, 1804, the hunting party descended to a bottom where two men were guarding meat. They encountered buffalo that had wandered into the woods, killing ten…
Dec
10
1804
Clark: December 10, 1804
An extremely cold day at Fort Mandan, with temperatures of 10 to 11 degrees below zero. Captain Lewis returned at noon after a miserable night spent in the…
Dec
10
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 10, 1804
Several hunters traveled back to the previous night's camp and returned with heavy loads of meat. The weather turned much colder through the day, dropping rapidly so that…
Dec
10
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 10, 1804
Captain Lewis and four men, including the author, set out to return to the fort, leaving four hunters and a camp keeper behind. On the way back, they…
Dec
11
1804
Clark: December 11, 1804
An extremely cold day at Fort Mandan, with temperatures of 21 degrees below zero at sunrise and continuing to drop. Ice crystals filled the air so thickly it…
Dec
11
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 11, 1804
Men set out early to retrieve horses so they could travel down to the hunting camp, collect meat, and bring everyone back to the Fort. They returned in…
Dec
11
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 11, 1804
Bitterly cold weather made hunting impossible, so men were dispatched to a downstream camp to retrieve the remaining meat and to recall the hunting party. The hunters returned…
Dec
12
1804
Clark: December 12, 1804
A clear, cold morning at Fort Mandan with the thermometer reading 38 degrees below zero at sunrise, briefly moderating before turning colder again. Clark lined his gloves and…
Dec
12
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 12, 1804
The day brought a sharp drop in temperature, several degrees colder than any previous morning of the expedition's winter so far. Because of the extreme cold, the men…
Dec
12
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 12, 1804
In bitterly cold weather, the party constructed three small sleds to be used for hauling in meat.
Dec
13
1804
Clark: December 13, 1804
On a clear, bitterly cold Thursday, Clark recorded a morning temperature of 20 degrees below zero, with frost from the previous night coating the ice, old snow, and…
Dec
13
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 13, 1804
Extremely cold weather gripped the camp, with temperatures 10-11 degrees below zero and proof spirits freezing solid within fifteen minutes. Two men went out and killed two buffalo,…
Dec
13
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 13, 1804
The weather was moderate this day at the expedition's winter camp. Two hunters set out and successfully killed two buffalo. One of the hunters returned to camp, and…
Dec
14
1804
Clark: December 14, 1804
On a fine but bitterly cold morning with the thermometer at zero and a southeast wind, Clark led a party of men 18 miles down the river to…
Dec
14
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 14, 1804
Captain Clark set out with 14 men to hunt down the river, but soon after their departure heavy snow began falling. A number of Mandans visited the fort,…
Dec
14
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 14, 1804
Light showers fell during the day, with about three inches of snow accumulating. Captain Clark led a party of fourteen men on a hunting expedition, taking three sleds…
Dec
15
1804
Clark: December 15, 1804
On a cold, clear Saturday morning following an overnight snowfall of about an inch and a half with a north wind, Clark spotted no buffalo and decided to…
Dec
15
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 15, 1804
On a cold and stormy day, members of the expedition visited the first and second Mandan villages to trade for corn, which the Mandans stored in pits in…
Dec
15
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 15, 1804
On this winter day, visitors arrived at the camp and presented gifts of meat to the commanding officers. Around one in the afternoon, Captain Clark returned with his…
Dec
16
1804
Clark: December 16, 1804
A clear, bitterly cold Sunday at Fort Mandan, with the thermometer reading 22 degrees below zero at sunrise. Clark notes an unusual appearance of the moon through the…
Dec
16
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 16, 1804
On this day, men from the expedition visited the first and second Mandan villages, where they were received with kindness. Three traders from the North West Company arrived…
Dec
16
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 16, 1804
Four traders affiliated with the North West Company arrived at the Mandan Village, having been working among the Mandan and Hidatsa (Gros Ventres) tribes to trade for robes,…
Dec
17
1804
Clark: December 17, 1804
On a brutally cold Monday, the thermometer read 43 degrees below zero in the morning and dropped to 74 degrees below freezing by 8 PM. The party spent…
Dec
17
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Joseph Whitehouse: December 17, 1804
On this cold December day at the winter camp, Sergeant Gass built a horse sled for one of the North West Company traders, who planned to use it…
Dec
17
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 17, 1804
The party stayed at their fortified winter quarters, undertaking light tasks including outfitting a sled for one of the North West Company traders preparing to depart. Later in…
Dec
17
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 17, 1804
Temperatures hovered around 35 degrees below zero, having been even colder in previous days. Toward evening, the son of a Mandan chief arrived from the first Mandan village…
Dec
18
1804
Clark: December 18, 1804
Bitterly cold weather continued, matching the previous night's temperature. Traders Hugh Heney and François-Antoine Larocque departed for the Gros Ventre (Hidatsa) camp. Seven hunters sent out for buffalo…
Dec
18
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Joseph Whitehouse: December 18, 1804
The day was very cold at the expedition's winter quarters. Eight members of the party went out hunting but saw nothing except some goats, returning without game. Despite…
Dec
18
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 18, 1804
After returning at 9 a.m. from an unsuccessful hunt for buffalo—spotting only goats—the party found that the men from the North West Company had departed for home despite…
Dec
18
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 18, 1804
A bitterly cold night required the men to be relieved on guard duty every half hour. Traders from the North West Company, who had stayed at the fort…
Dec
19
1804
Clark: December 19, 1804
On Wednesday, December 19, 1804, the wind blew from the southwest and the weather moderated somewhat compared to previous days. Clark spent the day occupied with mapping work,…
Dec
19
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Joseph Whitehouse: December 19, 1804
The day was clear and pleasant. The men began setting up the pickets of their fort, continuing construction of their winter quarters.
Dec
19
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 19, 1804
The men focused on setting up pickets around their fortifications, but the bitter cold forced them to work in shifts. Only half the party labored outside at any…
Dec
19
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 19, 1804
The day was clear with a favorable wind as the expedition traveled along the river, passing a creek on the south side. Patrick Gass noted that while hunting…
Dec
20
1804
Clark: December 20, 1804
On a moderate Thursday with a northwest wind and the thermometer at 37 degrees above zero, the relatively mild weather allowed the party to put up the pickets…
Dec
20
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Joseph Whitehouse: December 20, 1804
On this unusually warm winter day at the expedition's encampment, the snow melted quickly under the mild conditions. The men carried on with their regular work and ongoing…
Dec
20
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 20, 1804
The day was pleasant. Two hunters set out early and returned by breakfast with a deer, after which four more hunters went out. The party passed a 20-yard-wide…
Dec
20
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 20, 1804
On this pleasant winter day, the expedition party continued the work of setting up pickets and other fortification tasks at their encampment. The brief entry indicates ongoing construction…
Dec
21
1804
Clark: December 21, 1804
A fine, warm day with winds from the northwest by west. The Native American man whom Clark had previously prevented from killing his wife in a fit of…
Dec
21
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Joseph Whitehouse: December 21, 1804
The day remained pleasant and warm at the expedition's winter quarters. The men continued with their usual work routines, with no notable events or changes reported.
Dec
21
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 21, 1804
The expedition set out early despite snow falling through the morning, with hail also reported. They traveled past a bottomland on the south side of the river and…
Dec
21
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 21, 1804
The expedition continued constructing Fort Mandan, setting pickets while a number of Native visitors, especially women, lingered around the garrison. Mr. Henny arrived after a six-day journey from…
Dec
22
1804
Clark: December 22, 1804
On a Saturday at Fort Mandan, a group of Mandan women, along with men dressed in women's clothing, came to trade corn with the expedition's men in exchange…
Dec
22
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Joseph Whitehouse: December 22, 1804
The day was clear, pleasant, and warm. Many Native people came to the fort bringing corn, beans, and moccasins to trade. They were willing to exchange these goods…
Dec
22
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 22, 1804
The weather was warm, and a large number of Native people came to the camp to trade. They brought corn, beans, and moccasins, and were willing to exchange…
Dec
22
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 22, 1804
On December 22, 1804, the party worked on setting the pickets at their winter quarters. A large number of Native visitors came to the post bringing corn and…
Dec
23
1804
Clark: December 23, 1804
A fine day at the fort brought a steady stream of Native visitors of various nations, many trading corn with the expedition. The chief known as Little Crow…
Dec
23
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Joseph Whitehouse: December 23, 1804
On this clear and pleasant winter day, the expedition party continued their construction work at their encampment, focusing on setting up pickets and other fortification tasks. No significant…
Dec
23
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 23, 1804
The men continued raising the pickets of their winter fortification. Large numbers of Native people visited the camp, with the women bringing loads of corn and beans. The…
Dec
23
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 23, 1804
On this day, the expedition party continued their work erecting pickets, likely as part of constructing the defensive perimeter of their winter quarters at Fort Mandan. The brief…
Dec
24
1804
Clark: December 24, 1804
At Fort Mandan on a fine day, several chiefs along with men, women, and children visited—some to trade, most to observe. The captains presented two-inch strips of sheepskin…
Dec
24
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 24, 1804
On Christmas Eve 1804, the expedition continued fortifying their winter quarters by setting pickets and erecting a blacksmith's shop. The afternoon turned pleasant. Native visitors came to the…
Dec
24
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 24, 1804
The weather cleared and turned pleasant on this December day at the expedition's winter quarters. The party completed construction of their fortification, marking an important milestone in establishing…
Dec
25
1804
Clark: December 25, 1804
On Christmas Day, the party celebrated at their winter quarters. Clark was awakened before dawn by three platoon volleys fired by the American men and the French in…
Dec
25
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Joseph Whitehouse: December 25, 1804
Christmas Day at the expedition's winter quarters was marked with celebration. The party greeted the morning by firing the swivel gun and a round of small arms, followed…
Dec
25
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 25, 1804
The expedition celebrated Christmas Day at their winter quarters with festivities and ceremony. The men marked daybreak by each firing a round, and the officers issued a ration…
Dec
25
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 25, 1804
At Fort Mandan, the expedition celebrated Christmas Day with a swivel gun salute and small arms volley by the entire corps. Captain Clark distributed brandy, and the American…
Dec
26
1804
Clark: December 26, 1804
A mild, temperate day at the winter camp with no Indigenous visitors arriving, as had also been the case the previous day. A representative from the North West…
Dec
26
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 26, 1804
A brief journal note marking the expedition's location at the Mandan Villages in present-day North Dakota, where the Corps of Discovery had established Fort Mandan as their winter…
Dec
26
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 26, 1804
Members who had stayed overnight at the village returned in the morning. Captain Lewis, Gass, and others traveled to the second village, where they spent much of the…
Dec
27
1804
Clark: December 27, 1804
On this Thursday, light snow fell and temperatures dropped slightly colder than the previous day, with strong winds blowing from the northwest. Several Indians visited the expedition's camp…
Dec
27
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 27, 1804
On this day at the expedition's winter quarters, the men worked on construction tasks around the fort. Crew members laid a floor in the interpreter's room and completed…
Dec
27
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 27, 1804
During a stretch of generally very cold weather, the expedition's hunters were active and brought in a small buffalo, three elk, four deer, two or three wolves, and…
Dec
28
1804
Clark: December 28, 1804
Strong winds from the previous night continued, with heavy frost falling like snow. Clark notes nothing particularly remarkable occurred during the day. Snow drifted across the landscape, blowing…
Dec
28
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 28, 1804
On this day, members of nearby Native American villages came to visit the expedition's camp. The journal entry is extremely brief and provides no further details about the…
Dec
28
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 28, 1804
Patrick Gass and several men went down the river to hunt. That evening, one of the expedition's interpreters returned to Fort Mandan along with another Frenchman who had…
Dec
29
1804
Clark: December 29, 1804
On Saturday, December 29, 1804, William Clark recorded that a heavy frost nearly a quarter inch deep had fallen overnight and continued falling into the morning until the…
Dec
29
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 29, 1804
A steady stream of Mandan men, women, and children visited Fort Mandan throughout the day. With the blacksmith shop now set up, the natives brought axes and a…
Dec
29
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 29, 1804
Hunters set out to join others already hunting with local Native people. One hunter returned in the evening reporting a successful kill of a buffalo, a wolf, and…
Dec
30
1804
Clark: December 30, 1804
On Sunday, December 30, 1804, the weather was bitterly cold, with the thermometer reading 20 degrees below zero. A number of Indians visited the camp during the day…
Dec
30
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 30, 1804
Hunters returned to the fort with four deer, four wolves, and an animal the French called a prarow or brarow. Two men from the North West Company, who…
Dec
30
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 30, 1804
Mandans visited the expedition's camp to trade, bringing corn, beans, squash, and a traditional bread made from parched corn and beans rolled into balls. The journal also notes…
Dec
31
1804
Clark: December 31, 1804
A fine day at Fort Mandan following a windy night that swirled snow and sand together in the river bend, creating small hillocks atop the ice. Frost from…
Dec
31
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: December 31, 1804
This brief entry from Patrick Gass notes the distance to the hunters' camp, located thirty miles down the river. The fragment offers little additional detail about activities, weather,…
Dec
31
1804
Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: December 31, 1804
The party traveled up to the second Mandan village to scout the bottomland there for timber suitable for making pirogues.
Jan
1
1805
Clark: January 1, 1805
New Year's Day at Fort Mandan was marked by firing two cannons in celebration. Sixteen men with musical instruments visited the first Mandan village at the chiefs' request…
Jan
1
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Joseph Whitehouse: January 1, 1805
The day was unusually warm and pleasant for the season, causing the snow to melt rapidly. Whitehouse, accompanied by two other men, traveled to the fort. He noted…
Jan
1
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 1, 1805
At the Mandan villages, the party was welcomed warmly and offered food. After the meal, their hosts placed a bowl of food before a buffalo head and invited…
Jan
1
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 1, 1805
On New Year's Day 1805, fifteen members of the expedition fired a swivel gun, drank a toast, and around 9 a.m. traveled to the first Mandan village at…
Jan
2
1805
Clark: January 2, 1805
On a snowy, very cold Wednesday, a party of expedition members traveled to the second village to dance with the local inhabitants. Captain Lewis and the interpreter also…
Jan
2
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Joseph Whitehouse: January 2, 1805
Around 3 a.m. the wind shifted to come from the north and the temperature dropped below freezing. The cold weather and northerly wind persisted throughout the entire day,…
Jan
2
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 2, 1805
Most of the party traveled to the second Mandan village to socialize and dance, much as they had done the previous day at the first village. Meanwhile, a…
Jan
3
1805
Clark: January 3, 1805
On a snowy Thursday, eight men set out to hunt buffalo but returned with only a hare and a wolf. Several Indians visited the camp during the day.…
Jan
3
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 3, 1805
A hunting party set out after Native informants reported buffalo were moving toward the river. However, the Native hunters reached the herd first on horseback, killed five animals,…
Jan
4
1805
Clark: January 4, 1805
At Fort Mandan on this warm, snowy Friday morning, the temperature stood at 28 degrees above zero under cloudy skies. Three men were sent downriver to hunt. Several…
Jan
4
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 4, 1805
With winter ending at the Mandan villages, the expedition began loading the boat to resume their voyage. On January 5th, a hard, cold northwest wind blew as they…
Jan
4
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 4, 1805
On this blustery winter day, Ordway and others traveled down the river to hunt. The afternoon turned windy and rough. Some of the hunting party returned to camp…
Jan
5
1805
Clark: January 5, 1805
On a cold, snowy Saturday, several Indians visited the camp to have their axes repaired while Clark worked on compiling a map of the region from gathered information.…
Jan
5
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Joseph Whitehouse: January 5, 1805
A cloudy, cold day at the winter camp. The three hunters who had set out down the river hunting on January 4th returned on the 7th. They reported…
Jan
5
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 5, 1805
The day brought very cold weather, continuing into a frigid morning. Three of the expedition's hunters did not return to camp and spent the night out in the…
Jan
6
1805
Fort Mandan: January 6, 1805
At Fort Mandan, the day brought brutally cold weather with temperatures well below zero, keeping the men confined near the fort. They occupied themselves tending fires and maintaining…
Jan
6
1805
John Ordway: January 6, 1805
On a blustery day at the winter garrison, Private Bratton caught a fox in a steel trap. The fox had gnawed a hole through the pickets of the…
Jan
7
1805
Clark: January 7, 1805
A bitterly cold, clear day at Fort Mandan, with temperatures at 22 degrees below zero and a northwest wind. The river dropped an inch. Several Indian hunters returned,…
Jan
7
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Joseph Whitehouse: January 7, 1805
Light snow fell in the morning, and the remaining men returned from the village. Around 10 o'clock, Captain Lewis and those who had not yet visited went up…
Jan
7
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 7, 1805
The commanding officers conferred with Arikara Indians visiting the Mandan villages, arranging for some to travel down to St. Louis. Around 5 p.m., the expedition departed Fort Mandan…
Jan
7
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 7, 1805
The wind blew from the northwest. In the evening, three men who had been hunting downriver returned to camp. They had killed one wolf, which they were forced…
Jan
8
1805
Clark: January 8, 1805
The day was cold with the wind blowing from the northwest. Few Native Americans visited the fort, and one of the expedition's men was at the nearby village.…
Jan
8
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Joseph Whitehouse: January 8, 1805
Some buffalo approached the fort, prompting nine men to set out after them, but they failed to kill any. One of the hunters did manage to shoot a…
Jan
8
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 8, 1805
The day's entry is extremely brief, noting only that the wind came from the northwest. No other events, activities, or observations were recorded for this date.
Jan
9
1805
Clark: January 9, 1805
On a bitterly cold Wednesday, with the thermometer reading 21 degrees below zero, many Indians traveled out to hunt buffalo. The chief known as Little Crow ate breakfast…
Jan
9
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Joseph Whitehouse: January 9, 1805
On a bitterly cold and stormy day, two inexperienced hunters left the fort. One returned around 8 p.m. with a frostbitten foot, while the other stayed out overnight…
Jan
9
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 9, 1805
The party traveled about twenty-two miles before making camp on the north side of the river. Around ten o'clock, they passed a group of Gros Ventres who were…
Jan
9
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 9, 1805
A blustery, bitterly cold afternoon kept the expedition members close to the fort. Several Indigenous hunters returned in the evening with horses loaded with buffalo meat, but reported…
Jan
10
1805
Clark: January 10, 1805
On an extraordinarily cold morning at Fort Mandan, with the thermometer reading 40 degrees below zero (72 below freezing), the party accounted for hunters who had been caught…
Jan
10
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Joseph Whitehouse: January 10, 1805
One of the expedition's hunters returned to the fort with news that he had killed three elk, dressed them, and brought the meat back to their hunting camp.…
Jan
10
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 10, 1805
Patrick Gass records a day of difficult travel on the river, contending with rough rapid water and numerous sandbars. Despite these challenges, the weather was fine and pleasant.…
Jan
10
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 10, 1805
A search party prepared to look for a man who had stayed out overnight, but he returned safely, reporting he had built a fire and was reasonably comfortable.…
Jan
11
1805
Clark: January 11, 1805
On a very cold Friday, Clark sent three men out to join three others already hunting downriver. Two Mandan chiefs visited and stayed the night: Black Cat (Pose-cop-se-ha)…
Jan
11
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Joseph Whitehouse: January 11, 1805
The day was clear and cold at the expedition's winter quarters. Some of the men set out with a sled to retrieve meat from a previous hunt, while…
Jan
11
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 11, 1805
The day was clear and pleasant, allowing the expedition to make good progress. The party spotted some Indians on the south side of the river but did not…
Jan
11
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 11, 1805
The journal entry for this date contains only a single fragmentary word and no substantive content describing events, people, places, weather, or decisions. No meaningful account of the…
Jan
12
1805
Clark: January 12, 1805
On a very cold Saturday at Fort Mandan, three of the expedition's hunters returned, with Joseph and Reubin Field bringing in two elk on a sled. Clark sent…
Jan
12
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Joseph Whitehouse: January 12, 1805
The weather remained clear and cold. A number of Native Americans accompanied some of the expedition's men down the river to hunt. That evening, one of the interpreters…
Jan
12
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 12, 1805
Around 8 a.m., the party reached the mouth of the Little Missouri, a small river entering from the south side that closely resembles the Missouri in color, current,…
Jan
12
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 12, 1805
Three elk were brought into camp after four men were sent out to retrieve the meat from a previous hunt.
Jan
13
1805
Clark: January 13, 1805
On a cold, clear Sunday, about half the Mandan nation traveled down the river to hunt buffalo, a common practice though their habit of sharing meat widely often…
Jan
13
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 13, 1805
Strong winds prevented the small canoes from carrying sail. Members of the party trapped beaver, and some French trappers traveling nearby caught seven. The group passed Onion Creek,…
Jan
13
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 13, 1805
Hunting parties were active as game grew scarce, prompting frequent visits from Native people seeking food. The expedition members welcomed them as best they could despite the intrusions.…
Jan
14
1805
Clark: January 14, 1805
On a cold Monday, a group of Native American men, women, children, and dogs traveled down the ice past the camp to join others who had passed the…
Jan
14
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Joseph Whitehouse: January 14, 1805
Light snow fell in the morning at the fort. Six additional hunters set out to join those already in the field, and a number of Native hunters went…
Jan
14
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 14, 1805
On a fine morning, the party set out and was joined by a black dog believed to have belonged to a recently encamped band of Assiniboine. They passed…
Jan
14
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 14, 1805
George Shannon returned to camp this evening with news that Joseph Whitehouse had frostbitten his feet and could not make it back without a horse. Shannon, hunting with…
Jan
15
1805
Clark: January 15, 1805
At Fort Mandan, a total lunar eclipse occurred between midnight and 3 a.m., and Clark recorded several timing observations: the start at 12:57:54, total darkness at 1:44:00, end…
Jan
15
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Joseph Whitehouse: January 15, 1805
The weather turned noticeably warmer and more pleasant than it had been recently. A man who had traveled to the fort the previous day returned with two horses…
Jan
15
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 15, 1805
On a thawing winter day at Fort Mandan, horses were sent down to the hunters. Around 2 o'clock in the afternoon, several Gros Ventre (Hidatsa) chiefs arrived to…
Jan
15
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 15, 1805
The men celebrated the New Year by firing a swivel gun and a round of small arms. Captain Lewis distributed a glass of good old whiskey to each…
Jan
16
1805
Clark: January 16, 1805
About thirty Mandans, including six chiefs, visited the fort, despite Hidatsa warnings that the white men would kill them; they were instead smoked with, entertained with dancing, and…
Jan
16
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 16, 1805
Members who had stayed overnight at the village returned in the morning. Captain Lewis, Patrick Gass, and others traveled to the second village, where they spent much of…
Jan
16
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 16, 1805
Visitors arrived at the fort with their wives carrying loads of corn to pay the expedition's blacksmith for his work. Three men returned from a hunting trip with…
Jan
17
1805
Clark: January 17, 1805
On Thursday, January 17, 1805, Clark recorded a very windy morning with strong winds blowing from the north. The thermometer read zero degrees. Several Indians visited the camp…
Jan
17
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 17, 1805
The weather was generally very cold, though hunters frequently went out and had varied success. They killed a white hare, a small buffalo, three elk, four deer, and…
Jan
17
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 17, 1805
Ordway's brief entry for this day notes only that the wind was from the northwest. No other activities, events, or observations were recorded.
Jan
18
1805
Clark: January 18, 1805
On a mild, warm Friday morning at Fort Mandan, the expedition received visitors. North West Company traders François-Antoine Larocque and Charles McKenzie traveled down to the fort, accompanied…
Jan
18
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Joseph Whitehouse: January 18, 1805
The day brought clear, cold weather at the fort. Two of the expedition's hunters returned with a substantial haul, having killed four deer, four wolves, and one badger-like…
Jan
18
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 18, 1805
Traders from the North West Company arrived at the garrison from the Gros Ventres villages in the evening. Two hunters returned with four wolf skins taken in steel…
Jan
18
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 18, 1805
Patrick Gass and other men went down the river to hunt. That evening, one of the expedition's interpreters returned along with another Frenchman who had accompanied him on…
Jan
19
1805
Clark: January 19, 1805
On a fine Saturday, traders Larocque and McKenzie departed for home after their visit. Clark sent three horses down to the hunting camp to retrieve the meat the…
Jan
19
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Joseph Whitehouse: January 19, 1805
Two men were dispatched from the fort with three horses, traveling along the frozen river ice to retrieve meat from the hunting camps located about 30 miles downriver.
Jan
19
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 19, 1805
A brief entry noting that a party traveled down the river to bring home meat cached about 30 miles from Fort Mandan. The bulk of the page consists…
Jan
19
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 19, 1805
Hunters set out to join others already with the natives. That evening, one of the original hunters returned to the fort with news that the party had killed…
Jan
20
1805
Clark: January 20, 1805
On a cold but clear day at the fort, several Indians visited. A misunderstanding arose between the two interpreters concerning their wives. One of Charbonneau's wives had fallen…
Jan
20
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Joseph Whitehouse: January 20, 1805
Some of the men visited the nearby Mandan or Hidatsa villages and reported being treated very well, with the inhabitants providing plenty of food. After eating, the hosts…
Jan
20
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 20, 1805
The journal entry for this date is extremely brief, noting only that a considerable amount of corn was involved. No further details about events, people, weather, or decisions…
Jan
20
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 20, 1805
A hunting party returned to the fort with four deer, four wolves, and an animal the French called a prarow (or brarow). Two men from the North West…
Jan
21
1805
Clark: January 21, 1805
At Fort Mandan on Monday, January 21, 1805, the day was fine and unremarkable. A number of Indians visited the fort. Clark noted that one man was suffering…
Jan
21
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Joseph Whitehouse: January 21, 1805
A clear but cold morning with an east wind allowed the party to set off at sunrise and travel under sail past high bluffs, round knobs, and timbered…
Jan
21
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 21, 1805
Hunters returned with three horse-loads of meat, having killed three elk, four deer, a fox, two porcupines, and a hare. Local Native people brought in a considerable amount…
Jan
21
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 21, 1805
Hunters returned to the fort with three horse-loads of venison and elk meat. Over the following two days, January 22nd and 23rd, the weather turned warm, prompting the…
Jan
22
1805
Clark: January 22, 1805
On this fine, warm Tuesday, the party attempted to cut the boat and pirogues free from the ice along the river. They discovered water about eight inches beneath…
Jan
22
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Joseph Whitehouse: January 22, 1805
Snow and wind at daybreak delayed departure. Hunters went out and killed buffalo and deer, while another man had taken two beaver overnight. At an abandoned Indian camp,…
Jan
22
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 22, 1805
The party traveled by river past a beautiful bottomland on the north side that was filled with various game. Wind was unfavorable and the river ran very crooked,…
Jan
22
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 22, 1805
The men worked at cutting away ice from around the barge and pirogues. As they cut through the ice in places, water gushed up over the cut areas,…
Jan
23
1805
Clark: January 23, 1805
On this cold Wednesday, four inches of snow fell at the expedition's winter quarters. Clark noted that the day's occurrences were typical and unremarkable, offering no further details…
Jan
23
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Joseph Whitehouse: January 23, 1805
The party set out around 7 a.m. on a clear but very cold day, with frost, snow on the ground, and standing water frozen to their poles. A…
Jan
23
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 23, 1805
High winds prevented travel on the river. While camped, some men investigated what looked like a distant river or lake but found it was only Missouri backwater flooding…
Jan
23
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 23, 1805
The men of the expedition spent the day crafting hand sleds for the local Native Americans, who paid for the work with corn and beans through trade.
Jan
24
1805
Clark: January 24, 1805
On a fine Thursday in late January 1805 at Fort Mandan, Clark noted that the expedition's interpreters were beginning to understand one another better than they had in…
Jan
24
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 24, 1805
On this day, five men were sent out in the afternoon to cut wood for making charcoal, as the party's existing supply of coal had just run out.…
Jan
24
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 24, 1805
The journal entry for this date is extremely brief, noting only that hunters went out but killed nothing. No other details about weather, location, people, or activities are…
Jan
25
1805
Clark: January 25, 1805
Word reached the party that a band of Assiniboine had arrived at the nearby villages to trade, accompanied by their grand chief, known as Fee de petite veau.…
Jan
25
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 25, 1805
The men spent the day preparing materials and infrastructure for making charcoal. Their tasks included cutting and splitting wood suitable for coaling, as well as setting up the…
Jan
25
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 25, 1805
On this day, Patrick Gass briefly noted that the party was occupied with cutting or working through ice, describing the task as tedious. The fragmentary entry suggests the…
Jan
26
1805
Clark: January 26, 1805
On a notably warm and pleasant Saturday, the expedition hosted several Indians for dinner, who appeared well pleased with the meal. The day was marked by a medical…
Jan
26
1805
Lewis: January 26, 1805
On this Saturday, Lewis recorded a celestial observation taken at the expedition's winter quarters. Using a sextant and an artificial horizon made of water, he measured the meridian…
Jan
26
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 26, 1805
The expedition members continued the same work as the previous day. Local Native Americans visited the camp and brought a substantial amount of corn to trade or share…
Jan
26
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 26, 1805
The party spent the day cutting wood to make charcoal for their blacksmith, who used a small set of tools brought along on the expedition. The blacksmith forged…
Jan
27
1805
Clark: January 27, 1805
On a fine Sunday at Fort Mandan, the men attempted to cut the boat and canoes free from the ice, a difficult task complicated by water seeping between…
Jan
27
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 27, 1805
A brief note records that the party gathered hay from the prairie near the fort to cover a coal kiln, likely part of ongoing efforts to produce charcoal…
Jan
28
1805
Clark: January 28, 1805
On this warm Monday, the party tried unsuccessfully to cut through the ice to free their boat and canoe. Several Indians visited camp hoping to have war hatchets…
Jan
28
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 28, 1805
The crew worked at cutting ice from around the barge in an effort to free it. They obtained large pries and tried to shake the vessel loose, but…
Jan
29
1805
Clark: January 29, 1805
On a mild, warm Tuesday, Clark gave Jessaume a dose of salts. The party gathered stones and piled them on a large log heap, intending to heat them…
Jan
29
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 29, 1805
The party attempted to free their boats from the ice by heating water inside them with hot stones, but the stones shattered when exposed to fire and the…
Jan
29
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 29, 1805
The crew hauled stones on hand sleds from a bluff downstream, planning to heat them and drop them into water-filled pirogues and the barge. The hope was that…
Jan
30
1805
Clark: January 30, 1805
The day began clear but clouded over by 9 a.m. at the expedition's winter quarters. Mr. La Rocke, a North West Company trader, visited the captains. During this…
Jan
30
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 30, 1805
The party set out on a fair morning and made good progress, traveling 24 miles through attractive country with rich soil and prairies rising on both sides of…
Jan
30
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 30, 1805
The party traveled along the river to another bluff searching for a type of stone that wouldn't crack when heated. They brought a sample back and tested it…
Jan
31
1805
Clark: January 31, 1805
Snow fell overnight and a strong northwest wind made for a cold, disagreeable day at the winter camp. Clark performed surgery on a young boy, sawing off his…
Jan
31
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 31, 1805
On this day, two men set out with two horses. The morning brought cold, windy weather, but conditions moderated by midday and the afternoon turned pleasant. The brief…
Jan
31
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: January 31, 1805
Strong northwest winds blew through the night and snow was driven through the air. A party of five men set out hunting, taking two horses along with them.
Feb
1
1805
Clark: February 1, 1805
On a cold, windy Friday, the expedition's hunters returned with only one deer. A young Minnetaree war chief named Seeing Snake (Mar-book-she-ah-O-ke-ah) arrived with corn, asking to have…
Feb
1
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: February 1, 1805
The hunting party returned to the fort empty-handed. However, one of the men stationed at the fort ventured out a short distance and managed to kill a small…
Feb
1
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: February 1, 1805
On this day, one of the hunters traveled a short distance from camp and succeeded in killing a deer. The hunters who had set out the previous day…
Feb
2
1805
Clark: February 2, 1805
On a fine Saturday in early February 1805 at Fort Mandan, the party recorded a relatively quiet day. One deer was killed, providing some food. The expedition's interpreter…
Feb
2
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: February 2, 1805
The party killed a very large brown bear, recording detailed measurements of its head, neck, breast, length, leg, and talons. The sick man improved. Over the following days…
Feb
2
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: February 2, 1805
A cold winter day at the fort with the river rising. One of the hunters ventured a short distance from the fort, shot a deer, and packed the…
Feb
3
1805
Clark: February 3, 1805
With the expedition's meat supply running low, Clark organized a hunting trip down the frozen river. He set out with about sixteen men, three horses, and two sleighs,…
Feb
3
1805
Lewis: February 3, 1805
On a fine Sunday at Fort Mandan, the blacksmith resumed work and few Native visitors came by. The expedition's boat and pirogues remained dangerously frozen in layered ice…
Feb
3
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: February 3, 1805
Light rain fell before the party embarked at 1 P.M., passing three creeks and traveling seven miles before camping in a large bottom. The next morning brought white…
Feb
3
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: February 3, 1805
On this day, hunters set out a short distance from camp to search for game, but wildlife was scarce in the area. They returned shortly afterward without having…
Feb
4
1805
Lewis: February 4, 1805
On a clear but bitterly cold Monday with temperatures at 18 below zero and northwest winds, Captain Clark departed Fort Mandan on a hunting expedition with sixteen men…
Feb
4
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: February 4, 1805
Patrick Gass and his hunting party traveled twenty miles down the river in search of game but spotted none. The brief entry records an unsuccessful hunting excursion with…
Feb
4
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: February 4, 1805
A hunting party of fourteen expedition members and two Frenchmen departed this morning, equipped with two horses and two sleds, planning to travel a considerable distance down the…
Feb
5
1805
Lewis: February 5, 1805
On a pleasant Tuesday with northwest winds and fair weather at Fort Mandan, many natives visited to pay the expedition's blacksmith in corn for his work. Lewis describes…
Feb
5
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: February 5, 1805
Over several days, the hunting party killed three deer, then visited more Indian camps and took additional deer. On the 7th they camped on the Missouri's south side,…
Feb
5
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: February 5, 1805
Mild conditions caused water to spread over the ice in several spots near the fort. With coal now prepared and ready for the blacksmith to use, Native visitors…
Feb
6
1805
Lewis: February 6, 1805
On a fair, windy day at Fort Mandan, Lewis prepared a sled to await the return of horses Clark had promised to send once he secured meat. Several…
Feb
6
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: February 6, 1805
The party was troubled by something unspecified during the day, while Captain Lewis took astronomical or navigational observations. Toward evening, Shields went out hunting and successfully killed three…
Feb
7
1805
Lewis: February 7, 1805
A fair, warmer morning at Fort Mandan, with the thermometer at 18° above zero and a southeast wind. Native visitors continued to come to the fort. The sergeant…
Feb
7
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: February 7, 1805
On this day at the expedition's winter quarters, local Native Americans continued to visit the camp. They came both to see the explorers and to have blacksmithing work…
Feb
8
1805
Lewis: February 8, 1805
Fair, warm weather with a southeast wind. Lewis was visited by Black Cat, principal chief of the upper Mandan village of Rooptarhe, whom Lewis regarded as the most…
Feb
8
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: February 8, 1805
The brief entry notes only that the hunting party had not yet returned. No additional details about weather, location, people, or events are recorded for this day.
Feb
9
1805
Lewis: February 9, 1805
On a fair, pleasant Saturday with a southeast wind, Lewis received a visit from Mr. McKenzie, a clerk with the North West Company. That evening, a man named…
Feb
9
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: February 9, 1805
A cold day at Fort Mandan with the Missouri River frozen smooth. Ordway notes that women from the first nearby Mandan village were across the river cutting timber…
Feb
10
1805
Lewis: February 10, 1805
Cloudy weather followed an overnight snowfall, with a strong northwest wind making the day feel colder than the previous one despite a higher temperature of 18° above zero.…
Feb
10
1805
Fort Mandan (winter) — John Ordway: February 10, 1805
Snow flurries fell at Fort Mandan. The previous evening, a soldier returning from the Mandan village climbed over the back wall of the fort instead of hailing the…
Feb
11
1805
Birth of Jean Baptiste Charbonneau
At Fort Mandan, Sacagawea gave birth to a son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, around five o'clock in the evening. Lewis assisted with the difficult delivery, noting that her labor…
Feb
11
1805
John Ordway: February 11, 1805
On a clear but cold day, two hand sleds were used to haul up three horse-loads of meat. This arrangement allowed the horses to travel overland unburdened so…
Feb
11
1805
Patrick Gass: February 11, 1805
A hunter returned to the fort empty-handed, while another man who ventured a short distance out killed a small deer. The following day, the same man went out…
Feb
12
1805
Lewis: February 12, 1805
On a fair but frigid morning at 14° below zero with a southeast wind, Lewis ordered the blacksmith to shoe horses and others to prepare three sleighs to…
Feb
12
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: February 12, 1805
Men brought back three horse loads of meat, the horses traveling by way of the prairies. The blacksmith shod three horses so they could be sent to the…
Feb
13
1805
Clark: February 13, 1805
Clark returned exhausted from a nine-day hunting expedition, having walked about 30 miles on ice and through deep snow. The party traveled as far as 60 miles from…
Feb
13
1805
Lewis: February 13, 1805
On a cloudy Wednesday morning with temperatures at two degrees below zero and a southeast wind, the captains received a visit from Black Cat, a Mandan chief. Lewis…
Feb
14
1805
Clark: February 14, 1805
On a fine morning following a 3-inch snowfall, Clark sent George Drouillard and three other men with two sleighs and three shod horses to retrieve meat that had…
Feb
14
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: February 14, 1805
On a pleasant day, four men departed early with three horses and two sleds, heading out to haul a load of meat back from the hunting camp.
Feb
14
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: February 14, 1805
A hunting party with horses and sleds, sent out to retrieve meat, had traveled about two and a half miles when unidentified Indians attacked and stole their horses,…
Feb
15
1805
Clark: February 15, 1805
Late the previous night, men sent to retrieve meat returned reporting that around 105 Indians, believed to be Sioux, had attacked them about 24 miles below Fort Mandan,…
Feb
15
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: February 15, 1805
Men sent out the previous day returned to report that about 105 Sioux had stopped them roughly 25 miles down the river, seizing horses, cutting collars, and riding…
Feb
15
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: February 15, 1805
On a cold morning, the party traveled twelve miles before spotting fresh smoke rising from old campsites where meat had been previously cached during Captain Clark's earlier trip.…
Feb
16
1805
Clark: February 16, 1805
A clear morning at Fort Mandan brought few Indian visitors. At dusk, two Indians who had accompanied Captain Lewis returned, followed by two more and Private Howard, whose…
Feb
16
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: February 16, 1805
After a man went lame and turned back with some Indians, the party advanced about six miles to lodges where Gravelines' men had been robbed by Mandans the…
Feb
17
1805
Clark: February 17, 1805
On a mild, partly cloudy Sunday that turned fair in the afternoon, Clark received visitors at the fort. The Mandan chief known as the Coal came with his…
Feb
17
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: February 17, 1805
A hunting party spread out in different directions to drive game into the wooded bottomlands, where the best marksmen were positioned to take the shots. The hunters returned…
Feb
18
1805
Clark: February 18, 1805
On a cloudy Monday with some snow, William Clark spent the day at Fort Mandan working on a descriptive list of rivers compiled from information gathered from various…
Feb
18
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: February 18, 1805
The hunting party split duties: hunters set out early while the rest of the men relocated camp about five miles downriver to a bottom where Captain Clark's group…
Feb
18
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: February 18, 1805
Patrick Gass and his hunting party traveled about 20 miles down the river in search of game but spotted none along the way. The brief entry records an…
Feb
19
1805
Clark: February 19, 1805
On a pleasant Tuesday, several Mandan visitors came to the camp. The expedition's blacksmiths stayed busy repairing and making axes for the local Indians, receiving corn in exchange…
Feb
19
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: February 19, 1805
The party set out early, sending hunters ahead through the bottomlands while the rest loaded two sleds with meat—a smaller one pulled by the gray horse and a…
Feb
19
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: February 19, 1805
During a hunting expedition, the party killed three deer, then visited more Indian camps and took additional deer. They encamped on the south side of the Missouri on…
Feb
20
1805
Clark: February 20, 1805
On a beautiful day at Fort Mandan, Clark received an early visit from the Little Raven and was informed of the death of an elderly man he had…
Feb
20
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: February 20, 1805
The party set out after sending hunters ahead early, traveling about 10 miles before stopping to broil and eat meat. They continued a short distance and picked up…
Feb
20
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: February 20, 1805
A hunting party that had traveled about 25 miles downriver with sleds to retrieve meat was attacked by an unidentified group of Indians, who stole their horses, returned…
Feb
21
1805
Clark: February 21, 1805
A pleasant day at Fort Mandan, with clothes set out to dry in the sun. Visitors Big White and Big Man described a sacred Medicine Stone three days'…
Feb
21
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: February 21, 1805
The party finished retrieving two elk left in the woods and continued hunting before setting out early on a fast-paced return journey. Thawing snow and ice on the…
Feb
21
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: February 21, 1805
A brief entry noting weather conditions, mentioning snow or precipitation that had fallen since November. By evening, the weather cleared up and turned pleasant.
Feb
22
1805
Fort Mandan: February 22, 1805
At Fort Mandan, the expedition's winter work continued. The captains focused on preparing reports, maps, and natural history specimens to be sent back to President Jefferson aboard the…
Feb
22
1805
John Ordway: February 22, 1805
After a brief snowfall that quickly cleared, the men who had returned to the fort the previous night spent the day resting from their hard labors. Meanwhile, the…
Feb
22
1805
Patrick Gass: February 22, 1805
The crew worked at clearing away ice and managed to free one of the pirogues that had been frozen in. The brief entry records this single accomplishment during…
Feb
23
1805
Clark: February 23, 1805
On a warm, pleasant Saturday, the entire crew worked to free the pirogues from ice that had risen nearly to their tops. The work was difficult due to…
Feb
23
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: February 23, 1805
The crew spent the day chopping ice from around two pirogues frozen into the river. By evening, after difficult work with water rising to within an inch of…
Feb
23
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: February 23, 1805
The crew worked to free the boat and the other pirogue from the ice that had locked them in place over the winter. By 4 o'clock in the…
Feb
24
1805
Clark: February 24, 1805
On a fine Sunday, the expedition began work early to free their boat from the ice, finding it more difficult than freeing the pirogues. Using large pry levers,…
Feb
24
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: February 24, 1805
The crew spent the day working to free the barge from thick ice that had encased it, even underneath the hull. As they cut away the ice, water…
Feb
24
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: February 24, 1805
Over several days, the expedition worked to free their boat and pirogues from the ice. By 4 o'clock in the afternoon on this day, both vessels were successfully…
Feb
25
1805
Clark: February 25, 1805
On a pleasant Monday, the crew set up a windlass and successfully hauled the two pirogues onto the upper bank. Their attempt to pull up the larger boat…
Feb
25
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: February 25, 1805
On February 25, 1805 (with the journal continuing through subsequent days into June), the party traveled about 18 miles up the Missouri after a pleasant morning, passing two…
Feb
25
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: February 25, 1805
The crew prepared rollers and assembled a windlass to haul their boats up onto the high bank. In the afternoon they successfully pulled up both pirogues, managing one…
Feb
26
1805
Clark: February 26, 1805
On a fine Tuesday, the expedition began work very early to haul the keelboat and pirogues up onto the bank after laboriously cutting them free from the ice.…
Feb
26
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: February 26, 1805
Three hunters departed for Medicine River, a large tributary entering from the north above the falls, to hunt elk. The party completed work on the burying place, leaving…
Feb
26
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: February 26, 1805
The crew worked to recover the barge, gathering additional timber to raise it. They doubled the rope, set up a windlass, and slowly inched the vessel forward. After…
Feb
27
1805
Clark: February 27, 1805
On a fine Wednesday at Fort Mandan, the men spent the day preparing tools for building pirogues in anticipation of the spring journey upriver. A few Indians visited,…
Feb
27
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: February 27, 1805
Strong winds blew throughout the day. The party finished bringing in the remainder of the meat from earlier hunting efforts, and one of the men succeeded in killing…
Feb
27
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: February 27, 1805
The crew prepared their boats for the changing season at Fort Mandan. They placed skids under the keelboat (Barge) to keep it safe and undamaged, and shifted the…
Feb
28
1805
Clark: February 28, 1805
On a fine morning at Fort Mandan, two North West Company men arrived with letters and sacacommis, plus a root from Mr. Haney said to cure bites from…
Feb
28
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: February 28, 1805
A party went out and felled trees to begin building four canoes. While they were away, an express messenger arrived from the Arikara village with alarming news: the…
Feb
28
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: February 28, 1805
Mr. Roie and another Frenchman arrived from the Arikara villages, accompanied by two Arikara Indians. They reported encountering the Sioux party of 106 warriors who had stolen two…
Mar
1
1805
Clark: March 1, 1805
On a fine Friday at Fort Mandan, Clark spent the day copying a map while the men of the expedition were busy with a variety of preparations. They…
Mar
1
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: March 1, 1805
Over several days the men finished building six canoes and hauled them about a mile and a half to the river. Two men stayed behind to complete and…
Mar
1
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 1, 1805
The work crew had their axes repaired and drew two days' worth of provisions before heading up to their work camp, where they will remain until they finish…
Mar
2
1805
Clark: March 2, 1805
A pleasant day at Fort Mandan, with the river beginning to break up in places. The men were busy with various tasks. Mr. La Rocque, a clerk of…
Mar
2
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 2, 1805
Native visitors continued coming to the expedition's camp seeking to have their weapons and tools repaired or made by the party's blacksmiths. In exchange for this work, they…
Mar
3
1805
Clark: March 3, 1805
On a fine Sunday with westerly winds, the expedition observed a large flock of ducks flying upriver. Three visitors arrived: Black Cat, the chief of the Mandans, the…
Mar
3
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 3, 1805
At Fort Mandan, members of the expedition stayed busy with various tasks, including making charcoal and crafting towing lines for the pirogues. Some of the men working on…
Mar
4
1805
Clark: March 4, 1805
At Fort Mandan on a cloudy morning with northwest winds that cleared by afternoon, Clark received visits from Mandan chiefs Black Cat and Big White, who brought a…
Mar
4
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 4, 1805
On this pleasant day at the expedition's winter quarters, a number of Native Americans visited the camp, bringing dried meat and corn to the Corps of Discovery. The…
Mar
5
1805
Clark: March 5, 1805
On a pleasant Tuesday with the thermometer at 40 degrees above zero, Clark recorded a quiet day at the winter camp. Several Indians came to visit. A Frenchman…
Mar
5
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 5, 1805
The party spent the day making charcoal and attending to other routine tasks at their winter quarters. A brief snow squall passed through around four in the morning,…
Mar
6
1805
Clark: March 6, 1805
A cloudy, smoky day at Fort Mandan, with smoke drifting in from prairie fires set by the Minetarees to encourage early grass growth and attract buffalo. Horses previously…
Mar
6
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 6, 1805
On this day, several Gros Ventres visitors who had arrived from the northeast remained with the party overnight. In the morning, a number of Mandans came to the…
Mar
7
1805
Clark: March 7, 1805
On a cloudy, windy Thursday, the Coal brought a sick child to the captains, and Clark administered Rush's pills. Charbonneau returned in the evening from the Gros Ventres…
Mar
7
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 7, 1805
A fine day at the fort with the camp busy at various tasks. Some of the pirogue men who had come in the previous night for provisions headed…
Mar
8
1805
Clark: March 8, 1805
On a fair but cold and windy Friday with east winds, Clark received visits from two Native men, Greasy Head and an Arikara, who shared information about Indian…
Mar
8
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 8, 1805
Native visitors continued arriving at the expedition's winter quarters, bringing corn and dried buffalo fat to trade in exchange for blacksmithing services from the Corps. The day's activity…
Mar
9
1805
Clark: March 9, 1805
On a cold, cloudy, windy Saturday, Clark walked about five miles upriver to check on the party building pirogues. Along the way he met the head chief of…
Mar
9
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 9, 1805
Captain Clark traveled upriver to check on the party working with the pirogues. Meanwhile, several chiefs of the Big Bellies (Hidatsa) visited the fort to meet with the…
Mar
10
1805
Clark: March 10, 1805
On a cold, windy Sunday, the captains were visited by Black Moccasins, chief of the second Hidatsa village, and the chief of the Mahaha (Shoeman) village. Both stayed…
Mar
10
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 10, 1805
A group of Hidatsa (referred to as the Big Bellies) who had arrived earlier remained with the expedition through the night. Captain Lewis presented a medal and a…
Mar
11
1805
Clark: March 11, 1805
At Fort Mandan on a cloudy, cold, windy day with some afternoon snow, the captains decided to have two additional pirogues built to help transport provisions and supplies.…
Mar
11
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 11, 1805
A chief of the Water Sioux spent the night at the fort. One member of the pirogue party who had arrived the previous night returned this morning carrying…
Mar
12
1805
Clark: March 12, 1805
A fine day followed a light overnight snow. The expedition's interpreter, Toussaint Charbonneau, refused to continue under the terms discussed the previous day. He would not agree to…
Mar
12
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 12, 1805
On a cold morning with the river rising quickly, two members of the expedition party traveled up to the Gros Ventres (Hidatsa) village to obtain tobacco from the…
Mar
13
1805
Clark: March 13, 1805
A pleasant day at the winter camp, with the river rising slightly and a southwest wind. Mr. McKenzie, a clerk of the North West Company, paid a visit.…
Mar
13
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 13, 1805
A mild day with wind from the south. Mr. Larocque, a trader from the North West Company, visited the expedition's officers at the fort.
Mar
14
1805
Clark: March 14, 1805
On a fine Thursday with a westerly wind, Clark put all hands to work shelling corn and other tasks at the winter camp. Mr. McKenzie, a North West…
Mar
14
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 14, 1805
A Frenchman who had been expected to accompany the expedition changed his mind, set up a lodge outside the garrison, and moved out. Mr. Gravelines (Gravelleen) joined the…
Mar
15
1805
Clark: March 15, 1805
On a fair Friday at Fort Mandan, Clark took advantage of the good weather to air out the expedition's trade goods, parched meal, clothing, and other supplies in…
Mar
15
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 15, 1805
At Fort Mandan, the expedition aired out their stock of trade goods intended for exchange with Native peoples. Meanwhile, some of the men were assigned to shelling corn.…
Mar
16
1805
Clark: March 16, 1805
On a cloudy Saturday with a southeast wind, the day at Fort Mandan was relatively quiet. A Native visitor became upset with expedition member Whitehouse, who had struck…
Mar
16
1805
Lewis: March 16, 1805
At Fort Mandan, a Frenchman named Mr. Gurrow, who had lived many years among the Arikara and Mandan tribes, demonstrated the Indigenous process of making glass beads. The…
Mar
16
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 16, 1805
The party spent the day shelling corn at Fort Mandan, with strong easterly winds suggesting incoming rain. Editorial notes accompanying the entry describe Le Borgne, or One Eyed,…
Mar
17
1805
Clark: March 17, 1805
On a windy Sunday, the captains attempted to air out their goods. Toussaint Charbonneau, who had earlier refused the expedition's terms and moved his belongings across the river,…
Mar
17
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 17, 1805
At Fort Mandan, the men aired out trade goods and parched meal to keep them dry. Interpreter Toussaint Charbonneau began moving his baggage across the river, intending to…
Mar
18
1805
Clark: March 18, 1805
On a cold, cloudy day with north winds, Clark divided the expedition's trade goods and supplies into eight equal packs so that each canoe and pirogue would carry…
Mar
18
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 18, 1805
At Fort Mandan, the expedition continued preparations for departure. Some men worked on the pirogues, loading provisions for the upcoming journey. Two men traveled up to the Gros…
Mar
19
1805
Clark: March 19, 1805
On this cold, windy, cloudy day with a light snowfall the previous night, Clark received several visitors at the fort, including the Mandan chiefs Big White and Little…
Mar
19
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 19, 1805
The weather was cold. Around 10 o'clock, Sergeant Gass arrived at the Fort with news that the pirogues had been completed. He requested additional men to help haul…
Mar
20
1805
Clark: March 20, 1805
On Wednesday, March 20, 1805, Clark took as many men as could be spared from Fort Mandan to work on the canoes being prepared for the journey downriver…
Mar
20
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 20, 1805
Clark and six men traveled upstream to help haul the pirogues over to the Missouri River, likely as part of preparations for the expedition's continued journey westward. The…
Mar
21
1805
Clark: March 21, 1805
On a cloudy, snowy Thursday, the men hauled the last two canoes down to the river, leaving three behind to finish the work, and returned to the fort…
Mar
21
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 21, 1805
Around 2 o'clock in the afternoon, Captain Clark returned to camp with four men after working on the expedition's pirogues. They had hauled all the boats down to…
Mar
22
1805
Clark: March 22, 1805
On a cloudy March 22, 1805, Clark received a visit from the second chief of the Grand Village of the Minetarees (Hidatsa, also called Bigbellies). The captains presented…
Mar
22
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 22, 1805
Indigenous visitors from the southeast continued bringing corn to Fort Mandan. A group of Hidatsa (Gros Ventres) arrived to visit the captains, accompanied by traders Mr. McKenzie and…
Mar
23
1805
Fort Mandan: March 23, 1805
At Fort Mandan, signs of spring were emerging as the ice on the Missouri River began to break up, indicating that the expedition's departure was drawing near. Captains…
Mar
23
1805
John Ordway: March 23, 1805
The Gros Ventres (Hidatsa) visitors who had spent the previous night at the fort departed for home in the morning. Light rain fell during the latter part of…
Mar
24
1805
Clark: March 24, 1805
On a fair Saturday morning, after breakfast, the captains saw off Mr. La Rocque, Mr. McKenzie, and the Hidatsa (Minetarra) chiefs and men who had been visiting Fort…
Mar
24
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 24, 1805
Men were sent to bring pirogues down to the Fort but returned around noon empty-handed, as the boats had not yet been caulked or otherwise prepared. Meanwhile, two…
Mar
25
1805
Clark: March 25, 1805
On a cloudy morning with a northeast wind that cleared by afternoon, the Corps continued preparations to depart from Fort Mandan and resume their journey upriver. Several Indians…
Mar
25
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 25, 1805
On this day at the expedition's winter quarters, the men were occupied with preparations for the upcoming journey. Some worked on crafting a steering oar for the large…
Mar
26
1805
Clark: March 26, 1805
A fine day with a southwest wind, though few Native visitors came to the fort because the ice on the river had broken up in several places. In…
Mar
26
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 26, 1805
The party retrieved the pirogues, returning around 2 p.m. Just before landing, river ice began moving, forcing the men to quickly haul the boats out to prevent damage.…
Mar
27
1805
Clark: March 27, 1805
On Tuesday, March 27, 1805, the Missouri River across from the expedition's winter quarters was choked with ice, which broke away in the evening. The water rose only…
Mar
27
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 27, 1805
The party brought all the pirogues down to Fort Mandan and spent the day preparing them and gathering supplies in readiness to set out on the next leg…
Mar
28
1805
Clark: March 28, 1805
On a windy, blustery Friday with a southwest wind, the expedition spent the day caulking, pitching, and tarring the canoes and pirogues to seal cracks and the wind-shake…
Mar
28
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 28, 1805
After a pleasant morning following the night, ice continued to drift on the river. The expedition party spent the day preparing their pirogues, fitting oars and poles so…
Mar
29
1805
Clark: March 29, 1805
On Saturday, March 29, 1805, the ice on the river stopped running, apparently blocked by an obstacle upstream. The crew spent the day repairing the boat and pirogues…
Mar
29
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: March 29, 1805
Morning rain gave way to a fine forenoon. Captain Lewis set out with a hunter and traveled about seven miles down the river to view a very large…
Mar
29
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 29, 1805
The party recorded 22 inches of snowfall over 22 hours. They continued their preparations to depart and begin traveling up the river.
Mar
30
1805
Clark: March 30, 1805
On this Sunday, large quantities of ice broke loose upstream and floated down the river, which rose 13 inches in 24 hours. Clark watched with amazement as Indians…
Mar
30
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: March 30, 1805
Having been busy working on the boat, the writer had not yet seen the falls, so he set out with another man to visit them. He judged the…
Mar
30
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 30, 1805
The river rose ten inches overnight, and thick ice was running in the Missouri throughout the day. The party set out the Indians' goods to air. Crew members…
Mar
31
1805
Clark: March 31, 1805
On a cloudy Monday at Fort Mandan, the expedition observed several flocks of geese and ducks flying upriver, with only a small amount of ice still drifting downstream.…
Mar
31
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: March 31, 1805
The party worked on completing an experimental boat while hunters went out for buffalo and antelope, hoping to use the hides to cover the craft. Weather was mostly…
Mar
31
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: March 31, 1805
On this day at the expedition's winter quarters, John Ordway made only a brief weather and river observation. He noted that the ice floating down the river was…
Apr
1
1805
Clark: April 1, 1805
At Fort Mandan, the day brought thunder, lightning, hail, and rain—the first significant rainfall since October 15 of the previous year. Clark had the boat, pirogues, and canoes…
Apr
1
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: April 1, 1805
At Fort Mandan, the expedition's craft were launched into the water in preparation for departure, with one boat to return to St. Louis. A significant rainfall occurred on…
Apr
1
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: April 1, 1805
The day was marked by heavy rain, beginning with a hard downpour that lasted about half an hour. After this initial storm passed, the party launched the Barge…
Apr
2
1805
Clark: April 2, 1805
On a cold, cloudy day with rain continuing from the previous night, Clark and the party spent the day writing and preparing dispatches in advance of their departure,…
Apr
2
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: April 2, 1805
Strong winds blew from the northwest through the latter part of the previous night, but the weather turned pleasant during the latter part of the day. This brief…
Apr
2
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: April 2, 1805
The party prepared a shipment intended for the President, gathering animal skins, buffalo robes, and large horns from the Mountain ram. They also began loading the boat for…
Apr
3
1805
Clark: April 3, 1805
On a frosty but fine April 3rd at Fort Mandan, the Corps of Discovery spent the day packing items to be shipped back to President Jefferson. Clark catalogued…
Apr
3
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: April 3, 1805
At Fort Mandan, the expedition party spent the day packing and boxing up specimens, artifacts, and other materials that were to be shipped back to the United States…
Apr
3
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: April 3, 1805
On a cold day with northwest winds, the expedition unloaded all their goods, stores, and baggage, then divided and reloaded them aboard their craft in preparation to resume…
Apr
4
1805
Fort Mandan: April 4, 1805
At Fort Mandan, the Corps of Discovery wrapped up final preparations for their spring departure westward into uncharted territory. The permanent party readied themselves to push on, while…
Apr
4
1805
John Ordway: April 4, 1805
The expedition crew spent the day airing out their goods and bags of corn at Fort Mandan. Items destined for St. Louis were loaded onto the keelboat barge…
Apr
5
1805
Clark: April 5, 1805
On Thursday, April 5, 1805, the expedition finished loading two pirogues and six canoes with stores and supplies, mostly provisions, in preparation for departure. Strong winds blew from…
Apr
5
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: April 5, 1805
The party spent the day sorting and dividing supplies into proportional shares for each pirogue, then loaded all the pirogues in preparation for departing on the next leg…
Apr
5
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: April 5, 1805
Under cold northwesterly winds, the party unloaded all their goods, stores, and baggage and redistributed them among their boats in preparation to resume the voyage upriver. Gass uses…
Apr
6
1805
Clark: April 6, 1805
On a pleasant day at Fort Mandan, the captains received numerous Mandan visitors and learned that the entire Arikara nation had arrived across the river near their old…
Apr
6
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: April 6, 1805
Word reached camp in the morning that some Arikara had come up to the Mandan villages. The interpreter and several men were sent across to verify the report,…
Apr
6
1805
Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — John Ordway: April 6, 1805
The expedition loaded baggage onto the pirogues and prepared to depart from Fort Mandan. However, some Mandan Indians reported that the entire Arikara nation was traveling upriver toward…
Apr
7
1805
Departure from Fort Mandan — Into the Unknown
On April 7, 1805, the Corps of Discovery departed Fort Mandan to push west into largely unmapped territory. Lewis compared their small fleet to the famous expeditions of…
Apr
7
1805
John Ordway: April 7, 1805
The interpreter returned with four Arikara, including two chiefs, reporting that ten of their nation had come to the Mandan villages to smoke a peace pipe. A letter…
Apr
7
1805
Patrick Gass: April 7, 1805
After a conversation with local Indians, the commanding officers arranged for some of them to travel down to St. Louis aboard the keelboat. Around 5 o'clock in the…
Apr
8
1805
Clark: April 8, 1805
The expedition departed very early against a strong northwesterly headwind, passing the Mandan villages where large crowds gathered to watch them leave. Clark said farewell to the Mandan…
Apr
8
1805
Lewis: April 8, 1805
The expedition set out early but moved slowly against a strong northwest wind. Lewis walked ashore to bid farewell to the Mandan chief Black Cat, sharing a customary…
Apr
8
1805
Departure from Fort Mandan, Missouri River — John Ordway: April 8, 1805
The expedition continued upriver, passing the second and third Mandan villages and stopping at the second for breakfast. Strong westerly winds blew, snow lingered on north-facing hillsides, and…
Apr
8
1805
Departure from Fort Mandan, Missouri River — Patrick Gass: April 8, 1805
Strong northwest winds buffeted the party, and around noon a canoe in the rear signaled it was sinking. Captain Clark went back to assist; the canoe rejoined the…
Apr
9
1805
Clark: April 9, 1805
The expedition departed early under a gentle southeasterly breeze. At breakfast, the accompanying Indian decided to return to his people. Clark noted the first mosquito of the season,…
Apr
9
1805
Lewis: April 9, 1805
The expedition departed at dawn and traveled roughly 23 miles up the Missouri before camping on the north side. The Indian man who had agreed to guide them…
Apr
9
1805
Departure from Fort Mandan, Missouri River — John Ordway: April 9, 1805
The expedition departed at daylight with a south wind and sailed upriver, retrieving a large beaver from a trap set the night before. After breakfast, they passed a…
Apr
9
1805
Departure from Fort Mandan, Missouri River — Patrick Gass: April 9, 1805
On April 9, 1805, the expedition continued upriver and around 1 o'clock passed a party of Gros Ventres out hunting. The group covered approximately twenty-two miles that day…
Apr
10
1805
Clark: April 10, 1805
The expedition departed very early on a cool, calm morning that turned warm by afternoon, with mosquitoes becoming bothersome. They passed an Indian camp on the larboard side…
Apr
10
1805
Lewis: April 10, 1805
The expedition departed early and passed a group of Minetare onlookers three miles in. Clark walked onshore, spotting antelope, geese, and swans, though mosquitoes proved bothersome. The party…
Apr
10
1805
Departure from Fort Mandan, Missouri River — John Ordway: April 10, 1805
On a pleasant morning, the expedition pushed upriver past high plains and cottonwood bottoms with a swift current, stopping for breakfast above a sand bank and willow island.…
Apr
10
1805
Departure from Fort Mandan, Missouri River — Patrick Gass: April 10, 1805
The expedition continued upriver on a fine, pleasant day, navigating through waters scattered with numerous sandbars. After traveling about nineteen miles, the party made camp on the north…
Apr
11
1805
Clark: April 11, 1805
The expedition set out very early, with Clark walking onshore and noting fresh bear tracks. The party killed a deer, two beaver, and two geese, and observed abundant…
Apr
11
1805
Lewis: April 11, 1805
The expedition set out early, with Clark and Drewyer hunting on shore while the main party traveled by water. Drewyer killed a deer, providing welcome fresh meat after…
Apr
11
1805
Departure from Fort Mandan, Missouri River — John Ordway: April 11, 1805
The party traveled 21 miles up the Missouri on a very warm day with a gentle south breeze that allowed the large pirogues to sail well. Hunters caught…
Apr
11
1805
Departure from Fort Mandan, Missouri River — Patrick Gass: April 11, 1805
A pleasant day allowed for good progress as the party traveled roughly twenty-one miles along the river. Some Indians were spotted on the south side, but the group…
Apr
12
1805
Clark: April 12, 1805
On a fine, mild morning, the expedition set out early and reached the mouth of the Little Missouri River, making camp on an elevated plain to take latitude…
Apr
12
1805
Lewis: April 12, 1805
The expedition set out early, navigating around an unstable riverbank where the red pirogue and its valuable cargo narrowly avoided disaster. After six miles, they camped at the…
Apr
12
1805
Departure from Fort Mandan, Missouri River — John Ordway: April 12, 1805
The expedition set off early, passing high hills on the south side of the river. A hunter shot a large beaver swimming in the river. After about five…
Apr
12
1805
Departure from Fort Mandan, Missouri River — Patrick Gass: April 12, 1805
Around 8 a.m., the party reached the mouth of the Little Missouri River, a small tributary entering from the south side, where they stopped for breakfast. The river…
Apr
13
1805
Clark: April 13, 1805
Setting out at 6 a.m., the party traveled up a Missouri River that had widened to nearly a mile above the Little Missouri's mouth. They caught three beaver,…
Apr
13
1805
Lewis: April 13, 1805
The expedition departed early with favorable winds, hoisting sails on the white pirogue. A sudden squall nearly capsized the vessel when Charbonneau panicked at the helm; Lewis ordered…
Apr
13
1805
Missouri River near Little Missouri — John Ordway: April 13, 1805
The party set out at sunrise after the men trapped two beaver and a fish overnight. They caught up with French trappers who had taken seven beaver. Aided…
Apr
13
1805
Missouri River near Little Missouri — Patrick Gass: April 13, 1805
The expedition traveled 23 miles by river, though small canoes struggled to carry sail. Members of the party trapped beaver, and accompanying Frenchmen out trapping caught seven more.…
Apr
14
1805
Clark: April 14, 1805
On a fine Sunday morning, a stray dog—likely left behind by Indians camped near a lake passed the day before—joined the party. Clark walked through wooded bottoms and…
Apr
14
1805
Lewis: April 14, 1805
Traveling up the Missouri, the expedition continued to observe mineral deposits, burnt hills, and pumice stone. A stray dog joined the party, likely left by Assiniboine Indians whose…
Apr
14
1805
Missouri River near Little Missouri — John Ordway: April 14, 1805
The party traveled 16 miles up the Missouri under a gentle southerly wind. A trapped otter escaped overnight, breaking the chain. Hunters shot a muskrat, and Fraser killed…
Apr
14
1805
Missouri River near Little Missouri — Patrick Gass: April 14, 1805
As the party set out in the morning, a black dog—likely left behind by a band of Assiniboins recently camped nearby—joined them. They passed a hill shaped like…
Apr
15
1805
Clark: April 15, 1805
The expedition departed early on a windy day, with Captain Lewis going ashore and killing a goose. Clark later hiked up to the high country on the south…
Apr
15
1805
Lewis: April 15, 1805
The expedition set out early, with Lewis walking the starboard shore while Clark stayed with the boats, following their rule that one captain always remain with the party.…
Apr
15
1805
Missouri River near Little Missouri — John Ordway: April 15, 1805
The expedition set off early under a fine southeast breeze and sailed past streams, bottoms, plains, hills, and valleys. The party spotted flocks of antelope on the south…
Apr
15
1805
Missouri River near Little Missouri — Patrick Gass: April 15, 1805
The expedition set out early and made good progress along the river. They passed a large creek on the north side, named Goat-pen Creek, and observed several buffalo…
Apr
16
1805
Clark: April 16, 1805
Strong southeasterly winds blew as the expedition continued upriver. Clark walked ashore and shot a lean antelope, observing abundant elk, some buffalo and deer, and large flocks of…
Apr
16
1805
Lewis: April 16, 1805
The expedition departed early on April 16, 1805. Captain Clark walked along the shore, killed an antelope, and reported seeing buffalo, elk, deer, and many old hornets' nests.…
Apr
16
1805
Missouri River near Little Missouri — John Ordway: April 16, 1805
The party set off early with a gentle southeast wind, passing a sand beach on the north side piled with ice and snow four feet thick from the…
Apr
16
1805
Missouri River near Little Missouri — Patrick Gass: April 16, 1805
The expedition began the day with a gentle, fair wind. Captain Clark went ashore and shot an antelope, the animal previously called a goat. The wind grew gusty,…
Apr
17
1805
Clark: April 17, 1805
On a fine morning with southeasterly winds, the expedition traveled through high, rich plains showing increasing signs of coal, burnt hills, pumice stone, and lava. Clark walked along…
Apr
17
1805
Lewis: April 17, 1805
On a pleasant April morning, the expedition set out early and traveled through country showing signs of burnt hills, lava, and pumice stone, some of which floated in…
Apr
17
1805
Missouri River near Little Missouri — John Ordway: April 17, 1805
The party set out early under a fair wind and made good progress sailing up the river, covering 26 miles. Hunters caught two beaver and several small fish…
Apr
17
1805
Missouri River near Little Missouri — Patrick Gass: April 17, 1805
With a favorable wind and fine weather, the party made good progress along the river, passing a beautiful plain and two large creeks on the north side and…
Apr
18
1805
Native Nations Astonished by Seaman — Offer Horses in Trade
This entry reflects on the role of Seaman, Lewis's Newfoundland dog, during the expedition's encounters with Native American nations. Many groups, including the Shoshone, Nez Perce, and Plains…
Apr
18
1805
John Ordway: April 18, 1805
The party set out early after trappers caught a single beaver shared awkwardly between two traps and two owners, sparking a dispute over ownership. Traveling between high hills,…
Apr
18
1805
Patrick Gass: April 18, 1805
The day began with fine weather and good progress on the river after spotting a wild goose in the morning. Around 1 o'clock, strong winds blowing down the…
Apr
19
1805
Clark: April 19, 1805
Strong northwest winds kept the expedition windbound all day on the south side of the river, sheltered in a good harbor since launching the canoes was deemed too…
Apr
19
1805
Lewis: April 19, 1805
Strong northwest winds on April 19, 1805 kept the expedition from launching their canoes on the Missouri River, forcing them to remain in the safe harbor where they…
Apr
19
1805
Missouri River near Little Missouri — John Ordway: April 19, 1805
Strong winds from the north forced the expedition to remain at their previous night's camp throughout the day. Despite the delay, the party was productive: they trapped a…
Apr
19
1805
Missouri River near Little Missouri — Patrick Gass: April 19, 1805
The party remained in camp rather than setting out, delayed by conditions. Gass explored the surrounding hills, finding them very high, badly eroded by rain, and barren of…
Apr
20
1805
Clark: April 20, 1805
On a cold, blustery Saturday with a strong northwest headwind, the party set out at 7 a.m. but struggled against rough waves that nearly swamped several canoes and…
Apr
20
1805
Lewis: April 20, 1805
With winds calmer than the previous day, the expedition set out before seven. Lewis walked the north shore through fertile cottonwood bottoms, killing two deer and noting abundant…
Apr
20
1805
Missouri River near Little Missouri — Patrick Gass: April 20, 1805
The party set out in the morning facing rapid water and a strong wind. Several canoes took on a significant amount of water, forcing the group to halt…
Apr
20
1805
Missouri River near Little Missouri — John Ordway: April 20, 1805
The expedition set out around 7 a.m. into cold, chilly air. Men caught beavers in traps, and a buffalo swam past but was spared because it was lean.…
Apr
21
1805
Clark: April 21, 1805
The expedition set out early under a gentle northwest wind, navigating the very crooked river. Clark walked overland across a point, observing landscape similar to previous days and…
Apr
21
1805
Lewis: April 21, 1805
The expedition set out early on a windy morning, traveling through country similar to recent days. Captain Clark walked onshore and killed a buffalo and four deer, while…
Apr
21
1805
Missouri River near Yellowstone approach — John Ordway: April 21, 1805
A clear but chilly morning began with water frozen in buckets by the fire. The party traveled along the Missouri, observing hills and valleys covered with buffalo and…
Apr
21
1805
Missouri River near Yellowstone approach — Patrick Gass: April 21, 1805
The day began clear but cold with a sharp frost. The party observed large numbers of elk, buffalo, and deer along both banks of the river. Around noon,…
Apr
22
1805
Clark: April 22, 1805
On a frosty, very cold morning, the party set out early but soon faced strong headwinds that made progress difficult, requiring tow ropes. Clark and Lewis walked overland…
Apr
22
1805
Lewis: April 22, 1805
The expedition set out early but strong headwinds slowed progress, forcing them to rely on tow lines and eventually halt. Lewis and Clark walked to the nearby White…
Apr
22
1805
Missouri River near Yellowstone approach — John Ordway: April 22, 1805
The party traveled only about 10 miles, slowed by high winds and a two-hour delay. They passed bluffs and bottoms teeming with wildlife, sighting nearly a thousand buffalo,…
Apr
22
1805
Missouri River near Yellowstone approach — Patrick Gass: April 22, 1805
The expedition traveled roughly 14 miles along a winding stretch of river, facing unfavorable winds throughout the day. They passed a beautiful bottomland on the north side that…
Apr
23
1805
Clark: April 23, 1805
On a cold morning, the strong northwesterly winds that had become a daily obstacle picked up around 9 a.m. and blew hard until late evening. Clark walked along…
Apr
23
1805
Lewis: April 23, 1805
The expedition departed early, but by 9 A.M. strong winds forced them to halt. With no timber for shelter on either bank, Lewis struggled to bring the canoes…
Apr
23
1805
Missouri River near Yellowstone approach — John Ordway: April 23, 1805
The expedition set off as usual along a very crooked stretch of river, passing high bluffs on the south side. Men caught two beavers overnight, shot another in…
Apr
23
1805
Missouri River near Yellowstone approach — Patrick Gass: April 23, 1805
Headwinds forced the party to halt for about three hours during the day's travel. Despite the delay, they managed to cover fifteen miles before making camp on the…
Apr
24
1805
Clark: April 24, 1805
Strong north and northwest winds that began the previous night blew violently until 7 p.m., halting the expedition's progress for the day. Several items in the pirogues got…
Apr
24
1805
Lewis: April 24, 1805
High winds kept the expedition from traveling all day, with waves splashing into the small canoes and soaking some of their cargo despite the shelter of tall timber.…
Apr
24
1805
Missouri River near Yellowstone approach — John Ordway: April 24, 1805
Strong winds from the northwest forced the party to remain in camp throughout the day. They took advantage of the delay to dry and air out portions of…
Apr
24
1805
Missouri River near Yellowstone approach — Patrick Gass: April 24, 1805
Strong winds blowing down the river forced the party to halt for the day. While stopped, some men hiked off to investigate what looked like a distant river…
Apr
25
1805
Clark: April 25, 1805
The party set out early on a cold morning with moderate headwinds and some clouds, finding ice collected on the oars. By around 1 p.m. the north wind…
Apr
25
1805
Lewis: April 25, 1805
Cold winds continued, freezing water on the oars, and forced the party to halt around 10 a.m. Lewis's missing dog returned safely. Frustrated by slow progress and believing…
Apr
25
1805
Missouri River near Yellowstone approach — John Ordway: April 25, 1805
The party set off early after two inches of snow fell overnight, with a north wind hampering progress. One man had caught a beaver. After traveling about 12…
Apr
25
1805
Missouri River near Yellowstone approach — Patrick Gass: April 25, 1805
Strong headwinds forced the party to halt around 11 a.m. From this stopping point, Captain Lewis and four men departed overland to scout the nearby Yellowstone River, believed…
Apr
26
1805
Clark: April 26, 1805
On a cold morning with the thermometer at 32°F, Clark walked the bank and shot a beaver and two deer. He noted the river bottom vegetation, cottonwood and…
Apr
26
1805
Lewis: April 26, 1805
Lewis sent Joseph Fields to scout up the Yellowstone River while he walked with one man to view the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers, about two…
Apr
26
1805
Yellowstone-Missouri confluence — John Ordway: April 26, 1805
The party reached the long-anticipated confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone (Roshjone) Rivers. Captain Lewis sent Joseph Fields about eight miles up the Yellowstone to scout; he returned…
Apr
26
1805
Yellowstone-Missouri confluence — Patrick Gass: April 26, 1805
The party traveled 10 miles and reached the mouth of the Yellowstone River (called the Jaune) around noon. While waiting for Captain Lewis's group, Gass explored about 9…
Apr
27
1805
Clark: April 27, 1805
On Saturday, April 27, 1805, after taking a solar azimuth reading and eating breakfast, the party set out against a moderate headwind. By 11 a.m. a strong northwest…
Apr
27
1805
Lewis: April 27, 1805
Near the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers, Lewis surveyed the surrounding plains and timberland to identify a good site for a future trading post or fort.…
Apr
27
1805
Yellowstone-Missouri confluence — John Ordway: April 27, 1805
The party loaded the pirogues and departed around 9 a.m., passing a beautiful level plain between the Missouri and Yellowstone (Roshjone) Rivers. Around midday, strong northwest winds kicked…
Apr
27
1805
Yellowstone-Missouri confluence — Patrick Gass: April 27, 1805
The party resumed their journey on a fine day, but a strong wind forced them to stop at 1 p.m. They waited until 4 p.m. before continuing on…
Apr
28
1805
Clark: April 28, 1805
On a fine Sunday with a falling river and a favorable southeast wind, Clark walked ashore to survey the country, finding broken, open land with handsome low plains.…
Apr
28
1805
Lewis: April 28, 1805
The expedition departed early under favorable winds, making good use of their sails. Captain Clark walked along the shore while Lewis traveled with the party. They passed broken…
Apr
28
1805
Yellowstone-Missouri confluence — John Ordway: April 28, 1805
The party caught a large beaver overnight and set off early with a gentle southeast wind allowing some sailing. They passed whitish bluffs and rough hills with cottonwood…
Apr
28
1805
Yellowstone-Missouri confluence — Patrick Gass: April 28, 1805
The expedition traveled smoothly along the Missouri River, stopping around 9 a.m. for breakfast beneath tall bluffs on the north side. Gass observed that about 15 miles above…
Apr
29
1805
Ordway Records the First Encounter with Grizzly Bears
On this day, members of the expedition had one of their first close encounters with a grizzly bear, an animal much larger and more formidable than the black…
Apr
29
1805
John Ordway: April 29, 1805
Setting off early in present-day Sheridan County, Montana, the party spotted a stray bay horse on a plain rich with wild hops, likely lost from local Native peoples.…
Apr
29
1805
Patrick Gass: April 29, 1805
The expedition made good progress, passing some of the tallest bluffs the writer had ever seen. Atop the highest, they spotted mountain sheep—the first they had encountered—which Native…
Apr
30
1805
Clark: April 30, 1805
Strong northeast winds blew through the night and most of the day, but the party set out at sunrise and pressed on without stopping. Clark walked ashore with…
Apr
30
1805
Lewis: April 30, 1805
The expedition departed at sunrise despite strong winds that had blown through the night and continued throughout the day, though not forcefully enough to halt travel. The party…
Apr
30
1805
Yellowstone-Missouri confluence — John Ordway: April 30, 1805
The expedition set out early and traveled 24 miles, watching large herds of buffalo swim across the river ahead of the canoes. The men held their fire since…
Apr
30
1805
Yellowstone-Missouri confluence — Patrick Gass: April 30, 1805
The expedition traveled smoothly through attractive countryside featuring rich soil and beautifully rising prairies on both banks of the river. The party covered 24 miles before making camp…
May
1
1805
Clark: May 1, 1805
The expedition departed at sunrise on a cool, cloudy morning with a stiff easterly breeze. J. Shields was ill with rheumatism. Shannon shot a previously unfamiliar bird, described…
May
1
1805
Lewis: May 1, 1805
The expedition set out early under favorable winds and made good progress under sail until midday, when high winds forced them ashore on the Larboard side, stranding one…
May
1
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — John Ordway: May 1, 1805
The expedition set off at sunrise in cold weather with an easterly wind, sailing well past broken bluffs and rounded knobs along the south side, with cottonwood-lined bottoms…
May
1
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — Patrick Gass: May 1, 1805
High winds kept the party in camp until afternoon. While waiting, hunters went out and brought in buffalo and deer. At an abandoned Indian camp they found red…
May
1
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 1, 1805
A pleasant but cold morning saw the party set off at sunrise with an easterly wind, sailing at times past high bluffs and rounded knobs on the south…
May
2
1805
Clark: May 2, 1805
Strong winds blew through the night, and around sunrise it began snowing with the thermometer at 28°F. Snow fell until about 10 a.m., leaving roughly an inch on…
May
2
1805
Lewis: May 2, 1805
Violent wind continued overnight, bringing about an inch of snow by morning that contrasted strangely with advancing spring vegetation—flowers blooming and cottonwood leaves the size of a dollar.…
May
2
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — John Ordway: May 2, 1805
Snow and wind kept the expedition in camp through the morning. While stopped, hunters went out and killed buffalo and deer, and came across an old Indian camp…
May
2
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 2, 1805
Snow and wind at daybreak delayed departure. Hunters went out and killed buffalo and deer, while another man had taken two beaver overnight. At an abandoned Indian camp,…
May
3
1805
Clark: May 3, 1805
A frigid morning with temperatures at 26°F delayed the party's start. Along the way, they observed Native American offerings, including scarlet cloth and a bundle of bushes left…
May
3
1805
Lewis: May 3, 1805
On a frigid morning with ice forming on water and snow still on the hills, the party set out late under strong west winds. They passed a tall…
May
3
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 3, 1805
The expedition set off around 7 a.m. on a clear but unusually cold day for May, with frost, snow on the ground, and standing water frozen enough to…
May
3
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — John Ordway: May 3, 1805
The expedition set out around 7 a.m. in bitterly cold weather, with standing water frozen over, ice forming on their poles, hard frost from the night before, and…
May
3
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — Patrick Gass: May 3, 1805
The day was very cold and disagreeable with a severe frost, creating an unusual sight of snow lying on the green prairie grass. Despite the harsh frost, the…
May
4
1805
Clark: May 4, 1805
The party's departure was delayed until 9 a.m. while they repaired the broken rudder irons on the large pirogue. Traveling against a westerly headwind, they passed through rich,…
May
4
1805
Lewis: May 4, 1805
The expedition departed late after repairing the red pirogue's broken rudder irons, then pushed against a strong wind. Lewis walked ashore, noting that frost had done little damage…
May
4
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 4, 1805
The morning was clear and pleasant, but the party was delayed fixing a rudder that had broken the previous night. They set off around 9 a.m., passing timbered…
May
4
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — John Ordway: May 4, 1805
The snow had melted off the hills. The party delayed their start to repair the rudder of the red pirogue, which had been damaged landing the previous evening.…
May
4
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — Patrick Gass: May 4, 1805
The expedition continued upriver, passing a creek about 40 yards wide on the south side around noon. Captain Gass noted that the river had run straighter for the…
May
5
1805
Clark: May 5, 1805
The expedition departed early but was briefly delayed when a pirogue's rudder irons broke. Lewis and Clark each walked on shore and killed deer, observing abundant buffalo, elk,…
May
5
1805
Lewis: May 5, 1805
On a fine Sunday, the party traveled through country abundant with game. Lewis killed a deer while walking ashore, and the white pirogue's rudder irons broke on a…
May
5
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 5, 1805
Clear and pleasant weather as the party set off early. A hunter who had spent the night on the south side rejoined them at breakfast with two buffalo…
May
5
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — John Ordway: May 5, 1805
The expedition traveled about 16 miles, aided by an east wind that allowed considerable sailing. A hunter rejoined the party at breakfast with two buffalo calves, and the…
May
5
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — Patrick Gass: May 5, 1805
The expedition traveled sixteen miles through beautiful country on both sides of the river before camping on the north bank. The sick member of the party showed improvement.…
May
6
1805
Clark: May 6, 1805
On a fine morning with a northeast wind, the party set out early and made good progress under sail for much of the day. They passed two creeks…
May
6
1805
Lewis: May 6, 1805
Under fair weather and favorable winds, the expedition sailed onward through level, fertile, well-timbered country. They passed three larboard-side streams, naming them Little Dry Creek, Big Dry Creek,…
May
6
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 6, 1805
Clear, pleasant, and warm weather with an east wind made for good sailing. The party caught two beaver overnight and watched a brown bear swim across the river…
May
6
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — John Ordway: May 6, 1805
The party sailed with a gentle east breeze, covering about 26 miles before camping on a timbered bottom on the south side. Members caught beaver overnight, spotted a…
May
6
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — Patrick Gass: May 6, 1805
On May 6, 1805, the expedition experienced fair weather with only a brief sprinkle of rain around midday before skies cleared. The party passed a river on the…
May
7
1805
Clark: May 7, 1805
On a fine Tuesday morning, the river had risen an inch and a half overnight and driftwood was beginning to flow. Strong winds picked up, and around 11…
May
7
1805
Lewis: May 7, 1805
On a fine morning, the expedition set out early on a rising, unusually clear river carrying drift wood. High winds forced them to lay by for several hours…
May
7
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 7, 1805
The party set out early under clear, pleasant skies, but rising easterly winds around noon swamped one of the canoes. They brought it safely to shore on the…
May
7
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — John Ordway: May 7, 1805
The party set out early with a strong east wind that allowed fast sailing until around noon, when one canoe filled with water but was brought safely to…
May
7
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — Patrick Gass: May 7, 1805
Around midday, strong winds capsized one of the expedition's canoes while under sail, though the accident occurred near shore and caused no major loss. After a three-hour halt,…
May
8
1805
Clark: May 8, 1805
Setting out under a gentle northeast breeze beneath threatening skies, the party traveled through light rain and passed the mouth of a large 150-yard-wide river on the starboard…
May
8
1805
Lewis: May 8, 1805
The expedition set out early under a gentle east breeze, weathered a brief sprinkle of rain, and stopped near the mouth of a large river entering from the…
May
8
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 8, 1805
The party set off early under cloudy skies with intermittent rain and a swift current, aided by a fine east breeze. Around 1 o'clock they reached the mouth…
May
8
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — John Ordway: May 8, 1805
Under a fine east breeze with brief rain, the party sailed about 20 miles by one o'clock, passing the mouths of several dry creeks on the south side…
May
8
1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — Patrick Gass: May 8, 1805
On this day, the expedition observed that the surrounding country on both sides of the river was becoming more broken and rugged, while the river itself grew increasingly…
May
9
1805
Clark: May 9, 1805
On a fine day with an east wind, the expedition made good progress through country similar to the previous day, with rich black soil but less timber. They…
May
9
1805
Lewis: May 9, 1805
Setting out early with favorable winds, the party sailed past increasingly fertile country and encountered a remarkable half-mile-wide dry riverbed on the south side, which Lewis explored on…
May
9
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — Joseph Whitehouse: May 9, 1805
Clear, pleasant weather as the party set off at sunrise and made 25 miles. They breakfasted in a timbered bottom on the south side, where Captain Clark killed…
May
9
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — Patrick Gass: May 9, 1805
After traveling only five miles, the party was forced to stop and wait out the day because of strong winds. A few light rain showers passed through during…
May
10
1805
Clark: May 10, 1805
On Friday, May 10, 1805, the river had dropped three-quarters of an inch overnight and a strong northwest wind soon forced the party to halt on the larboard…
May
10
1805
Lewis: May 10, 1805
Strong winds forced the party to halt shortly after setting out, sheltering on the larboard side of the river under cloudy skies and occasional sprinkles of rain. A…
May
10
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — Joseph Whitehouse: May 10, 1805
The expedition set out at sunrise in clear, cold weather but stopped after about four miles when strong northwest winds, accompanied by rain squalls, forced them to halt…
May
10
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — John Ordway: May 10, 1805
The expedition traveled 25 miles along the Missouri River through timbered bottoms and smooth plains. Captain Clark, walking ahead, killed two deer before the morning breakfast halt and…
May
11
1805
Clark: May 11, 1805
On a cold Saturday with a white frost and hard southwest winds that slowed travel, the party moved along a rising, crooked stretch of river bordered by rugged…
May
11
1805
Lewis: May 11, 1805
The expedition pushed against strong currents, crooked banks, and adverse winds, narrowly avoiding collapsing riverbanks. Lewis described the loamy soil, mineral salt deposits, quartz, pine-covered hills, and a…
May
11
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — Joseph Whitehouse: May 11, 1805
On a clear, cold morning following a frosty night, the party set off early after catching two beaver. They passed black bluffs and cedar-covered hills, sighting large herds…
May
11
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — John Ordway: May 11, 1805
The party set off early after catching two beavers overnight, traveling 17 miles past black bluffs and cedar-dotted hills with huge buffalo herds in the bottoms. Late in…
May
11
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — Patrick Gass: May 11, 1805
The party set out at the usual hour and at one o'clock passed a small creek on the south side of the river. Throughout the day they observed…
May
12
1805
Clark: May 12, 1805
The expedition departed early on a clear, calm morning, with Captain Lewis walking onshore. Around noon a strong east wind picked up, then shifted to the northwest by…
May
12
1805
Lewis: May 12, 1805
On a clear, calm Sunday morning, the expedition set out early. Lewis walked ashore for exercise, armed with rifle and espontoon, resolving to act defensively if he encountered…
May
12
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — Joseph Whitehouse: May 12, 1805
The expedition set out shortly after sunrise on a clear, warm morning, passing pitch pine hills on the north side of the river. A hunter killed a deer…
May
12
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — John Ordway: May 12, 1805
The party departed shortly after sunrise and traveled past pitch pine hills on the north side of the river. A hunter shot a deer, and Captain Clark killed…
May
12
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — Patrick Gass: May 12, 1805
The day began pleasantly as the expedition passed hills on the north side of the river covered with pine and cedar—the first timber they had seen on the…
May
13
1805
Clark: May 13, 1805
Strong winds delayed departure until 1 PM, after which the party traveled about nine miles before camping on the larboard side. The country resembled the previous day's, with…
May
13
1805
Lewis: May 13, 1805
Strong winds delayed departure on the morning of May 13, 1805, so hunters were sent out while the party waited. By 1 P.M. the wind eased and they…
May
13
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — Joseph Whitehouse: May 13, 1805
Strong winds and rain squalls overnight and into the morning delayed the party's departure. Hunters went out and killed several elk and deer. Around 2 p.m. the weather…
May
13
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — John Ordway: May 13, 1805
The morning brought sprinkling rain and high winds, delaying the party's departure while hunters went out. Around 1 p.m. the wind died down enough to set off, even…
May
13
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — Patrick Gass: May 13, 1805
A light sprinkle of rain fell during the day. The party set out at 1 P.M., traveling along the river and passing three creeks—one entering from the north…
May
14
1805
Clark: May 14, 1805
On a clear, cold morning with temperatures at 32 degrees and a southwest wind, the expedition traveled well until a sudden squall struck the sail of a pirogue…
May
14
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — Joseph Whitehouse: May 14, 1805
After a frosty night that froze the men's moccasins, the party set off at sunrise under clear skies, passing several large creeks and a willow island while observing…
May
14
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — John Ordway: May 14, 1805
On a clear, unusually warm spring morning in present-day Montana, the expedition set off at sunrise, passing black bluffs, pine-covered hills, and large herds of buffalo. Captain Clark…
May
14
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — Patrick Gass: May 14, 1805
The expedition set out early, passing black hills along the south bank of the river, some forested with pine. The day grew warm by noon, though snowbanks remained…
May
15
1805
Clark: May 15, 1805
The expedition spent a cloudy, rainy day attempting to dry out their medicines, instruments, merchandise, clothing, and provisions, nearly all of which had gotten wet. Because of the…
May
15
1805
Lewis: May 15, 1805
After a brief morning shower, the expedition spread out items that had been soaked the previous day in the white pirogue, hoping to dry them. However, the day…
May
15
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — Joseph Whitehouse: May 15, 1805
The party remained in camp under cloudy skies, working to dry goods that had gotten wet. They opened the goods to air them out but had to quickly…
May
15
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — John Ordway: May 15, 1805
The party remained in camp tending to goods that had gotten wet, though the weather proved unfavorable for drying them. A brief shower fell around 11 o'clock, and…
May
15
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — Patrick Gass: May 15, 1805
The party spent the day attempting to dry baggage that had gotten wet. The weather was uncooperative, with cloudy skies and some rainfall hindering their efforts.
May
16
1805
Clark: May 16, 1805
After a fair morning, the party spent the day drying salvaged goods from the previous day's boat accident, losing some medicine, powder, seeds, and other items. They set…
May
16
1805
Lewis: May 16, 1805
Fair weather allowed the party to dry, repack, and reload their instruments, medicine, merchandise, and provisions by 4 p.m. Losses from the previous day's accident were lighter than…
May
16
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — Joseph Whitehouse: May 16, 1805
After a heavy dew, the morning was clear and pleasant, allowing the party to spread out and dry the goods before repacking them. Hunters wounded a large panther…
May
16
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — John Ordway: May 16, 1805
On a pleasant morning, the party spread out their goods to dry after a previous mishap. One member wounded a large panther that had killed and was covering…
May
16
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — Patrick Gass: May 16, 1805
After spending the morning drying out gear that had gotten wet, the party finished reloading their goods onto the boats by afternoon and resumed their journey upriver. They…
May
17
1805
Clark: May 17, 1805
On a fine, breezy morning with the river falling slightly, the party advanced upstream mainly by towrope through rugged country with high hills, narrow river channel, and visible…
May
17
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — Joseph Whitehouse: May 17, 1805
Clear and pleasant weather accompanied an early start and steady progress upriver. The party passed high, broken, whitish hills cut by rain erosion, with narrow bottoms, scattered pitch…
May
17
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — John Ordway: May 17, 1805
The party traveled along a stretch of river bordered by mountainous, eroded hills and white knobs, with scattered patches of pitch pine but little grass. They observed large…
May
17
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — Patrick Gass: May 17, 1805
The expedition traveled along a stretch of the Missouri River where steep, eroded hills with little timber pressed close to both banks, some rising in shapes that resembled…
May
18
1805
Clark: May 18, 1805
On a windy Saturday with wind from the west, the party made good progress upriver using the towline along a narrow channel with gentle current and sandy bars.…
May
18
1805
Lewis: May 18, 1805
Strong west winds on May 18, 1805 allowed the expedition to use their tow line for most of the day, making decent progress along a narrowing river with…
May
18
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — Joseph Whitehouse: May 18, 1805
A clear, warm morning gave way to a cloudy, rainy midday before clearing into a pleasant afternoon. The party set out around 7 a.m. and traveled through narrow…
May
18
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — John Ordway: May 18, 1805
The party caught a beaver and killed a rattlesnake overnight before setting off at 7 a.m. They traveled through a stretch of steep, mountainous-looking hills crowding the river…
May
18
1805
Missouri River Breaks area — Patrick Gass: May 18, 1805
The expedition continued through terrain similar to the previous day until around noon, when the river bottoms widened on both banks. Small stands of pine still dotted the…
May
19
1805
Seaman Bitten by a Beaver — Nearly Dies
Along the Missouri River in present-day Montana, Lewis's Newfoundland dog Seaman was badly bitten by a beaver, which severed an artery in one of his hind legs. The…
May
19
1805
Joseph Whitehouse: May 19, 1805
After a dewy night, the party set out on a clear, pleasant morning, traveling between pitch pine hills lining both sides of the river. Around 10 a.m. they…
May
19
1805
John Ordway: May 19, 1805
The party set off around 7 a.m. under clear, pleasant skies after catching a beaver. By mid-morning they killed a young brown bear on the south shore and…
May
19
1805
Patrick Gass: May 19, 1805
On May 19, 1805, Patrick Gass noted dew in the morning along a handsome river flanked by mountainous country. The expedition traveled 20 1/4 miles that day before…
May
20
1805
Clark: May 20, 1805
On a fine morning with a northeast wind and the river falling, the party set out at 7 a.m. and used the towrope to ascend swift, narrow, crooked…
May
20
1805
Lewis: May 20, 1805
The expedition set out early, using tow ropes along favorable banks through narrow, crooked river country dense with prickly pear. After about 2.25 miles they passed a creek…
May
20
1805
Missouri River near Musselshell River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 20, 1805
On a clear pleasant morning, the party set off as usual, with hunters bringing in a beaver caught the previous night. Around 9 a.m. they passed a creek…
May
20
1805
Missouri River near Musselshell River — John Ordway: May 20, 1805
The expedition pushed up the Missouri River through increasingly rugged country in present-day Montana, passing the mouth of the Musselshell River on May 20 and naming several tributaries…
May
20
1805
Missouri River near Musselshell River — Patrick Gass: May 20, 1805
The expedition passed a creek on the south side in the morning and around 11 a.m. reached the mouth of the Muscle-shell River, also entering from the south.…
May
21
1805
Clark: May 21, 1805
On a beautiful, breezy Tuesday morning, the expedition set out early, making progress mainly by towing the boats with ropes since the muddy bottoms made poles less useful.…
May
21
1805
Lewis: May 21, 1805
On a pleasant morning, the expedition set out early and made good progress, mainly using the towline along bold clay shores. Lewis described the landscape near the Musselshell…
May
21
1805
Missouri River near Musselshell River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 21, 1805
Clear and pleasant morning as two men who had stayed out overnight returned with a beaver and a deer, having swum across the Mussel Shell River before sunrise.…
May
21
1805
Missouri River near Musselshell River — Patrick Gass: May 21, 1805
The party traveled along the river, making good progress despite strong winds that picked up around midday. They covered twenty miles over the course of the day before…
May
22
1805
Clark: May 22, 1805
Strong winds delayed departure until about 10 a.m. on this cold morning. The party passed two small islands and a 20-yard-wide creek on the starboard side. Lewis killed…
May
22
1805
Lewis: May 22, 1805
Strong winds delayed departure until 10 A.M., after which the party advanced mostly by towlines through wider bottoms with fertile-looking but sparsely grassed hills. They passed Windy Island,…
May
22
1805
Missouri River near Musselshell River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 22, 1805
Strong winds from the previous night continued through a cloudy morning, delaying departure until about 11 a.m. The party caught two beaver overnight, then proceeded upriver, passing two…
May
22
1805
Missouri River near Musselshell River — Patrick Gass: May 22, 1805
A late start delayed the expedition until 9 o'clock due to harsh morning conditions. The forenoon brought cold and unpleasant weather, though conditions improved into a more agreeable…
May
23
1805
Clark: May 23, 1805
A hard frost gripped the camp overnight, with temperatures at freezing and ice forming on the oars and river edges. The party set out early under a southwest…
May
23
1805
Lewis: May 23, 1805
After a hard frost that left ice on the oars, the party set out early and traveled past several dry creeks, including one they named Teapot Creek, whose…
May
23
1805
Missouri River near Musselshell River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 23, 1805
A frosty morning greeted the party, with standing water frozen over. They set off at sunrise and were rejoined by a hunter who had stayed out overnight and…
May
23
1805
Missouri River near Musselshell River — Patrick Gass: May 23, 1805
On this cold morning, ice formed as thick as window glass. The party continued up the river, passing two creeks—one entering from each side—and two islands along the…
May
24
1805
Clark: May 24, 1805
A cold night left water frozen in small vessels and the thermometer at freezing. The party set out early and made good progress under a steady southeast breeze,…
May
24
1805
Lewis: May 24, 1805
Overnight frost left ice on the water vessels and along the river's edge, damaging cottonwood foliage. The expedition set out early, using sails after a southeast breeze rose…
May
24
1805
Missouri River near Musselshell River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 24, 1805
Clear and pleasant weather as the party set off and continued upriver, passing several creeks, small islands, pitch pine hills, and timbered bottoms. Around 3 P.M. they halted…
May
24
1805
Missouri River near Musselshell River — Patrick Gass: May 24, 1805
The party set off early and traveled 24¼ miles up the river, passing a large creek and a beautiful island on the southern shore, with another creek at…
May
25
1805
Clark: May 25, 1805
On a cool, pleasant Saturday with a southwest headwind, the party set out at 8 a.m. after two meat canoes rejoined them, passing a 20-yard creek on the…
May
25
1805
Lewis: May 25, 1805
The party set out at 8 A.M. after two canoes returned with meat from the previous day. Headwinds slowed progress, forcing them to rely on the towline and…
May
25
1805
Missouri River near Musselshell River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 25, 1805
On a clear, pleasant morning, the party waited until about 7 a.m. for two canoes to catch up before setting off. They passed several creeks, small islands, and…
May
25
1805
Missouri River near Musselshell River — Patrick Gass: May 25, 1805
The party launched their canoes around 7 a.m. on a pleasant morning, passing two creeks on opposite sides of the river and a small bottom on the north…
May
26
1805
Lewis First Sees the Rocky Mountains
On this day, Meriwether Lewis caught his first sight of the Rocky Mountains, the long-anticipated barrier between the expedition and the Pacific Ocean. He recorded mixed feelings: pleasure…
May
26
1805
Joseph Whitehouse: May 26, 1805
On a clear, pleasant day, the party set off early and towed the canoes upriver beneath steep, barren bluffs and high sandstone cliffs, passing several creeks and small…
May
26
1805
Patrick Gass: May 26, 1805
The expedition traveled through barren desert country with almost no timber except scattered pines on the hills. Wildlife was scarce, though one man shot a male mountain sheep…
May
27
1805
Clark: May 27, 1805
Strong southwest winds delayed departure until about 10 a.m. The party then traveled up a narrow, shoaly stretch of river crowded with rocks washed down from the surrounding…
May
27
1805
Lewis: May 27, 1805
Strong morning winds delayed departure until 10 A.M., after which the party spent most of the day towing the boats by cord up an increasingly rapid, rocky river.…
May
27
1805
Missouri River, first view of Rocky Mountains — Joseph Whitehouse: May 27, 1805
Pleasant weather with a high northwest wind. Around 10 a.m., the party set off using towing lines against a very swift current, passing numerous rapids, steep mountains, and…
May
27
1805
Missouri River, first view of Rocky Mountains — Patrick Gass: May 27, 1805
After traveling roughly 2,300 miles up the Missouri, Gass pauses to summarize the country passed through: rich, timbered land from the Missouri's mouth to the Platte; decent second-rate,…
May
28
1805
Clark: May 28, 1805
On a cloudy, smoky morning with a southwest wind, the expedition set out early and struggled through numerous shoals, relying on cords, poles, and fragile elkskin tow ropes…
May
28
1805
Lewis: May 28, 1805
The expedition set out early under dark, smoky skies with light rain. The crew struggled to haul the boats with worn elk-skin ropes through dangerous, rocky riffles, narrowly…
May
28
1805
Missouri River, first view of Rocky Mountains — Joseph Whitehouse: May 28, 1805
The expedition set off on a clear, pleasant morning, traveling past high bluffs and cliffs and crossing hard riffles. Around 10 a.m., Captain Clark killed a mountain sheep…
May
28
1805
Missouri River, first view of Rocky Mountains — Patrick Gass: May 28, 1805
The party traveled through barren, desert-like country for most of the day before reaching more agreeable terrain around 4 P.M. They covered twenty-one miles in total and made…
May
29
1805
Buffalo Bull Charges Camp — Seaman Sounds the Alarm
Before dawn on May 29, 1805, a large buffalo bull stampeded through the expedition's camp along the Missouri River, charging over a pirogue and passing within inches of…
May
29
1805
Joseph Whitehouse: May 29, 1805
Overnight, a buffalo swam the river, charged through camp, damaged a blunderbuss and rifle, and nearly trampled sleeping men. The party set off as usual under cloudy skies,…
May
29
1805
Patrick Gass: May 29, 1805
The expedition set out in the morning, passing two rivers, one on each side. Around noon clouds gathered and rain began, continuing lightly through the afternoon. The party…
May
30
1805
Clark: May 30, 1805
Heavy overnight and continuing rain—the most since mid-September—delayed the party until about 11 a.m. They then advanced with great difficulty, relying on the tow rope along muddy, slippery…
May
30
1805
Lewis: May 30, 1805
Heavy rain and high wind delayed the expedition's departure until 11 a.m., marking the most rainfall they'd seen since September. Lewis noted the unusually dry air, evidenced by…
May
30
1805
Missouri River, first view of Rocky Mountains — Joseph Whitehouse: May 30, 1805
Cloudy weather with rain and a strong northwest wind delayed departure until about 10 a.m., and the cold, chilly conditions made for disagreeable work. The party passed white…
May
30
1805
Missouri River, first view of Rocky Mountains — Patrick Gass: May 30, 1805
The party started late and made slow progress against rain that fell throughout the day, covering only eight miles before camping early on the north bank in a…
May
31
1805
Clark: May 31, 1805
On a cloudy, rainy Friday, the expedition pushed up the Missouri with great difficulty, the men wading through cold water and struggling along slippery muddy banks and sharp…
May
31
1805
Lewis: May 31, 1805
The expedition pushed upriver under cold rain and cloudy skies, with the men forced to wade in frigid armpit-deep water and drag the canoes along slippery, rocky banks—grueling…
May
31
1805
Missouri River, first view of Rocky Mountains — Patrick Gass: May 31, 1805
The party traveled through mountainous country where game was more abundant, and they killed several buffalo along the way. Around 11 o'clock a slow rain began and lasted…
May
31
1805
Missouri River, first view of Rocky Mountains — Joseph Whitehouse: May 31, 1805
The party set off under cloudy skies, retrieving meat from the previous night's hunt and killing another elk. Around 11 a.m. it began to rain, prompting the captains…
Jun
1
1805
Clark: June 1, 1805
On a cloudy Saturday, the expedition set out early, towing the boats upriver along terrain where the cliffs were lower and the surrounding plains broader and fertile, dotted…
Jun
1
1805
Lewis: June 1, 1805
On a cloudy morning with light rain, the party set out early and pulled the boats upriver with cords against an opposing wind. The bluffs lowered and the…
Jun
1
1805
Missouri River near Marias River approach — Patrick Gass: June 1, 1805
The day began cloudy but stayed dry as the expedition moved through more attractive, level country with modest bottomlands on both sides of the river and several pretty…
Jun
1
1805
Missouri River near Marias River approach — Joseph Whitehouse: June 1, 1805
The expedition set out early on a clear, pleasant morning and made good progress along the river. They passed steep white rock cliffs hosting colonies of small birds,…
Jun
2
1805
Clark: June 2, 1805
After a windy night with light rain, the party set out early under a southwest wind with occasional rain and headwinds. The terrain resembled the previous day's. Captain…
Jun
2
1805
Lewis: June 2, 1805
After a windy night with light rain, the party set out early and made good progress upriver despite headwinds, using the towline along banks that offered solid footing.…
Jun
2
1805
Missouri River near Marias River approach — Joseph Whitehouse: June 2, 1805
A clear pleasant morning gave way to a windy, cloudy afternoon with a brief sprinkle of rain. The party set off as usual, traveling between high bluffs, narrow…
Jun
2
1805
Missouri River near Marias River approach — Patrick Gass: June 2, 1805
The expedition continued upriver through terrain where hills pressed close to the water, though they were lower and less rugged than those encountered downstream. During the morning, the…
Jun
3
1805
The Marias River Decision
At the confluence of the Missouri River and an unknown northern fork, the expedition faced a pivotal decision about which stream was the true Missouri. Choosing wrong could…
Jun
3
1805
Joseph Whitehouse: June 3, 1805
The party moved camp to the point between two forks of the river and faced a critical decision about which branch was the true Missouri. Captains Lewis and…
Jun
3
1805
Patrick Gass: June 3, 1805
The expedition reached a fork of two rivers and the captains were unsure which branch was the correct route to follow. They sent out two small scouting parties,…
Jun
4
1805
Clark: June 4, 1805
Captains Lewis and Clark each led small scouting parties up the two forks of the river to determine which was the Missouri. Lewis took Drouillard, Pryor, Shields, Cruzatte,…
Jun
4
1805
Lewis: June 4, 1805
Lewis and Captain Clark separated at the river fork to scout opposite branches; Lewis headed up the north fork. From a high vantage point he took bearings on…
Jun
4
1805
Marias River decision camp — Joseph Whitehouse: June 4, 1805
The expedition split into two scouting parties to determine which fork was the true Missouri River. Captain Lewis took six men up the right-hand fork, while Captain Clark…
Jun
4
1805
Marias River decision camp — Patrick Gass: June 4, 1805
Two scouting parties set out to determine which branch was the true Missouri: one up the North Branch, and Captain Clark with the author and four others up…
Jun
5
1805
Clark: June 5, 1805
On a cold, lightly rainy morning with snow visible on the mountains to the southeast, Clark's party watched eight buffalo fail to cross the swift river. Three white…
Jun
5
1805
Lewis: June 5, 1805
On a cold, cloudy morning following overnight rain and strong northwest winds, the party set out at sunrise and traveled up the river through level, beautiful plains teeming…
Jun
5
1805
Marias River decision camp — Joseph Whitehouse: June 5, 1805
A cold, cloudy, and windy day with strong northeast winds continuing from the previous night. The party trapped one beaver overnight. Whitehouse remained in camp, working on dressing…
Jun
5
1805
Marias River decision camp — John Ordway: June 5, 1805
Cold, cloudy, windy weather persisted as the expedition remained camped at the river forks. Men dressed skins for moccasins and leggings, while Goodrich caught fish including catfish and…
Jun
5
1805
Marias River decision camp — Patrick Gass: June 5, 1805
On a cloudy morning following a rainy night, the party spotted three bears approaching along the river and killed all of them before setting out across the plains.…
Jun
6
1805
Clark: June 6, 1805
On a cloudy, cold day with hard northeast winds, Clark and his party set out early and traveled down a small river, killing seven deer for their skins.…
Jun
6
1805
Lewis: June 6, 1805
Convinced this northern branch of the Missouri was not the route to the Pacific, Lewis decided to turn back, hoping first to fix the location's latitude by a…
Jun
6
1805
Marias River decision camp — Joseph Whitehouse: June 6, 1805
On a cold, cloudy morning with a northeast wind and light rain, hunters from camp killed two buffalo, an elk, several deer, and antelope. Around 2 p.m. Captain…
Jun
6
1805
Marias River decision camp — Patrick Gass: June 6, 1805
The party killed some deer during the day. Around 1 o'clock they returned to the plains, which they continued across until reaching the point in the evening. Captain…
Jun
7
1805
Clark: June 7, 1805
Rain fell moderately through the night and continued throughout the day, with a southwest wind blowing off the mountains and the thermometer reading 40 degrees above zero. The…
Jun
7
1805
Lewis: June 7, 1805
Cold rain and a hard northeast wind made for a miserable march down the river. The clay bluffs were dangerously slippery, and Lewis nearly fell ninety feet into…
Jun
7
1805
Marias River decision camp — Joseph Whitehouse: June 7, 1805
Heavy rain fell through much of the previous night and continued as a cloudy, wet morning set in. Some of the men set out hunting and managed to…
Jun
7
1805
Marias River decision camp — Patrick Gass: June 7, 1805
A brief journal note indicating that someone expected to return to camp had not done so by the time of this entry. The fragment provides no additional context…
Jun
8
1805
Clark: June 8, 1805
Rain fell through the night and into the morning until 10 a.m., when skies cleared. Clark grew uneasy because Lewis was overdue from his scouting trip. He had…
Jun
8
1805
Lewis: June 8, 1805
After overnight rain, the morning cleared and the party broke camp at sunrise, continuing down the river bottoms through mud and past dangerous bluffs, while Lewis noted the…
Jun
8
1805
Marias River decision camp — Joseph Whitehouse: June 8, 1805
The day began cloudy and cold with a southwest wind, clearing to pleasant weather by 9 a.m., during which the men aired out the Indian trade goods. Snow-capped…
Jun
8
1805
Marias River decision camp — John Ordway: June 8, 1805
The weather cleared pleasantly by mid-morning after a cold spell that had blanketed camp in snow, and the Indian goods were aired out. Around 3 p.m., Captain Lewis…
Jun
8
1805
Marias River decision camp — Patrick Gass: June 8, 1805
The South branch of the river turned a claret color overnight, contrasting sharply with the milky appearance of the other branch. Captain Lewis returned to camp around 4…
Jun
9
1805
Clark: June 9, 1805
On a fair, windy Sunday, the captains decided to cache powder, lead, provisions, and tools and leave one pirogue behind before ascending the South fork, which they judged…
Jun
9
1805
Lewis: June 9, 1805
At the Marias River junction, the captains decided to cache the large red pirogue and heavy supplies to lighten the boats and free up seven crewmen. After studying…
Jun
9
1805
Marias River decision camp — Joseph Whitehouse: June 9, 1805
The day began clear and pleasant. Two hunters killed a very fat buffalo, requiring eight men to haul in the meat. Other men were sent to the bluffs…
Jun
9
1805
Marias River decision camp — John Ordway: June 9, 1805
At their camp near the river junction, the men aired out goods from the red pirogue while two hunters brought down an exceptionally fat buffalo, requiring eight men…
Jun
9
1805
Marias River decision camp — Patrick Gass: June 9, 1805
The captains decided to leave the large pirogue and some of the stores and baggage at this location, and several men set to work digging a cache to…
Jun
10
1805
Clark: June 10, 1805
On a fine, dry day at the forks, the expedition organized baggage and cached supplies—powder, lead, and an ax in the point, plus a larger cache of goods…
Jun
10
1805
Lewis: June 10, 1805
On a fair day at the Marias River junction, the party dried baggage while Shields—praised for his skill as a craftsman, hunter, and waterman—repaired Lewis's air gun. The…
Jun
10
1805
Marias River decision camp — Joseph Whitehouse: June 10, 1805
On a pleasant day at the forks of the river, the party prepared to lighten their load before pushing on. Some men braided a towing line for the…
Jun
10
1805
Marias River decision camp — John Ordway: June 10, 1805
At the river forks, the men prepared for the next leg of the journey. They made a towing line for the white pirogue, cached a canister of powder…
Jun
10
1805
Marias River decision camp — Patrick Gass: June 10, 1805
At the mouth of Maria's River, the party cached items by covering them with brush and began sorting their gear to decide what to leave behind. Around two…
Jun
11
1805
Clark: June 11, 1805
On a fair, windy Tuesday, the party cached supplies for the return trip, burying a keg and two canisters of powder with lead in separate spots, along with…
Jun
11
1805
Lewis: June 11, 1805
Recovering from illness, Lewis set out at 8 A.M. with a small party and traveled about nine miles to a point where Rose River, a branch of Maria's…
Jun
11
1805
Marias River decision camp — Joseph Whitehouse: June 11, 1805
On a clear pleasant morning, Captain Lewis set out around 8 o'clock with George Drouillard, George Gibson, Joseph Fields, and Silas Goodrich toward the South Snowy Mountain. The…
Jun
11
1805
Marias River decision camp — John Ordway: June 11, 1805
Captain Lewis set out with George Drouillard, George Gibson, Joseph Fields, and Silas Goodrich toward the snowy southern mountains to determine which fork was the true Missouri River.…
Jun
11
1805
Marias River decision camp — Patrick Gass: June 11, 1805
The party split duties on this day. A group set out westward toward the mountains they had spotted, while the rest stayed behind to bury baggage and goods…
Jun
12
1805
Clark: June 12, 1805
On a clear, cool morning, the expedition set out at 8 a.m. with a southwest wind and made good progress against swift water. Clark moved Sacagawea, who was…
Jun
12
1805
Lewis: June 12, 1805
Feeling recovered from illness, Lewis took more of his medicinal decoction and set out at sunrise, traveling across level plains southwest of the Missouri River. Around 10 a.m.…
Jun
12
1805
Marias River decision camp — Joseph Whitehouse: June 12, 1805
After burying three forgotten traps, the party left Point Deposit around 7 a.m. on a clear morning and continued up the South Fork, which they still called the…
Jun
12
1805
Marias River decision camp — John Ordway: June 12, 1805
The party retrieved three forgotten traps and departed Point Deposit, located 2,508 miles from the Missouri's mouth, around 7 a.m., continuing up the south fork they still called…
Jun
12
1805
Marias River decision camp — Patrick Gass: June 12, 1805
At the mouth of Maria's River, the party concealed a cache with brush and began sorting through their supplies to decide what could be left behind. Around two…
Jun
13
1805
Discovery of the Great Falls of the Missouri
Lewis became the first non-Indigenous person to see the Great Falls of the Missouri, a sight that moved him to unusually poetic prose, wishing for the artistic skill…
Jun
13
1805
Joseph Whitehouse: June 13, 1805
On a pleasant morning, the party set out early and traveled 14 miles upriver, camping on the south side. They passed the mouth of a small, rapid, muddy…
Jun
13
1805
John Ordway: June 13, 1805
The party set out early under heavy dew and traveled along the Missouri River, passing the mouth of a small, muddy, rapid river about 50 yards wide on…
Jun
13
1805
Patrick Gass: June 13, 1805
The party traveled 14 miles up the river under conditions that included dew the previous night. They passed Snow Creek, a large tributary entering from the south, and…
Jun
14
1805
Clark: June 14, 1805
On a fine morning, the party struggled with illness in camp—the Indian woman (Sacagawea) was dangerously ill, two men had toothaches, others suffered from boils, and one had…
Jun
14
1805
Lewis: June 14, 1805
Lewis sent Joseph Fields with a letter to Clark to scout a portage route while men dried buffalo meat at camp. Walking upriver to find the end of…
Jun
14
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: June 14, 1805
On a pleasant morning, the party continued upriver after two sick men and one with a lame hand had spent the night ashore. They passed Captain Lewis's earlier…
Jun
14
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — John Ordway: June 14, 1805
The party set out with two men suffering sore hands and another ill. They passed a north-side bottom where Captain Lewis's group had camped, killed two bears and…
Jun
14
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — Patrick Gass: June 14, 1805
On a pleasant day, the party traveling upriver passed a spot around 7 a.m. where Captain Lewis and his men had killed two bears and left a note…
Jun
15
1805
Clark: June 15, 1805
On a warm, fair Saturday, the expedition pushed up an increasingly rapid river, with the falls now audible in the distance. The men hauled boats and ropes through…
Jun
15
1805
Lewis: June 15, 1805
Lewis spent the day camped near the Great Falls while his men retrieved and dried meat from Drouillard's hunt. He fished, catching numerous trout, and Goodrich landed trout…
Jun
15
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: June 15, 1805
Under clear, pleasant skies turning very warm in the afternoon, the party set out at the usual hour and battled some of the swiftest water they had ever…
Jun
15
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — John Ordway: June 15, 1805
The party set out at the usual hour and pushed through some of the most violent rapids they had encountered, passing high bluffs and cliffs on both sides…
Jun
15
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — Patrick Gass: June 15, 1805
The party navigated some of the most rapid water they had ever taken a craft through. At noon they halted at the mouth of Strawberry Creek on the…
Jun
16
1805
Clark: June 16, 1805
On a cloudy, rainy Sunday with strong southwest winds, the party double-manned the pirogue and canoes to pass a rapid, then halted to scout a continuous two-mile cascade…
Jun
16
1805
Lewis: June 16, 1805
Lewis rejoined the main party with about 600 pounds of dried meat and trout, finding Sacagawea seriously ill, which worried him both for her sake and because she…
Jun
16
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: June 16, 1805
After overnight rain and wind, the morning was clear. The party hauled canoes and the pirogue past a rapid, then waited for Captain Lewis, catching small flat-scaled fish…
Jun
16
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — John Ordway: June 16, 1805
After a clear morning following west winds the previous night, the men hauled canoes and the large pirogue over a rapid, pausing because another impassable rapid lay ahead.…
Jun
16
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — Patrick Gass: June 16, 1805
The party hauled canoes up a mile-long rapid and then brought up the pirogue, pausing to scout another major rapid ahead. A messenger sent the previous night to…
Jun
17
1805
Clark: June 17, 1805
On a fine, windy morning, Captain Lewis and the party unloaded the pirogue and began hauling cargo about a mile over a low hill to the creek, preparing…
Jun
17
1805
Lewis: June 17, 1805
Captain Clark departed early with five men to survey the river and portage route around the Great Falls. Lewis set six men to building truck wheels for hauling…
Jun
17
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: June 17, 1805
On a cloudy day, the party worked on multiple tasks related to portaging around the Great Falls. Some men hauled canoes about 1.5 miles up a small river,…
Jun
17
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — John Ordway: June 17, 1805
The crew worked on hauling canoes up Portage Creek and began building small wagons to carry the canoes, goods, and baggage overland around the Great Falls. Captain Clark…
Jun
17
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — Patrick Gass: June 17, 1805
The party worked on portaging around the Great Falls of the Missouri, moving canoes about a mile and a half up a small river and building small wagons…
Jun
18
1805
Clark: June 18, 1805
Clark's party set out early and reached the second great cataract of the Missouri, a 47-foot-8-inch falls he considered one of the grandest sights in nature, measuring it…
Jun
18
1805
Lewis: June 18, 1805
At the portage camp, the crew hauled the pirogue ashore, hid it among willows, and began building a cache to store supplies. Goods, ammunition, and provisions were aired…
Jun
18
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: June 18, 1805
On a fine, pleasant day with high westerly winds, the party hauled the white pirogue into a thicket below the bank and concealed it with bushes for safekeeping.…
Jun
18
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — John Ordway: June 18, 1805
The party prepared to portage around the Great Falls. They hid the large pirogue in bushes below camp, covering it with brush and dry wood for safekeeping. Three…
Jun
18
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — Patrick Gass: June 18, 1805
The party secured stored equipment and dug a cache to deposit additional baggage they could not carry forward. Around noon, two hunters returned having found no elk but…
Jun
19
1805
Clark: June 19, 1805
Clark and his men hunted unsuccessfully for a white bear on the island in the morning. He decided to dry the meat already killed and continue scouting upriver.…
Jun
19
1805
Lewis: June 19, 1805
Lewis recovered yesterday's kill before wolves found it and sent Drouillard, Reubin Field, and Shannon north toward the Medicine River to hunt elk in its timbered country. The…
Jun
19
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: June 19, 1805
The day began clear and cool, with high westerly winds that persisted throughout. Several men crossed the river to retrieve meat from the previous night's hunt, while three…
Jun
19
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — John Ordway: June 19, 1805
On a windy day with strong northwesterly gusts, the party focused on logistical tasks around the Great Falls of the Missouri. Men were sent across the river to…
Jun
19
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — Patrick Gass: June 19, 1805
Three hunters departed for Medicine River, a large tributary entering from the north side above the falls, to hunt elk. The party finished constructing a cache or burying…
Jun
20
1805
Clark: June 20, 1805
On a cloudy, windy morning, Clark had stakes cut to mark the portage route and set out early, briefly delayed by rain and a deep ravine that forced…
Jun
20
1805
Lewis: June 20, 1805
Lewis waited at the lower portage camp for Clark's return, growing concerned that the portage would be longer than expected. He dispatched four hunters across the river to…
Jun
20
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: June 20, 1805
Cold and windy at the camp at the start of the portage, where the party waited for Captain Clark. Hunters killed 11 mostly fat buffalo, with three men…
Jun
20
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — John Ordway: June 20, 1805
High winds blew from the west off the mountains, with light rain at midday. Four hunters sent across the river killed eleven mostly fat buffalo, and the camp…
Jun
20
1805
Great Falls of the Missouri — Patrick Gass: June 20, 1805
The party hunted buffalo, with one hunter returning around 4 o'clock to fetch help carrying meat from 14 animals already brought down. A group went out about a…
Jun
21
1805
Clark: June 21, 1805
On a fine, windy morning at the portage camp along the Missouri, Captain Lewis and most of the men hauled baggage and a canoe three miles up the…
Jun
21
1805
Lewis: June 21, 1805
Lewis directed most of the men to haul baggage three miles up to the top of the high plain along the portage route, including a canoe moved on…
Jun
21
1805
Great Falls Portage — Joseph Whitehouse: June 21, 1805
On a fair, breezy morning, Captains Lewis and Clark set out with most of the party, hauling a wagon with the canoe and baggage from the previous day's…
Jun
21
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: June 21, 1805
Strong winds blew throughout the day at the expedition's camp. The party finished hauling in the rest of the meat from earlier hunts, completing that task. One of…
Jun
22
1805
Gass Describes the Great Falls Portage
Sergeant Gass describes the grueling 18-mile portage around the Great Falls of the Missouri, one of the expedition's hardest stretches. The men constructed makeshift wagons from cottonwood trunks…
Jun
22
1805
Patrick Gass: June 22, 1805
The party set out across the prairie hauling a heavily loaded canoe on a wagon, accompanied by a man and his wife. Progress was slow because the axletrees…
Jun
22
1805
Joseph Whitehouse: June 22, 1805
On a fair, breezy morning, the party rose early and most members set out with Captains Lewis and Clark, hauling a wagon loaded with a canoe and baggage…
Jun
23
1805
Clark: June 23, 1805
On a cloudy Sunday with southeast winds, Clark and his party ate the remaining meat at camp, then set out on the return trip, planting poles across the…
Jun
23
1805
Great Falls Portage — Joseph Whitehouse: June 23, 1805
Easterly winds brought clouds and light rain. A hunter returned from the Medicine River reporting that George Shannon had separated from the hunting party on the first day,…
Jun
23
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: June 23, 1805
Above the Great Falls, the river was found to be wide and gentle, with three small islands and sparse cottonwood and willow along low banks. The surrounding country…
Jun
24
1805
Clark: June 24, 1805
On a cloudy Monday during the portage around the Great Falls, Clark had the last canoe pulled from the water to dry and divided the baggage into three…
Jun
24
1805
Lewis: June 24, 1805
Lewis sent J. Fields up the Medicine River to check for Drewyer and R. Fields, then crossed the Missouri and dispatched Shannon to retrieve dried meat from their…
Jun
24
1805
Great Falls Portage — Joseph Whitehouse: June 24, 1805
On a fair morning, the party hauled out and dried the last canoe, then set out early with a wagon loaded with baggage for the upper camp. After…
Jun
24
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: June 24, 1805
At camp near the Great Falls, the party struggled to find suitable materials for constructing the iron-frame boat. Two men Captain Lewis had left behind that morning rejoined…
Jun
25
1805
Clark: June 25, 1805
At the portage camp around the Great Falls of the Missouri, Clark spent a fair, warm day feeling slightly unwell while drying stores and having Charbonneau cook for…
Jun
25
1805
Lewis: June 25, 1805
Lewis sent parties in multiple directions: men back to the lower camp, Frazier to retrieve Drouillard and meat, Joseph Fields to hunt elk, and Gass and Shields to…
Jun
25
1805
Great Falls Portage — Joseph Whitehouse: June 25, 1805
Spanning late June through mid-July 1805, Whitehouse describes the grueling portage around the Great Falls, hauling canoes and baggage with truck wagons between camps amid buffalo herds, hailstorms,…
Jun
25
1805
Great Falls Portage — John Ordway: June 25, 1805
Sergeant Ordway's journal covers the grueling final days of the Great Falls portage through mid-July 1805. The men hauled canoes and baggage on truck wagons across muddy plains,…
Jun
25
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: June 25, 1805
The party continued portage operations, dispatching men for canoes and baggage. One man was sent downriver below Medicine River to retrieve a hunter, while another went upriver searching…
Jun
26
1805
Clark: June 26, 1805
On a cloudy morning following overnight rain, the party set out early hauling supplies—parched meal, pork, powder, lead, axes, tools, biscuit, portable soup, merchandise, and clothing—to the canoe.…
Jun
26
1805
Lewis: June 26, 1805
At the upper camp near the White Bear Islands, Lewis battled mosquitoes while organizing work on the iron-frame boat. He sent Fields and Drouillard to hunt elk, Frazier…
Jun
26
1805
Great Falls Portage — Joseph Whitehouse: June 26, 1805
Clear morning travel along the river, with hunters shooting two large swans and later a deer. The shoreline showed pine, spruce, and balsam fir, while the valley grasses…
Jun
26
1805
Great Falls Portage — John Ordway: June 26, 1805
The expedition continued up the Missouri River through Montana over several days in late July 1805, navigating swift currents, rapids, and island-filled channels while passing through mountain ranges…
Jun
26
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: June 26, 1805
Members of the party crossed the river to gather bark and encountered a large herd of buffalo, killing seven. Other men returned across the plains in the evening…
Jun
27
1805
Clark: June 27, 1805
A fair, warm morning with a moderate southeast wind opened the day, and Sergeant Pryor was feeling somewhat better. Clark worked on finishing a rough draft of the…
Jun
27
1805
Lewis: June 27, 1805
At the upper camp, Lewis kept the party busy building the iron-frame boat: Whitehouse and Frazier sewed skins while Shields and Gass shaped wooden crossbars from poor, crooked…
Jun
27
1805
Great Falls Portage — Joseph Whitehouse: June 27, 1805
On a clear, pleasant day, the party set out and navigated past many large grassy islands, some bearing cedar and cottonwood timber, through strong currents and a maze…
Jun
27
1805
Great Falls Portage — John Ordway: June 27, 1805
The party continued upriver, with hunters taking a goose and beaver early on. After breakfast under a cedar tree, Captain Lewis, Sergeant Gass, Drouillard, and interpreter Charbonneau set…
Jun
27
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: June 27, 1805
The party continued portaging their remaining canoe and baggage, while the ailing member of the group showed signs of recovery. Elk wandered near camp in the morning, and…
Jun
28
1805
Clark: June 28, 1805
On a fair, south-windy morning, Clark sent the last canoe with baggage three miles up the hill while other men cached items in a hole, repaired one of…
Jun
28
1805
Lewis: June 28, 1805
At the upper camp, Lewis assigned his men various tasks for constructing the iron-frame boat: shaving elk skins, making cross stays and horizontal bars, and gathering willow bark…
Jun
28
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: June 28, 1805
The expedition members were all occupied at camp working on constructing a boat. The tasks were divided among the crew, with some men shaving animal skins, others sewing…
Jun
28
1805
Great Falls Portage — Joseph Whitehouse: June 28, 1805
Captain Clark and three men departed ahead toward the Three Forks, hoping to locate the Snake (Shoshone) nation. The day was partly cloudy with troublesome mosquitoes and a…
Jun
29
1805
Clark: June 29, 1805
Wet prairie conditions forced Clark to send men back for baggage left the previous day while he pushed ahead to the falls with his servant York, interpreter Charbonneau,…
Jun
29
1805
Lewis: June 29, 1805
After a morning rainstorm, Lewis left the boat work and hiked six miles with Drewyer to visit the large fountain Clark had described, getting drenched by a thunderstorm…
Jun
29
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: June 29, 1805
After morning rain gave way to a clear forenoon, Captain Lewis and a hunter traveled about seven miles downriver to examine a very large spring flowing from the…
Jun
29
1805
Great Falls Portage — Joseph Whitehouse: June 29, 1805
Clear and pleasant weather as the party set out and pushed against a very rapid current. They found a goat skin left on shore by Captain Clark's party…
Jun
30
1805
Clark: June 30, 1805
On a fair Sunday morning at the Great Falls portage camp, Clark sent most of the party out to retrieve scattered baggage, hunt, and work at the falls.…
Jun
30
1805
Lewis: June 30, 1805
At the upper camp, work continued on the iron-frame boat: Frazier and Whitehouse sewed skins, Shields and Gass shaved bark, Fields finished crossbars, and Lewis and Drouillard rendered…
Jun
30
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: June 30, 1805
A brief fragment notes that something (likely a plant, animal, or resource referenced earlier) is rare in this region. The men who had been sent out with a…
Jun
30
1805
Great Falls Portage — Joseph Whitehouse: June 30, 1805
On a clear, pleasant day, the party traveled 16 miles up the river. They spotted a large white bear on an island, several otters, and a flock of…
Jul
1
1805
Clark: July 1, 1805
Clark and his party completed the grueling portage around the Falls of the Missouri, arriving at Captain Lewis's camp at the White Bear Islands at 3 PM on…
Jul
1
1805
Lewis: July 1, 1805
At camp on a warm, mosquito-filled day, Lewis assigned crew members to various tasks preparing his experimental iron-frame boat: Frazier and Whitehouse sewed leather sections, Shields and J.…
Jul
1
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: July 1, 1805
Captain Clark and his men arrived at camp with most of the baggage, leaving some supplies six miles behind. The hailstorm from June 27th had injured several men…
Jul
1
1805
Great Falls Portage — Joseph Whitehouse: July 1, 1805
On a clear morning, the party set out against a rapid current, passing springs, cedar and pine timber, and rocky cliffs as the hills lowered. They realized they…
Jul
2
1805
Clark: July 2, 1805
Light rain fell at daybreak before clearing to a fair morning. Clark sent men back to retrieve baggage left at the six-mile stake, while others gathered timber for…
Jul
2
1805
Lewis: July 2, 1805
After early morning rain, the men retrieved the last baggage from the six-mile stake, completing the arduous portage. Shields and Bratton tended a tar kiln, while Pryor and…
Jul
2
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: July 2, 1805
A previously lost item was recovered today. The men retrieved the remaining baggage that had been left along the way, bringing in everything along with the canoes safely.…
Jul
3
1805
Clark: July 3, 1805
On a fine, southwest-windy morning at their camp above the falls, the party divided into work crews: some sewed skins onto the sections of the iron-frame boat, others…
Jul
3
1805
Lewis: July 3, 1805
At the Great Falls portage camp, the entire crew worked on multiple tasks: building a tar kiln, attaching skins to Lewis's experimental iron-frame boat, fitting bark lining, and…
Jul
3
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: July 3, 1805
Gass, having missed seeing the Great Falls of the Missouri while working on the boat, set out with another man to view them. He judged the second pitch…
Jul
4
1805
Clark: July 4, 1805
On a fine but dewy Independence Day morning at the Great Falls of the Missouri, the crew worked to finish the leather boat and received a dram of…
Jul
4
1805
Lewis: July 4, 1805
On Independence Day at the Great Falls portage camp, Lewis directed work crews finishing the iron-frame boat, leaving only the seams to seal, while resigning himself to finding…
Jul
4
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: July 4, 1805
On Independence Day 1805, members of the expedition spent the day working on the boat and dressing animal skins to make clothing. Around 4 o'clock in the afternoon,…
Jul
5
1805
Clark: July 5, 1805
Warm, sultry weather with light winds prevailed at the camp. Around 8 a.m., Clark spotted a large herd of buffalo and led several men in pursuit, but unfavorable…
Jul
5
1805
Lewis: July 5, 1805
Lewis dried the experimental iron-frame boat in the sun over fires and prepared a substitute sealant of charcoal, beeswax, and buffalo tallow, worried it may not work since…
Jul
5
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: July 5, 1805
While some men worked on the boat at camp, others went out hunting. The hunting party returned at night, having killed several buffalo along with some cabres, also…
Jul
6
1805
Clark: July 6, 1805
Around midnight a heavy southwest wind brought rain, and at daybreak a black cloud rolled in from the southwest with continuous thunder, lightning, and a tremendous half-hour downpour…
Jul
6
1805
Lewis: July 6, 1805
Overnight and morning storms brought hail the size of musket balls, rain, thunder, and lightning to the camp near the falls; some hail was collected to cool drinking…
Jul
6
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: July 6, 1805
On this beautiful and pleasant day, the party continued work on constructing their boat. Four men were sent downriver to hunt buffalo, with the goal of obtaining hides…
Jul
7
1805
Clark: July 7, 1805
On a warm, cloudy Sunday with southwest winds and afternoon rain, Clark waited at camp as four hunters who had been out overnight finally returned in the evening.…
Jul
7
1805
Lewis: July 7, 1805
On a warm, cloudy Sunday, the party struggled to dry the bark of an iron-frame boat, which was plagued by blowflies. Lacking tents, the men used sails for…
Jul
7
1805
Great Falls Portage — Joseph Whitehouse: July 7, 1805
On a clear, pleasant day, the party traveled about 17 miles up the Missouri through rapid currents, passing large grassy and timbered islands of cottonwood and cedar. One…
Jul
7
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: July 7, 1805
The party spent the night outdoors, with a few drops of rain falling in the evening. The hunters returned without much success, as the buffalo had moved out…
Jul
8
1805
Clark: July 8, 1805
On a warm, partly cloudy morning, Clark organized the men into hunting parties to procure buffalo skins and meat, then set out to measure the widths of the…
Jul
8
1805
Lewis: July 8, 1805
On a warm, fair day at the Great Falls portage camp, Captain Clark set out with most of the men to redo notes lost on the river and…
Jul
8
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: July 8, 1805
Hunters from the party went out and returned in the evening with three buffalo, a deer, and an antelope, along with a small light-colored cat-like animal they had…
Jul
9
1805
Clark: July 9, 1805
On a clear, warm morning with southwest winds, the party launched the leather boat and discovered it leaked. Without tar, they had used a coal-and-tallow substitute to seal…
Jul
9
1805
Lewis: July 9, 1805
A fair morning turned difficult when a violent windstorm struck just as the canoes were being loaded, forcing the party to unload and wetting some baggage. After launching…
Jul
9
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: July 9, 1805
In the morning, the crew loaded the canoes and launched the iron-framed boat known as the Experiment, which floated lightly but leaked. A northwest windstorm with rain struck…
Jul
10
1805
Clark: July 10, 1805
On a windy, fair day following overnight showers, Clark sent Sergeant Ordway ahead with four loaded canoes and eight men to find timber suitable for building new canoes…
Jul
10
1805
Lewis: July 10, 1805
Captain Clark and his party crossed the river early and traveled eight miles upstream by land, where they felled two cottonwood trees—both flawed—to make canoes, deciding to shorten…
Jul
10
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: July 10, 1805
Captain Clark and ten men set out to find timber large enough to build two more canoes, with hunters having spotted suitable trees about 20 miles upriver. The…
Jul
11
1805
Clark: July 11, 1805
On a fair, windy Thursday, Clark sent Bratten, sidelined by an infected finger, to retrieve two needed axes from the incoming canoes. Bratten's canoe arrived around 1 p.m.…
Jul
11
1805
Lewis: July 11, 1805
Lewis waited at his camp for the canoes to arrive, sending hunters out who returned with meat from a fat buffalo. He observed large grey eagles, which he…
Jul
11
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: July 11, 1805
The party waited for the canoes until 2 o'clock in the afternoon. When the canoes still had not arrived, four men, including the journal writer, set out and…
Jul
12
1805
Clark: July 12, 1805
On a fair, windy Friday with strong southwest winds, the crew began work at daylight, some building canoes and others drying meat for the upcoming voyage. Clark sent…
Jul
12
1805
Lewis: July 12, 1805
Held up by high winds, Lewis sent Sergeant Gass with three men upriver to help Captain Clark finish building canoes, keeping only enough men to load the six…
Jul
12
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: July 12, 1805
A party of men traveled upriver to help Captain Clark's group. Along the way, they passed a small bottom on the north side of the river containing an…
Jul
13
1805
Clark: July 13, 1805
On a calm, cool morning that turned windy from the southeast, the camp was approached by a curious buffalo bull that wandered within a few steps of one…
Jul
13
1805
Lewis: July 13, 1805
On a calm clear morning, Lewis loaded the remaining baggage into six small canoes and crossed to the opposite shore, sending Charbonneau by water in place of the…
Jul
13
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: July 13, 1805
A man arrived at the new location accompanied by the Native woman, bringing word that the canoes had departed from the previous site known as White-bear camp, carrying…
Jul
14
1805
Clark: July 14, 1805
On a calm, warm Sunday morning, the party was plagued by troublesome mosquitoes and gnats. The canoes arrived at noon and were unloaded to dry out their contents.…
Jul
14
1805
Lewis: July 14, 1805
On a calm, warm Sunday with troublesome mosquitoes, the crew finished and launched two new canoes, 25 and 33 feet long, with only seats and oars left to…
Jul
14
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: July 14, 1805
The party reunited with the canoes and baggage, finding the water route stretched 22 miles compared to just 6 miles overland. Despite afternoon rain, they finished preparing the…
Jul
15
1805
Seaman Suffers from Prickly Pear During the Great Falls Portage
During the 18-mile portage around the Great Falls of the Missouri, the expedition's dog Seaman suffered severely from prickly pear cactus thorns that pierced his paws, causing him…
Jul
16
1805
Clark: July 16, 1805
On a cold but fair morning with heavy dew, the party sent a man back to retrieve a forgotten ax before setting out early. They killed and breakfasted…
Jul
16
1805
Lewis: July 16, 1805
After a heavy dew, the party sent a man back for a forgotten ax and departed early. They passed about 40 abandoned willow shelters, likely Shoshone, raising hopes…
Jul
16
1805
Missouri River above Great Falls, Gates of the Mountains — Patrick Gass: July 16, 1805
Captain Lewis and two men went ahead toward the mountain to take an observation. The party passed a dry 60-yard-wide riverbed on the south side and traveled through…
Jul
17
1805
Clark: July 17, 1805
The party set out early and navigated Pine Rapid at an island with some difficulty, where Clark caught up with Lewis. Together they took a meridian altitude and…
Jul
17
1805
Lewis: July 17, 1805
Lewis describes the abundant sunflowers, currants, serviceberries, and other plants near the river, detailing how Indigenous peoples prepare sunflower seeds for food and providing a botanical description of…
Jul
17
1805
Missouri River above Great Falls, Gates of the Mountains — Patrick Gass: July 17, 1805
On a fine, pleasant day, the party reached Captain Lewis's camp at a rapid stretch of the Missouri and ate breakfast. They combined two canoe crews to haul…
Jul
18
1805
Clark: July 18, 1805
On a fine morning, the party passed a major tributary entering from the starboard side, nearly as wide as the Missouri, which Clark named Dearborn's River after the…
Jul
18
1805
Lewis: July 18, 1805
The party set out early after watching bighorn sheep navigate sheer cliffs across the river. Two and a half miles on, they passed an 80-yard-wide tributary on the…
Jul
18
1805
Missouri River above Great Falls, Gates of the Mountains — Patrick Gass: July 18, 1805
The party set out early and passed the Clearwater River on the north side, noting it as about 50 yards wide, rapid, and shallow, with abundant currants growing…
Jul
19
1805
Clark: July 19, 1805
On a fine Friday, Clark continued along an Indian path beside a very crooked river, crossing two mountains and noting abandoned spring camps with peeled trees and poles.…
Jul
19
1805
Lewis: July 19, 1805
The expedition pushed up a swift, deep river plagued by mosquitoes and summer heat, with snowy mountain peaks visible above. Lewis killed an antelope, and a man killed…
Jul
19
1805
Missouri River above Great Falls, Gates of the Mountains — Patrick Gass: July 19, 1805
The expedition traveled through a rugged mountainous stretch where the slopes held pine, spruce, and cedar, though the bottoms had only small willows. Around 1 o'clock a thunderstorm…
Jul
20
1805
Clark: July 20, 1805
On a fine Saturday, Clark's small party traveled overland through a valley, leaving the river about six miles to their left before joining an Indian road that brought…
Jul
20
1805
Lewis: July 20, 1805
The expedition pushed upriver against a strong current, using tow ropes where possible. The valley widened, revealing cottonwood, aspen, pine, and abundant berries, of which Lewis collected seeds…
Jul
20
1805
Missouri River above Great Falls, Gates of the Mountains — Patrick Gass: July 20, 1805
The party emerged from the high, rocky mountains around 8 a.m. into lower terrain with abundant timber and plentiful currants in red, yellow, and black varieties. They killed…
Jul
21
1805
Clark: July 21, 1805
With his party's feet badly bruised and cut, Clark decided to halt and wait for the canoes coming up the Missouri, hoping to hunt fresh meat for the…
Jul
21
1805
Lewis: July 21, 1805
The expedition set out early and struggled up a rapid stretch where the river enters the mountains, relying on tow ropes and poles through swift, shallow water. They…
Jul
21
1805
Missouri River above Great Falls, Gates of the Mountains — Patrick Gass: July 21, 1805
The party traveled along the river in the morning, passing moderately high hills, red-purple rocks, two small creeks, and hills with scattered pines. By noon the river's course…
Jul
22
1805
Clark: July 22, 1805
On a fine but previously cold morning with southeast winds, Clark rested in camp to nurse painful blisters and bruises on his feet, opening them up for relief.…
Jul
22
1805
Lewis: July 22, 1805
Traveling up the Missouri through a maze of islands, Lewis walked ashore to chart the channels by sight. On one fertile island he gathered wild onions, naming it…
Jul
22
1805
Missouri River above Great Falls, Gates of the Mountains — Patrick Gass: July 22, 1805
On a pleasant day, the party traveled along the river, passing fine springs on the southern shore and several islands. The country was level to the south, while…
Jul
23
1805
Clark: July 23, 1805
On a fair morning with a southerly wind, Clark set out by land and after six miles caught up with George Drouillard, who had shot a deer. The…
Jul
23
1805
Lewis: July 23, 1805
The expedition set out early, with Captain Clark continuing overland on the starboard side with four men. They reunited with Drouillard, who had been lost overnight but had…
Jul
23
1805
Missouri River above Great Falls, Gates of the Mountains — Joseph Whitehouse: July 23, 1805
Captain Clark and three men set out ahead toward the Three Forks, hoping to locate the Snake (Shoshone) nation. The day was partly cloudy with troublesome mosquitoes and…
Jul
23
1805
Missouri River above Great Falls, Gates of the Mountains — Patrick Gass: July 23, 1805
Captain Clark and four men pushed ahead to try to find Native inhabitants while the rest of the party continued upriver against rapid currents, passing many islands. Clark's…
Jul
24
1805
Clark: July 24, 1805
On a fine day with northwest winds, Clark continued up a creek along an Indian road. Around 10 a.m. the party spotted a fat but very wild horse…
Jul
24
1805
Lewis: July 24, 1805
The expedition set out at sunrise against a strong current, passing a striking crimson bluff with black and red slate. Lewis described the towering, amphitheater-like snow-capped mountains and…
Jul
24
1805
Missouri River above Great Falls, Gates of the Mountains — Joseph Whitehouse: July 24, 1805
On a clear, pleasant day, the party set out as usual against a very rapid current. They found a goat skin left by Captain Clark's advance party and…
Jul
24
1805
Missouri River above Great Falls, Gates of the Mountains — Patrick Gass: July 24, 1805
The expedition continued its journey upriver, passing a bank of very red earth that the Shoshone interpreter Sacagawea identified as a source of paint used by Native peoples.…
Jul
25
1805
Seaman Tormented by Mosquitoes on the Missouri
Along the upper Missouri, swarms of mosquitoes tormented the expedition so severely that Lewis devoted a journal entry to the suffering of his Newfoundland dog, Seaman. The insects…
Jul
25
1805
Joseph Whitehouse: July 25, 1805
On a clear, pleasant morning the party set out and continued upriver, spotting a large white bear on an island, several otter, and a flock of antelope, one…
Jul
25
1805
Patrick Gass: July 25, 1805
On a fine morning, the expedition set out at the usual time and passed a beautiful plain along the north side of the river. By 2 o'clock they…
Jul
26
1805
Clark: July 26, 1805
Clark left Charbonneau and another footsore man to rest while he pressed on with two others to climb a mountain about 12 miles west, hoping to spot Indians…
Jul
26
1805
Lewis: July 26, 1805
The expedition pushed upriver against a strong current using cords and poles, passing a 15-yard creek named Howard's Creek after party member Thomas P. Howard. The valley widened…
Jul
26
1805
Three Forks of the Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: July 26, 1805
On a clear morning, the party set out against a rapid current, passing springs, rocky cliffs, and shores lined with pine and cedar. They realized they had not…
Jul
26
1805
Three Forks of the Missouri — Patrick Gass: July 26, 1805
The party traveled by canoe through a mountain range with sparse vegetation, mostly cedar and spruce along the shores. Around 11 a.m. they emerged into a valley and…
Jul
27
1805
Clark: July 27, 1805
Clark spent the night feverish and aching, but pressed on despite his illness. He traveled eight miles across a prairie to the Middle Fork, which he found nearly…
Jul
27
1805
Lewis: July 27, 1805
The expedition pushed upriver against strong currents, the men exhausted, and reached the Three Forks of the Missouri by 9 A.M. Lewis climbed a limestone cliff to survey…
Jul
27
1805
Three Forks of the Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: July 27, 1805
On a clear morning the party set off at sunrise against a rapid current, passing rocky cliffs nesting small birds. Around 9 o'clock they reached the Three Forks…
Jul
27
1805
Three Forks of the Missouri — Patrick Gass: July 27, 1805
On a pleasant morning, the party traveled through a small mountain and reached the Three Forks of the Missouri, where three branches of nearly equal size, about 60…
Jul
28
1805
Sacagawea Recognizes Home — Three Forks
At the Three Forks of the Missouri, Sacagawea recognized the area as the place where, five years earlier, a Hidatsa raiding party from the Knife River had captured…
Jul
28
1805
Joseph Whitehouse: July 28, 1805
A foggy morning gave way to clear weather as hunters set out early and the party aired all the baggage. Captain Clark was very unwell, so the men…
Jul
28
1805
Patrick Gass: July 28, 1805
The party spent the day airing baggage, dressing skins, and hunting while Captain Clark remained ill. Their Shoshone interpreter Sacagawea told them this was the spot where she…
Jul
29
1805
Clark: July 29, 1805
On a fair Monday morning with winds from the north, William Clark reported feeling somewhat better in health. He carried out celestial observations, taking two meridian altitudes that…
Jul
29
1805
Lewis: July 29, 1805
At their camp, hunters brought in four fat bucks of long-tailed red deer, along with a young sandhill crane caught in the meadows, which Lewis observed before releasing.…
Jul
29
1805
Three Forks of the Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: July 29, 1805
The party rested at their camp at the Three Forks of the Missouri on a clear, warm morning with an east wind. Captain Clark was feeling somewhat better.…
Jul
30
1805
Clark: July 30, 1805
The expedition departed at 8 a.m. and traveled 13.5 miles up the north fork of the river, navigating very rapid, shallow water with a coarse gravel channel, numerous…
Jul
30
1805
Lewis: July 30, 1805
With Captain Clark recovered, the expedition reloaded canoes and continued up Jefferson's River. Lewis walked overland with Sacagawea, Charbonneau, and two invalids, halting at the spot where Sacagawea…
Jul
30
1805
Three Forks of the Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: July 30, 1805
On a clear, pleasant, warm morning, the party loaded canoes and set out around 9 a.m., with Captain Lewis and several men walking ashore. They passed large cottonwood…
Jul
30
1805
Three Forks of the Missouri — Patrick Gass: July 30, 1805
The party set out around 7 a.m. and traveled up the north branch of the river, which measured about 60 yards wide and 6 feet deep with a…
Jul
31
1805
Clark: July 31, 1805
On a fair morning, the party reached Captain Lewis's camp for breakfast; he had spent the night without a blanket and had killed a duck for supper. The…
Jul
31
1805
Lewis: July 31, 1805
Lewis waited anxiously at camp for Clark's party, who had been delayed by swift water and the river's winding course. After they arrived and breakfasted, the group continued…
Jul
31
1805
Jefferson River ascending toward divide — Joseph Whitehouse: July 31, 1805
On a fine, very warm morning, the party set off at sunrise on the rapid current and passed a beaver-dammed creek on the larboard side. Around 8 a.m.…
Jul
31
1805
Jefferson River ascending toward divide — Patrick Gass: July 31, 1805
A dewy morning followed a night in which Captain Lewis, having gone ahead on foot, was forced to camp alone in the wilderness when the canoes could not…
Aug
1
1805
Clark: August 1, 1805
On a fine Wednesday, Captain Lewis departed at 8 o'clock, leaving Clark to lead the boats. The party traveled nine miles through a steep mountain canyon with ragged…
Aug
1
1805
Lewis: August 1, 1805
On August 1, 1805, Lewis split off from Clark after breakfast, taking Drouillard, Charbonneau, and the injured Sergeant Gass to search ahead for the Shoshone Indians. They crossed…
Aug
1
1805
Jefferson River ascending toward divide — Joseph Whitehouse: August 1, 1805
Clear weather as the party set out, with hunters taking a goose and beaver early on. After breakfasting under cedar trees, Captain Lewis, Sergeant Gass, Charbonneau, and Drouillard…
Aug
1
1805
Jefferson River ascending toward divide — Patrick Gass: August 1, 1805
After breakfast, Captain Lewis, Patrick Gass, and the two interpreters went ahead of the main party to search for Snake Indians. Their route took them across a large…
Aug
2
1805
Clark: August 2, 1805
On a fine Friday, the party set out early along a river resembling the previous valley's terrain. Clark walked ashore and encountered several rattlesnakes on the plain. Battling…
Aug
2
1805
Lewis: August 2, 1805
On a fair day with northwest winds, Lewis's party set out at sunrise and waded across the rapid, waist-deep, 90-yard-wide river to shorten their route—the first time Lewis…
Aug
2
1805
Jefferson River ascending toward divide — Joseph Whitehouse: August 2, 1805
On a fine, warm day, the party set out early and traveled about 14 miles up an increasingly small, crooked, shallow, and rapid river. They passed cottonwood bottoms,…
Aug
2
1805
Jefferson River ascending toward divide — John Ordway: August 2, 1805
The party set out early and continued upriver along a now small, crooked, shallow, and rapid stream. They passed cottonwood bottoms, abundant beaver lodges with freshly cut trees…
Aug
2
1805
Jefferson River ascending toward divide — Patrick Gass: August 2, 1805
The party set out, traveled four or five miles, and crossed the river. The day was very hot in the valley, while the night turned so cold that…
Aug
3
1805
Clark: August 3, 1805
On a fine, breezy morning, Clark walked ashore and killed a deer, spotting a fresh footprint he believed belonged to an Indian who may have observed the party…
Aug
3
1805
Lewis: August 3, 1805
The party continued up the valley on foot, traveling about 23 miles through wide plains sparsely timbered with cottonwood, willow, and brush, flanked by mountains bearing small pine.…
Aug
3
1805
Jefferson River ascending toward divide — Joseph Whitehouse: August 3, 1805
On a clear, pleasant, warm day, the party set out as usual along a crooked, island-filled river. Captain Clark went ashore briefly and killed a deer, while another…
Aug
3
1805
Jefferson River ascending toward divide — John Ordway: August 3, 1805
The expedition pushed up a winding, island-filled river in present-day Madison County, Montana. Captain Clark walked ashore and killed a deer, while hunter R. Fields shot a reddish-brown…
Aug
3
1805
Jefferson River ascending toward divide — Patrick Gass: August 3, 1805
Captain Clark's party continued traveling along a valley, passing several fine springs flowing from the mountains. The group found abundant currants and serviceberries growing throughout the valley and…
Aug
4
1805
Clark: August 4, 1805
On a cool, fine morning with the thermometer at 49 degrees at sunrise, the party set out very early and breakfasted at the camp Captain Lewis had left…
Aug
4
1805
Lewis: August 4, 1805
Lewis and his small party explored ahead, surveying a confluence where a rapid, clear northwest fork (about 50 yards wide) joins a gentler, warmer, more turbid middle fork.…
Aug
4
1805
Jefferson River ascending toward divide — Joseph Whitehouse: August 4, 1805
Clear morning with a sunrise departure. A hunter was sent ahead for fresh meat. Around 8 a.m., the party reached Captain Lewis's camp from the 2nd, finding a…
Aug
4
1805
Jefferson River ascending toward divide — John Ordway: August 4, 1805
The party sent a hunter ahead for fresh meat and set out around 8 a.m. They found a note from Captain Lewis indicating he would hunt nearby until…
Aug
4
1805
Jefferson River ascending toward divide — Patrick Gass: August 4, 1805
The party traveled about six miles in the morning before reaching a fork in the river. After crossing the south branch and climbing a high knob, they realized…
Aug
5
1805
Clark: August 5, 1805
On a cold, clear morning with southeast winds, the party struggled up an increasingly rapid and rocky river. Joseph and Reubin Field were sent hunting and killed two…
Aug
5
1805
Lewis: August 5, 1805
Lewis scouted ahead to determine which fork of the river to follow. Leaving an ailing Charbonneau and Sergeant Gass to travel slowly to a designated meeting point, he…
Aug
5
1805
Jefferson River ascending toward divide — Joseph Whitehouse: August 5, 1805
The party set out at sunrise on a clear, cool morning with two hunters sent ahead, one returning with a deer before breakfast. They struggled through worsening rapids…
Aug
5
1805
Jefferson River ascending toward divide — John Ordway: August 5, 1805
The party continued upriver, sending hunters ahead who killed two deer. They struggled up severe rapids, some dropping three to four feet nearly vertically. Cold south wind and…
Aug
5
1805
Jefferson River ascending toward divide — Patrick Gass: August 5, 1805
The party discussed strategy at a river fork, deciding that Gass and one of the interpreters would cross to the west branch and wait there, while Captain Lewis…
Aug
6
1805
Clark: August 6, 1805
On a clear, cool Tuesday, Clark's party struggled up a rocky, island-divided river. During breakfast, Drouillard arrived with word from Captain Lewis that the fork they were ascending…
Aug
6
1805
Lewis: August 6, 1805
The party set out early to return to the forks of the Jefferson River. Lewis discovered that Clark had mistakenly taken the rapid fork because he never found…
Aug
6
1805
Jefferson/Beaverhead River near present-day Dillon — Joseph Whitehouse: August 6, 1805
On a clear morning, the party hauled canoes up the rapids through low, timbered bottoms until Drouillard reported they had taken the wrong fork. Captain Lewis, scouting ahead,…
Aug
6
1805
Jefferson/Beaverhead River near present-day Dillon — John Ordway: August 6, 1805
The party continued hauling canoes up rapids on the Big Hole fork before stopping for breakfast, where hunters spotted a large Indian trail. George Drouillard arrived with word…
Aug
6
1805
Jefferson/Beaverhead River near present-day Dillon — Patrick Gass: August 6, 1805
Gass and his party went looking for the canoes and reached the north branch about two miles above the forks. They learned the canoe crew had missed the…
Aug
7
1805
Clark: August 7, 1805
On a fine morning, the party dried their stores and took sextant readings. With dwindling supplies and one canoe now unneeded, they hauled it into the bushes near…
Aug
7
1805
Lewis: August 7, 1805
On a fair morning, the party dried their stores and sent Reubin Fields to search for the missing Shannon. With supplies dwindling, they cached one canoe in brush…
Aug
7
1805
Jefferson/Beaverhead River near present-day Dillon — Joseph Whitehouse: August 7, 1805
On a clear, cool morning, the party cached one of the small canoes in a cottonwood grove and aired out the Indian trade goods to dry. Captain Lewis…
Aug
7
1805
Jefferson/Beaverhead River near present-day Dillon — Patrick Gass: August 7, 1805
Under fair, clear skies, Captain Lewis took a meridian altitude that fixed the location's latitude at roughly 45°2'53" north. By 3 p.m. the party was ready to resume…
Aug
7
1805
Jefferson/Beaverhead River near present-day Dillon — John Ordway: August 7, 1805
The party recovered a small canoe damaged in earlier rapids, hauling it into a cottonwood grove on the left side of the forks, and laid out goods to…
Aug
8
1805
Clark: August 8, 1805
The expedition set out early under a southwest wind, with temperatures at 52°F at sunrise. After traveling about 5 miles by water (4.5 miles in a direct line…
Aug
8
1805
Lewis: August 8, 1805
The party traveled up the Jefferson River, finding it deeper and gentler but very winding, making slow progress despite hard poling. They passed the mouth of Philanthropy River…
Aug
8
1805
Jefferson/Beaverhead River near present-day Dillon — Joseph Whitehouse: August 8, 1805
On a clear, cold morning, four hunters were sent out early before the party set off at sunrise up Jefferson's River. They traveled through a wide, pleasant prairie…
Aug
8
1805
Jefferson/Beaverhead River near present-day Dillon — John Ordway: August 8, 1805
The party set out at sunrise after sending four hunters ahead at daybreak, traveling through a wide, smooth prairie valley roughly 10 to 12 miles across, where the…
Aug
8
1805
Jefferson/Beaverhead River near present-day Dillon — Patrick Gass: August 8, 1805
The expedition continued up the west branch of the river, about 30 yards wide, while the south branch they had passed measured around 15 yards. The river wound…
Aug
9
1805
Clark: August 9, 1805
On a fine morning with a northeast wind, the party continued upriver against increasingly numerous rapids. Shannon, who had become separated on Wisdom River, rejoined the group after…
Aug
9
1805
Lewis: August 9, 1805
On a fair August morning, the expedition continued up the increasingly rapid river. Lewis walked ahead to a planned breakfast point, using the time to complete writings in…
Aug
9
1805
Jefferson/Beaverhead River near present-day Dillon — Joseph Whitehouse: August 9, 1805
On a clear, cool morning with high southeast winds, the party set out and traveled 18 miles up the river. George Shannon, lost for three days, rejoined them…
Aug
9
1805
Jefferson/Beaverhead River near present-day Dillon — John Ordway: August 9, 1805
The party set out at sunrise with a strong southeast wind and stopped for breakfast around 8 a.m. George Shannon, missing for three days, rejoined them with three…
Aug
9
1805
Jefferson/Beaverhead River near present-day Dillon — Patrick Gass: August 9, 1805
The party traveled with the canoes up a narrow, crooked river through a valley with timber and white rocks on the southern mountains. A hunter who had been…
Aug
10
1805
Clark: August 10, 1805
Cloudy with morning rain as the party continued up a very crooked, narrow, and shallow but not rapid river. They passed a striking 150-foot cliff on the starboard…
Aug
10
1805
Lewis: August 10, 1805
Lewis's small party traveled early along an Indian road on the south side of the river, halting at towering cliffs they named Rattlesnake Cliffs after Drewyer brought in…
Aug
10
1805
Jefferson/Beaverhead River near present-day Dillon — Joseph Whitehouse: August 10, 1805
A clear, pleasant day of travel marked by official naming decisions for the river system. The party set out as usual with hunters on shore, subsisting on lean…
Aug
10
1805
Jefferson/Beaverhead River near present-day Dillon — Patrick Gass: August 10, 1805
The party traveled up a valley until breakfast, then passed through a quarter-mile narrow gap where the river cuts through a mountain. Beyond it lay another, narrower valley…
Aug
10
1805
Jefferson/Beaverhead River near present-day Dillon — John Ordway: August 10, 1805
The party continued upriver on short rations of lean venison and antelope, with hunters bringing in only one deer. They navigated an increasingly small, crooked, and shallow stream,…
Aug
11
1805
Clark: August 11, 1805
On a cloudy Sunday morning following a sunrise shower, with winds from the southwest, the party traveled past a large island Clark named '3000 Mile Island' for its…
Aug
11
1805
Lewis: August 11, 1805
Lewis's advance party pushed west to find the Indian road, crossing a beaver-dammed river and spreading out with Drouillard and Shields flanking. Lewis spotted a lone Shoshone on…
Aug
11
1805
Jefferson/Beaverhead River near present-day Dillon — Joseph Whitehouse: August 11, 1805
On a cool, cloudy morning with some rain, the party set out after breakfast and sent three hunters ahead. About three miles on, they reached a large prairie…
Aug
11
1805
Jefferson/Beaverhead River near present-day Dillon — John Ordway: August 11, 1805
After breakfast, the party traveled about three miles to a large prairie island they named 3000 Mile Island, marking its distance from the mouth of the Missouri. They…
Aug
11
1805
Jefferson/Beaverhead River near present-day Dillon — Patrick Gass: August 11, 1805
The party delayed departure until after breakfast and sent three hunters ahead before traveling about three miles to a large island. Recognizing it lay 3,000 miles from the…
Aug
12
1805
Lewis Crosses the Continental Divide
Leading a small advance party, Lewis crossed the Continental Divide at Lemhi Pass, marking the boundary between the Louisiana Territory and the Oregon Country. He drank from a…
Aug
12
1805
John Ordway: August 12, 1805
The party set out as usual along a very crooked river with rapid current, navigating deep and dangerous rapids where one of the large canoes nearly capsized. They…
Aug
12
1805
Patrick Gass: August 12, 1805
On August 12, 1805, three hunters were dispatched from camp once again. The day saw only a light sprinkle of rain. The hunting party had a successful outing,…
Aug
12
1805
Joseph Whitehouse: August 12, 1805
The day began clear with three hunters sent ashore. The party traveled on a very rapid current, passing low swampy bottoms. Around 2 p.m. a brief but hard…
Aug
13
1805
Clark: August 13, 1805
Clark's party endured a cold, cloudy day with a thermometer reading of 52°F and light rain by 8 a.m. They struggled through countless shoals, hauling the canoes by…
Aug
13
1805
Lewis: August 13, 1805
Lewis and a small advance party traveled west on an Indian road through broken country, glimpsing snow-capped mountains and noting plants like white maple and a wax-berried honeysuckle.…
Aug
13
1805
Camp Fortunate / Shoshone contact — Joseph Whitehouse: August 13, 1805
Under cloudy skies, the party continued upriver, passing a spring run, high rocky cliffs, and scattered cottonwoods along a narrowing valley with sunflowers, grass, and pine on the…
Aug
13
1805
Camp Fortunate / Shoshone contact — John Ordway: August 13, 1805
The expedition continued upriver, sending hunters out and passing a spring (later named McNeal's Creek, modern Black Tail Deer Creek) on the left. The party noted narrowing valleys,…
Aug
13
1805
Camp Fortunate / Shoshone contact — Patrick Gass: August 13, 1805
The party traveled through rapid, crooked, and narrow stretches of river, passing a small creek on the south side. The weather remained cold throughout the day. They covered…
Aug
14
1805
Clark: August 14, 1805
On a cold morning with temperatures at 51°F and a southwest wind, Clark delayed departure to let the stiff men eat breakfast before setting out at 7 a.m.…
Aug
14
1805
Lewis: August 14, 1805
Lewis remained at the Shoshone camp to gather geographic information while Clark advanced toward the forks of Jefferson's River. Shoshone hunters and Drewyer and Shields all returned empty-handed…
Aug
14
1805
Camp Fortunate / Shoshone contact — Joseph Whitehouse: August 14, 1805
On a clear, cold morning, the party took an early breakfast before setting out, with two hunters having stayed out overnight. The river ran cold and clear as…
Aug
14
1805
Camp Fortunate / Shoshone contact — John Ordway: August 14, 1805
The party began the day early after two hunters had stayed out overnight. The river water was painfully cold, likely spring-fed, forcing the men to wade and ache…
Aug
14
1805
Camp Fortunate / Shoshone contact — Patrick Gass: August 14, 1805
The party set out after breakfast and traveled 15 miles along the river, passing a small creek and a scenic valley on the north side. Timber was scarce,…
Aug
15
1805
Clark: August 15, 1805
On a cool, windy Thursday, Clark and his party pushed up rapid waters through a rugged low mountain, passing two bold streams (including Willards Creek) and an Indian…
Aug
15
1805
Lewis: August 15, 1805
Lewis woke famished, having only two pounds of flour left, which he had McNeal cook into a berry pudding shared with the Shoshone chief Cameahwait, who praised it.…
Aug
15
1805
Camp Fortunate / Shoshone contact — Joseph Whitehouse: August 15, 1805
On a cold clear morning, the party continued upriver into the mountains, surrounded by very high rock cliffs and steep slopes on both sides. They passed numerous springs,…
Aug
15
1805
Camp Fortunate / Shoshone contact — Patrick Gass: August 15, 1805
The party set out around 8 o'clock and after two miles reached the entrance of a mountain where Captain Lewis and his group had stopped for dinner two…
Aug
15
1805
Camp Fortunate / Shoshone contact — John Ordway: August 15, 1805
After breakfast, the party pushed into the mountains, traveling between high rock cliffs rising 300 to 400 feet above the river. They retrieved four deer skins Captain Lewis…
Aug
16
1805
Clark: August 16, 1805
On a cold morning, Clark let his stiff and tired men eat breakfast before departing at 7 a.m. They navigated several rapids and passed between two hills, where…
Aug
16
1805
Lewis: August 16, 1805
Lewis sent hunters Drewyer and Shields ahead to find food for his hungry party and Shoshone escort. The Indians, suspicious of an ambush, sent spies to watch. When…
Aug
16
1805
Camp Fortunate / Shoshone contact — Joseph Whitehouse: August 16, 1805
On a clear, cold morning with temperatures at 47 degrees, the party delayed departure until after breakfast due to frigid water. Captain Clark, the interpreter, and his wife…
Aug
16
1805
Camp Fortunate / Shoshone contact — John Ordway: August 16, 1805
A cold morning at 47°F delayed the party until after breakfast. They pushed up the shallow, swift river, often hauling the large canoes by hand. Captain Clark, the…
Aug
16
1805
Camp Fortunate / Shoshone contact — Patrick Gass: August 16, 1805
The party traveled about 15 miles along a narrow, crooked, and shallow stretch of river marked by rapid water. One of the men shot a fine buck during…
Aug
17
1805
Sacagawea Reunites with Her Brother Cameahwait
During negotiations with a Shoshone band, Sacagawea was brought in to interpret and recognized the chief, Cameahwait, as her own brother. She rushed to embrace him, wrapped him…
Aug
17
1805
Joseph Whitehouse: August 17, 1805
On a clear, frosty morning after a cold night, the party set out and soon encountered Shoshone Indians who reported that Captain Lewis was waiting at the forks.…
Aug
17
1805
John Ordway: August 17, 1805
After cold nights and a frosty morning, the party set out early and soon met Shoshone Indians on horseback who reported that Captain Lewis was waiting at the…
Aug
17
1805
Patrick Gass: August 17, 1805
After two miles of travel, the party encountered Snake (Shoshone) Indians on the south bank of the river, who had come with Captain Lewis from the waters of…
Aug
18
1805
Clark: August 18, 1805
Clark traded a chief's coat, handkerchiefs, a shirt, leggings, and arrow points to the Shoshone Indians for three horses, then gave two of his own coats to two…
Aug
18
1805
Lewis: August 18, 1805
On this Sunday, Lewis traded a uniform coat, leggings, handkerchiefs, knives, and other small items worth about $20 to acquire three good horses from the Shoshone, while the…
Aug
18
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — Joseph Whitehouse: August 18, 1805
On a clear morning that turned showery by afternoon, the party trapped a beaver and prepared to split up. Around 10 a.m., Captain Clark set out with 11…
Aug
18
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — John Ordway: August 18, 1805
Captain Clark and eleven men prepared and set out around 10 a.m. with most of the Shoshone natives to cross the mountains and assess whether canoes could be…
Aug
18
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — Patrick Gass: August 18, 1805
At 11 o'clock, Captain Clark set out with eleven men, the interpreter Charbonneau and his wife Sacagawea, and a group of Indians, heading toward the Columbia River. The…
Aug
19
1805
Clark: August 19, 1805
A very cold, frosty morning marked the start of travel at 7 a.m. through a wide level valley, where the Shoshone chief pointed out a site where many…
Aug
19
1805
Lewis: August 19, 1805
At Camp Fortunate, Lewis sent out hunters, set men to repacking baggage and making pack saddles, and let some dress skins for clothing. A heavy frost surprised him…
Aug
19
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — Joseph Whitehouse: August 19, 1805
On a cold, frosty morning that gave way to a clear, pleasant day with light afternoon showers, the party set a net across the small stream and laid…
Aug
19
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — John Ordway: August 19, 1805
At the upper forks of Jefferson's River, considered the farthest navigable point of the Missouri near the Continental Divide, the party checked their fish net and beaver traps,…
Aug
19
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — Patrick Gass: August 19, 1805
The party set out at 8 a.m., traveling six miles up the valley before the branch divided repeatedly as they entered mountainous terrain with pine groves and large…
Aug
20
1805
Clark: August 20, 1805
Clark set out at 6:30 a.m. and traveled through hilly country to a Shoshone camp on a branch of the Columbia River. After a ceremonial halt and pipe-smoking…
Aug
20
1805
Lewis: August 20, 1805
At the Shoshone camp on the Beaverhead, Lewis oversaw construction of a hidden cache near the river to store baggage, instructing a sentinel to warn workers if Indians…
Aug
20
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — Joseph Whitehouse: August 20, 1805
A clear, cold morning with white frost greeted the camp. Two hunters went out but returned empty-handed, though a beaver was recovered along with a steel trap that…
Aug
20
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — Patrick Gass: August 20, 1805
After traveling four miles, the party reached a village of about 25 willow-lodge dwellings along a branch of the Columbia River. The inhabitants were impoverished, surviving on berries…
Aug
20
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — John Ordway: August 20, 1805
A frosty day at camp with most men dressing skins while two hunters searched unsuccessfully for game, which has grown scarce. The two Shoshone Indians and their wives…
Aug
21
1805
Clark: August 21, 1805
After a frosty night, Clark traveled with Shoshone guides about five miles to their camp, where he smoked with the people, observed a weir with baskets used to…
Aug
21
1805
Lewis: August 21, 1805
A bitterly cold morning froze water and ink at Lewis's camp, though the day turned hot. Lewis sent out hunters, including Drouillard, and finished preparing baggage, saddles, and…
Aug
21
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — Joseph Whitehouse: August 21, 1805
A hard white frost gripped the camp overnight, freezing water in small vessels, stiffening wet deerskins, and even freezing ink in the pen at sunrise, though the morning…
Aug
21
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — John Ordway: August 21, 1805
A hard white frost gripped the camp, freezing standing water nearly an inch thick, stiffening wet deer skins, and even freezing ink in the pen. The sun rose…
Aug
21
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — Patrick Gass: August 21, 1805
The party continued down the valley and stopped briefly at a few Indian lodges where their guide lived. As Indians passed by heading to fish, one expedition member…
Aug
22
1805
Clark: August 22, 1805
Clark's party set out early and traveled through extremely steep, rocky mountainous terrain, crossing several creeks and a small river. They encountered Indian families drying fish and berries…
Aug
22
1805
Lewis: August 22, 1805
At Lewis's camp, the buried cache was finished and Drouillard returned with a fawn and goods seized from a small Shoshone-area encampment after a chase in which he…
Aug
22
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — Joseph Whitehouse: August 22, 1805
A cold, frosty morning gave way to a clear, pleasant day. The hunter returned with a fawn deer and goods recovered from a troublesome group of Indians who…
Aug
22
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — John Ordway: August 22, 1805
Hunter George Drouillard returned late after killing only a fawn and recovering his gun from an Indian who tried to steal it, also taking plunder from the camp…
Aug
22
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — Patrick Gass: August 22, 1805
After a frosty start, the party set out at 7 a.m. and crossed a branch of the river before tackling rugged terrain where mountains pressed against the water.…
Aug
23
1805
Clark: August 23, 1805
Clark's party set out early but struggled over sharp rocks and steep hillsides where horses could barely pass. With provisions exhausted except for one goose, they reached an…
Aug
23
1805
Lewis: August 23, 1805
Lewis waited at camp on the Shoshone chief Cameahwait's request for another party to arrive, sending hunters out who returned with five deer, some of which Lewis distributed…
Aug
23
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — Joseph Whitehouse: August 23, 1805
Clear, pleasant weather. Two hunters were sent out, while Captain Lewis began trading with the Shoshone for additional horses. The natives declined to sell more horses until after…
Aug
23
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — John Ordway: August 23, 1805
The expedition's hunters went out while the Shoshone natives declined to sell more horses until after crossing the mountains, though they agreed to help carry baggage over. The…
Aug
23
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — Patrick Gass: August 23, 1805
The party struggled through dangerous narrows with breast-high rocks and no trail, killing a goose and wounding a large buck. After three miles, Captain Clark halted the group…
Aug
24
1805
Clark: August 24, 1805
Setting out very early, Clark returned upriver along the route he had descended, marking his name on a pine tree at the creek's mouth and breakfasting on berries.…
Aug
24
1805
Lewis: August 24, 1805
Lewis traded battle axes, knives, and other goods to Shoshone Indians for three horses and a mule, bringing his total to twelve pack animals. The party set out…
Aug
24
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — Joseph Whitehouse: August 24, 1805
On a clear cool morning, the expedition learned that the band of Snake (Shoshone) Indians who arrived the day before was heading down to the Missouri to hunt…
Aug
24
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — John Ordway: August 24, 1805
The party spent the morning trading with a band of the Snake nation that had arrived the previous day and was heading to the Missouri to hunt buffalo.…
Aug
24
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — Patrick Gass: August 24, 1805
The party camped along a narrow, rapid stretch of river hemmed in by steep mountains rising at least 1000 feet, sparsely covered with pines. Hunters brought in only…
Aug
25
1805
Clark: August 25, 1805
The party set out very early and stopped briefly at an Indian camp, where the hospitable but impoverished inhabitants shared boiled salmon and dried berries. They continued back…
Aug
25
1805
Lewis: August 25, 1805
Lewis's party loaded horses and set out after sunrise, escorted by Shoshone Indians, halting after about seven miles for dinner. Charbonneau belatedly revealed that Chief Cameahwait had ordered…
Aug
25
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — Joseph Whitehouse: August 25, 1805
On a clear morning following a light frost, the party loaded their own horses along with those provided by the Indians and traveled across a level plain. Hunters…
Aug
25
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — John Ordway: August 25, 1805
The party loaded horses and set out at sunrise across a flat sandy desert covered with wild hyssop, goldenrod, and prickly pear, halting after 7 miles to dine.…
Aug
25
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — Patrick Gass: August 25, 1805
The fragmentary entry notes passing an Indian camp where the expedition members were given a small amount of dried salmon. No further details about weather, location, people, or…
Aug
26
1805
Clark: August 26, 1805
On a fine Monday morning, Clark sent hunters ahead and dispatched his guide with four men to recover missing horses, delaying departure until 9 a.m. He then traveled…
Aug
26
1805
Lewis: August 26, 1805
On a frigid morning with ice on the water vessels, the party set out at sunrise and reached the extreme source of the Missouri, a long-anticipated milestone. They…
Aug
26
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — Joseph Whitehouse: August 26, 1805
On a clear, frosty morning cold enough to freeze water in small containers, the party set out at sunrise and traveled through pine-covered mountains lining the stream. They…
Aug
26
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — Patrick Gass: August 26, 1805
The party's hunters set out early, and one man went to search for the horses. Breakfast consisted of beaver and a salmon saved from the previous evening's supper.…
Aug
26
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — John Ordway: August 26, 1805
The party set out at sunrise in freezing cold, with small vessels iced over and fingers aching. They crossed the Continental Divide at Lemhi Pass, drinking from headsprings…
Aug
27
1805
Clark: August 27, 1805
Frost covered the ground on this Tuesday morning as nearly all of Clark's men went out hunting. A young man arrived from the upper village with word that…
Aug
27
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — Joseph Whitehouse: August 27, 1805
On a pleasant morning at the Shoshone camp, Captain Lewis presented flags to the head chief and second chief, then opened trading for horses, first paying the women…
Aug
27
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — Patrick Gass: August 27, 1805
While encamped along the river, members of the party went out hunting and noted the local vegetation, including flax in the bottomlands and a tall wild sage or…
Aug
27
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — John Ordway: August 27, 1805
Hunters rode out while the camp raised a large flag, and Captain Lewis presented flags to the head chief and second chief. Lewis paid the Shoshone women who…
Aug
28
1805
Clark: August 28, 1805
On a frosty Wednesday, Clark's camp subsisted on salmon caught by local Indians, who shared two fish and sold him others, along with fish roe traded for small…
Aug
28
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — Joseph Whitehouse: August 28, 1805
Clear and pleasant weather greeted the camp, where the large flag was raised and men set out hunting and fishing with iron gigs. Around 9 a.m., Captain Lewis…
Aug
28
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — Patrick Gass: August 28, 1805
Gass traveled to the upper Native village, where he met Captain Lewis and his party negotiating with the locals to purchase horses for the expedition. Lewis had acquired…
Aug
28
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — John Ordway: August 28, 1805
At a Shoshone camp, the large American flag was raised alongside the chiefs' flags. Hunters and fishermen went out, the latter using bone-tipped gigs like the natives. Around…
Aug
29
1805
Clark: August 29, 1805
On a cold, frosty morning with a south wind, Clark left two men with the baggage and rode up to join Captain Lewis at the upper Shoshone village,…
Aug
29
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — Joseph Whitehouse: August 29, 1805
On a clear, pleasant morning, a group of Shoshone Indians returned to the village from east of the mountains, one warrior having been scalped by a plains war…
Aug
29
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — Patrick Gass: August 29, 1805
Captain Clark and most of the men traveled up to Captain Lewis's camp, while Gass and one other man stayed behind to guard camp and prepare packsaddles. During…
Aug
29
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — John Ordway: August 29, 1805
A group of Indians returned to the village after a long absence, including one who had been scalped by unknown plains Indians, prompting relatives to weep. Captain Lewis…
Aug
30
1805
Clark: August 30, 1805
On a fine Friday morning, the expedition finished trading for horses with the Shoshone but couldn't acquire enough for every man to ride. Clark traded his fuzee and…
Aug
30
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — Joseph Whitehouse: August 30, 1805
On a clear, pleasant morning, the party gathered their horses and purchased three more, bringing their total to thirty. Their hired guide described two possible routes: a smoother…
Aug
30
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — Patrick Gass: August 30, 1805
The full corps moved down to within a mile of camp and stopped there for the night, choosing the location because it offered good grass for the horses.
Aug
30
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — John Ordway: August 30, 1805
The party purchased 8 more horses, bringing their total to 30, and prepared their loads for departure. Their hired guide described two possible routes to the ocean: a…
Aug
31
1805
Clark: August 31, 1805
On a fine, warm morning, the party set out before sunrise and retraced the route Clark had descended on August 21st. They paused three hours along Salmon Creek…
Aug
31
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — Patrick Gass: August 31, 1805
The expedition set out with 27 horses and one mule. After consulting other Indians, the old guide advised traveling down the north side of the Columbia rather than…
Aug
31
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — John Ordway: August 31, 1805
The party traveled along the river, passing Snake Indian lodges where natives caught salmon in willow weirs; the explorers purchased several large salmon. A stranger, possibly a Flathead…
Aug
31
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — Joseph Whitehouse: August 31, 1805
On a fine morning, the party set out early and after two miles reached Indian lodges where they purchased fine salmon caught in river weirs. A stranger thought…
Sep
1
1805
Clark: September 1, 1805
On a fine but later rainy Sunday, the expedition set out early and traveled over rugged, stony hills, crossing the heads of small streams before camping along a…
Sep
1
1805
North Fork Salmon River, impassable route — Patrick Gass: September 1, 1805
The party pushed up a creek through dense spruce and pine forest, struggling against thick brush, narrow paths, and sharp stones that hurt their unshod horses. Hunters took…
Sep
1
1805
North Fork Salmon River, impassable route — John Ordway: September 1, 1805
The party traveled 23 miles through rugged mountain terrain after leaving the Lemhi River country. One horse fell backward early on but was not seriously hurt. They crossed…
Sep
1
1805
North Fork Salmon River, impassable route — Joseph Whitehouse: September 1, 1805
The party set out on a fine morning and traveled through very steep, rugged mountains that were difficult for the horses, crossing several cold creeks lined with pine…
Sep
2
1805
Clark: September 2, 1805
On a cloudy, rainy Monday, the party set out early and traveled up a creek, crossing forks from both sides. After eight miles, they left the established road…
Sep
2
1805
North Fork Salmon River, impassable route — John Ordway: September 2, 1805
The party set out around 7 a.m. and traveled roughly 13 miles northeast through extremely difficult terrain, crossing several cold spring-fed creeks lined with beaver dams, tall pine…
Sep
2
1805
North Fork Salmon River, impassable route — Patrick Gass: September 2, 1805
The party pushed up a creek through dense spruce and pine forest, struggling against thick bushes, narrow paths, and sharp stones that hurt the unshod horses. They shot…
Sep
2
1805
North Fork Salmon River, impassable route — Joseph Whitehouse: September 2, 1805
On a wet, cloudy morning the party loaded their horses and set out around 7 a.m., heading northeast up a creek through thick brush, fallen logs, and rocky…
Sep
3
1805
Clark: September 3, 1805
On a cloudy Tuesday, the party delayed departure until 8 a.m. while two men retrieved a load left behind the previous night. They traveled through pine-timbered country with…
Sep
3
1805
North Fork Salmon River, impassable route — John Ordway: September 3, 1805
The expedition struggled through rough, rocky mountains all day, with several horses falling backward and rolling down slopes; one was nearly killed. The men cut paths through thickets,…
Sep
3
1805
North Fork Salmon River, impassable route — Patrick Gass: September 3, 1805
On a cool morning, two men were sent back with a horse to retrieve a load left behind the previous night, while the group breakfasted on their last…
Sep
3
1805
North Fork Salmon River, impassable route — Joseph Whitehouse: September 3, 1805
Under cloudy skies, the party retrieved a load left behind the previous night and set out, traveling up and down steep, rocky mountains for the day. They crossed…
Sep
4
1805
Meeting the Flathead Salish
In the Bitterroot Valley at Ross's Hole, the expedition met the Flathead Salish for the first time. The Salish welcomed them warmly, draping white robes over their shoulders…
Sep
4
1805
John Ordway: September 4, 1805
On a frosty morning with mountains blanketed in snow, the party waited until about 8 a.m. to thaw their frozen sails by the fire before setting out. They…
Sep
4
1805
Joseph Whitehouse: September 4, 1805
On a clear but bitterly cold morning with frozen moccasins and snow-covered mountains, the party set out around 8 a.m. without breakfast and climbed a snowy peak, suffering…
Sep
5
1805
Clark: September 5, 1805
On a cloudy Thursday, the expedition met with chiefs and warriors of the Eoote-lash-Schute people, communicating with difficulty through several layers of translation due to the tribe's distinctive…
Sep
5
1805
Lost Trail Pass, meeting Flathead Salish at Ross's Hole — John Ordway: September 5, 1805
A hard white frost greeted the camp, with water freezing slightly and ravenous Indian dogs chewing through several pairs of moccasins. The captains met in council with a…
Sep
5
1805
Lost Trail Pass, meeting Flathead Salish at Ross's Hole — Joseph Whitehouse: September 5, 1805
On a clear, cold morning with frost on standing water, the captains raised the large flag and held a council with the Flathead nation. Through a chain of…
Sep
6
1805
Clark: September 6, 1805
Light rain fell as the expedition bought two more horses, recorded a vocabulary of the local language, lightened their loads, and repacked. They departed at 2 PM, while…
Sep
6
1805
Lost Trail Pass, meeting Flathead Salish at Ross's Hole — Joseph Whitehouse: September 6, 1805
On a clear, cold morning, the expedition packed up, gathered horses, and bought lash cords and other small items from the local natives. The natives broke camp around…
Sep
6
1805
Lost Trail Pass, meeting Flathead Salish at Ross's Hole — John Ordway: September 6, 1805
The expedition packed up alongside the local natives, who were preparing to head toward the Missouri. The Corps now had 40 sound pack horses and three colts, with…
Sep
7
1805
Clark: September 7, 1805
The expedition traveled down a river valley on a cloudy, drizzly day, passing several small runs on the right and three creeks on the left. The valley measured…
Sep
7
1805
Lost Trail Pass, meeting Flathead Salish at Ross's Hole — Joseph Whitehouse: September 7, 1805
On a cold, cloudy morning, the party set out early and traveled northwest down a creek through narrow timbered bottoms, with pine-covered mountains rising to the left and…
Sep
7
1805
Lost Trail Pass, meeting Flathead Salish at Ross's Hole — John Ordway: September 7, 1805
The party set out early after their hunters, who had stayed out overnight, rejoined them—one having lost his horse. They traveled down the Bitter Root Valley, passing through…
Sep
7
1805
Lost Trail Pass, meeting Flathead Salish at Ross's Hole — Patrick Gass: September 7, 1805
After a cloudy morning following a long night, the party ate parched corn and set out at 8 o'clock, crossing a large mountain to reach a creek and…
Sep
8
1805
Clark: September 8, 1805
On a cloudy Sunday, the party set out early and traveled 23 miles down an open valley along the headwaters of Clark's River, crossing four creeks on the…
Sep
8
1805
Lost Trail Pass, meeting Flathead Salish at Ross's Hole — Joseph Whitehouse: September 8, 1805
On a cold, cloudy day with chilly northwest winds, the party set out early and traveled down a large creek through smooth, dry plains bordered by pitch pine…
Sep
8
1805
Lost Trail Pass, meeting Flathead Salish at Ross's Hole — John Ordway: September 8, 1805
The party traveled down a now-sizable creek, crossing smooth, treeless plains with snow-capped mountains to the left and barren hills to the right. Around 11 o'clock they paused…
Sep
8
1805
Lost Trail Pass, meeting Flathead Salish at Ross's Hole — Patrick Gass: September 8, 1805
The morning brought frost, and the party discovered that the local Indians' hungry dogs had chewed up four or five pairs of moccasins overnight. The expedition stayed in…
Sep
9
1805
Clark: September 9, 1805
On a fair morning with a northwest wind, the party set out early and continued down the valley across an open plain. They crossed a large scattering creek…
Sep
9
1805
Lewis: September 9, 1805
The expedition set out at 7 A.M. and traveled down the Flathead River valley, a prairie five to six miles wide dominated by long-leafed pine. They breakfasted on…
Sep
9
1805
Travelers' Rest near present-day Lolo, MT — Joseph Whitehouse: September 9, 1805
On a cloudy, cold morning with a northwest wind, the party traveled down a valley featuring smooth plains, pitch pine timber along the river, and grass and wild…
Sep
9
1805
Travelers' Rest near present-day Lolo, MT — John Ordway: September 9, 1805
The party continued down a valley with open plains, crossing several creeks lined with cottonwood and pine, while snow remained visible on the mountains flanking either side. Hunters…
Sep
9
1805
Travelers' Rest near present-day Lolo, MT — Patrick Gass: September 9, 1805
Around noon a light rain fell as the party prepared to break camp, having left their fatigued horses with the natives. They set out at 1 o'clock, accompanied…
Sep
10
1805
Clark: September 10, 1805
The expedition halted for the day at Travelers Rest Creek to take astronomical observations, fixing the latitude at 46° 48' 28". Because their guide reported no game would…
Sep
10
1805
Lewis: September 10, 1805
On a fair morning, hunters were dispatched, including two sent to scout where the river meets an eastern fork the party named Valley Plain River. Lewis speculated about…
Sep
10
1805
Travelers' Rest near present-day Lolo, MT — Joseph Whitehouse: September 10, 1805
On a clear, pleasant morning, the captains decided to halt for the day to take observations, rest the horses, and send hunters out for meat before crossing the…
Sep
10
1805
Travelers' Rest near present-day Lolo, MT — John Ordway: September 10, 1805
The expedition paused to rest and hunt, with the best hunters going out for the day. The weather was warm, and by evening the hunters returned with four…
Sep
10
1805
Travelers' Rest near present-day Lolo, MT — Patrick Gass: September 10, 1805
The party continued down the creek with hunters scouting ahead. They were met by a hunter who had been missing overnight and had lost his horse. At noon…
Sep
11
1805
Clark: September 11, 1805
On a fair, warm Wednesday with northwest winds, the party set out at 3 p.m. up Travelers Rest Creek, accompanied by Flathead (Tushapaw) Indians. Their departure was delayed…
Sep
11
1805
Travelers' Rest near present-day Lolo, MT — John Ordway: September 11, 1805
The party spent the morning rounding up their horses, which took until afternoon at this campsite located at latitude 46°48'28" North. Around 4 p.m. they set out heading…
Sep
11
1805
Travelers' Rest near present-day Lolo, MT — Patrick Gass: September 11, 1805
The party traveled across attractive plains, pausing at noon when their hunters—one of whom had stayed out overnight—returned with an elk and a deer. They set out again…
Sep
11
1805
Travelers' Rest near present-day Lolo, MT — Joseph Whitehouse: September 11, 1805
On a pleasant morning, the party searched for their scattered horses, not gathering them all until noon, so they dined in camp. Their latitude was recorded as 46°48'28"…
Sep
12
1805
Clark: September 12, 1805
After a frosty morning, the party set out at 7 a.m. and traveled up a creek, passing an old Indian encampment with an earth-covered sweat house. They climbed…
Sep
12
1805
Lolo Trail, ascending into Bitterroot Mountains — John Ordway: September 12, 1805
The party set out early after sending hunters ahead, then climbed into the mountains, crossing several small creeks and navigating steep, difficult terrain. The hunters brought in four…
Sep
12
1805
Lolo Trail, ascending into Bitterroot Mountains — Patrick Gass: September 12, 1805
The expedition continued down a river through a poor, gravelly valley, with snow-topped mountains visible to the left and a general north-northwest course. After halting at noon, they…
Sep
12
1805
Lolo Trail, ascending into Bitterroot Mountains — Joseph Whitehouse: September 12, 1805
After a frosty but clear morning, hunters set out early and the party loaded up shortly after sunrise. They climbed into pine-covered mountains, traversing steep hills and crossing…
Sep
13
1805
Clark: September 13, 1805
On a cloudy morning, Captain Lewis and a guide lost their horses, so Lewis stayed behind with four men to search while Clark led the rest of the…
Sep
13
1805
Lolo Trail, ascending into Bitterroot Mountains — John Ordway: September 13, 1805
The party searched unsuccessfully for Captain Lewis's horse and a missing colt before loading up and moving on. They reached a near-boiling warm spring flowing from a rock…
Sep
13
1805
Lolo Trail, ascending into Bitterroot Mountains — Patrick Gass: September 13, 1805
The day was clear and pleasant, allowing the party to rest their horses and take an observation. In the evening, the hunters returned with five deer. Three Flathead…
Sep
13
1805
Lolo Trail, ascending into Bitterroot Mountains — Joseph Whitehouse: September 13, 1805
On a cloudy morning, the party rounded up most of their horses, though Captain Lewis's horse and a colt ridden by the young Indian guide could not be…
Sep
14
1805
Clark: September 14, 1805
Setting out early under cloudy skies with rain and hail in the valleys and snow on the peaks, the party crossed steep, timber-strewn mountains far worse than the…
Sep
14
1805
Lolo Trail, ascending into Bitterroot Mountains — John Ordway: September 14, 1805
The party traveled through rugged Bitter Root Mountain terrain, climbing and descending steep slopes for several miles. They crossed a rocky, rapid creek and observed a Native fishing…
Sep
14
1805
Lolo Trail, ascending into Bitterroot Mountains — Patrick Gass: September 14, 1805
The party gathered their horses to continue traveling, but one was missing. While waiting, Captain Lewis took a meridian latitude reading of 46°48'28" north. The bottomlands held abundant…
Sep
14
1805
Lolo Trail, ascending into Bitterroot Mountains — Joseph Whitehouse: September 14, 1805
The party set out on a cloudy morning after finishing the last of their meat. They climbed a pine-covered mountain for about four miles, descended to a rocky,…
Sep
15
1805
Clark: September 15, 1805
The party set out early on a cloudy morning and traveled four miles down the right side of the river before the trail veered up a steep mountain…
Sep
15
1805
Lolo Trail, ascending into Bitterroot Mountains — John Ordway: September 15, 1805
The party traveled down a creek through swampy ground covered with cedar and spruce, then climbed a steep, rocky mountain where some horses fell and rolled among the…
Sep
15
1805
Lolo Trail, ascending into Bitterroot Mountains — Patrick Gass: September 15, 1805
On a fine morning, the party traveled two miles to reach steep mountains, finding the road in good condition due to frequent use by Native peoples crossing to…
Sep
15
1805
Lolo Trail, ascending into Bitterroot Mountains — Joseph Whitehouse: September 15, 1805
The expedition camped after a hard day in mountainous country. With food scarce, the men ate a little portable soup but remained so hungry they killed a colt,…
Sep
16
1805
Lost and Starving in the Bitterroot Mountains
The Corps of Discovery struggled through one of the most punishing stretches of the journey, crossing the Bitterroot Mountains along the Lolo Trail. Deep snow, steep slopes, and…
Sep
16
1805
Patrick Gass: September 16, 1805
The party set out after losing track of a horse, leaving some men behind to search for it. After two miles they reached a striking warm spring, hotter…
Sep
16
1805
John Ordway: September 16, 1805
The party awoke to a surprise two inches of snow, which continued falling through a cold morning. Captain Clark shot at a deer but missed. After mending moccasins,…
Sep
17
1805
Clark: September 17, 1805
On a cloudy Sunday, the party's scattered horses delayed departure until 1 p.m. They then traveled through wet conditions caused by falling snow and snow shaken from trees,…
Sep
17
1805
Lost and starving in Bitterroot Mountains — John Ordway: September 17, 1805
The party spent the morning rounding up scattered horses, not finishing until about noon when they set out. Snow melted off the timber, making the rough trail wet…
Sep
17
1805
Lost and starving in Bitterroot Mountains — Patrick Gass: September 17, 1805
The expedition crossed two large mountains and Stony Creek, struggling through cold, rainy terrain where service-berries had not yet ripened. Unable to find grazing for the horses, they…
Sep
18
1805
Clark: September 18, 1805
On a cold but fair morning, Clark pushed ahead of the main party with six hunters, hoping to find deer or other game to ease the expedition's hunger.…
Sep
18
1805
Lewis: September 18, 1805
Facing scarce game in the mountains, the party split: Captain Clark went ahead with six hunters to reach level country and secure provisions, while Lewis stayed behind to…
Sep
18
1805
Lost and starving in Bitterroot Mountains — John Ordway: September 18, 1805
At sunrise, Clark and six hunters went ahead hoping to kill game, while one expedition horse went missing. The main party set out across rough, rocky, and steep…
Sep
18
1805
Lost and starving in Bitterroot Mountains — Patrick Gass: September 18, 1805
The expedition pushed on through brutal mountain terrain in miserable weather, with snow falling steadily from morning until about 3 P.M. After pausing for soup, they continued until…
Sep
19
1805
Clark: September 19, 1805
On September 19, 1805, Clark and his advance party set out early, traveling up a creek through difficult mountainous terrain in present-day Idaho. About six miles in, they…
Sep
19
1805
Lewis: September 19, 1805
Setting out shortly after sunrise, the party traveled southwest along a ridge for six miles before sighting a vast prairie to the southwest, which their Indian guide identified…
Sep
19
1805
Lost and starving in Bitterroot Mountains — John Ordway: September 19, 1805
The party finished the last of their provisions except for some portable soup and pressed on over the mountain. From the summit they spotted a large plain far…
Sep
19
1805
Lost and starving in Bitterroot Mountains — Patrick Gass: September 19, 1805
The party did not gather until noon before resuming their march on a fine, warm day. Sunshine rapidly melted snow on the south-facing hillsides, making travel tiring and…
Sep
20
1805
Rescued by the Nez Perce at Weippe Prairie
On September 20, 1805, after a grueling crossing of the Bitterroot Mountains, Clark's advance party emerged starving onto the Weippe Prairie in present-day Idaho. There they encountered the…
Sep
20
1805
John Ordway: September 20, 1805
Starving and weak after finishing their last scraps of Indian peas and bear's oil, the party pressed on with sore-footed horses. They came upon a note from Captain…
Sep
20
1805
Patrick Gass: September 20, 1805
The party gathered all but one of their horses early, sent six hunters ahead and another man to search for the missing horse, then continued across very high…
Sep
21
1805
Clark: September 21, 1805
On a warm, fine day, Clark sent hunters out in all directions while he stayed behind with the Nez Perce chief to gather information without raising suspicion. The…
Sep
21
1805
Lewis: September 21, 1805
The party was delayed until 11 AM while rounding up horses, then traveled about 15 miles southwest along a heavily timbered ridge, struggling through fallen timber that made…
Sep
21
1805
Weippe Prairie, rescued by Nez Perce — John Ordway: September 21, 1805
The party spent the morning rounding up their horses, finally setting out around 10 a.m. They traveled west over a rough trail, crossing a creek early on and…
Sep
21
1805
Weippe Prairie, rescued by Nez Perce — Patrick Gass: September 21, 1805
On a disagreeably cold morning, the party set out around 8 a.m. and continued their journey over the mountains.
Sep
22
1805
Clark: September 22, 1805
On a warm Sunday, Clark left the hunters on an island and traveled with a Nez Perce chief and his son to rejoin Lewis. A young horse threw…
Sep
22
1805
Lewis: September 22, 1805
The party's departure was delayed until 11:30 a.m. because a man failed to hobble the horses as ordered. Heading west, they met hunter Reuben Fields, sent by Captain…
Sep
22
1805
Weippe Prairie, rescued by Nez Perce — John Ordway: September 22, 1805
After a frosty morning delayed by horse-hunting, the party set out around nine, crossing a mountain into a small prairie. Reuben Fields, sent back by Captain Clark, met…
Sep
22
1805
Weippe Prairie, rescued by Nez Perce — Patrick Gass: September 22, 1805
The party paused at noon by a spring for a meal of portable soup, noting that snow had mostly melted except on north-facing peaks. Resuming at 2 P.M.,…
Sep
23
1805
Clark: September 23, 1805
On a hot Sunday, the captains held council with the Nez Perce, presenting medals, a flag, tobacco, knives, and handkerchiefs to three chiefs, and leaving gifts for the…
Sep
23
1805
Nez Perce villages on Clearwater — John Ordway: September 23, 1805
The expedition traded with Native villages, acquiring salmon and camas roots. Ordway noted the natives were stockpiling food for winter and planned to hunt buffalo on the Medicine…
Sep
23
1805
Nez Perce villages on Clearwater — Patrick Gass: September 23, 1805
After a fine morning, the party resumed their march at 9 o'clock and soon found a horse the hunters had killed and hung up for them. Captain Clark…
Sep
24
1805
Clark: September 24, 1805
The expedition set out early on a hot day, retracing the route to the river and reaching an island at sunset where Clark had previously met the Twisted…
Sep
24
1805
Nez Perce villages on Clearwater — Patrick Gass: September 24, 1805
The party spent the morning rounding up horses and set out around 10 a.m., traveling along a ridge through difficult terrain choked with dead and fallen timber. The…
Sep
24
1805
Nez Perce villages on Clearwater — John Ordway: September 24, 1805
The party gathered their horses, which had become scattered and mixed with the numerous horses of the local Indians. They observed Native women digging camas roots in the…
Sep
25
1805
Clark: September 25, 1805
On a very hot September 25, 1805, Clark set out early with a Nez Perce chief and two young men to scout trees suitable for building canoes, having…
Sep
25
1805
Nez Perce villages on Clearwater — Patrick Gass: September 25, 1805
The party traveled west over a ridge with a small prairie on top, where a hunter met them with roots, berries, and fish obtained from a Flathead band…
Sep
25
1805
Nez Perce villages on Clearwater — John Ordway: September 25, 1805
Captain Clark traveled down the river with an old chief to scout timber suitable for building canoes, going about four or five miles to a fork entering from…
Sep
26
1805
Clark: September 26, 1805
The expedition set out early and traveled down the river, making camp on the south side opposite the forks. Two men arrived on a raft from the north…
Sep
26
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — Patrick Gass: September 26, 1805
The party paused at a Native village to trade small items for provisions, obtaining roots, fish, and bread made from camas roots—sweet, onion-shaped bulbs prepared by steaming, pounding,…
Sep
26
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — John Ordway: September 26, 1805
The party set out, crossed a creek (modern Oro Fino Creek) and forded the Kooskooskee River where the water reached the horses' bellies, then continued down the south…
Sep
27
1805
Clark: September 27, 1805
On a very hot day at the Nez Perce camp, all able men began building five canoes for the journey downriver, though many fell sick while working, including…
Sep
27
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — Patrick Gass: September 27, 1805
The party set out toward the river, leaving behind one man searching for the horses and another at the first village. Many were ill from the change in…
Sep
27
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — John Ordway: September 27, 1805
The party split into five groups and began felling five pitch pine trees near camp to construct canoes for the next leg of the journey. In the afternoon,…
Sep
28
1805
Clark: September 28, 1805
The expedition continued building canoes despite widespread illness, with nearly all the men suffering from upset stomachs, diarrhea, and weakness, which they attributed to their unfamiliar diet of…
Sep
28
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — Patrick Gass: September 28, 1805
Hunters set out early while Captain Clark rode out to search for trees large enough to build canoes. Most of the men were recovering, but Captain Lewis was…
Sep
28
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — John Ordway: September 28, 1805
The expedition continued working on dugout canoes and oars, with all able-bodied members contributing to the effort while others went hunting. Local Native Americans visited the camp and…
Sep
29
1805
Clark: September 29, 1805
On a cool Saturday morning with a southwest wind, the expedition continued building canoes despite widespread illness among the men. Every man able to work did so, while…
Sep
29
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — Patrick Gass: September 29, 1805
The party broke camp and traveled about five miles down the river to the forks, setting up camp in a small bottom opposite the point. Local Flathead natives…
Sep
29
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — John Ordway: September 29, 1805
The party continued their work building canoes, with all hands engaged in the task as on previous days. Some men were sent out hunting. Local Indians caught salmon…
Sep
30
1805
Clark: September 30, 1805
On a fine, fair morning at the Forks, the Corps of Discovery rested and recovered, with most men slowly regaining strength while continuing to work on tasks at…
Sep
30
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — Patrick Gass: September 30, 1805
The men continued building canoes near the river. Around mid-morning, the member sent to find the horses returned, having recovered one and killed a deer. Gass reported feeling…
Sep
30
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — John Ordway: September 30, 1805
On a fair morning, the expedition continued working with the canoes, but the party was so weakened that progress was slow. Toward evening, the hunters returned, with one…
Oct
1
1805
Clark: October 1, 1805
On a cool Tuesday morning with an easterly wind, the party spent the day drying out their clothes and gear and sorting through trade goods—especially beads, which the…
Oct
1
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — Patrick Gass: October 1, 1805
With all men back on their feet but most still weak, the expedition adopted the Indian technique of burning out canoes to spare the crew heavy labor. Because…
Oct
1
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — John Ordway: October 1, 1805
The party continued working on building canoes, using fire to burn out the interiors of some of them, a method that proved effective. The hunters went out but…
Oct
2
1805
Clark: October 2, 1805
At a camp along the river, Clark sent two men, Frazier and Goodrich, with an Indian guide and six horses back to nearby villages to buy dried fish…
Oct
2
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — John Ordway: October 2, 1805
The party finished portaging baggage and lowering canoes one at a time through the last major rapid, completing the descent safely by 10 a.m. Two Indians from a…
Oct
2
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — Patrick Gass: October 2, 1805
The party camped in a steep, narrow canyon where the river ran only 20 yards wide between mountains rising over 1,000 feet. Hunters found little game, killing just…
Oct
3
1805
Clark: October 3, 1805
At Canoe Camp, the day began fair and cool with an east wind. The men of the expedition were recovering from their illnesses and continued working on building…
Oct
3
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — John Ordway: October 3, 1805
Hunters who had been out previously returned to camp bringing in meat, while two others remained in the field to continue hunting. During the day, a group of…
Oct
3
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — Patrick Gass: October 3, 1805
The expedition passed an Indian camp where the local people shared a small amount of dried salmon with the party. The entry is only a brief fragment, offering…
Oct
4
1805
Clark: October 4, 1805
On a cool morning with an east wind, Clark refused an Indian a piece of tobacco that the man had taken from their sack, causing offense. Three Indians…
Oct
4
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — Patrick Gass: October 4, 1805
The party crossed four mountains by around 4 o'clock and made camp in a valley. Two men set out to hunt while the others went fishing. They quickly…
Oct
4
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — John Ordway: October 4, 1805
On this day, some of the expedition's canoes were ready to be dressed out and finished. Several members of the party purchased a fat dog for food. The…
Oct
5
1805
Clark: October 5, 1805
On a cool, east-windy day at their Nez Perce camp, the captains gathered and branded all 38 horses, trimmed their forelocks, and entrusted them to two brothers and…
Oct
5
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — John Ordway: October 5, 1805
The expedition traveled about 31 miles down the river, passing a very large Native village at the foot of an island on the starboard side, where local people…
Oct
5
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — Patrick Gass: October 5, 1805
The party finished building canoes and prepared to leave their horses with local Indians, branding the animals after the old chief promised to care for them. Two canoes…
Oct
6
1805
Clark: October 6, 1805
On a cold Sunday morning with strong easterly winds blowing down from the mountains, the expedition gathered their saddles and buried them in a hole on a riverbend…
Oct
6
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — John Ordway: October 6, 1805
The party departed as usual and continued downstream, soon passing a small Indian village on the south bank. Several Indians paddled out in a canoe to trade, and…
Oct
7
1805
Clark: October 7, 1805
Still ill but pushing forward, Clark oversaw the loading and launching of the canoes. As the party prepared to depart, the two chiefs who had promised to accompany…
Oct
7
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — John Ordway: October 7, 1805
After preparing and loading the canoes, the expedition launched around 3 p.m. and began descending the river. They navigated several shoals and rapids, hauling the canoes across shallow…
Oct
7
1805
Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — Patrick Gass: October 7, 1805
After a cloudy morning and a meager breakfast of parched corn, the party set out at 8 o'clock and crossed a large mountain to reach a creek and…
Oct
8
1805
Clark: October 8, 1805
On a cloudy Tuesday morning, the party reloaded their canoes after burying two lead canisters of powder near a dead-topped pine across from camp and repairing leaks. Setting…
Oct
8
1805
Clearwater to Snake River — John Ordway: October 8, 1805
The expedition reorganized canoes and cached a canister of powder near a broken tree before setting out around 9 a.m. They navigated several dangerous rapids, taking on water…
Oct
8
1805
Clearwater to Snake River — Patrick Gass: October 8, 1805
The expedition continued down the river, passing three islands and several rapids before stopping at midday at one of the many Indian lodges lining the banks. After resuming…
Oct
9
1805
Clark: October 9, 1805
The party spent a cool, cloudy day at camp drying roots and gear soaked in the previous day's canoe accident. Four men—Sergeants Pryor and Gass, Joseph Fields, and…
Oct
9
1805
Clearwater to Snake River — John Ordway: October 9, 1805
Ordway and eight men set out to retrieve the rest of the meat despite heavy rain that lasted all day. They returned in the evening with the meat…
Oct
9
1805
Clearwater to Snake River — Patrick Gass: October 9, 1805
On a pleasant day, the party repaired their canoe and dried all the baggage, finishing by evening. Their Shoshone guide deserted along with his son, likely fearing the…
Oct
10
1805
Clark: October 10, 1805
Setting out at 7 a.m. under fair weather, the party navigated several rapids and islands, stopping at Indian lodges to scout a particularly bad riffle they named Ragged…
Oct
10
1805
Snake River rapids, near Lewiston — John Ordway: October 10, 1805
A rainy morning with somewhat calmer waves allowed the party to load the canoes and continue downriver, passing high rock cliffs and fine springs while observing porpoises, sea…
Oct
10
1805
Snake River rapids, near Lewiston — Patrick Gass: October 10, 1805
The party navigated dangerous rapids, during which one canoe sprang a leak and soaked much of its cargo, forcing a halt to dry the goods. They stopped near…
Oct
11
1805
Clark: October 11, 1805
On a cloudy morning with an easterly wind, the expedition set out early and traveled down the river, passing nine rapids that doubled as major fishing sites. They…
Oct
11
1805
Snake River rapids, near Lewiston — John Ordway: October 11, 1805
Rain fell for most of the day at the expedition's encampment, and George Gibson was reported sick. The following day, Thursday, December 12, 1805, a number of Clatsop…
Oct
11
1805
Snake River rapids, near Lewiston — Patrick Gass: October 11, 1805
The expedition traveled about 30 miles down the river, stopping briefly at Native lodges where they obtained fish and dogs, then halting again at Indian camps for the…
Oct
12
1805
Clark: October 12, 1805
On a fair, cool Saturday with an easterly wind, the expedition bought all the dried fish and other provisions the local Indians could spare before setting out at…
Oct
12
1805
Snake River rapids, near Lewiston — John Ordway: October 12, 1805
The expedition continued down the Snake River, passing numerous abandoned fishing camps along treeless, high plains shores. The party traveled 35 miles before making camp on the starboard…
Oct
12
1805
Snake River rapids, near Lewiston — Patrick Gass: October 12, 1805
The expedition continued downriver with two Flathead chiefs aboard and two of their men piloting in a small canoe alongside a stranger. The party spotted ducks, geese, hawks,…
Oct
13
1805
Clark: October 13, 1805
On a rainy, windy Sunday morning, the party waited until weather eased around 9 a.m. before Captain Lewis led the canoes through a dangerous rapid, with the rest…
Oct
13
1805
Snake River rapids, near Lewiston — John Ordway: October 13, 1805
The party spent the morning carefully lining canoes one at a time down through rapids, with non-swimmers carrying baggage overland, finishing safely around noon. The weather cleared by…
Oct
13
1805
Snake River rapids, near Lewiston — Patrick Gass: October 13, 1805
The party delayed departure until 11 a.m., then carefully ferried the canoes two at a time through a two-mile stretch of rapids, completing the passage safely in about…
Oct
14
1805
Clark: October 14, 1805
On a cold, windy day, the expedition set out at 8 a.m. and navigated several rapids along the river. Two and a half miles in, they passed a…
Oct
14
1805
Snake River rapids, near Lewiston — John Ordway: October 14, 1805
Traveling with a northwest wind on a swift current, the party navigated several rocky rapids. Around noon, two canoes briefly grounded without damage. After dining and continuing about…
Oct
14
1805
Snake River rapids, near Lewiston — Patrick Gass: October 14, 1805
The expedition navigated several rapids in the morning, successfully passing a particularly bad one around 11 a.m. They spotted geese and ducks, killing some for food. Around 1…
Oct
15
1805
Clark: October 15, 1805
The Corps of Discovery pressed on with their swift journey down the Columbia River, navigating treacherous rapids with assistance from their Nez Perce guides. The expedition traveled through…
Oct
15
1805
Patrick Gass: October 15, 1805
On a fine morning, the party traveled two miles to reach steep mountains, finding the route well-worn by Native people who cross to the Flathead River to gather…
Oct
15
1805
John Ordway: October 15, 1805
Ordway and a party set out with three canoes to retrieve 17 elk that had been killed earlier. They paddled as far upstream as possible, then began packing…
Oct
16
1805
Confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers
The Corps of Discovery reached the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers, near present-day Pasco, Washington, marking their arrival on the great river that would lead them…
Oct
16
1805
John Ordway: October 16, 1805
The expedition navigated rocky rapids, with one canoe getting stuck before being freed with help. They reached what Native guides indicated was the last bad rapid, portaged some…
Oct
16
1805
Patrick Gass: October 16, 1805
The expedition set out early and traveled about three miles before one canoe struck rocks in a rapid; they unloaded another canoe to help and got everyone safely…
Oct
17
1805
Clark: October 17, 1805
At the forks of the Columbia, Clark and Lewis traded with the local chief and villagers, buying dogs since the salmon were dying in great numbers and unfit…
Oct
17
1805
Columbia River near Wallula Gap — John Ordway: October 17, 1805
Hunting parties went out and returned later in the day with two deer, several geese and brants, and other game. Captain Lewis and his exploring party also returned…
Oct
17
1805
Columbia River near Wallula Gap — Patrick Gass: October 17, 1805
At the confluence of the Columbia and Lewis's (Snake) rivers, the party paused for observations. They traded with local Native people for dogs, since the abundant salmon were…
Oct
18
1805
Clark: October 18, 1805
On a cool, fair morning at the confluence of the Columbia and Kimooenim rivers, the men killed six prairie cocks. The captains held a council with arriving Indians,…
Oct
18
1805
Columbia River near Wallula Gap — John Ordway: October 18, 1805
The expedition remained at the forks until afternoon while Captain Clark measured the rivers, finding the Columbia 860 yards wide and the Kimooenem 475 yards wide, and Captain…
Oct
18
1805
Columbia River near Wallula Gap — Patrick Gass: October 18, 1805
The party remained in camp until past noon while the captains collected vocabulary samples from the three native groups present, who wore little clothing beyond deer-skin robes and…
Oct
19
1805
Clark: October 19, 1805
The expedition met with Chief Yelleppit and two other chiefs in the morning, smoking together and giving out a medal, handkerchief, and strings of wampum. Declining the chief's…
Oct
19
1805
Columbia River near Wallula Gap — John Ordway: October 19, 1805
The party continued along the Pacific coast, traveling over high, rough hills, some prairie and bald, after setting out late from the previous night's camp. One hunter killed…
Oct
19
1805
Columbia River near Wallula Gap — Patrick Gass: October 19, 1805
After a frosty morning, several Native people visited camp, and the captains gave one a medal and small gifts. The party set out at 8 o'clock, navigating past…
Oct
20
1805
Clark: October 20, 1805
On a cold, windy Sunday, the Corps hosted about 100 to 200 visiting Indians, sharing a smoke and a breakfast of dog meat before departing. Traveling 42 miles…
Oct
20
1805
Columbia River near Wallula Gap — John Ordway: October 20, 1805
The weather cleared briefly but rain returned by evening. The following day, Saturday December 21st, 1805, rain continued steadily. Despite the wet conditions, the party pressed on with…
Oct
20
1805
Columbia River near Wallula Gap — Patrick Gass: October 20, 1805
The expedition set out early and traveled along a scenic stretch of river, observing pelicans, gulls, crows, and ravens drawn to the many dead salmon lining the shores,…
Oct
21
1805
Clark: October 21, 1805
On a very cold morning with a southwest wind, the expedition set out early without breakfast, having lacked enough dry willow fuel the previous night. After about five…
Oct
21
1805
Columbia River near Wallula Gap — Patrick Gass: October 21, 1805
On a fine morning, the expedition reached Native lodges around 10 a.m. and stopped for about two hours, obtaining bread made from a small white root grown locally.…
Oct
21
1805
Columbia River near Wallula Gap — John Ordway: October 21, 1805
The expedition set out early and stopped at an Indian village to buy firewood and cook breakfast, trading small goods for pounded salmon and white root cakes. The…
Oct
22
1805
Clark: October 22, 1805
On a calm, fair morning, the expedition set out at 9 a.m. and traveled 19 miles down the Columbia, passing several rapids, rocky islands, and numerous Indian lodges…
Oct
22
1805
Celilo Falls and The Dalles portage — Patrick Gass: October 22, 1805
The expedition set out early, spotting abundant waterfowl. By 10 a.m. they reached a large island where the river cuts through a high hill, and opposite it the…
Oct
22
1805
Celilo Falls and The Dalles portage — John Ordway: October 22, 1805
Heavy rain continued through the night with strong winds from the southwest. The waves grew dangerously high and the tide rose well above its usual level, slamming one…
Oct
23
1805
Clark: October 23, 1805
On a fine morning at the falls, the party portaged their canoes 457 yards along the south side and lowered them by elk-skin ropes through a narrow channel…
Oct
23
1805
Celilo Falls and The Dalles portage — Patrick Gass: October 23, 1805
The expedition portaged and lowered their canoes down a major falls totaling 37 feet 8 inches in height over 1200 yards, with most of the crew dragging the…
Oct
23
1805
Celilo Falls and The Dalles portage — John Ordway: October 23, 1805
At the Great Falls of the Columbia (Celilo Falls), Captain Clark led most of the party in hauling the canoes about a quarter mile over the rocks, bypassing…
Oct
24
1805
Clark: October 24, 1805
On a fine morning, the expedition's two elderly Nez Perce chiefs wanted to turn back, fearing hostility from tribes downstream, but Clark persuaded them to stay two more…
Oct
24
1805
Celilo Falls and The Dalles portage — Patrick Gass: October 24, 1805
The expedition set out early and navigated very rapid water below the falls. After traveling four miles past one set of narrows, they encountered another, more confined stretch…
Oct
24
1805
Celilo Falls and The Dalles portage — John Ordway: October 24, 1805
On a clear, pleasant morning, the party loaded the canoes and set out around 9 a.m. on a rapid current. They navigated a narrow channel about 20 to…
Oct
25
1805
Clark: October 25, 1805
On a cold morning, the Corps successfully ran their canoes through a dangerous channel with a whirlpool, portaging valuable goods while Indians watched from the rocks above. One…
Oct
25
1805
Celilo Falls and The Dalles portage — Patrick Gass: October 25, 1805
The party portaged some baggage about three-quarters of a mile around rapids and then took the canoes through one by one. One canoe filled with water, causing a…
Oct
25
1805
Celilo Falls and The Dalles portage — John Ordway: October 25, 1805
The party portaged baggage about a mile past the worst of the narrows, then ran the canoes through one at a time, with one filling with water and…
Oct
26
1805
Clark: October 26, 1805
On a fine Saturday at their camp, the Corps spent the day drying water-damaged supplies and repairing leaky canoes, with six men sent out to hunt and collect…
Oct
26
1805
Celilo Falls and The Dalles portage — Patrick Gass: October 26, 1805
The expedition spent the day repairing canoes that had been damaged during the portage around the falls. Hunters went out and brought back six deer and some squirrels.…
Oct
26
1805
Celilo Falls and The Dalles portage — John Ordway: October 26, 1805
The expedition stayed in camp to make celestial observations and repair the canoes, which were unloaded and hauled from the water to have their bottoms smoothed. Hunters went…
Oct
27
1805
Clark: October 27, 1805
On a windy, cold Sunday near the Columbia River narrows, hunters brought in four deer, a grouse, and a squirrel. Two visiting chiefs and their party stayed with…
Oct
27
1805
Celilo Falls and The Dalles portage — Patrick Gass: October 27, 1805
Strong winds up the river kept the party in camp all day. With good hunting ground available for the first time in a while, some men went out…
Oct
27
1805
Celilo Falls and The Dalles portage — John Ordway: October 27, 1805
The party remained camped along the river, heading west. Six men were sent out hunting while some Native visitors stayed in camp. The captains presented a medal and…
Oct
28
1805
Clark: October 28, 1805
On a cold, windy Monday, the expedition loaded canoes and set off at 9 a.m., traveling through a river canyon walled with dark cliffs. After four miles they…
Oct
28
1805
Celilo Falls and The Dalles portage — Patrick Gass: October 28, 1805
After early rain, the morning turned clear and the party set out at 8 a.m. They traveled about four miles to a small Native village, where they spent…
Oct
28
1805
Celilo Falls and The Dalles portage — John Ordway: October 28, 1805
After overnight rain cleared, the party loaded the canoes and set out, traveling a few miles downriver before stopping at a small village on the starboard side. There…
Oct
29
1805
Clark: October 29, 1805
On a cloudy, breezy Tuesday, the expedition set out at daybreak and traveled down the Columbia River, stopping at several Native villages they found welcoming, dubbing one the…
Oct
29
1805
Cascades of the Columbia, portage — Patrick Gass: October 29, 1805
The expedition traveled along a river bordered by high pine-covered hills, with birch on the banks. They stopped at a small native village for breakfast and bought more…
Oct
29
1805
Cascades of the Columbia, portage — John Ordway: October 29, 1805
The expedition traveled 26 miles down the river with a gentle current, stopping at Indian lodges to purchase dogs for food, including additional dogs bought at another village…
Oct
30
1805
Clark: October 30, 1805
On a cold, rainy day, the expedition ate a small venison breakfast and set out down the river, observing rocks that had fallen from the mountains, four cascades,…
Oct
30
1805
Cascades of the Columbia, portage — Patrick Gass: October 30, 1805
On this day, the expedition's hunters succeeded in killing a deer, providing fresh meat for the party. The brief entry records no other events, observations, or activities.
Oct
30
1805
Cascades of the Columbia, portage — John Ordway: October 30, 1805
A brief journal note recording only that the latter part of the day was clear. No other events, locations, people, or activities are mentioned in this entry.
Oct
31
1805
Clark: October 31, 1805
On a cloudy, rainy day, Clark scouted downriver below the Great Shute (Cascades of the Columbia) with Joseph Fields and Pierre Cruzatte to assess whether the canoes could…
Oct
31
1805
Cascades of the Columbia, portage — Patrick Gass: October 31, 1805
The expedition spent an exhausting day moving two canoes about a mile past a stretch of rapids where the water dropped roughly 25 feet. Some sections were navigated…
Oct
31
1805
Cascades of the Columbia, portage — John Ordway: October 31, 1805
Native people visited the fort bringing wapatoe roots, and the expedition party purchased several bags from them. The men spent the day on construction and maintenance tasks, building…
Nov
1
1805
Clark: November 1, 1805
On a cold, windy day at the Great Shute (Cascades of the Columbia), the Corps portaged their small canoe and baggage 940 yards over slippery, rocky ground, then…
Nov
1
1805
Cascades of the Columbia, portage — Patrick Gass: November 1, 1805
Before breakfast, the party carried their baggage down past a difficult stretch of the river, avoiding entering the cold water. During the forenoon, they brought down their remaining…
Nov
1
1805
Cascades of the Columbia, portage — John Ordway: November 1, 1805
With a cold northeast wind blowing, the expedition portaged all their baggage past a major rapid on the river. Several Indians traveling downriver to trade loads of pounded…
Nov
2
1805
Clark: November 2, 1805
The expedition portaged baggage about 1.5 miles around a dangerous rapid below the Great Shute, sending non-swimmers overland while running the canoes through with only minor damage. Seven…
Nov
2
1805
Cascades of the Columbia, portage — Patrick Gass: November 2, 1805
The party completed a two-and-a-half mile portage, with men carrying baggage while others took the canoes downriver through a narrow eight-mile rapid. Towering rock hills on both sides…
Nov
3
1805
Clark: November 3, 1805
Heavy fog delayed departure until 10 a.m., after which the party continued down the Columbia accompanied by Indian companions from a village near the great falls. Hunters Collins…
Nov
3
1805
Columbia River tidewater, approaching estuary — Patrick Gass: November 3, 1805
A foggy morning cleared into a beautiful day as the party traveled down the Columbia. They reached the mouth of a wide, shallow, sandy river on the south…
Nov
3
1805
Columbia River tidewater, approaching estuary — John Ordway: November 3, 1805
The party began the day camped near marshland where hunters shot waterfowl and a large deer, while several Native visitors stayed overnight with two canoes. Setting out around…
Nov
4
1805
Clark: November 4, 1805
On a cool, cloudy Monday with a west wind, the expedition set out at 8:30 a.m. and stopped at a Skilloot village of 25 houses and roughly 200…
Nov
4
1805
Columbia River tidewater, approaching estuary — John Ordway: November 4, 1805
The expedition continued down the tidal Columbia River in good weather, setting out around 7 a.m. after a hunter killed a deer on their island camp. They passed…
Nov
4
1805
Columbia River tidewater, approaching estuary — Patrick Gass: November 4, 1805
The expedition traveled 28 miles down a scenic stretch of the river, passing several large islands and Indian lodges. They stopped at a sizable Indian village where natives…
Nov
5
1805
Clark: November 5, 1805
On a cloudy, rainy day along the Columbia River, the expedition set out at sunrise after a sleepless night caused by the deafening noise of swans, geese, brant,…
Nov
5
1805
Columbia River tidewater, approaching estuary — Patrick Gass: November 5, 1805
After rain around 2 a.m., the party set out under cloudy skies and traveled down the river, passing several attractive islands close to shore. The terrain rose higher…
Nov
6
1805
Clark: November 6, 1805
On a cold, wet, rainy day, the expedition set out early and continued downriver, passing two lodges of traveling Indians, several islands, creeks, and a notable 80-foot knob…
Nov
6
1805
Columbia River tidewater, approaching estuary — Patrick Gass: November 6, 1805
Following a disagreeable night of rain, the expedition continued downriver, observing numerous Native people traveling up and down the river in canoes and passing several of their lodges.…
Nov
7
1805
"Ocean in View! O! the Joy!"
On November 7, 1805, Captain Clark recorded a moment of triumph as the Corps of Discovery believed they had finally reached the Pacific Ocean, hearing waves crashing on…
Nov
7
1805
Patrick Gass: November 7, 1805
The party traveled about six miles to an Indian camp where they obtained fresh fish and dogs. Gass observed that the women here dressed differently from those upriver,…
Nov
7
1805
John Ordway: November 7, 1805
The party set out around 10 a.m. and stopped at an Indian village, where they purchased fresh fish and roots. Continuing downriver, they passed several low, marshy islands…
Nov
8
1805
Clark: November 8, 1805
On a cloudy, rainy Friday, the party changed clothes and set out at 9 a.m., traveling close to the starboard shore beneath steep hills. Three Indians overtook them…
Nov
8
1805
Columbia estuary, storm-bound, vote on winter camp — Patrick Gass: November 8, 1805
Under cloudy skies and a strong east wind, the party traveled about five miles before reaching a bay 12 to 14 miles wide. High waves forced them to…
Nov
8
1805
Columbia estuary, storm-bound, vote on winter camp — John Ordway: November 8, 1805
The expedition battled rough, high waves as they rounded a point into what they named Shallow Bay, where the river widened to 5 or 6 miles. They believed…
Nov
9
1805
Clark: November 9, 1805
Camped at a stormy point near the Pacific, the expedition endured a miserable day as high tides, heavy swells, and strong southerly winds swamped their canoes and forced…
Nov
9
1805
Columbia estuary, storm-bound, vote on winter camp — Patrick Gass: November 9, 1805
Stormy weather forced the party to remain stranded at Cape Swell throughout the day. They unloaded their canoes to keep them from sinking, though some still sank when…
Nov
10
1805
Clark: November 10, 1805
Heavy rain continued from the night before as the party loaded their canoes and pushed on along the Columbia, passing several small bays on the starboard side and…
Nov
10
1805
Columbia estuary, storm-bound, vote on winter camp — Patrick Gass: November 10, 1805
With swells lower than the previous day, the expedition departed Cape Swell and traveled eight miles along high sandy cliffs before reaching a point where rising winds and…
Nov
11
1805
Clark: November 11, 1805
Heavy rain fell overnight and continued through the day, with high southwest winds whipping up tremendous waves. The party remained stranded for a fourth day, their canoes battered,…
Nov
11
1805
Columbia estuary, storm-bound, vote on winter camp — Patrick Gass: November 11, 1805
Strong winds and rain kept the party from traveling, so they built large fires and tried to make camp as comfortable as possible. Lacking tents, they relied on…
Nov
12
1805
Clark: November 12, 1805
A violent thunderstorm with hail struck around 3 a.m., followed by heavy rain and dangerously high waves crashing against the rocky camp. At low tide, the party relocated…
Nov
12
1805
Columbia estuary, storm-bound, vote on winter camp — John Ordway: November 12, 1805
The day began with hard thunder, lightning, and hail, and rain continued steadily throughout. Across the river, the party observed a snow-covered mountain on the opposite shore. Seeking…
Nov
12
1805
Columbia estuary, storm-bound, vote on winter camp — Patrick Gass: November 12, 1805
Severe weather brought rain, hail, thunder, and lightning, prompting the party to relocate camp about an eighth of a mile away. They secured their canoes by weighting them…
Nov
13
1805
Clark: November 13, 1805
Stuck in a cove with continuous rain and wind, Clark climbed about three miles up a steep mountain spur, struggling through dense thickets of small pine, thorny brush,…
Nov
13
1805
Columbia estuary, storm-bound, vote on winter camp — John Ordway: November 13, 1805
A rainy day kept the expedition in camp as high winds prevented further travel down the river. In the afternoon, three men departed in a small canoe, heading…
Nov
13
1805
Columbia estuary, storm-bound, vote on winter camp — Patrick Gass: November 13, 1805
The party remained pinned at camp by rough conditions and could not move on. Around 9 a.m. the weather calmed somewhat, and three men set out in a…
Nov
14
1805
Clark: November 14, 1805
Heavy rain continued overnight and through the day, with strong winds and high waves that damaged one of the canoes against the rocks. Five Wahkiakum Indians arrived by…
Nov
14
1805
Columbia estuary, storm-bound, vote on winter camp — John Ordway: November 14, 1805
The expedition remained stuck in an unpleasant harbor with only pounded salmon for food. One of the men who had scouted downriver returned and reported reaching an Indian…
Nov
14
1805
Columbia estuary, storm-bound, vote on winter camp — Patrick Gass: November 14, 1805
Heavy rain and rough water kept the party from moving on, forcing them to remain in camp. Around noon, one of three men sent ahead by canoe returned…
Nov
15
1805
Clark: November 15, 1805
After eleven days of nearly constant rain, the morning turned calm and fair, allowing the party to dry sodden bedding, inspect baggage, find some pounded fish spoiled, and…
Nov
15
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 15, 1805
Rough river conditions kept the party at their unpleasant camp until about 1 p.m., when calmer weather allowed them to load up and travel roughly three miles to…
Nov
16
1805
Clark: November 16, 1805
On a clear, cool morning at camp near the Pacific coast, Clark had the expedition's wet gear spread out to dry. Five Chinook Indians who had been suspected…
Nov
16
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — John Ordway: November 16, 1805
The party spent the day drying out their baggage while hunters went out in search of game. By evening, all but one of the hunters had returned to…
Nov
16
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 16, 1805
The expedition has reached the Pacific Ocean, completing the primary mission of finding a water route via the Missouri and Columbia rivers despite many hardships. From their position,…
Nov
17
1805
Clark: November 17, 1805
On a fair, cool, windy Sunday with strong tides crashing on the shore, Clark sent six hunters out for deer and fowl. At 1:30 PM, Captain Lewis returned…
Nov
17
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 17, 1805
Hunters brought in several deer and brants near the Pacific coast camp. Captain Lewis and his party returned from scouting around the bay, where they found signs that…
Nov
18
1805
Whitehouse Describes the Ocean Coast
Private Joseph Whitehouse describes the expedition's difficult first days near the Pacific coast, camped on the north shore of the Columbia estuary. Towering waves and powerful winds confined…
Nov
18
1805
John Ordway: November 18, 1805
A small group from the expedition continued their trek to view the Pacific Ocean, traveling around Haley's Bay (Baker Bay) and crossing two rivers along the way. One…
Nov
18
1805
Patrick Gass: November 18, 1805
While Captain Clark led a party of ten down to Cape Disappointment for a fuller view of the Pacific Ocean, three others went hunting. The group traded with…
Nov
19
1805
Clark: November 19, 1805
After overnight rain, Clark sent hunters ahead and followed, breakfasting on a small deer killed by Joseph Field. He pushed northwest through rugged hills along the Pacific coast…
Nov
19
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 19, 1805
On this day, hunters from the party went out and returned with three deer. Around 1 o'clock, a group of Native visitors who had been staying with the…
Nov
20
1805
Clark: November 20, 1805
After overnight rain cleared, hunters were sent out for elk, brant, and ducks, providing a duck breakfast. Clark then traveled back toward camp, crossing a 300-yard-wide tidal creek…
Nov
20
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 20, 1805
The party stayed at camp on a clear, pleasant day. Captain Lewis presented a medal to a visiting Native man who held the rank of chief in his…
Nov
21
1805
Clark: November 21, 1805
On a cloudy, rainy day at the Pacific coast camp, most Chinook visitors departed while Indians from other nations, including Chiltz, Clatsop, and a chief from the Grand…
Nov
21
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — John Ordway: November 21, 1805
The latitude at Haley's Bay and the camp at the point above was recorded as 46°19'11" North. The Native people placed very high value on their sea otter…
Nov
21
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 21, 1805
High winds and rough waves kept the expedition from beginning their planned return journey, which they hoped to start as soon as conditions allowed so they could establish…
Nov
22
1805
Clark: November 22, 1805
A violent storm from the south-southeast battered the camp throughout the day, with rain, fierce winds, and waves crashing over their shelters and splitting one canoe. The party…
Nov
22
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 22, 1805
The party remained unable to depart due to severe weather, with strong southerly winds making the river rougher than at any point since their arrival. At noon, an…
Nov
23
1805
Clark: November 23, 1805
A cloudy, calm day with intermittent rain following overnight showers near the Pacific coast. Hunters brought in three bucks, four brant, and three ducks. Captain Lewis branded a…
Nov
23
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — John Ordway: November 23, 1805
A small hunting party from the expedition spent a brief time in the field and brought back three deer and twenty-one fowl. The day was also marked by…
Nov
23
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 23, 1805
Calmer weather followed the previous day's storm, allowing some men to hunt while others repaired a canoe that had been split. Local natives remained at camp, surviving on…
Nov
24
1805
The Vote on Winter Camp — Democracy on the Frontier
On this day, the expedition's captains held a remarkable vote to decide where to establish winter quarters, allowing every member of the party to participate—including Sacagawea, who favored…
Nov
24
1805
John Ordway: November 24, 1805
At their camp near the mouth of the Columbia River, which measured about three miles and 660 yards wide at this point, several men went hunting while others…
Nov
24
1805
Patrick Gass: November 24, 1805
With clear weather finally allowing astronomical observations, the expedition stayed in camp at the head of the bay, determining their latitude at 46°19'11.7" north and measuring the river's…
Nov
25
1805
Clark: November 25, 1805
On a fine but windy Monday, the expedition was unable to cross the Columbia River from their camp due to high swells. They decided instead to travel upriver…
Nov
25
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 25, 1805
The morning began with a white frost. The party loaded the canoes and continued their journey, traveling about nine miles before attempting to cross the Columbia River. The…
Nov
25
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — John Ordway: November 25, 1805
The party loaded the canoes and the officers purchased two additional sea otter skins from local Native traders. They set out and traveled about nine miles upriver before…
Nov
26
1805
Clark: November 26, 1805
On a cloudy, rainy day with east-northeast winds, the expedition set out early and crossed the Columbia River, navigating between low marshy islands to reach the south side.…
Nov
26
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 26, 1805
The party set out early on a wet morning, traveled about a mile, and then crossed the river, passing several islands along the way. After crossing, they reached…
Nov
26
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — John Ordway: November 26, 1805
The party set out early, crossed the river after about a mile, and traveled down the south shore past several islands. They stopped at a Clatsop village where…
Nov
27
1805
Clark: November 27, 1805
Rain fell through the night and into the morning as three canoes carrying eleven Indians arrived from a nearby village to trade roots, mats, skins, and meat, but…
Nov
27
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 27, 1805
The party paddled along the coast and rounded a sharp cape about a mile out, but the swells became so high that they were forced to stop. They…
Nov
27
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — John Ordway: November 27, 1805
On a rainy day, Native people from a nearby village came to trade wapato roots with the expedition. The party traveled by water, crossing a bay and rounding…
Nov
28
1805
Clark: November 28, 1805
A miserable day of violent weather pinned the expedition in place. Strong southwest winds and heavy rain soaked the men, their bedding, stores, and rotting robes overnight, with…
Nov
28
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 28, 1805
The hunters set out but returned empty-handed. Rain fell continuously throughout the day, and the party had no source of fresh water at this location other than rainwater…
Nov
28
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — John Ordway: November 28, 1805
On this day, the expedition faced steady hard rain throughout, with winds coming from the northwest. Several members of the party ventured out in an attempt to hunt…
Nov
29
1805
Clark: November 29, 1805
Heavy wind and rain continued through the night into the morning, though it moderated somewhat by day. Captain Lewis and five hunters set out in a small Indian…
Nov
29
1805
Lewis: November 29, 1805
High winds kept the main party from moving the pirogues, so Lewis set out early down the east side of the river in a small canoe with five…
Nov
29
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 29, 1805
Captain Lewis set out with four men to scout downstream and determine whether the area near the salt water offered good hunting and a suitable wintering site. Hunters…
Nov
29
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — John Ordway: November 29, 1805
The party took the small canoe down the river to scout a location for winter quarters. The weather was showery with occasional hail throughout the day. The expedition…
Nov
30
1805
Clark: November 30, 1805
Camped along the lower Columbia, the party endured an overnight mix of rain and hail before clearing skies arrived around 9 a.m. Clark sent five men by canoe…
Nov
30
1805
Lewis: November 30, 1805
On a cloudy morning, Lewis set out before sunrise to continue exploring the bay. Three scouts sent southwest reported the woods too thick with marshes and lakes to…
Nov
30
1805
Exploring for winter camp site, south shore of Columbia — Patrick Gass: November 30, 1805
On a fair, pleasant, and unusually warm day for the season, Patrick Gass went around the cape and shot two or three ducks. These birds were the only…
Dec
1
1805
Clark: December 1, 1805
On a cloudy, windy Sunday morning with winds from the east, Clark sent out two hunters and planned to take a canoe with several men to hunt the…
Dec
1
1805
Lewis: December 1, 1805
On a cloudy day with southeast winds, Lewis sent hunters out to scout the surrounding country. They returned reporting nearly impenetrable woods and scarce game, having seen only…
Dec
1
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 1, 1805
The day was cloudy. Some members of the party went out hunting but had no success, failing to bring back any game, not even a duck.
Dec
1
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — John Ordway: December 1, 1805
A brief note from this date reports that the men of the expedition were unwell. Their diet at the time consisted solely of pounded salmon, which is identified…
Dec
2
1805
Clark: December 2, 1805
On a cloudy, rainy day at their camp near the Pacific, Clark sent three men hunting and dispatched two others with his servant York up Ke-ke-mar-que Creek to…
Dec
2
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 2, 1805
Hunters set out in the morning, and one returned in the afternoon reporting he had killed a fine elk. A party of men was sent to bring in…
Dec
2
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — John Ordway: December 2, 1805
On this day, hunters went out in search of game. One of them returned in the evening with news that he had killed an elk. Six men then…
Dec
3
1805
Clark: December 3, 1805
On a fair, windy Tuesday, hunters returned to camp with an elk, lifting the party's spirits, though Clark himself was too ill to eat the meat. A canoe…
Dec
3
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 3, 1805
The hunting party returned to camp carrying elk meat after a rough trip; darkness, fallen timber, and underbrush had forced them to camp out overnight near the kill…
Dec
4
1805
Clark: December 4, 1805
Heavy rain fell through the night and into the day, with strong winds from the south and southeast. Clark sent Sergeant Pryor and six men to retrieve meat…
Dec
4
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 4, 1805
Rough water on the river prevented the party from setting out with the canoes. Six or seven men were dispatched to dress the elk that had been killed…
Dec
4
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — John Ordway: December 4, 1805
Six men were sent out to dress and preserve elk meat that had been previously killed. The day was marked by continuous stormy weather and high winds, which…
Dec
5
1805
Clark: December 5, 1805
Hard overnight rain soaked the party's stores and bedding again, and the day continued cloudy with drizzle, heavy showers, and strong southwest winds. The noon tide ran two…
Dec
5
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — John Ordway: December 5, 1805
Around noon, Captain Lewis returned with three of his men after scouting downstream. They reported finding a suitable site for the expedition's winter quarters about 15 miles down…
Dec
5
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 5, 1805
Rough conditions kept the men from moving the canoes forward. Around 11 o'clock, Captain Lewis returned to camp with three of his scouting party, leaving two others behind…
Dec
6
1805
Clark: December 6, 1805
Strong southwest winds and moderate rain battered the camp through the night and continued all day, with very high waves. At dusk, the wind shifted to the north,…
Dec
6
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — John Ordway: December 6, 1805
An unusually high tide rose about two feet above normal, sending water into the camp and forcing the party to relocate their camps to higher ground. The storm…
Dec
6
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 6, 1805
Heavy rain and an unusually high tide made conditions miserable for the party, with floodwaters reaching a foot deep in parts of their camp. The men were forced…
Dec
7
1805
Clark: December 7, 1805
After overnight rain, the party set out at 8 a.m. in fair weather, paddling against the tide toward the site Captain Lewis had selected for winter quarters. They…
Dec
7
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — John Ordway: December 7, 1805
The party loaded their canoes and continued downriver through high waves, unable to land until reaching a sheltered bay where they cooked a young deer killed earlier by…
Dec
7
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 7, 1805
On a clear morning, the expedition launched their loaded canoes and set out for their planned winter camp. Coasting along the south side, they met up with six…
Dec
8
1805
Clark: December 8, 1805
On a cloudy Sunday at Fort Clatsop, Clark set out with five men to find the nearest route to the Pacific coast, scout a location for making salt,…
Dec
8
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — John Ordway: December 8, 1805
A hard white frost and cold weather greeted the morning after the tide came in overnight. Twelve men were dispatched with two canoes to retrieve elk meat, while…
Dec
8
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 8, 1805
On a frosty morning, Captain Clark set out with five men toward the ocean, while Gass and eleven others went to retrieve elk meat being guarded by two…
Dec
9
1805
Clark: December 9, 1805
After a rainy night left the party soaked, Clark sent Drouillard and Shannon to hunt elk while he and three men set out westward toward the ocean. Blocked…
Dec
9
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 9, 1805
A sergeant and eight men were dispatched to retrieve meat left behind the previous day, while other members of the party worked on improving the camp and clearing…
Dec
10
1805
Clark: December 10, 1805
On a cold, rainy Tuesday near the Pacific coast, Clark walked the beach collecting shells and observed local Indians searching for fish left by the tide, learning that…
Dec
10
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 10, 1805
Despite rain, the entire party worked on building the camp. Around 2 p.m., Captain Clark returned with three of his men, while the other two stayed out hunting.…
Dec
10
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — John Ordway: December 10, 1805
The expedition crew spent the day clearing ground to build their winter huts despite heavy rain falling for most of the day. Toward evening, Captain Clark returned with…
Dec
11
1805
Clark: December 11, 1805
Rain fell moderately through the night and continued off and on throughout the day. The men spent the day building huts and cabins for their winter quarters. Several…
Dec
11
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 11, 1805
On this December day in 1805, Patrick Gass recorded only that the expedition members continued working on building their huts. This was part of the construction of Fort…
Dec
12
1805
Clark: December 12, 1805
On a rainy Thursday at the winter camp site, the healthy members of the party worked on cutting logs and raising cabins, while two men were sent to…
Dec
12
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 12, 1805
The party made progress on their winter quarters, completing three cabin rooms except for the roofs. Roofing was expected to be challenging because no timber found so far…
Dec
13
1805
Clark: December 13, 1805
The Clatsop visitors departed after breakfast, having sold Clark two small animal robes and Lewis two lynx (loucirva) skins, intended for making coats. Drouillard and Shannon returned from…
Dec
13
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — John Ordway: December 13, 1805
The party continued construction of their winter quarters on the west side of the Lewis and Clark River, beginning the last line of huts to form three sides…
Dec
13
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 13, 1805
The work crew stayed busy at the camp throughout the day. The group of Native visitors from the previous day departed, and a different party arrived around midday.…
Dec
14
1805
Clark: December 14, 1805
On a cloudy, rainy Saturday at the expedition's new camp, the men completed the log work of their building and began finishing a separate house to store meat.…
Dec
14
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 14, 1805
Two men returned to guard meat killed earlier while the rest of the party continued work at the encampment. Rain fell throughout much of the day, though temperatures…
Dec
14
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — John Ordway: December 14, 1805
Construction continued at the winter camp. Two men were assigned to splitting out planks to use as roofing for the huts. The crew finished raising the second line…
Dec
15
1805
Clark: December 15, 1805
Clark set out early with 16 men in 3 canoes to retrieve elk meat from a recent hunt. They traveled about three miles up the river, then three…
Dec
15
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 15, 1805
On a day of light showers, the expedition party split into work groups. Sixteen men set out to retrieve meat that four others had been guarding. The journal-keeper…
Dec
16
1805
Clark: December 16, 1805
Clark and his party endured a miserable, freezing night in pouring rain with only elk skins for cover, sitting up much of the night as water rose beneath…
Dec
16
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — John Ordway: December 16, 1805
The party endured a miserable night of cold and rain, unable to start a fire because all their gear was soaked. In the morning they returned to camp,…
Dec
16
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 16, 1805
Around 8 a.m., Captain Clark arrived at camp with 15 men loaded with meat from a hunt, leaving a canoe behind with seven more men to bring in…
Dec
17
1805
Clark: December 17, 1805
Rain, hail, and strong wind marked the morning of December 17, 1805, before clearing to a fair, cool afternoon. The men worked on the new huts, chinking, daubing,…
Dec
17
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — John Ordway: December 17, 1805
Rain continued through the morning as the party worked on completing their winter quarters. The men chinked the gaps in their huts and split planks for construction. They…
Dec
17
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 17, 1805
On December 17, 1805, the expedition experienced light showers of rain and hail. Around 11 o'clock in the morning, the seven men who had been out returned with…
Dec
18
1805
Clark: December 18, 1805
Alternating rain and snow fell through the night, with bursts of snow and hail continuing until noon, leaving the air cold and disagreeable under a hard, unsettled wind.…
Dec
18
1805
Lewis: December 18, 1805
At Fort Clatsop, one of the men shot a bird of the crow family that had been feeding on meat scraps near camp. Lewis devoted the day's entry…
Dec
18
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — John Ordway: December 18, 1805
Two canoes were sent across the bay to gather plank, and the party returned in the evening with the canoes loaded with lumber salvaged from old fishing camps.…
Dec
18
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 18, 1805
The day began with stormy weather, but conditions improved by midday when skies cleared, leading to a pleasant afternoon. No other activities, travel, or events were recorded in…
Dec
19
1805
Clark: December 19, 1805
After a night of intermittent rain, the morning was clear with a southwest wind. Clark sent Sergeant Pryor and eight men in two canoes across Meriwether's Bay to…
Dec
19
1805
Lewis: December 19, 1805
Lewis devotes the day's entry to a detailed description of the blue crested corvus, a bird common in the wooded country west of the Rocky Mountains to the…
Dec
19
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — John Ordway: December 19, 1805
The morning was harsh, and the writer had fallen seriously ill the previous night. Despite his own poor condition, the rest of the men in the party were…
Dec
19
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 19, 1805
The day began with hopes of fair, pleasant weather, but those expectations were short-lived. By noon, clouds rolled back in and rain started falling once again, continuing the…
Dec
20
1805
Clark: December 20, 1805
Rain and hail fell overnight and continued hard until 10 a.m., with more showers in the afternoon. The men spent the day carrying puncheons and roofing the cabins,…
Dec
20
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 20, 1805
The crew gathered puncheons and slabs they had made, along with some taken from Indian huts up the bay, but did not have enough material to roof all…
Dec
21
1805
Clark: December 21, 1805
Rain continued through the night and all day at moderate intensity. The men kept working on the cabins, daubing and chinking them, and felled several trees that proved…
Dec
21
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 21, 1805
On a fine morning, the party traveled by river, stopping around 10 a.m. at some native lodges for about two hours. They obtained bread made from a small…
Dec
22
1805
Clark: December 22, 1805
Steady rain continued through the night and day at the expedition's winter camp. The men worked on what they could at the new shelters, finishing daubing four huts…
Dec
22
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 22, 1805
The party set out early, spotting many ducks, geese, and gulls. At 10 a.m. they reached a large island where the river cuts through a high hill, and…
Dec
22
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — John Ordway: December 22, 1805
A brief journal note from John Ordway recording the weather conditions for the day. The entry simply describes the day as rainy, warm, and wet, with no other…
Dec
23
1805
Clark: December 23, 1805
Heavy rain fell continuously through the night and day, accompanied by thunder and hail. The men worked on their huts at Fort Clatsop, and Clark and Lewis moved…
Dec
23
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 23, 1805
The expedition portaged and lined their canoes down a major falls totaling 37 feet 8 inches over 1200 yards, with a 20-foot perpendicular drop requiring a 450-yard drag…
Dec
23
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — John Ordway: December 23, 1805
The journal entry for this day is extremely brief, consisting only of a fragment noting that something was 'than common this day,' suggesting a comparison to typical conditions…
Dec
24
1805
Clark: December 24, 1805
Heavy rain fell intermittently overnight and steadily through the day at the corps' new winter quarters. The men worked at carrying puncheons and finishing the roofs of the…
Dec
24
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Joseph Whitehouse: December 24, 1805
Snow fell in the morning, but the weather cleared by around 10 a.m. into a fair day. The party completed work on their fortification, finishing the construction of…
Dec
24
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — John Ordway: December 24, 1805
On December 24, 1805, the expedition continued building their winter quarters at what would become Fort Clatsop. The men worked on covering their huts and built fires inside…
Dec
24
1805
Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 24, 1805
The party set out early and navigated very rapid water below the falls. After traveling four miles past the narrows, they encountered another set of narrows with even…
Dec
25
1805
Christmas Day at Fort Clatsop
Christmas Day at the newly built Fort Clatsop on the Pacific coast was bleak compared to the previous year at Fort Mandan. Constant rain, scarce game, and dwindling…
Dec
25
1805
John Ordway: December 25, 1805
On Christmas Day 1805, the expedition moved into their newly built winter quarters, which the captains named Fort Clatsop after the neighboring Clatsop Indians. At daybreak the men…
Dec
25
1805
Patrick Gass: December 25, 1805
On Christmas morning, the expedition moved from camp into their newly built huts. The men paraded at daybreak and fired a salute to wish Captains Lewis and Clark…
Dec
26
1805
Clark: December 26, 1805
Heavy rain, strong southeast winds, and hard thunder battered the camp through the night and continued all day. Joseph Fields finished building a table and two seats for…
Dec
26
1805
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — John Ordway: December 26, 1805
On this day, the expedition continued to endure harsh weather at their winter quarters, with high winds, hard storms, and persistent heavy rain. Ordway notes that these difficult…
Dec
26
1805
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — Patrick Gass: December 26, 1805
The party moved into their newly built huts and celebrated Christmas by firing a round of small arms at daybreak to greet Captains Lewis and Clark. The captains…
Dec
27
1805
Clark: December 27, 1805
Rain continued through the night and most of the day at the expedition's winter camp. The men finished chimneys and bunks, while assignments were made for the next…
Dec
27
1805
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — John Ordway: December 27, 1805
The men improved their huts at the newly established fort, making the quarters noticeably more comfortable than before. Several local Native people visited the fort during the evening.…
Dec
27
1805
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — Patrick Gass: December 27, 1805
Strong winds up the river kept the party in camp all day at their new location, which offered the first good hunting grounds they had seen in a…
Dec
28
1805
Clark: December 28, 1805
Rain continued through the night and day with strong southeast winds, though the weather was warm. Clark dispatched Drouillard, Shannon, Labiche, Reuben Field, and Collins to hunt, while…
Dec
28
1805
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — John Ordway: December 28, 1805
Word arrived that a very large fish, presumed to be a whale, had washed ashore on the coast, where local women were already processing its oil and meat.…
Dec
28
1805
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — Patrick Gass: December 28, 1805
After overnight rain, the morning dawned clear and fine. The party embarked at 8 o'clock and traveled about four miles before stopping at a small Native village, where…
Dec
29
1805
Clark: December 29, 1805
At Fort Clatsop on a cloudy, windy day with little rain, the visiting Indians departed after Clark gave Chief Canio a razor, denying their other requests. Three men…
Dec
29
1805
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — John Ordway: December 29, 1805
The men spent the day working on pickets and other construction tasks at the fort. Several members of the Chinook nation visited, bringing wapato roots and dried salmon…
Dec
29
1805
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — Patrick Gass: December 29, 1805
Three additional hunters set out from the fort during the day. In the afternoon, members of the Chinook nation arrived to trade, bringing wapato roots and dried salmon.…
Dec
30
1805
Clark: December 30, 1805
The day brought hard winds and rain overnight, but cleared into the fairest weather the party had seen since arriving, with only three rain showers. Four Wahkiacum Indians…
Dec
30
1805
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — Patrick Gass: December 30, 1805
A rare fair morning brought sunshine, though light rain showers fell throughout the day. Around 3 o'clock, the three hunters who had set out earlier returned, reporting they…
Dec
30
1805
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — John Ordway: December 30, 1805
On this unusually clear day at the winter encampment, the men completed construction of the fort's pickets and gates by about 2 p.m. Three hunters returned with news…
Dec
31
1805
Clark: December 31, 1805
Cloudy with showers throughout the day at the expedition's coastal camp. Local Indians remained nearby, and two more canoes arrived—one carrying three Wahkiakum men, the other bringing three…
Dec
31
1805
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — Patrick Gass: December 31, 1805
On the last day of 1805, Native visitors arrived to trade wapato roots and salmon, while an earlier hunting party had departed that morning. The new year began…
Jan
1
1806
Clark: January 1, 1806
New Year's Day at the newly completed Fort Clatsop began with the party firing a volley of small arms in salute and shouting wishes for a happy new…
Jan
1
1806
Lewis: January 1, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, the party marked New Year's Day 1806 with a volley of small arms fired in salute, the only celebration available to them. Their meal consisted…
Jan
1
1806
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — John Ordway: January 1, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, the men marked New Year's Day by firing their guns at daybreak in celebration. The weather was pleasant, and two hunters set out for the…
Jan
1
1806
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — Patrick Gass: January 1, 1806
On New Year's Day 1806, men from the expedition went out in the morning and hauled the meat of a previously killed elk back into Fort Clatsop. The…
Jan
2
1806
Clark: January 2, 1806
On a cloudy, rainy day at the winter camp, twelve men were sent out and returned by 11 a.m. with two elk killed the day before. The visiting…
Jan
2
1806
Lewis: January 2, 1806
At the new winter quarters, a party retrieved two elk killed the previous day, while Willard, Wiser, and another group of hunters who left December 26th remained absent.…
Jan
2
1806
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — John Ordway: January 2, 1806
With Fort Clatsop now complete, the captains issued a formal set of regulations to govern the party, who were operating as a detachment of the regular army under…
Jan
2
1806
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — Patrick Gass: January 2, 1806
On this short January day at the fort, members of the expedition went out in the morning to retrieve elk meat from a previous hunt and brought it…
Jan
3
1806
Clark: January 3, 1806
The sun appeared briefly for the first time in six weeks before clouds and rain returned, following a stormy night of lightning, thunder, hail, and rain. Sergeant Gass…
Jan
3
1806
Lewis: January 3, 1806
Chief Comowool and six Clatsops visited Fort Clatsop, bringing roots, berries, three dogs, and whale blubber obtained from the Callamuck people to the southeast, where a whale had…
Jan
3
1806
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — John Ordway: January 3, 1806
Overnight, one of the hunters caught a large otter. Sergeant Gass departed for the Salt Camps, and around 10 o'clock a group of Native visitors arrived at the…
Jan
3
1806
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — Patrick Gass: January 3, 1806
Patrick Gass and another man set out to check on the party's salt-making operation on the coast, since some of the men working there were overdue in returning.…
Jan
4
1806
Clark: January 4, 1806
Comowool and the Clatsop visitors departed in the morning. Clark reflects on the local Chinook, Clatsop, and related peoples, describing them as mild and friendly but prone to…
Jan
4
1806
Lewis: January 4, 1806
Chief Comowool and the Clatsop visitors who had arrived the previous day departed in the evening. Lewis reflected on the local Chinook, Clatsop, and related peoples, describing them…
Jan
4
1806
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — John Ordway: January 4, 1806
A routine day at the expedition's winter quarters. Clatsop Indians came to trade, bringing some excellent sweet roots that the party acquired. One member of the expedition also…
Jan
4
1806
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — Patrick Gass: January 4, 1806
Traveling toward the salt works, the party crossed what they believed was the final creek on their route. Just past it, Gass's companion shot an elk, providing breakfast…
Jan
5
1806
Clark: January 5, 1806
Willard and Wiser returned to Fort Clatsop at 5 p.m., reporting they had established a salt-making camp about 15 miles southwest on the sea coast near friendly Clatsop…
Jan
5
1806
Lewis: January 5, 1806
Willard and Wiser returned at 5 P.M., reporting they had finally established a salt-making camp about 15 miles southwest along the coast, near friendly Killamuck families. They brought…
Jan
5
1806
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — John Ordway: January 5, 1806
One hunter came back to Fort Clatsop having killed only a brant and two ducks. Soon after, two men arrived from the salt-making camp carrying about two gallons…
Jan
5
1806
Fort Clatsop, salt works established — Patrick Gass: January 5, 1806
Patrick Gass and a companion, traveling along the Pacific coast, encountered a creek they needed to cross. They built a raft, but it could only hold one person…
Jan
6
1806
Sacagawea Insists on Seeing the Whale
After news arrived at Fort Clatsop of a beached whale near present-day Cannon Beach, Clark assembled a party to retrieve blubber and oil. Sacagawea spoke up, arguing that…
Jan
6
1806
John Ordway: January 6, 1806
On this day, preparations were made involving one large canoe and one small canoe to travel along the coast in search of whale. Around 9 o'clock in the…
Jan
6
1806
Patrick Gass: January 6, 1806
After roughly two months of near-constant rain with only four clear days, the weather finally broke, allowing the party to leave the lodges where they had been staying.…
Jan
7
1806
Clark: January 7, 1806
Clark set out at daylight with his party to find a beached whale reported among the Killamox (Tillamook). They crossed a creek on a felled tree, walked the…
Jan
7
1806
Lewis: January 7, 1806
On this first rainless day since arriving at their winter quarters, Drewyer's traps yielded a large fat beaver and an otter, providing both a hearty meal and valuable…
Jan
7
1806
Clark's party to see beached whale at Tillamook Head — John Ordway: January 7, 1806
On this day, a member of the party checked traps about three miles out and found a large, beautiful black otter and a beaver, bringing the beaver back…
Jan
7
1806
Clark's party to see beached whale at Tillamook Head — Patrick Gass: January 7, 1806
Captain Clark and 14 men arrived at the salt-makers' camp en route to a beached whale further down the coast. Local Indians had already obtained good whale meat,…
Jan
8
1806
Clark: January 8, 1806
Clark and his party traveled to the Pacific coast in search of a beached whale among the Tillamook (Killamuck) Indians. After crossing rugged mountains and slippery points, they…
Jan
8
1806
Lewis: January 8, 1806
With meat supplies running low at Fort Clatsop, Lewis sent Drouillard and Collins out to hunt and assigned the cooks to guard duty to ease the burden on…
Jan
8
1806
Clark's party to see beached whale at Tillamook Head — John Ordway: January 8, 1806
Hunters left the fort to pursue game; Potts, Collins, and Reuben Fields had already been out since late December. Lewis recorded that he had grown fond of dog…
Jan
9
1806
Clark: January 9, 1806
Clark's party set out at daybreak from the Tillamook village, carrying whale meat and oil obtained the previous day. They examined an old plank house at a former…
Jan
9
1806
Lewis: January 9, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, the men spent the day dressing elk and deer skins for moccasins and clothing, though deer were scarce. Seven gunshots heard from a creek to…
Jan
9
1806
Clark's party to see beached whale at Tillamook Head — John Ordway: January 9, 1806
The day began with clearing skies and turned into a pleasant, warm morning that continued throughout the day. Ordway's brief entry records only the weather conditions at the…
Jan
10
1806
Clark: January 10, 1806
Clark left Sergeant Gass with the salt makers and set out at sunrise, wading the 85-yard-wide Clatsop River. He met a Tillamook Indian wearing a fine sea otter…
Jan
10
1806
Lewis: January 10, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Lewis received a visit from Cuthlahmah Chief Shahharwarcap and eleven of his people, exchanging small gifts and trading goods. Hunters Drewyer and Collins returned with…
Jan
10
1806
Clark's party to see beached whale at Tillamook Head — John Ordway: January 10, 1806
Two hunters returned with an elk, and twelve Native visitors arrived at the fort to trade wapato roots and two dogs. By evening, Captain Clark and most of…
Jan
10
1806
Clark's party to see beached whale at Tillamook Head — Patrick Gass: January 10, 1806
Gass remained behind at camp after his party set out, waiting for a hunter who had accompanied him to return from the woods. The following day, January 11th,…
Jan
11
1806
Clark: January 11, 1806
A party retrieved an elk killed two days earlier, returning with the meat by evening. The sergeant of the guard reported that an Indian canoe had drifted away…
Jan
11
1806
Lewis: January 11, 1806
On this Sunday, a party retrieved an elk killed two days earlier, while hunters Drouillard and Collins returned empty-handed. The guard reported that the Indian canoe had drifted…
Jan
11
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: January 11, 1806
Overnight, seven men took a canoe to retrieve elk meat while others searched for a missing small canoe. The party returned in the evening with the meat. The…
Jan
11
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: January 11, 1806
On this wet, rainy day at the expedition's winter camp, most of the available men were sent out to haul in the meat from the elk that had…
Jan
12
1806
Clark: January 12, 1806
On a Sunday at Fort Clatsop, Drewyer and another man were sent out hunting and returned in the evening with seven elk, Drewyer once again proving the party's…
Jan
12
1806
Lewis: January 12, 1806
The party gave up searching for a lost canoe. Drewyer was sent hunting and returned in the evening having killed seven elk, prompting Lewis to praise him as…
Jan
12
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: January 12, 1806
On January 12, 1806, hunting was the focus of the day at the expedition's winter quarters. Three men went out again searching for a missing canoe but were…
Jan
12
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: January 12, 1806
Some men were sent to the salt works to help make salt, while others stayed at the fort drying meat and dressing elk skins for moccasins, a laborious…
Jan
13
1806
Clark: January 13, 1806
Captain Lewis led a party from Fort Clatsop to retrieve the elk killed the previous day, finding the meat untouched by wolves, which are scarce in the area.…
Jan
13
1806
Lewis: January 13, 1806
Lewis sent available men from Fort Clatsop to retrieve the meat from seven elk killed the previous day, finding it intact since wolves are scarce in the area,…
Jan
13
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: January 13, 1806
Rainy weather continued through the morning. Captain Lewis led most of the party out to retrieve elk meat from a recent hunt, leaving only the guard behind at…
Jan
13
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: January 13, 1806
On this wet day at the expedition's winter camp, most of the available men were sent out to haul in the meat from the elk that had been…
Jan
14
1806
Clark: January 14, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, the sergeant of the guard reported a canoe missing after the tide carried it off, but a search party recovered it within three hours. Clark…
Jan
14
1806
Lewis: January 14, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, the guard reported a large pirogue had broken loose and drifted off with the tide. A search party recovered it within three hours, after which…
Jan
14
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: January 14, 1806
Some men were dispatched to the salt works to help produce salt, while others stayed at the fort drying meat and dressing elk skins for moccasins—tedious but necessary…
Jan
15
1806
Clark: January 15, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, heavy rain fell all day and little of note occurred, though Captain Lewis completed a large coat made from seven robes of tiger cat and…
Jan
15
1806
Lewis: January 15, 1806
Heavy rain on January 15, 1806, forced Lewis to postpone sending out two hunting parties at Fort Clatsop. He completed a large coat made from seven dressed robes…
Jan
16
1806
Clark: January 16, 1806
The party finished curing meat at Fort Clatsop, with ample elk meat, some salt, and dry comfortable quarters. Having decided to remain until April 1st, everyone seemed content.…
Jan
16
1806
Lewis: January 16, 1806
The party finished curing meat on this quiet day at Fort Clatsop, with ample elk meat, some salt, and dry, comfortable quarters. Lewis explained the decision to remain…
Jan
17
1806
Clark: January 17, 1806
Chief Comowool and seven Clatsops visited Fort Clatsop, bringing roots and berries to trade, though their prices were too high for most exchanges. Comowool gifted some roots and…
Jan
17
1806
Lewis: January 17, 1806
Chief Comowool and seven Clatsops visited the camp, bringing roots and berries to trade but asking prices too high for the captains' dwindling stock. Comowool received an awl…
Jan
17
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: January 17, 1806
A number of Native Americans visited the fort during the day. Around midday, one of the expedition's hunters returned, bringing in a deer he had killed.
Jan
18
1806
Clark: January 18, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, two Clatsop visitors from the previous day returned to retrieve a dog they had left behind, staying briefly before departing. Nothing else of note occurred.…
Jan
18
1806
Lewis: January 18, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, two Clatsop visitors from the previous day briefly returned to retrieve a dog they had left behind, then departed. Nothing else of note occurred. The…
Jan
18
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: January 18, 1806
A brief and uneventful day at the expedition's winter quarters. Two Native American visitors arrived at the fort, remained for only a short period, and then departed. No…
Jan
18
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: January 18, 1806
Rain set in and fell throughout the previous night, and the wet weather continued through the day. Some of the local Native people came to visit the camp…
Jan
19
1806
Clark: January 19, 1806
Two hunting parties were sent out, one toward Point Adams and another up the Netul River by water. Two Clatsop men and a woman visited to trade, selling…
Jan
19
1806
Lewis: January 19, 1806
Two hunting parties were dispatched: Collins and Willard down the bay toward Point Adams, and Labiche and Shannon up the Netul River by water. Two Clatsop men and…
Jan
19
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: January 19, 1806
A rainy day at the fort, where the men spent their time dressing elk skins to make moccasins and other gear. Several Native visitors came by and sold…
Jan
19
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: January 19, 1806
The day brought fair weather with passing clouds, though rain returned by evening. Some of the local Native people again visited the expedition's camp.
Jan
20
1806
Clark: January 20, 1806
Three Clatsop visitors spent the day at the fort, mainly to smoke with the party. The sergeant reported that the six pounds of jerked meat issued per man…
Jan
20
1806
Lewis: January 20, 1806
Three Clatsops visited the camp and stayed the day, just to smoke the pipe. The sergeant reported that the six pounds of jerked elk issued per man on…
Jan
20
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: January 20, 1806
This is an unusually brief entry from John Ordway during the expedition's winter stay at Fort Clatsop on the Pacific coast. He notes only that something was very…
Jan
20
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: January 20, 1806
Wet, stormy weather kept the party at Fort Clatsop on January 20th and continued through the 21st and 22nd. Because of the harsh evening conditions, visiting Native guests…
Jan
21
1806
Clark: January 21, 1806
Hunters Shannon and Labiche returned to camp after killing three elk, prompting Clark to order a party out the next morning to retrieve the meat while the hunters…
Jan
21
1806
Lewis: January 21, 1806
Hunters Shannon and Labiche returned to camp having killed three elk; a party was ordered out the next morning to retrieve the meat while the hunters resumed the…
Jan
22
1806
Clark: January 22, 1806
The party sent to retrieve meat returned in the evening with it in poor condition, as the animals had been lean. Reuben Field, Shannon, and Labiche stayed behind…
Jan
22
1806
Lewis: January 22, 1806
The party sent to retrieve meat returned in the evening with poor-quality game, and hunter Reubin Fields stayed behind with Shannon and Labuish. The recent salt supply has…
Jan
23
1806
Clark: January 23, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Clark sent Howard and Werner to the salt makers' camp to fetch a fresh supply of salt. The garrison continued dressing elk skins for clothing…
Jan
23
1806
Lewis: January 23, 1806
Lewis sent Howard and Warner to the salt-makers' camp to bring back a fresh supply of salt. At the fort, men continued the difficult work of dressing elk…
Jan
23
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: January 23, 1806
On this day, two men were dispatched to the salt works. The weather remained pleasant through most of the day, but around four o'clock in the afternoon conditions…
Jan
24
1806
Clark: January 24, 1806
Drouillard and Baptiste LaPage returned to the fort by canoe with the Clatsop chief Comowol and six other Clatsops, bringing two deer and three elk killed near Point…
Jan
24
1806
Lewis: January 24, 1806
Drewyer and La Page returned to Fort Clatsop with Chief Comowooll and six Clatsops, bringing two deer, elk meat, and one elk skin; three elk skins and meat…
Jan
24
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: January 24, 1806
Several showers of rain and hail fell throughout the day at the fort. In the afternoon, hunters George Drouillard and Baptiste Lepage returned to the fort, accompanied by…
Jan
24
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: January 24, 1806
Snow showers passed through during the day. In the afternoon, two of the expedition's hunters returned to the fort by Indian canoe, accompanied by some local Native people,…
Jan
25
1806
Clark: January 25, 1806
Chief Comowool and the Clatsops left early in the morning. Colter returned with news that Willard was still hunting toward the salt camp at Point Adams, and that…
Jan
25
1806
Lewis: January 25, 1806
The Clatsop chief Commowooll and his party left Fort Clatsop early in the morning. At midday, Colter returned with news that Willard was still hunting toward the salt…
Jan
25
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: January 25, 1806
Snow mixed with hail fell overnight and the morning remained squally. Two men arrived in camp from the salt-making camps on the coast. They had been out hunting…
Jan
25
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: January 25, 1806
Snow fell throughout the day, accumulating to about eight inches overnight. The following day, January 26th, brought light showers, but the weather cleared by evening and a hard…
Jan
26
1806
Clark: January 26, 1806
Collins is ordered to return at dawn to rejoin the salt makers, carrying small trade goods to buy provisions from local Indians if hunting continues to fail. The…
Jan
26
1806
Lewis: January 26, 1806
The salt-making party members Werner and Howard, sent out on January 23rd, had not returned, raising concerns they were lost in the dense pine country and persistent cloudy…
Jan
26
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: January 26, 1806
Snow that began falling the previous night continued through the morning, accompanied by cold, freezing weather. By evening, the accumulation on level ground measured about five inches deep.…
Jan
27
1806
Clark: January 27, 1806
Collins departed for the saltmakers and Shannon returned to report his hunting party had killed ten elk. Because two were on a nearly inaccessible mountain miles away through…
Jan
27
1806
Lewis: January 27, 1806
Collins departed for the salt works while Shannon returned to report his party had killed ten elk, leaving Labuche and R. Fields to guard them. Two elk lay…
Jan
27
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: January 27, 1806
On this day at the fort, one man departed in the morning to search for the salt makers. Around noon, George Shannon arrived at the fort with news…
Jan
27
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: January 27, 1806
On this winter day, about nine inches of snow blanketed the ground. Some of it melted in spots where the sun broke through, but such patches were rare…
Jan
28
1806
Clark: January 28, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Drewyer and Baptiste Lapage left for a hunting trip. Around noon, Howard and Werner came back with salt, delayed by bad weather and rough roads;…
Jan
28
1806
Lewis: January 28, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Drewyer and La Page departed on a hunting trip. Around noon, Howard and Werner returned with salt, delayed by bad weather and rough roads; they…
Jan
28
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: January 28, 1806
On a harsh winter day, fourteen members of the expedition set out early to retrieve meat from a previous hunt. The hunters were only able to locate three…
Jan
28
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: January 28, 1806
The cold weather persisted throughout the day. About half the men were assigned to haul meat back to camp, a task made miserable by the freezing conditions. Two…
Jan
29
1806
Clark: January 29, 1806
A quiet day at Fort Clatsop with nothing notable to report. The party's diet has been reduced to lean elk boiled with water and salt, as their sparingly-used…
Jan
29
1806
Lewis: January 29, 1806
A quiet day at Fort Clatsop with nothing notable happening. The party subsisted on lean elk boiled with water and a little salt, having now exhausted their whale…
Jan
29
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: January 29, 1806
A quiet winter day at the expedition's encampment, with the men engaged in no significant activities. Their only task was gathering firewood to keep their fires going. No…
Jan
29
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: January 29, 1806
The clear weather from the previous day continued through January 29th. On January 30th, conditions shifted as the sky became cloudy and some snow fell, though temperatures were…
Jan
30
1806
Clark: January 30, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, the day passed without notable events. The party was pleasantly surprised that their green pine firewood burned well once split. Clark recorded extensive observations on…
Jan
30
1806
Lewis: January 30, 1806
A quiet day at Fort Clatsop with no notable events. The party was pleasantly surprised that the green pine firewood burned well once split. Lewis recorded observations about…
Jan
30
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: January 30, 1806
A brief entry noting the day's weather conditions, with precipitation falling in the morning and the evening turning clear and cold. No other activities, events, or interactions are…
Jan
31
1806
Clark: January 31, 1806
On January 31, 1806, eight men sent with hunters to search for elk turned back when ice blocked the river. Joseph Field arrived at Fort Clatsop reporting he…
Jan
31
1806
Lewis: January 31, 1806
Eight men sent upriver to search for elk and hunt turned back when ice blocked the river. Joseph Fields returned in the evening reporting that after five days…
Jan
31
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: January 31, 1806
Sergeant Gass and six men launched a canoe to go hunting but encountered ice in the river and were forced to turn back. Later that evening, one of…
Jan
31
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: January 31, 1806
A hunting party set out by canoe up a small river but turned back after about a mile when ice blocked their progress, returning to the fort. Meanwhile,…
Feb
1
1806
Clark: February 1, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, two parties set out: four men with Joseph Field, and Sergeant Gass with five men heading up the Netul River to search for elk killed…
Feb
1
1806
Lewis: February 1, 1806
Two hunting parties departed from Fort Clatsop: four men with Joseph Fields, and Sergeant Gass with five men heading up the Netul River to recover an elk killed…
Feb
1
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 1, 1806
On this day, Sergeant Gass and five other members of the party departed on a hunting trip. Separately, four men set out accompanying another hunter, tasked with helping…
Feb
1
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: February 1, 1806
On this winter day at the fort, several men were sent out on supply errands. Their tasks involved hauling meat back to the fort and delivering a portion…
Feb
2
1806
Clark: February 2, 1806
A quiet Sunday at Fort Clatsop with nothing notable happening, though the party was glad that one month of their planned stay had passed, bringing them closer to…
Feb
2
1806
Lewis: February 2, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Lewis notes nothing remarkable occurred but the party is glad one month of their stay has passed. He devotes the entry to describing local Indian…
Feb
2
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 2, 1806
A brief midday observation noted cloudy skies with a small amount of snow falling, though the snowfall was too light to be considered significant.
Feb
2
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: February 2, 1806
The weather grew more moderate, with thawing beginning around midday and rain falling by evening. Some members of the party spent the day bringing additional meat back to…
Feb
3
1806
Clark: February 3, 1806
Around 3 PM, Drewyer and Lapage returned with news that Drewyer had killed seven elk in a point several miles below camp, accessible by canoe via a small…
Feb
3
1806
Lewis: February 3, 1806
Around 3 PM, hunters Drewyer and LaPage returned, reporting Drewyer had killed seven elk in a point several miles below camp, accessible by canoe via a small creek…
Feb
3
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 3, 1806
Hunters George Drouillard and Baptiste Lepage returned to camp with seven elk and a large beaver from their hunting trip. Six men set out by canoe to retrieve…
Feb
3
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: February 3, 1806
The day continued damp and cloudy following rain the previous night. One of the expedition's hunters returned to camp with news of having killed seven elk, then set…
Feb
4
1806
Clark: February 4, 1806
Sergeant Pryor and five men set out again to retrieve the elk Drewyer had killed, while Drewyer himself returned to continue hunting in the same area. Clark notes…
Feb
4
1806
Lewis: February 4, 1806
Sergeant Pryor and a party of five men set out again to retrieve elk that Drewyer had killed, while Drewyer and LaPage returned to continue hunting in the…
Feb
4
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 4, 1806
On this day, six men departed once more by canoe to retrieve elk meat that had been hunted earlier. The tide was running high. The brief entry records…
Feb
4
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: February 4, 1806
The men who had been sent to deliver meat to the salt works returned to camp, bringing back a bushel of salt with them. The weather stayed clear…
Feb
5
1806
Clark: February 5, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, a hunter's gunshot across the Netul marsh in the evening prompted Sergeant Gass and a party to row over, using a small creek at high…
Feb
5
1806
Lewis: February 5, 1806
Late in the evening, a gunshot and shout from across the Netul swamp prompted Lewis to send Sergeant Gass and a party to investigate. They took advantage of…
Feb
5
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 5, 1806
Around midday, one of the expedition's hunters returned to camp with news of having killed six elk, providing a significant addition to the party's food supply. Meanwhile, another…
Feb
5
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: February 5, 1806
A small party set out by canoe to retrieve the meat from the elk killed the previous day. The task could not be completed in a single day,…
Feb
6
1806
Clark: February 6, 1806
Sergeant Gass and party were sent out with Reuben Field to retrieve an elk Field had killed. Sergeant Pryor returned late in the evening with only the flesh…
Feb
6
1806
Lewis: February 6, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Lewis sent Sergeants Gass and Ordway with Reubin Field and a party to retrieve elk that Field had killed. Sergeant Pryor returned that evening with…
Feb
6
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 6, 1806
The party went out to retrieve elk that had been killed earlier, butchering the animals where they lay. They packed some of the meat together and made camp…
Feb
7
1806
Clark: February 7, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Sergeant Ordway and Wiser returned in the evening with part of the elk meat killed by Reubin Field, while Sergeant Gass and the rest of…
Feb
7
1806
Lewis: February 7, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Sergeant Ordway and Wiser returned with part of the elk meat hunted by R. Fields, while Sergeant Gass and the rest of the party stayed…
Feb
7
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 7, 1806
Ordway and one other man traveled by canoe back to the fort, bringing along some meat from a marsh area where hunting or butchering had taken place. The…
Feb
7
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: February 7, 1806
The party continued the work of bringing in meat from a recent hunt, managing to deliver some of it to the fort. However, Gass and a portion of…
Feb
8
1806
Clark: February 8, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Sergeant Ordway and two men were sent to rejoin Sergeant Gass's party and retrieve the rest of R. Field's elk, returning that evening with meat…
Feb
8
1806
Lewis: February 8, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Sergeant Ordway and two men were sent to help bring back the rest of Reubin Field's elk, returning that evening with meat from five elk,…
Feb
8
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 8, 1806
Ordway took a canoe across the water to retrieve men and meat. Meanwhile, another party that had been working downriver returned and then headed up a small nearby…
Feb
8
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: February 8, 1806
On this day the weather brought hail. Some of the expedition's hunters had success in the field, killing four more elk. The party managed to bring all of…
Feb
9
1806
Clark: February 9, 1806
Hunters Collins and Wiser left on an expedition, while Drewyer returned having killed only one beaver and spotted the first black bear seen since the party's arrival; local…
Feb
9
1806
Lewis: February 9, 1806
On this Sunday at Fort Clatsop, Collins and Wiser took the Indian canoe across the Netul River to hunt. Drewyer returned in the evening with only one beaver,…
Feb
9
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 9, 1806
On this day at the expedition's winter quarters, the party occupied themselves with jerking meat to preserve it. The weather was unsettled, with several showers of hail falling…
Feb
9
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: February 9, 1806
The day brought mixed weather, with periods of sunshine alternating with rain showers. One of the expedition's hunters managed to catch a beaver. The brief entry reflects a…
Feb
10
1806
Clark: February 10, 1806
Hunters Collins and Wiser came back empty-handed, while Willard returned from the Salt Camp after badly cutting his knee with his tomahawk; he had killed four elk two…
Feb
10
1806
Lewis: February 10, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Drewyer checked his traps but caught no beaver, while Collins and Wiser returned without elk. Willard came back late from the Saltworks after badly cutting…
Feb
10
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 10, 1806
Two men arrived from the salt works with news that Gibson was very sick and Bratton was unwell. The same men reported they had killed five elk but…
Feb
10
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: February 10, 1806
The day featured pleasant weather. In the afternoon, two men arrived at camp from the salt-making works on the coast bringing news that two of their companions there…
Feb
11
1806
Clark: February 11, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Sergeant Gass with R. Field and J. Thompson crossed the Netul River to hunt. Sergeant Pryor was sent with four men by canoe to retrieve…
Feb
11
1806
Lewis: February 11, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Sergeant Gass, Reubin Fields, and Thompson crossed the Netul River to hunt. Sergeant Pryor and four men were sent to bring the ailing Gibson back…
Feb
11
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 11, 1806
A canoe was sent around to the salt works to retrieve the sick men, with two additional men assigned to take their places at the salt-making operation. Three…
Feb
11
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: February 11, 1806
Six men were dispatched from the fort to retrieve sick members of the party. Meanwhile, Gass and two others set out on a hunting trip lasting until the…
Feb
12
1806
Clark: February 12, 1806
A Clatsop man visited Fort Clatsop bringing three dogs as compensation for elk his people had stolen earlier, but the dogs ran off in alarm; the visitor was…
Feb
12
1806
Lewis: February 12, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, a Clatsop man visited and offered three dogs as compensation for elk his people had previously stolen, but the dogs ran off; he was permitted…
Feb
12
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 12, 1806
Clatsop Indians visited Fort Clatsop and stayed overnight. One visitor came intending to offer three dogs as restitution for elk that his people had stolen from hunter Fields…
Feb
13
1806
Clark: February 13, 1806
The Clatsop visitors departed at 11 A.M., and the day passed without notable events. The party finished drying meat the previous day, securing what they believe is a…
Feb
13
1806
Lewis: February 13, 1806
The visiting Clatsop departed at 11 a.m., and the day passed quietly at Fort Clatsop. The party finished drying meat the previous day and now had roughly a…
Feb
13
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 13, 1806
On this day, John Ordway recorded a brief trade transaction with a local Indian, acquiring a sea otter skin in exchange for a small piece of tobacco—less than…
Feb
14
1806
Clark: February 14, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, the captains worried about sick men at the salt works and the unexplained delay of Sergeant Pryor's party. Drouillard caught a fat beaver, which the…
Feb
14
1806
Lewis: February 14, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, the captains worry about sick men at the salt works and Sergeant Pryor's overdue party. Drouillard caught a fat beaver, providing the evening's meal. The…
Feb
14
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 14, 1806
Rain fell throughout the day at the expedition's winter encampment. No other activities or events were recorded in this brief entry.
Feb
15
1806
Clark: February 15, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Drewyer and Whitehouse left to hunt toward the southwestern mountains. Bratten arrived from the saltworks in poor health, reporting that Sergeant Pryor was bringing the…
Feb
15
1806
Lewis: February 15, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Drewyer and Whitehouse left to hunt near Point Adams. Bratton arrived from the salt works in the afternoon, recovering from illness, and reported that Sergeant…
Feb
15
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 15, 1806
In the evening, the hunting party returned to camp. Bratton came overland and arrived sick. The men carried Gibson up from the canoe in a blanket, as he…
Feb
16
1806
Clark: February 16, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Clark sent Shannon, Labiche, and Frazier hunting up the Kilhawanakkle River, while Sergeant Gass's party remained unheard from. Clark treated two ailing men: Bratten, weakened…
Feb
16
1806
Lewis: February 16, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Lewis spent the day calibrating his octant against his sextant, determining its error to be 2°1'45" additive beyond the fracture. He sent Shannon, Labiche, and…
Feb
16
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 16, 1806
On this day at the expedition's winter quarters, activity was minimal and Ordway's journal entry is exceptionally brief. He notes only that three men from the party left…
Feb
17
1806
Clark: February 17, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Collins and Windsor were sent hunting near Point Adams to get fresh meat for the sick. Shannon, Labiche, and Frazier returned with an elk carcass.…
Feb
17
1806
Lewis: February 17, 1806
Hunters Collins and Windsor went out for fresh meat for the sick, while Shannon, LaBiche, and Frazier returned with elk meat from a kill made by Sergeant Gass's…
Feb
17
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 17, 1806
Hunters returned to the fort with elk meat, including one retrieved from a creek. Sergeant Gass and two men came back after killing eight elk, two of which…
Feb
17
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: February 17, 1806
The party returned to the fort in the afternoon, where they found the sick men still in poor condition. A messenger arrived from the salt works reporting that…
Feb
18
1806
Clark: February 18, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, two parties were sent out: Sergeant Ordway's group toward the salt works and Sergeant Gass's group to retrieve eight elk killed across the Netul River.…
Feb
18
1806
Lewis: February 18, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, two parties were sent out: Sergeant Ordway toward the Saltworks and Sergeant Gass to retrieve elk killed across the Netul River. Ordway returned unable to…
Feb
18
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 18, 1806
A canoe was dispatched to the salt works, and ten men set out to retrieve elk meat. High winds at the bay forced the party traveling by water…
Feb
18
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: February 18, 1806
Two parties set out from the fort on this stormy day. A sergeant and six men headed to the salt works to retrieve salt and kettles, while Gass…
Feb
19
1806
Clark: February 19, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Sergeant Ordway departed overland with a party for the salt works, while Sergeant Gass returned with eight elk carcasses and seven skins, leaving Shannon and…
Feb
19
1806
Lewis: February 19, 1806
Sergeant Ordway departed overland with a party for the salt works, while Sergeant Gass returned in the evening with eight elk carcasses and seven hides, leaving Shannon and…
Feb
19
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 19, 1806
Ordway and six other men set out early overland to the salt works to retrieve salt and baggage. They crossed prairies where the ground formed wave-like ridges, pushing…
Feb
19
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: February 19, 1806
On this wet and stormy day, a sergeant and seven men set out overland from the fort, heading to the salt-making camp to retrieve the salt they had…
Feb
20
1806
Clark: February 20, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Collins hunted unsuccessfully but returned with cranberries for the sick. Gibson is recovering, while Bratten, McNeal, and Willard remain ill with coughs, fevers, and other…
Feb
20
1806
Lewis: February 20, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Collins was sent hunting and returned with cranberries for the sick but no game. Gibson is recovering, while Bratton and McNeal are worsening. Tahcum, a…
Feb
20
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 20, 1806
The party set out early and traveled along the coast against a strong southwest wind that blew sand into their faces. They forded a creek with a rapid…
Feb
20
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: February 20, 1806
Chinook Indians visited the fort to trade hats made from cedar bark and silk grass, which were attractive in appearance and effective at keeping out rain. The day…
Feb
21
1806
Clark: February 21, 1806
Three Clatsop visitors spent the day at the fort, with Captain Lewis giving one of them needles before they left in the evening. Drewyer and Collins tried to…
Feb
21
1806
Lewis: February 21, 1806
Three Clatsop visitors spent the day at the fort begging; Lewis gave one some needles before they left in the evening. Heavy rain forced Drewyer and Collins to…
Feb
21
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 21, 1806
The party crossed the river in an Indian canoe and pushed hard overland with their baggage. Halfway through the journey, a heavy storm broke out with pouring rain…
Feb
21
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: February 21, 1806
A small party returned to the main camp carrying salt and baggage, likely from the salt-making operation on the coast. The group endured a miserable journey, as heavy…
Feb
22
1806
Clark: February 22, 1806
Two Clatsop women and two boys visited camp, bringing finely made cedar-bark hats ornamented with bear grass, including two custom-fitted hats previously ordered by Lewis and Clark. The…
Feb
22
1806
Lewis: February 22, 1806
Two Clatsop women and two boys visited the camp, bringing finely made cedar-bark hats ornamented with beargrass, including two custom-fitted ones ordered earlier by Lewis and Clark. The…
Feb
22
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 22, 1806
Ordway reports feeling somewhat better, though still aching and uncomfortable. Other sick members of the party are also slowly recovering. Several Native visitors came to the fort bringing…
Feb
22
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: February 22, 1806
Native visitors came to the fort bringing hats, which the expedition bought at reasonable prices. The following day, February 23rd, was clear and pleasant. February 24th began cloudy…
Feb
23
1806
Clark: February 23, 1806
At Fort Clatsop on this quiet Sunday, nothing of particular note occurred. The sick members of the party were recovering, and the men had outfitted themselves more amply…
Feb
23
1806
Lewis: February 23, 1806
A quiet Sunday at Fort Clatsop with little of note happening. The sick are recovering, though Sergeant Ordway remains the most ill. The men are well supplied with…
Feb
23
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 23, 1806
Ordway notes that several members of the expedition party have fallen ill. He believes that he himself, along with three others, are suffering from influenza. The brief entry…
Feb
24
1806
Clark: February 24, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, the sick continue recovering. Hunters Shannon and Labiche return empty-handed, reporting that elk—the party's main food source—have moved deeper into the mountains, troubling news for…
Feb
24
1806
Lewis: February 24, 1806
The sick members of the party continue to recover. Hunters Shannon and Labiche return empty-handed, reporting that elk have moved far from the area—worrying news since elk meat…
Feb
24
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 24, 1806
Drewyer returned to the fort accompanied by a number of Indians, who brought hats and fresh fish to trade. The officers purchased a sea otter skin and several…
Feb
25
1806
Clark: February 25, 1806
Heavy rain and wind kept the party confined to Fort Clatsop, and the visiting Indians departed for their village in the morning. Willard's condition worsened slightly while the…
Feb
25
1806
Lewis: February 25, 1806
Heavy rain and wind kept the party confined at Fort Clatsop, and visiting Indians departed for their village in the morning. Willard's condition worsened slightly while the other…
Feb
25
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 25, 1806
Ordway notes feeling slightly better in health, though a storm continued throughout the day. This brief entry from the expedition's winter stay at Fort Clatsop on the Pacific…
Feb
25
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: February 25, 1806
A stormy, rainy day at the expedition's winter camp. The Native visitors who had been with the party departed around 10 o'clock in the morning, despite the heavy…
Feb
26
1806
Clark: February 26, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, the captains sent out multiple hunting and fishing parties to address dwindling food supplies, which had been reduced to three days of tainted dried elk.…
Feb
26
1806
Lewis: February 26, 1806
With provisions reduced to three days of tainted dried elk, the captains sent out multiple hunting and fishing parties: Drouillard and two men took the Indian canoe up…
Feb
26
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 26, 1806
On February 26, 1806, members of the expedition went out hunting while three others took a canoe to the nearby Clatsop and Cathlamet villages to trade for fresh…
Feb
26
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: February 26, 1806
With food supplies running low at the winter camp, hunters were dispatched to find game while three other men went to gather the small fish the party had…
Feb
27
1806
Clark: February 27, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Reubin Field returned from hunting empty-handed, reporting no elk near Point Adams, while Collins came back having killed a buck elk along the Netul. Willard…
Feb
27
1806
Lewis: February 27, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, hunter Reubin Fields returned empty-handed, reporting no elk near Point Adams, while Collins came back having killed a buck elk along the Netul River. Willard…
Feb
27
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 27, 1806
On this day at the expedition's winter camp, several men were out hunting. In the afternoon, one of the hunters returned with news of having killed an elk.…
Feb
28
1806
Clark: February 28, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Reuben Field and Collins left early to hunt up the Netul River. A Clatsop man named Kuskelar visited with his wife, a young slave boy…
Feb
28
1806
Lewis: February 28, 1806
Hunters Reubin Fields and Collins left early on a hunting trip, while Shields, Joseph Fields, and Shannon returned in the evening reporting five elk killed, two of them…
Feb
28
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: February 28, 1806
Seven men departed early by canoe to retrieve elk meat killed the previous day, successfully bringing it back to the fort while two of them remained behind to…
Feb
28
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: February 28, 1806
The day began cloudy, but turned mostly fair and pleasant. A sergeant and six men were sent out in the morning to retrieve meat from a previous hunt…
Mar
1
1806
Clark: March 1, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Sergeant Gass and twelve men were sent in two canoes to retrieve elk killed by hunters two days earlier, returning that evening with meat from…
Mar
1
1806
Lewis: March 1, 1806
Sergeant Gass and a party retrieved the meat of three elk killed two days earlier, leaving Thompson with the hunters to jerk and preserve the remaining two. Kuskelar…
Mar
1
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 1, 1806
The hunting party set out to retrieve elk meat under showery, wet weather. By evening most of the men returned with the meat, while four stayed behind to…
Mar
1
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: March 1, 1806
The party returned at night with several thousand small fish of the same kind recently obtained from the natives, along with some sturgeon. The entry also records the…
Mar
2
1806
Clark: March 2, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, the convalescing sick recover slowly on a poor diet of lean elk meat. Clark describes how local natives eat the root of the cattail, noting…
Mar
2
1806
Lewis: March 2, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, the convalescing sick are recovering slowly on a poor diet of lean elk meat. Late in the evening, Drouillard arrives with a welcome supply of…
Mar
2
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 2, 1806
Three men returned from a nearby Native village with provisions they had obtained through trade. Their haul included a considerable quantity of small herring-like fish, some sturgeon, and…
Mar
2
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: March 2, 1806
The party returned at night with thousands of small fish—the same variety recently obtained from local natives—along with some sturgeon. Gass also recorded the Indigenous names of two…
Mar
3
1806
Clark: March 3, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, two canoes were damaged after the tide left them partly grounded, causing them to split under their own weight; they were dragged ashore. The sick…
Mar
3
1806
Lewis: March 3, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, two pirogues were damaged when the tide left them partially grounded, splitting under their own weight, so the crew hauled them ashore. The sick are…
Mar
3
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 3, 1806
A rainy day at the encampment, with most of the men occupied in dressing skins and other routine tasks.
Mar
3
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: March 3, 1806
On this day at Fort Clatsop, Sergeant Gass noted that the members of the expedition who had been ill were beginning to recover, though their improvement was slow.…
Mar
4
1806
Clark: March 4, 1806
A quiet day at Fort Clatsop with nothing notable happening. The party continues to eat well on wapato and sturgeon. Clark records detailed observations about local food preservation…
Mar
4
1806
Lewis: March 4, 1806
With nothing notable happening at Fort Clatsop, Lewis devotes the entry to natural history observations. He describes the expedition's diet of wappato and sturgeon, detailing how local natives…
Mar
4
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 4, 1806
The journal entry for this date is extremely brief and fragmentary, consisting only of a partial note indicating that some condition—likely the weather or rain mentioned in the…
Mar
5
1806
Clark: March 5, 1806
Two Clatsop parties visited Fort Clatsop to trade fish, a hat, and skins before returning home with the tide. Hunters came back from the Kilhawanackle River empty-handed, reporting…
Mar
5
1806
Lewis: March 5, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, two groups of Clatsop visitors traded fish, a hat, and skins before returning home. Hunters came back from the Kilhawanackkle River empty-handed, reporting that elk…
Mar
5
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 5, 1806
Local Native people visited the fort and brought small fish and sturgeon to trade or share with the expedition party.
Mar
5
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: March 5, 1806
The rain stopped and the day began with pleasant weather. Several Native people came to visit the camp during the day. The hunters who had been out searching…
Mar
6
1806
Clark: March 6, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, fishing and hunting parties departed as planned. Around 11 a.m., Chief Comowool visited with two of his sons, bringing well-cured anchovies that were warmly welcomed;…
Mar
6
1806
Lewis: March 6, 1806
On March 6, 1806, hunting and fishing parties departed as planned. At 11 A.M., Chief Comowool visited with two of his children, bringing well-cured anchovies that the captains…
Mar
6
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 6, 1806
Hunters were dispatched in various directions on this day at Fort Clatsop. Sergeant Pryor and two other men took the small canoe up the Columbia River toward the…
Mar
6
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: March 6, 1806
With provisions running low at the fort, six men were dispatched in various directions to hunt, while three others were sent about twenty miles away by water to…
Mar
7
1806
Clark: March 7, 1806
High winds kept the Clatsop chief Comowol at the fort until late evening. Drouillard and Labiche returned at sunset with only one elk, killed about five miles up…
Mar
7
1806
Lewis: March 7, 1806
High winds kept the visiting Chief Comowol at Fort Clatsop until late evening. Hunters Labiche and Drouillard returned at sunset with only one elk, reporting scattered male elk…
Mar
7
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 7, 1806
The day began with hail and rain at the expedition's camp. Sergeant Patrick Gass and one other man worked on repairing the canoes. Toward evening, two hunters who…
Mar
7
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: March 7, 1806
Rain fell intermittently throughout the day at the expedition's camp. The party faced a new hardship: their tobacco supply had run out, a serious problem since 26 of…
Mar
8
1806
Clark: March 8, 1806
Bratten's back is improving. Collins returned after killing three elk five miles away in Point Adams, though one was lost in a pond; hunters were dispatched to retrieve…
Mar
8
1806
Lewis: March 8, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Bratton's back pain improved. Collins returned reporting he had killed three elk about five miles away on Point Adams, though one was lost in a…
Mar
8
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 8, 1806
Cold, showery weather continued overnight and into the morning. Four more hunters returned to the fort, reporting that one had killed two elk while the others had taken…
Mar
8
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: March 8, 1806
The day was stormy and disagreeable at the camp. Around 9 o'clock, one of the hunters returned with news of having killed two elk. After some additional time,…
Mar
9
1806
Clark: March 9, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, men set out at daybreak to retrieve an elk Collins had killed, returning by late morning. Bratten's back pain was treated with liniment and flannel,…
Mar
9
1806
Lewis: March 9, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, men set out at daylight to retrieve an elk Collins had killed, returning by 11 A.M. Bratton suffered back pain, likely rheumatism, treated with liniment…
Mar
9
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 9, 1806
On a cold day at Fort Clatsop, Ordway and ten others from the party hiked out to retrieve the meat from two elk that had been killed earlier.…
Mar
9
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: March 9, 1806
The day brought light snow showers in the morning, though the sun shone clear and warm for much of the forenoon. In the afternoon, local Native visitors arrived…
Mar
10
1806
Clark: March 10, 1806
The weather cleared around 1 P.M., and the captains dispatched three hunting parties—two on either side of the Netul River and another assigned to head out the next…
Mar
10
1806
Lewis: March 10, 1806
After the weather cleared around 1 P.M., the captains sent out hunting parties on both sides of the Netul River and arranged another to cross the bay and…
Mar
10
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 10, 1806
On this day at the expedition's winter camp, conditions were marked by high winds. Several men set out from camp to hunt, while the rest of the party…
Mar
11
1806
Clark: March 11, 1806
Sergeant Pryor returned early with a canoe full of fish traded cheaply from the Cathlamah people, having been delayed by wind; the Cathlamah dogs had chewed through his…
Mar
11
1806
Lewis: March 11, 1806
Sergeant Pryor returned early in the morning with a canoe full of fish traded from the Cathlahmahs, having been delayed by wind. Dogs at the village had chewed…
Mar
11
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 11, 1806
On this rainy March day at Fort Clatsop, three hunters set out in the morning to search for game. Sergeant Pryor returned to the fort bringing a sizable…
Mar
11
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: March 11, 1806
On this day at the expedition's coastal camp, three men paddled a canoe across the bay to hunt, while two other hunters returned empty-handed. Around midday, the fishing…
Mar
12
1806
Clark: March 12, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, a search party again failed to recover a missing canoe, and a hunter sent out across the Netul did not return by evening. The expedition…
Mar
12
1806
Lewis: March 12, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, a search party again failed to recover the missing pirogue, and a hunter sent out across the Netul River did not return by evening. Lewis…
Mar
12
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 12, 1806
One member of the party went out hunting while Ordway searched for a canoe that had gone missing, but he was unable to locate it. The remaining canoes…
Mar
12
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: March 12, 1806
The rain stopped and the day began with fair weather. Several Native visitors came to the camp during the day. The hunting party returned in the evening empty-handed,…
Mar
13
1806
Clark: March 13, 1806
Hunters Drewyer, Joseph Fields, and Frazer returned with two elk and two deer, and Collins killed two more elk while Sergeant Pryor's party unsuccessfully searched again for a…
Mar
13
1806
Lewis: March 13, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, hunters Drewyer, Joseph Fields, and Frazier returned with two elk and two deer, while Collins killed two more elk nearby; Sergeant Ordway's party retrieved one…
Mar
13
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 13, 1806
Three hunters returned to the fort with two elk and two deer. Drewyer was dispatched to the Clatsop village to purchase a canoe. Ordway and six others went…
Mar
13
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: March 13, 1806
On March 13, 1806, hunters set out early from the expedition's winter quarters. By around 10 a.m., the party that had crossed the bay returned with two elk…
Mar
14
1806
Clark: March 14, 1806
A party retrieved two elk killed by Collins the previous evening, while Joseph Field, Collins, Shannon, and Labiche pursued the rest of the herd; over twenty shots were…
Mar
14
1806
Lewis: March 14, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, a party retrieved two elk Collins had killed the previous evening, while Collins, Joseph Field, and Shannon went after the rest of the herd; numerous…
Mar
14
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 14, 1806
Seven members of the party set out to retrieve elk meat and soon returned carrying the meat of two doe elk. Later in the afternoon, Drouillard came back…
Mar
14
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: March 14, 1806
The party set out early, with a group dispatched to retrieve the meat of two elk killed the previous evening. Two hunters who had been out since the…
Mar
15
1806
Clark: March 15, 1806
The hunters returned at 11 a.m. with only four elk, since Labiche—the only one to encounter the herd—had lost his gun's foresight and missed many shots. Retrieval parties…
Mar
15
1806
Lewis: March 15, 1806
Hunters returned at 11 a.m. with only four elk, as Labiche's broken gun sight caused him to miss many shots; retrieval parties brought back the meat, though one…
Mar
15
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 15, 1806
Visitors who stayed overnight at the fort were unwilling to sell their canoe. Drouillard and five men were dispatched to the Cathlamet village to try to purchase one.…
Mar
15
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: March 15, 1806
Around midday, the expedition's hunters returned to the fort with four elk they had killed, providing a substantial supply of meat. The day was also marked by a…
Mar
16
1806
Clark: March 16, 1806
A quiet Sunday at camp with no notable events. Drouillard and his party failed to return from the Cathlamah village, likely delayed by strong winds. Visiting Indians stayed…
Mar
16
1806
Lewis: March 16, 1806
A quiet Sunday at Fort Clatsop with no notable events. Drouillard's party did not return from the Cathlahmah village as expected, likely delayed by strong winds. Visiting Indians…
Mar
16
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 16, 1806
The party remained at the fort throughout the day as rain fell for most of it, with little else of note occurring. The officers sealed up some papers…
Mar
16
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: March 16, 1806
Steady rain fell throughout the day, and a group of Indians remained around the fort. Gass notes that the previous day, while he was away bringing in meat,…
Mar
17
1806
Clark: March 17, 1806
Catel and his family departed, while Delashelwilt and his women lingered near the fort, attempting unsuccessfully to tempt the men from their pledge of celibacy. The canoes were…
Mar
17
1806
Lewis: March 17, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Catel's family departed while old Delashelwilt and his women lingered nearby, attempting unsuccessfully to tempt the men. The captains prepared the pirogues for departure, hoping…
Mar
17
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 17, 1806
Snowy and showery weather kept the party in camp, where they repaired canoes and prepared to depart, awaiting George Drouillard's return from the Cathlamet village. A Chinook chief…
Mar
18
1806
Clark: March 18, 1806
At Fort Clatsop on the eve of departure, Drewyer fell ill with severe side pain and was bled, while several other men also reported being unwell. Sergeant Pryor…
Mar
18
1806
Lewis: March 18, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Drouillard suffered severe side pain overnight and was bled by Captain Clark, while several other men also fell ill on the eve of departure. Sergeant…
Mar
18
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 18, 1806
Thunder rolled through the day as the party worked on repairing their small canoes. Needing an additional canoe, four men crossed over to the prairie near the coast…
Mar
18
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: March 18, 1806
Stormy weather with hail fell throughout the day, continuing into the following morning of the 19th, which remained cloudy with more hard hail showers. Members of the party…
Mar
19
1806
Clark: March 19, 1806
Heavy rain and hail on March 19, 1806 halted work on the canoes at Fort Clatsop, though a party retrieved the elk killed the previous evening. The captains…
Mar
19
1806
Lewis: March 19, 1806
Persistent rain and hail at Fort Clatsop halted work on the canoes and prevented Sergeant Pryor from pitching them. A party retrieved the elk killed the previous day.…
Mar
19
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 19, 1806
On this day, the party subsisted on elk meat. The weather was harsh, with heavy showers of rain mixed with snow and hail falling throughout the day. The…
Mar
20
1806
Clark: March 20, 1806
Heavy rain and wind at Fort Clatsop prevented the expedition from making any progress toward departure, and a plan to send Drouillard and the Field brothers ahead to…
Mar
20
1806
Lewis: March 20, 1806
Heavy rain and wind on March 20, 1806 prevented the expedition from leaving Fort Clatsop, and a planned hunting trip by Drouillard and the Field brothers was postponed.…
Mar
20
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 20, 1806
Rainy weather continues, keeping the party at camp and waiting for conditions to improve before departing. Ordway tallies the winter's hunting results: roughly 150 elk and 20 deer…
Mar
20
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: March 20, 1806
The party had planned to begin their return journey on this day, but bad weather forced them to delay departure from Fort Clatsop. Patrick Gass took the opportunity…
Mar
21
1806
Clark: March 21, 1806
Unable to depart, the party sent Shields and Collins out hunting on the near side of the Netul River, but they returned in the evening empty-handed. With only…
Mar
21
1806
Lewis: March 21, 1806
Bad weather kept the expedition from departing. Hunters Shields and Collins were sent out along the Netul River but returned in the evening empty-handed, leaving the party with…
Mar
21
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 21, 1806
Rainy weather continued through the morning at the expedition's camp. A group of Native visitors came to trade dried small fish, which they called "Oil-can" in their language.…
Mar
21
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: March 21, 1806
Hunters set out in the morning, and around 10 o'clock the party was visited by some Clatsop Indians. Gass uses the day to record observations about the coastal…
Mar
22
1806
Clark: March 22, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Drouillard and the two Field brothers set out as ordered the previous evening, and six additional hunters were dispatched in various directions along both sides…
Mar
22
1806
Lewis: March 22, 1806
Drouillard and the Field brothers set out as ordered the previous evening, and seven hunters were dispatched in various directions north of the Netul River. Four Clatsops and…
Mar
22
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — John Ordway: March 22, 1806
The party prepared to depart Fort Clatsop, sending a small canoe ahead with hunters carrying baggage, while six additional men were dispatched to hunt. A group of Clatsop…
Mar
22
1806
Fort Clatsop, winter quarters — Patrick Gass: March 22, 1806
On this day, hunting parties were dispatched in two groups: some were sent ahead to wait at promising hunting grounds for the rest of the expedition to catch…
Mar
23
1806
Departure from Fort Clatsop — Heading Home
On March 23, 1806, the Corps of Discovery departed Fort Clatsop on the Oregon coast, ending a wet 106-day winter stay that had lasted since December 7, 1805.…
Mar
23
1806
John Ordway: March 23, 1806
After heavy overnight rain, the captains hesitated to depart due to rising winds, but the weather cleared by midday. John Colter returned from killing an elk near Point…
Mar
23
1806
Patrick Gass: March 23, 1806
The hunter who had stayed out overnight returned in the morning with an elk he had killed. The forenoon was spent dividing and packing the gear among five…
Mar
24
1806
Clark: March 24, 1806
Early in the morning, fifteen men were sent to retrieve elk meat from kills made the previous day, returning by 8 a.m. The party set out at 9:30…
Mar
24
1806
Lewis: March 24, 1806
The expedition sent 15 men out at dawn to retrieve meat, then breakfasted and departed at 9:30 A.M., traveling 15 miles. They noted the return of a small…
Mar
24
1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — John Ordway: March 24, 1806
The party retrieved elk meat from the previous day's hunt and departed at 9:30 a.m., reaching the Cathlamet village around noon, where they stayed past 3 p.m. Ordway…
Mar
24
1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — Patrick Gass: March 24, 1806
After overnight rain, men retrieved the meat of two elk shot earlier and brought it to camp. The morning turned fair, and following breakfast the party embarked, though…
Mar
25
1806
Clark: March 25, 1806
Cold, windy weather and an outgoing tide slowed progress on this travel day. After breakfast, the party went four miles before stopping to dry off on the south…
Mar
25
1806
Lewis: March 25, 1806
On a cold morning, the expedition breakfasted before setting out at 7 A.M., traveling slowly up the south side of the river against wind and current. At midday…
Mar
25
1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — John Ordway: March 25, 1806
The party delayed departure until 1 PM due to headwinds and adverse tide. Once underway, they encountered two Clatsop canoes carrying dried fish, wapatoes, and sturgeon purchased upriver.…
Mar
25
1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — Patrick Gass: March 25, 1806
The party traveled in the morning until noon, then halted because both wind and tide opposed them. Once the tide rose, they continued on, encountering Native people traveling…
Mar
26
1806
Clark: March 26, 1806
Strong winds delayed the expedition until 8 AM. They presented a medal to Wal-lal-le, a Cathlamah leader, who gave them a large sturgeon in return. Continuing upriver, they…
Mar
26
1806
Lewis: March 26, 1806
Strong morning winds delayed departure until 8 A.M. The expedition gave a small medal to Wal-lal-le, a Cathlahmah leader, who reciprocated with a sturgeon, and met head chief…
Mar
26
1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — John Ordway: March 26, 1806
An unusually high tide rose during the night, soaking Ordway's blankets and forcing him to relocate twice; several other party members' camps were similarly flooded. The captains presented…
Mar
26
1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — Patrick Gass: March 26, 1806
The expedition continued its voyage with the wind at their advantage. Along the way, Gass observed signs of advancing spring, noting many fully bloomed flowers of various colors,…
Mar
27
1806
Clark: March 27, 1806
After a rainy night, the expedition set out very early and stopped at two Skillute Indian houses on the south side, where they reunited with their hunters. The…
Mar
27
1806
Lewis: March 27, 1806
The expedition set out early and was joined by Skillute traders selling roots and fish. They stopped for breakfast at two Skillute houses, where natives hospitably shared dried…
Mar
27
1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — John Ordway: March 27, 1806
The expedition continued traveling by river throughout the day. They stopped at a Chilutes village, where the inhabitants greeted them in a friendly manner and shared wapato roots…
Mar
27
1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — Patrick Gass: March 27, 1806
The party set out early and traveled about six miles to a small Chil-ook village, where they were welcomed and traded for wapato roots and fish. Despite heavy…
Mar
28
1806
Clark: March 28, 1806
The expedition set out very early and reached an old Indian village on Deer Island by 9 A.M., where hunters had killed seven common fallow deer, though the…
Mar
28
1806
Lewis: March 28, 1806
The expedition set out early and reached an old Indian village on Deer Island by 9 A.M., where hunters had killed seven deer overnight, though vultures and eagles…
Mar
28
1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — John Ordway: March 28, 1806
The party set out early and reached Deer Island, joining their hunters around 11 a.m. The hunters had killed seven deer, and another hunter later took a small…
Mar
28
1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — Patrick Gass: March 28, 1806
The party reached Deer Island around 10 a.m., where men sent ahead in small canoes had camped and gone hunting. They decided to stay the day to repair…
Mar
29
1806
Clark: March 29, 1806
The expedition set out very early in cold, sharp wind off the snowy eastern mountains, breakfasting at the head of Deer Island. The rising river forced them to…
Mar
29
1806
Lewis: March 29, 1806
The expedition traveled 19 miles up the Columbia, passing Deer Island and entering what they called the Columbian valley. They were joined by three Clannahminamun men, passed a…
Mar
29
1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — John Ordway: March 29, 1806
Traveling upriver, the party noticed blossoms and wild onions along the south bank before passing the mouth of Lewis River entering swiftly from the north. They reached the…
Mar
29
1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — Patrick Gass: March 29, 1806
After a frosty start, the party set out early and traveled past some abandoned Indian lodges. In the afternoon they arrived at a large village, where the inhabitants…
Mar
30
1806
Clark: March 30, 1806
The expedition set out early and traveled 22 miles upriver against strong current, wind, and rain. Throughout the day they encountered numerous canoes from various tribes living around…
Mar
30
1806
Lewis: March 30, 1806
The expedition departed early and traveled 23 miles up the Columbia along Wappetoe Island, encountering numerous canoes of friendly Clannahminnamun, Claxtar, Cathlahcump, Clannahquah, Multnomah, and Shoto natives who…
Mar
30
1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — John Ordway: March 30, 1806
The river continued rising, now high enough that the tide had no noticeable effect, with considerable driftwood floating down. The party passed Wapato Island, about 25 miles long…
Mar
30
1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — Patrick Gass: March 30, 1806
The party set out early on a high, overflowing river, accompanied by several Native Americans in canoes. They passed villages along Wapto Island, roughly 20 miles long and…
Mar
31
1806
Clark: March 31, 1806
The expedition traveled along the Columbia River, stopping near a Shah-ha-la village where 24 of 25 bark houses had been dismantled by inhabitants who seasonally migrate to the…
Mar
31
1806
Lewis: March 31, 1806
The expedition set out early and stopped for breakfast opposite a Shah-ha-la house, learning that nearby straw lodges had been abandoned as the inhabitants returned to the rapids…
Mar
31
1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — John Ordway: March 31, 1806
The party set out early and continued upriver, passing a village on the south shore that had been large the previous fall but now held only two cabins,…
Mar
31
1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — Patrick Gass: March 31, 1806
The party set out early and traveled along the river, where deer were abundant. One of the men went ashore and quickly killed a deer. They passed a…
Apr
1
1806
Clark: April 1, 1806
At their Columbia River camp, the captains sent Sergeant Pryor up Quicksand River to scout it and dispatched hunting parties on both sides of the river. Native visitors…
Apr
1
1806
Lewis: April 1, 1806
Camped near the Quicksand (Sandy) River, the captains sent Sergeant Pryor up that river to explore it and dispatched hunters across and along the Columbia. Local Indians reported…
Apr
1
1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — John Ordway: April 1, 1806
The party remained in camp while exploration and hunting parties fanned out. Sergeant Pryor went about four miles up Quicksand River, finding it rapid and only four feet…
Apr
1
1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — Patrick Gass: April 1, 1806
The party decided to remain in camp for a day of hunting. Nine hunters set out early in the morning, with three heading up the Quicksand River, where…
Apr
2
1806
Clark: April 2, 1806
The Corps decided to remain near their camp to dry meat for the journey to the Chopunnish, planning to trade their large canoes for smaller ones and then…
Apr
2
1806
Lewis: April 2, 1806
The expedition decided to stay near their camp to dry meat for the journey ahead, planning to trade pirogues for canoes and then canoes for horses with native…
Apr
2
1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — John Ordway: April 2, 1806
The party remained camped near the mouth of the Washougal River while waiting for hunters to kill enough elk to jerk meat for the journey ahead. Officers decided…
Apr
2
1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — Patrick Gass: April 2, 1806
The expedition decided to remain at their current camp for additional time to hunt and dry meat for the journey ahead. Three hunting parties were dispatched to procure…
Apr
3
1806
Clark: April 3, 1806
Clark explored the Multnomah (Willamette) River, making a second failed attempt to measure its depth before turning back, satisfied of its size. Returning downstream, he had tense encounters…
Apr
3
1806
Lewis: April 3, 1806
Lewis received word that hunters had killed four elk, so Sergeant Pryor and two men were sent across the river to help dry the meat while the hunting…
Apr
3
1806
Portaging Cascades of the Columbia upstream — John Ordway: April 3, 1806
Word arrived that hunters had killed four elk, two of them about three miles from the river, so Sergeant Pryor and three men were sent to help jerk…
Apr
3
1806
Portaging Cascades of the Columbia upstream — Patrick Gass: April 3, 1806
Heavy rain prevented the party from drying elk meat as planned, so they instead hauled in the carcass of a bear they had killed. Along the way, they…
Apr
4
1806
Clark: April 4, 1806
At the mouth of the Sandy (Quick Sand) River, the captains sent Sergeant Ordway to find Sergeant Gass's hunting party, and both groups returned by midday. Gass brought…
Apr
4
1806
Lewis: April 4, 1806
On a fair Friday near the Columbia and Quicksand rivers, Sergeant Ordway was sent to find Sergeant Gass's hunting party, which returned with bear and venison but reported…
Apr
4
1806
Portaging Cascades of the Columbia upstream — John Ordway: April 4, 1806
At camp on the Columbia River, hunters returned with an elk, six deer, a black bear, and two geese from their morning hunt. They were promptly sent out…
Apr
4
1806
Portaging Cascades of the Columbia upstream — Patrick Gass: April 4, 1806
Hunters brought in a deer, geese, and four elk, with men working to dry the meat. While Gass was hunting, Captain Clark learned of a large river entering…
Apr
5
1806
Clark: April 5, 1806
Cloudy weather prevented lunar observations. Joseph Field and Drouillard departed on assignment, while Sergeant Ordway and five men helped Sergeant Pryor retrieve four elk Pryor had dried in…
Apr
5
1806
Lewis: April 5, 1806
Cloudy weather prevented Lewis from taking lunar observations. Joseph Fields and Drewyer set out on assignment, while Sergeant Ordway's party helped retrieve elk meat dried by Sergeant Pryor;…
Apr
5
1806
Portaging Cascades of the Columbia upstream — John Ordway: April 5, 1806
While camped along the Columbia River, Ordway and five men crossed to the south side and climbed a high river hill with rich soil, retrieving jerked meat from…
Apr
5
1806
Portaging Cascades of the Columbia upstream — Patrick Gass: April 5, 1806
The party observed a beautiful prairie and several ponds below the mouth of the Sandy River. About two miles from the Columbia, they found rich soil and white