3415 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).
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Aug
7
1805
Canoe Cached; Air Gun Repaired; Shannon Still Missing
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
Canoe Cached; Trade Goods Aired to Dry
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
Latitude Fixed Before Evening Thunderstorm
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
Canoe Salvaged; Shannon Still Missing from Camp
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
Passing a Navigable Eastern Tributary in the Valley
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
Slow Progress Past the Mouth of Philanthropy River
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
Wide Prairie Valley with Snow-Capped Mountains Ahead
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
Ascending the Middle Fork Past Three Forks Prairie
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
Hunters Kill Deer and Antelope on West Branch
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
Shannon Rejoins the Party from Wisdom River
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 Writes Ahead in Case of Accident Overland
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
Shannon Rejoins After Three Days Lost
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
Shannon Rejoins; Lewis Pushes Ahead for Indians
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
Lewis Pushes Ahead by Land; Canoe Repaired
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
Passing Beaver's Head; Indian Country Feels Near
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
Rattlesnake Cliffs Camp; Jefferson River Forks Reached
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
Official Names Assigned to the River System
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
Narrow River Gap Opens into Shallow Crooked Valley
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
Naming the Rivers on Short Rations
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
Three Thousand Mile Island Marked in Wide Bottomland
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
Lone Shoshone Horseman Flees Lewis's Advance Party
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
Three Thousand Mile Island Marked and Named
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
Marking Three Thousand Mile Island on the Missouri
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
Naming 3000 Mile Island on the Missouri
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
Crossing the Continental Divide at Lemhi Pass
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
Dangerous Rapids Nearly Capsize Canoe; Hailstorm Strikes
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
Hunters Bag Four Deer; Twelve Miles Covered
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
Large Canoe Nearly Capsizes on Rapid Current
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
Men Wade Countless Shoals in Cold Mountain Waters
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
Three Shoshone Women Calmed with Gifts and Paint
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
High Rocky Cliffs Frame Narrowing Mountain Valley
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
Narrowing Valley with Pines on Distant Hills
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
Sixteen Miles Through Rapid Crooked River
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
Exhausting Haul Through Crooked and Rapid Waters
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
Flour Paste and Berries with Cameahwait's Hungry Band
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
Hunters Reunited Near Pleasant Spring Valley
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
Spring-Fed River Chills Men Wading Through Shallows
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
Hunters Return with Five Deer and a Goat
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
Men Exhausted Ascending Willards Creek Rapid Waters
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
Berry Pudding for Cameahwait; Shoshones Fear Ambush
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
Steep Cliffs and Bad Rapids Deep in Mountains
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
Twin Rock Pillars Mark Mountain Entrance
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
Cliffs Rise Three Hundred Feet Above Bad Rapids
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
Serviceberries and Currants Along the River Bluffs
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
Starving Shoshones Devour Raw Deer Entrails
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
Sacagawea Gathers Serviceberries for the Party
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
Sacagawea Gathers Serviceberries Along the Shore
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
Narrow River with Serviceberries and a Buck
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
Sacagawea and Shoshones Lead Party to Forks
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
Reunited with Lewis and Twenty Friendly Shoshones
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
Shoshone Indians Met; Canoes Dragged Through Shallows
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 Trades Coat and Goods for Three Horses
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 Acquires Three Horses; Clark Departs with Indians
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
Clark Departs with Shoshone to Build Canoes
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
Clark's Party Departs with Shoshones to Scout Mountains
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
Clark Departs for the Columbia with Sacagawea
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
Shoshone Chief Marks Site of Massacre
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
Seine Nets Trout and Unknown Mullet-Like Fish
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
Trout Taken by Hook; Beaver Caught in Trap
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…
