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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Sep
25
1804
Teton Sioux Council Erupts in Armed Confrontation
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
Teton Sioux Council; Black Buffalo Receives Red Coat
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
Indians Attempt to Detain Pirogue; Clark Resists
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
Teton Sioux Women and Children View the Boat
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 Lodge Circle; Captains Go Ashore
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 Declines Offered Woman; Watches Sioux Dance
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
Day Among the Teton Sioux; Gass Counts Eighty Lodges
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
Gass Visits Eighty-Lodge Camp; Women Dress Hides
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
Teton Warriors Seize Cable; Tobacco Demanded at Gunpoint
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
Armed Teton Warriors Seize Towrope; Standoff Ensues
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
Indians Seize Boat Rope; Near-Violent Confrontation
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
Sixty Sioux Warriors Seize the Boat's Cable
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 Refuses More Teton Sioux Passengers Upriver
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
Tobacco Offered to Teton Men Claiming Bravery
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
Large Teton Sioux Band Spotted; Expedition Anchors Opposite
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
Indians Encountered Along Shore; Rough Evening Weather
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
Two Hundred Sioux Gather Under White Flag
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
Refused Passage to Indian; Wind Covers Nine Miles
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
Reaching the Cheyenne River Mouth Through Sandbars
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
Favorable Winds Past Dog River; Trader Visits Camp
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
Navigating Sandbars at the Cheyenne River Mouth
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
Dog River Passed; Sandbars Impede Navigation
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
Distant Gunshot Signals Approaching Arikara Indians
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
Armed Indian on Hilltop Fires Gun in Warning
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
Meeting Trader Valley Among the Teton Sioux
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
English-Speaking Visitor; Indian Fires Gun from Hills
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
Mice Discovered Gnawing Corn, Papers, and Clothing
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
Strong Downriver Winds Force Midday Halt
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
Late Afternoon Departure to Marrow Creek
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
Northwest Headwinds Halt Progress at Black Bluff
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
Indian Fires Warning Shot Across the Bow
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
Native Man Swims River to Reach the Party
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
Backtracking for Deeper Water; Indian Swims Across
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
Indian Swims River to Request Powder and Supplies
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
Rare White Brant Spotted Among River Fowl
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
Hunters Kill Four Swimming Goats and a Prairie Wolf
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
Hunter Shoots Four Goats Swimming the River
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
Hunters Kill Four Pronghorns Swimming the River
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
Exploring an Abandoned Arikara Earth-Lodge Village
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
Elk Killed Near Ruins of Arikara Winter Village
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
Dinner at Abandoned Arikara Village on South Bank
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
Abandoned Arikara Winter Camp with Earth Huts
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
White Bear Tracks Found Near Fortified Campsite
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
Arikara Wintering Camp of Sixty Lodges Observed
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
Two Hungry Sioux Encountered Near Arikara Ruins
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
Cer-wer-cer-na River; Sixty Abandoned Arikara Lodges
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
Arriving at the First Arikara Island Village
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
Arrival at Arikara Band Village on the River
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
Halting at the Mouth of the Grand River
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
Shallow Sandbar Stretch Past Slate Run
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
Storm Delays Council; Three Arikara Chiefs Named
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
Stormbound Day; Council Held with Friendly Natives
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
Rain Delays Council; Flagpole Raised at Camp
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
Council Preparations; Two Frenchmen Among the Nation
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
Grand Council Held with Arikara Under American Flag
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
Officers Hold Council and Distribute Presents
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
Chief Capsizes Canoe; Steel Mill Delights Indians
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
Gass Describes Arikara Earth Lodge Construction
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
Arikara Grand Chief Pledges Peace and Open Road
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,…
