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
17
1806
Captain McClallen's Boat Bound for Spanish Territory
On a fair morning, the party set out early and made good progress, passing Riffle Island and navigating a dangerous stretch near Petzaw Island choked with logs and…
Sep
17
1806
Giant Catfish and Papaws; Sawyers Encountered
A very warm day on the river. The party enjoyed a huge catfish caught the previous night, estimated at 100 pounds, and gathered abundant papaws along the way.…
Sep
18
1806
Subsisting on Pawpaws After Provisions Exhausted
The party rose early, said goodbye to Captain McClellan, and set off downriver, passing the Grand River by 7 AM and rejoining their hunters, who had caught nothing.…
Sep
18
1806
Parting from McLanen with a Keg of Corn
The party departed early after parting with McLanen, having received a keg of corn from him. They soon passed the mouth of the Grand River and caught up…
Sep
18
1806
Pressing Past Grand River Without Hunting
On September 18, 1806, the expedition departed and passed the mouth of the Grand River, soon overtaking their hunters, who had caught nothing. Without stopping to hunt, they…
Sep
19
1806
Racing Toward Illinois Settlements on Pawpaws
The party set out shortly after daybreak and made rapid progress downriver, stopping only once to gather pawpaws. Eager to reach the Illinois settlements, they pressed on without…
Sep
19
1806
Passing Mine River; Ripe Pawpaws in the Bottomlands
The expedition continued downriver at a rapid pace, soon passing the mouth of the Mine River. Although they spotted numerous turkeys, the party was eager to keep moving…
Sep
20
1806
Two Worn Canoes Set Adrift on Missouri
With three men unable to row due to eye troubles, the party abandoned and set adrift two lashed canoes made on the Rochejhone River, redistributing the men among…
Sep
20
1806
Two Canoes Abandoned; Reaching St. John's Settlement
With several men suffering from sore eyes and unable to paddle, the officers decided to abandon two small canoes since the remaining boats had room for everyone. The…
Sep
20
1806
Alphabetical Index to Gass's Published Account
This page is not a daily journal entry but part of the alphabetical index to Patrick Gass's published account of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It lists topics…
Sep
21
1806
Triumphant Arrival at St. Charles
The expedition rose early after some men had spent the night with local families, and set out at 7:30 a.m. Along the way they passed 12 Kickapoo canoes…
Sep
21
1806
Settlers Astonished to Find the Party Still Alive
The expedition continued downriver, passing scattered houses along the shores and meeting many Indians traveling upriver in canoes. Settlers they encountered were astonished to see them, having been…
Sep
22
1806
Rain Delay at Proulx's; Arrival at Coldwater Cantonment
Heavy rain kept the party sheltered at Mr. Proulx's house through the morning, and Clark used the time to write letters to friends in Kentucky and elsewhere. When…
Sep
22
1806
Arrival at Belle Fontaine Cantonment Built in Absence
The party gathered by about 11 a.m. and set out, arriving toward evening at Belle Fontaine, a fort and cantonment on the south side of the river that…
Sep
23
1806
Corps Returns Triumphantly to St. Louis
The Corps of Discovery arrived back in St. Louis after two years, four months, and ten days of travel covering roughly 8,000 miles. The townspeople were astonished, having…
Sep
23
1806
Return to St. Louis; Three Rounds Fired in Salute
After breakfast, the party reached the mouth of the Missouri, entered the Mississippi, and stopped at River Dubois, their 1804 winter quarters, where they found a widow tending…
Sep
24
1806
Lewis Writes Jefferson; Drouillard Carries Dispatches
After a restless night, the captains rose early in St. Louis to write letters reporting on the expedition. Lewis wrote to President Jefferson, while Clark wrote to Governor…
Sep
25
1806
Skins Aired and Formal Calls Made in St. Louis
On Thursday, September 25, 1806, the expedition spent the day in St. Louis attending to their gear and social obligations. The party aired their skins and other goods…
Sep
26
1806
Fine Weather and Correspondence in St. Louis
On a fine Friday morning, September 26, 1806, the expedition spent the day in St. Louis attending to writing tasks. Clark's brief entry notes only the pleasant weather…
Oct
2
1806
Shannon and Labiche Return with Three Elk
Hunters Shannon and Labiche returned to the fort, having successfully killed three elk during their hunting trip. This brief entry simply records the arrival of the two men…
Oct
8
1806
Indians Warn Mountains Impassable for Six Weeks
The party paused to hunt, sending men out for game while local natives visited camp and warned that the snow-covered mountains—visible from their location—would be impassable for about…
Oct
9
1806
Snow Falls Five Inches; Twenty-One Horses Retrieved
The party traveled six miles to an old chief's lodge where families gathered roots, finding the area rich in horses. Indians and a man retrieved 21 horses and…
Oct
14
1806
Five Grizzlies Killed; Baggage Ferried Across River
On a frosty morning, hunters crossed to the north side of the river while the rest of the party gathered horses and ferried baggage across, finishing by noon.…
Oct
14
1806
Fragmentary Entry; Details Unrecorded
This very brief entry from John Ordway notes only that the party soon found something again, though the entry does not specify what was rediscovered. No additional details…
Oct
16
1806
Blank Entry; No Events Recorded
The journal entry for this date is essentially blank, containing only a fragmentary note indicating that conditions or activities were usual. No specific events, people, locations, weather observations,…
Oct
19
1806
Trading at Indian Lodges for Roots and Medicine
An elderly Indian and his wife stayed overnight at camp and obtained more medicine. A party of men traveled about four miles upriver to Indian lodges to trade…
Oct
20
1806
Pole Lodge Built; Canoe Constructed for Salmon Run
Camped near the river, the party prepared for a long stay through mid-June. They built a grass-covered pole lodge for Captains Lewis and Clark, since their tent leaked,…
Oct
22
1806
Canoe Retrieves Elk Amid Storm and High Winds
The party took a canoe out to retrieve elk meat while battling a severe rainstorm and very high winds, making the trip unpleasant and difficult. Three of the…
Oct
23
1806
Men Sent to Retrieve Salt Supply
On this day, two men were dispatched to travel over to the Salt Camps to retrieve a supply of salt. Strong winds were noted during the night, making…
Oct
27
1806
Unruly Horse Slaughtered for Food; Sick Improving
Several men visited a nearby village to gather roots, which the party found acceptable but less satisfying than meat. They slaughtered a wild, unmanageable horse a native had…
Oct
28
1806
Canoe Sinks; Blankets and Trade Goods Lost
The river ceased rising by 10 o'clock and the weather cleared. Earlier, two men attempting to swim horses across the river struck their canoe against a tree and…
Oct
29
1806
Horses Hobbled; Moving Camp Toward Camas Grounds
Two men returned from the village and a hunter came back empty-handed. Local natives lingered around camp and believed the mountains could not yet be crossed, but the…
Oct
30
1806
Hunters Describe Camp's Lush Berry-Filled Plain
On a frosty morning, hunters went out and returned by noon with two deer. The party described their camp: a plain of about two thousand acres ringed with…
Oct
31
1806
Slippery Descent to Prairie; Three Deer Collected
The party's hunters returned with little success after a wet, foggy day. They navigated a slippery, difficult trail down a steep hill to a small prairie, where men…
Nov
1
1806
Ten Deer and Three Bears Taken at Camas Flats
This entry is a jumbled mix of dates rather than a single November 1, 1806 account. It describes hunters going out with little success, an Indian companion departing…
Nov
2
1806
Twenty-Five Miles Through Valley of Old Indian Lodges
The party traveled through mountainous country along a river valley, making about 25 miles and encamping on a creek in the evening. The morning was clear with frost.…
Nov
7
1806
Crossing the Dividing Ridge After Four Deer Killed
The party continued early through a beautiful valley with clover-filled plains. After about five miles they reached the main branch of the river, crossed it, and traveled along…
Nov
9
1806
Rain Forces Shelter; Five Deer and Two Elk Taken
The party set out to travel down the river but were forced to halt at some old Indian lodges to take shelter from rain. After about an hour…
Nov
12
1806
Missing Horses Suggest Indian Presence on Medicine River
The party discovered ten horses missing and sent men to search; one man recovered three horses seven miles up the Medicine river. The rest crossed the river in…
Nov
16
1806
Lewis Departs for Marias; Wagons Prepared for Portage
The party gathered horses, and Captain Lewis took six over the portage before setting out to explore Marias River with only three hunters. Four men were left behind…
Nov
19
1806
Canoes Arrive; Mosquitoes Plague the Portage Camp
Most of the men spent the day dressing skins, with preparations complete for portaging once the canoes arrived. Mosquitoes were especially bothersome. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon,…
Nov
20
1806
Wagon Breaks Down Four Miles into the Portage
The party split up in different directions to search for missing horses. Two men quickly located some, and the horses were harnessed to the wagons. After traveling about…
Nov
23
1806
Wagons Repaired; Large Canoe Loaded at River
After overnight rain, the writer rejoined the main party at the river with a man who had accompanied him the previous night. The group had repaired the wagons…
Nov
24
1806
Thunderstorm Strikes Camp During Portage Operations
Feeling unwell, the author remained at camp while the party went back for more canoes. Around 3 o'clock, one wagon arrived with a canoe; after letting the horses…
Nov
25
1806
Mud-Choked Road Slows Canoe Haul to Portage River
The party set out early hauling canoes to Portage River, with Gass recovered enough to rejoin them. Heavy rain, thunder, and lightning struck near Willow Creek, turning the…
Nov
26
1806
Fifteen Elk Killed on Small Island
Heavy intermittent rain fell as the party traveled through rough, hilly country. They spotted a large herd of elk on a small island and killed fifteen, taking the…
Nov
27
1806
Clark's Camp Found Abandoned at Stone River Mouth
The party set out early after a heavy pre-dawn rainstorm and traveled well, reaching the mouth of the Stone river around four o'clock. They found that Captain Clarke…
Nov
28
1806
Pirogue Completed; Camp at White-Earth River
The party worked on skins until afternoon, when the pirogue was completed and their craft loaded. At an evening hour they set out and traveled to the mouth…
Nov
29
1806
Captain Lewis Returns Wounded from Elk Hunt
The party set out early, passed Captain Clark's campsite from the 8th, and reached the Burnt Bluffs, where they spotted elk. Captain Lewis and one of the men…
Nov
30
1806
Wounded Lewis Meets Two Trappers Downriver
The expedition continued downriver, with Captain Lewis recovering from his wound though still stiff and sore. After about nine miles they encountered two trappers, to whom Lewis gave…
Dec
1
1806
Waiting for Chief's Answer; Canoes Lashed Together
The day was cold with high winds. The party remained in camp waiting for an answer from a chief, preparing to head back up the Missouri. Hunters were…
Dec
20
1806
Arikara Council; Chiefs Decline to Send Delegation
Traveling down the Missouri in late December 1806, the party met three Frenchmen by canoe; one former North West Company trader joined them bound for the United States.…
Dec
29
1806
Abundant Harvest Before Passing White River
The hunters set out ahead early in the morning, while the rest of the party spent until 10 o'clock gathering an abundant resource at their location. They then…
Dec
30
1806
Fifty Teton Sioux Spotted; Party Avoids Contact
The party set out early with three hunters going ahead, who killed buffalo and elk along the way. Around 2 o'clock they encountered a band of fifty to…
Dec
31
1806
Three Elk Killed While Waiting for Straggling Hunters
The party left a canoe behind with instructions to wait until noon for four hunters who had not returned, then continued on. Around 9 o'clock they met the…
