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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May
22
1804
Indians Share Venison with the Evening Camp
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
Party Passes Osage River Mouth Heading Upriver
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
Fifteen Miles Upriver; Indians Visit at the Cliffs
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
Settlement Crowds the Bank at Osage Woman's River
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
Tavern Cave Measured at the Towering South Cliffs
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
Passing Boone's Settlement and the Great Cave Tavern
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
Passing the Osage River and Tavern Cove Landmark
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
Navigating the Treacherous Devil's Race Ground
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
Floyd Notes Nothing Remarkable; Camp on South Bank
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
Camp on South Bank of the Missouri
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
Boat Nearly Capsizes in River Ripple
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
La Charette: Last White Settlement on the River
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
Encampment at St. Johns, Last White Settlement
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
Reaching St. Johns, Last Settlement on the River
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
Last White Settlement at St. Johns on Wood River
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
Passing Wood River to St. Johns French Settlement
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
Eighteen Miles Under Sail with Fair Wind
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
Detachment Orders Organize the Corps of Discovery
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
Thunder and Rain; Horses Sent Overland Past Otter Creek
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
Early Start; Thunder and Rain Close the Day
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
Thunder and Rain; Party Names Otter Creek
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
Thunder and Rain Accompany Departure Past Otter Creek
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
Fur-Laden Canoes Met from the Pawnee Nation
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
Reaching the Gasconade River Mouth at Evening
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
Camp Made at the Mouth of the Gasconade River
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
Shannon Kills Deer at Gasconade River Mouth
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
Reaching the Mouth of the Gasconade River
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
Reuben Fields Kills a Deer at the Gasconnade
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
Hunters Return from Rain-Soaked Camp with One Deer
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
A Remarkable Cave Discovered Near the South Fork
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
Reuben Fields Kills Deer; Gasconade Width Measured
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
Gasconade River Mouth Measured at 157 Yards Wide
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
Astronomical Observations at the Gasconnade's Mouth
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
Hunter Missing as Party Camps Above Deer Creek
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
Whitehouse Lost; Camp Made Above Deer Creek
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
Party Waits for Missing Hunter; Moves On at Five
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
Swift Rising Current Past Monbrun Tavern Cave
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
Hail and Rain Past Rush Creek to Little Muddy River
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
Hailstorm Travel to Grind Stone Creek
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
Hailstorm Strikes Noon; Passing Rush and Mud Creeks
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
Raft from Grand Osage Brings News of Lost Letter
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
Windbound Camp; Osage Pirogue Passes with Pelts
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
French Trapper Met with Beaver Skins and Peltry
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
Northwest Winds; Frenchmen Visit Camp with Peltry
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
Editorial note: no detailed primary-source journal entry survives for May 31, 1804 that is distinct from the surrounding days. The...
Jun
1
1804
Swift Current and Crumbling Banks Near Bear Creek
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
Arrival at the Mouth of the Grand Osage
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
Big Muddy River Passed on the North Side
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
Arrival at the Mouth of the Osage River
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
Measuring the Osage and Missouri Rivers at Confluence
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
Lewis Measures the Missouri and Osage Confluence
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
Lewis and Drouillard Bag Deer and Groundhog
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
Hunters Return with Four Deer at Grand Osage
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
Measuring the Missouri and Osage Confluence
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
One Deer Killed; Six Miles to Marrow Creek Camp
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
Lewis and Drouillard Hunt While Clouds Foil Observations
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
Officers Take Astronomical Observations in Fair Weather
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
Five Deer Killed; Camp at Morow Creek
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
Editorial note: no detailed primary-source journal entry survives for June 3, 1804 that is distinct from the surrounding days. The...
Jun
3
1804
Lewis and Drouillard Kill Deer and Groundhog
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…
