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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Jun
17
1804
Brief Travel; Oars and Tow Rope Crafted in Camp
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
Rope Walk Camp: Crafting Oars and Cordage
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
Twenty Oars Fashioned; Hunters Return with One Bear
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
Hunters Return with Stray Horse and Fresh Meat
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
Rainy Layover; Colter Kills Large Fat Bear
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
Rain and Thunder; Hunters Kill Bear and Five Deer
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
Ropes Finished; Colter Brings in Large Bear
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
Oars Completed; Hunters Bring Four Deer and Bear
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
Five Deer and a Bear; Contrasting Banks Observed
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
New Oars Fitted; Horses Sent Overland
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
Sailing Past Tabor Creek Against Strong Currents
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
Breaking Ropewalk Camp for the Tabo River
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
Gooseberries and Raspberries; Boat Towed at Rocky Stretch
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
Small Creek and Lakeside Camp on South Bank
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
Swift Water and Pelicans Past Saukee Prairie
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
Sauk Prairie Passed in Rain and Strong Currents
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
Tiger Creek Passed; Swift Water Ahead
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
Roaring Sands Force Difficult Ascent by Towrope
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
Du Beau Creeks Passed Against a Very Strong Current
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
Towing Through Swift Current at Three Mills
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
Drouillard Marvels at Finest Bottomland Timber
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
Large Bear Shot; Camp at Fire-Prairie Creek
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
Violent Pre-Dawn Storm Delays Departure into Snag-Choked River
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
After Severe Thunderstorm, Passing Little Fire Creek
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
Drouillard Kills Five-Hundred-Pound Bear
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
Thunder and Lightning; Hunters at Big Fire Creek
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
Editorial note: no detailed primary-source journal entry survives for June 22, 1804 that is distinct from the surrounding days. The...
Jun
23
1804
High Winds Force Halt; Arms Inspected Ashore
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
Wind Forces Early Stop; Arms Inspection Finds All Ready
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
Wind-Bound on Island; Arms and Ammunition Inspected
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 Kills Snake Drawn to Hanging Deer Carcass
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
Passing Hay and Bad Rock Creeks; Meat Dried Ashore
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
Jerking Meat in Oppressive Midday Heat
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
Clark Returns with Fat Bear Near Sharriton Creek
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
Clark Rejoins with Bear and Deer; Meat Jerked at Noon
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
High-Quality Coal Bank Observed on South Shore
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
Coal Mine on the South Bank; Rough Water Navigated
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
Two Wolves Shot Above Hard Scrabble Prairie
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
Large Coal Deposits Found Along Missouri Bank
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
Passage Along High South Bluffs to Island Camp
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
Measuring the Muddy Kansas River Confluence
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
Blue Water Creek and Unusually High Bluffs
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
Three Swimming Deer Chased Down and Killed
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
Tow Rope Snaps Near Blue Water Creek Confluence
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
Tow-Rope Breaks at Kansas River Confluence
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
Camp Established at Kansas River Mouth
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
Measuring the Kansas River's Wide Confluence
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
Camp at Kansas River; Pirogue Repaired, Fortifications Built
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
Astronomical Observations and Repairs at Kansas River
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
Measuring the Kansas River at Camp; Rich Lands Observed
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
Cool Spring Discovered; Fields Brothers Kill Young Wolf
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
Kansas River Measured; Young Wolf Captured
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
Court-Martial of Collins and Hall for Stealing Whiskey
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
Departing Kansas River Mouth After Arms Inspection
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
Departing Wolf Creek Past Bears and Sandy Shores
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
Court Martial Held; Departure from Kansas River
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
Little Shoal River Passed on Sweltering Morning
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
Wolf on the Sandbar; Little Platte River Noted
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
Scalded Feet Force Men into Moccasins Ashore
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
Large Wolf on Sandbar; Petite Platte River Surveyed
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…
