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
30
1804
Boat Mast Breaks Near Platt Creek
The expedition continued upriver, finding high land on both banks. They passed a large creek on the north side, named Platt, measuring about fifty yards wide. During the…
Jul
1
1804
Midnight Alarm, Heat Rest, and Abundant Wild Fruits
After a nighttime sentinel alarm sent the party scrambling to arms, the expedition set out early on a very hot July day, passing Diamond Island and a small…
Jul
1
1804
Biscuit Creek and Frog Tree Creek Passed Southward
On a clear day, the expedition set out and passed Biscuit Creek on the south side, then Frog Tree Creek, also on the south side, with a pond…
Jul
1
1804
White Horse Swum Across to Rock Prairie
The party traveled about a mile upriver through the prairie, crossed the river with the white horse, and left it with other horses tended by hunters on the…
Jul
1
1804
Whiskey Theft Punished by Lashing at Court Martial
The party set out after a court-martial punished two men for stealing whiskey from the stores; one sentry who got drunk on duty received 100 lashes on the…
Jul
1
1804
Twelve Miles Upriver to an Island Camp
The party traveled 12 miles up the river and made camp for the night on an island. The island lay opposite a prairie on the southern bank of…
Jul
2
1804
Driftwood Chokes River Near Bear Medicine Island
The expedition set out early, passing the Isles des Parques and the mouths of Parques and Turkey Creeks. The river was suddenly choked with drift wood, likely from…
Jul
2
1804
Parquet and Turkey Creeks Noted on High Bank
The expedition departed very early and traveled along the left side of an island, passing a high, beautiful spot on the south bank with poor soil. They noted…
Jul
2
1804
Favorable Breeze Prompts Temporary Mast Erection
The expedition traveled past several notable landmarks along the Missouri River, including a high, scenic spot on the south side, Parques (Fence) Creek on the north, and Turkey…
Jul
2
1804
Abandoned French Village and Fort on the Riverbank
The expedition encountered a large amount of driftwood being carried downstream. During the day they passed a creek on the south side of the river. By evening they…
Jul
2
1804
Favorable Winds Carry Party to Nandowa Creek
The party set out under favorable winds that allowed them to sail for about eight hours. They reached a small stream the Indians called Nandowa, meaning Little Woody…
Jul
3
1804
Passing Cow Island Amid Treacherous Sandbars
The expedition departed very early under a gentle southerly breeze, passing two islands including the large Isle de Vache (Cow Island). Opposite the island's head on the starboard…
Jul
3
1804
Stray Horse Found; Independence Day on the River
The party set out early under a gentle southern breeze and found a stray horse on the south side that had been lost some time. Strong currents made…
Jul
3
1804
Stray Horse Found Near Ruins of French Trading Post
Under a gentle southern breeze, the party passed a long island and several smaller ones along the Missouri River. They found a stray white horse on the bank…
Jul
3
1804
Grey Horse Found at Deserted Trading Post
The expedition continued its journey upriver until noon, when the party halted at a former trading site on the south bank of the river. At the abandoned location,…
Jul
4
1804
Independence Day Cannon Salute and Extra Whiskey
On July 4, 1804, the Corps of Discovery marked the 28th anniversary of American independence with a ceremonial cannon shot from the bow at sunrise and named a…
Jul
4
1804
Fourth of July Dinner Near Goose-Filled Lakeside Prairie
On July 4, 1804, the expedition traveled past present-day Leavenworth, Kansas, noting a large lake (likely modern Sugar or Bean Lake) on the north side that the captains…
Jul
4
1804
Snake Bites Crewman on Independence Day
On Independence Day 1804, the expedition continued upriver, passing Pond Creek on the north side before stopping for dinner at one o'clock. One member of the party suffered…
Jul
5
1804
Site of Abandoned Kansas Village Observed
The expedition departed early, swimming a horse across the river and passing the site of an old Kansas village. Clark speculated that warfare had pushed the tribe further…
Jul
5
1804
Swimming Horses Past Ruins of Old Kansas Village
The expedition departed early in the morning, swimming a stray horse across the river to rejoin the other horses. They proceeded about two miles along the bank past…
Jul
5
1804
Site of Abandoned Kansas Town Identified from 1724
The party traveled along the river, passing the site of an old Kansas town abandoned around 1724, likely due to warfare pushing the inhabitants further into the plains.…
Jul
5
1804
Sandbars Choke a Wide Bend on the Missouri
The party traveled along the Missouri River, observing high land on the south side. They navigated through a large bend filled with sand bars, which made passage difficult.…
Jul
6
1804
Navigating the Grand Detour in Shifting Sands
The expedition departed early on a very warm Friday with a southwest wind, navigating past sandbars, a small island, and Reevey's Prairie on the south side, named for…
Jul
6
1804
Strong Current Halts Progress at Twelve Miles
The expedition departed under a gentle southwesterly breeze, but the river current was so strong that the boats could barely make headway against it. Despite the difficult conditions,…
Jul
6
1804
Grand Bend Rounded in Oppressive Summer Heat
The expedition continued upriver in very warm weather, with the men sweating profusely as the river slowly fell. They passed a prairie on the north side known as…
Jul
6
1804
Good Progress; Camp at Whippoorwill Creek
The expedition continued upriver, making good progress over the course of the day. They covered a solid distance before stopping for the night, setting up camp on the…
Jul
7
1804
Towing Boats Past St. Michael's Prairie
The expedition set out early on a hot morning, struggling against swift water that forced them to tow the boats with ropes. They passed prairies on the south…
Jul
7
1804
Cordelling Upstream Through Swift River Current
The party departed early and continued upriver under clear, very warm weather. They encountered a stretch of strong current along the south side of the river, which forced…
Jul
7
1804
St. Michel Prairie Resembles Farms from the River
On a very warm day, the expedition passed beautiful prairies on the north side of the Missouri known as St. Michel, which from the river resembled farms divided…
Jul
7
1804
Wolf and Hairy-Tailed Wood Rat Killed Along the Bank
The party traveled past a high, attractive prairie on the north side of the river. Along the bank, they killed a wolf and a large wood rat. The…
Jul
8
1804
Reuniting with Ordway; Cook Assigned to Each Mess
The party set out early on a Sunday, reuniting with Sergeant Ordway who had been waiting at a creek. Five men fell ill with severe headaches, and several…
Jul
8
1804
Detachment Orders Appointing Provision Superintendents
On July 8, 1804, at Nadawa Island, Captains Lewis and Clark issued detachment orders appointing John B. Thompson, William Warner, and John Collins as provision superintendents for the…
Jul
8
1804
Nadawa Creek and Good Land Along the North Bank
The expedition set out at sunrise after overnight rain with an easterly wind. Throughout the day they passed stretches of good, high-quality land along the river. They noted…
Jul
8
1804
Passing Nodaway Island; Hunters Kill Several Deer
The expedition set out around 8 o'clock and traveled along the north side of Nodaway Island, noting high, well-timbered land on the northern bank. They passed Nodaway Creek…
Jul
8
1804
Narrow North Channel Reveals a Sizable Tributary
On July 8, 1804, the expedition traveled along a crooked, narrow stretch of river. Around one o'clock they reached a large island and chose to pass it on…
Jul
8
1804
Sailing Eight Hours Past Little Nadawa River
A favorable wind allowed the party to sail for roughly eight hours during the day's travel. They passed a small stream the men called Little Nadawa, meaning Little…
Jul
9
1804
Rain Begins at Monter's Creek
The expedition set out early after sending a man back to mark a tree signaling their passage to the shore party. They passed an island, a bayou flowing…
Jul
9
1804
French Prairie Farms and Wolf Creek Passed
The expedition set out early and made about ten miles, sailing for most of the day under rainy skies and high land. They passed Monter Creek and Wolf…
Jul
9
1804
Rainy Arrival at the Mouth of Loup River
Rainy weather marked the day as the expedition set out at the usual daylight hour. Rain continued through most of the day, and the hunters failed to return…
Jul
9
1804
Beaver-Rich Pond Creek Noted Amid Rainy Weather
The expedition backtracked to a creek to blaze trees as markers for their hunters, then continued upriver. They passed the Creek of the Big Pond, noting a three-mile-long…
Jul
9
1804
Rain Clears; Snake-Bite Victim Fully Recovered
Heavy rain fell through midday before clearing. The expedition continued upriver and passed Wolf Creek on the south side. The party member who had been bitten by a…
Jul
10
1804
Mysterious Campfire Proves to Be Own Men
The expedition set out early to investigate a campfire spotted the previous night, only to find it belonged to their own men, who had not heard calls from…
Jul
10
1804
Exhausted Stragglers Found; Pape Creek Named
The party set out at first light and reunited with two men who had fallen behind two days earlier, finding them exhausted and asleep. They passed Pape Creek…
Jul
10
1804
Missing Men Found Asleep; Passing Wolf Creek
The party landed near where they had seen a fire the previous night and found their missing men asleep, unaware they had been sent for. They continued upriver,…
Jul
10
1804
Fair Winds Past an Island Prairie
The day was fair with favorable winds for travel. The expedition passed an island, with an attractive prairie visible on the south side of the river opposite the…
Jul
10
1804
Expedition Reaches Wolf River; Hunters Still Absent
The party traveled twelve miles and reached the Wolf River (Piettet River de Loup), camping on its west side near a mouth roughly twenty yards wide. The hunters…
Jul
11
1804
Fresh Horse Tracks Near Tarkio Creek
The expedition set out early and passed a willow island in a bend on the south side, near the mouth of the Tarkio Creek. Clark went ashore and…
Jul
11
1804
Astronomical Observations and Rest for Fatigued Men
The expedition paused at this location to take astronomical observations and give the fatigued men a chance to rest. Hunters were sent out on the north side of…
Jul
11
1804
Stray Horse Found; Hunters Return with Five Deer
The party passed Tarico Creek on the north and stopped at an island opposite Moha Creek on the south side of the river. Seven hunters went out, and…
Jul
11
1804
Halting at the Mouth of Grand Nemaha River
The expedition set out early under threatening skies that soon cleared. They passed several islands lying to the east before reaching the mouth of the Grand Nemaha River…
Jul
12
1804
Resting in Camp; Clark Surveys Nemaha Mounds
The expedition stayed in camp to take astronomical observations and let the fatigued men rest. Clark took five men by pirogue about two miles up the Nemaha River,…
Jul
12
1804
Nemaha River Surveyed; Willard Court Martialed
The expedition paused while the captains took observations and several hunters went out. Some hunters from the previous day traveled up the Nemaha River, noted as about 80…
Jul
12
1804
Rest Day; Hunters Return Empty-Handed
The expedition paused to allow the men, who were exhausted, to rest. Hunters who had stayed overnight on the south side of the river returned to camp empty-handed,…
Jul
12
1804
Piebald Horse Found; Lewis Takes Latitude Observation
The expedition remained at their previous campsite for the day. A piebald horse was found on the east side of the river. The hunting party returned to camp…
Jul
13
1804
St. Joseph's Island and Timothy-Like Prairie Grasses
The party set out at sunrise under a gentle southern breeze, passing the mouth of the Tarkio River about two miles in, where an old channel forms St.…
Jul
13
1804
Crossing the Muddy Banks of Big Tarkio River
The party set out early and continued upriver, passing the Big Tarkio River on the north side, a creek about 40 yards wide with muddy banks difficult for…
Jul
13
1804
Horses Swum at Tarkio; Twenty-Seven Miles Gained
The expedition set out early in the morning, swimming their horses across Tarkio Creek to accommodate the hunters. As the wind picked up, they were able to use…
Jul
13
1804
Violent Night Storm After Passing Big Tarkio River
The expedition passed the mouth of the Big Tarkio River at 10 PM the previous night and endured a violent one-hour storm from the north-northeast followed by a…
Jul
13
1804
Fair Winds Drive Party Twenty Miles Upriver
The expedition enjoyed favorable winds and pleasant weather throughout the day. Traveling along the river, the party passed a creek on the north side. After covering 20 and…
Jul
14
1804
Violent Windstorm Nearly Wrecks the Boat
Heavy morning rain delayed departure until 7 a.m. Soon after setting out, a violent northeast windstorm struck the boat near a sand island, nearly dashing it to pieces;…
