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
11
1804
Ordway Stalks Buffalo from Steep Red Hill
On a rainy day along the Missouri, Captain Clark, Ordway, and others hunted onshore, taking a porcupine, two bull elk, two deer, and two fawns. Ordway climbed a…
Sep
11
1804
Lost Horse Driver Returns After Sixteen Days
The expedition traveled past a timbered island with hills and prairie on both sides of the river, encountering rain around 1 o'clock. They spotted a rider approaching and…
Sep
12
1804
Swift Currents Halt Progress for Three-Quarters of Day
Under dark, cloudy skies and a hard northwest wind, the expedition struggled to navigate around an island in the middle of the river, where shallow water and swift…
Sep
12
1804
Black Bluffs Dominate a Treeless Prairie Landscape
On a cloudy day, Reubin Fields continued overland with the horse while the party struggled upriver. They passed a long range of black bluffs on the south side…
Sep
12
1804
Boat Spins and Tips in Treacherous Swift Current
The party set off as usual but progressed slowly against a swift current and headwind. Captain Clark walked along the south shore with Sergeant Gass and Newman. The…
Sep
12
1804
Black Bluffs and Clark's Long Night Hunt
The expedition passed a long stretch of black bluffs on the south side of the river and a timber-covered island, the only timber visible in an otherwise hilly…
Sep
13
1804
Drouillard Traps Beaver; Lewis Shoots Porcupine
On a dark, drizzly Thursday with cold northwest winds, the expedition set out early and made good progress despite numerous sand bars and very shallow water. George Drouillard…
Sep
13
1804
Porcupine in Cottonwood; Detailed Natural Observations
On September 13, 1804, Meriwether Lewis shot a blue-winged teal and a porcupine, the latter found in a cottonwood tree along the river's larboard shore. Noting that nearby…
Sep
13
1804
Drouillard Takes Four Beaver; Rain Slows Progress
The day was cloudy with hard rain and high winds. Hunter George Drouillard had a successful night, catching four beaver. The expedition continued upriver, passing a creek on…
Sep
13
1804
Wild Grapes, Alum Stream, and Four Beaver Taken
The expedition traveled past high hills, bottom prairies, and black bluffs, noting wild grapevines heavy with ripe fruit and a stream of alum and copperas water. Rain fell…
Sep
13
1804
Cloudy Skies and Headwind; Hunters Ashore at Dusk
The expedition set sail early under cloudy skies with light rain and a headwind. Along the way, they passed a creek and a long stretch of bluffs on…
Sep
14
1804
Searching in Vain for the Rumored Volcano
The expedition set out early on a cold, drizzly day, traveling along a wide, shallow stretch of river and passing several sandbars and a round island. Three beaver…
Sep
14
1804
Clark Kills Pronghorn; Shields Bags Prairie Hare
On September 14, 1804, the expedition documented two notable animals from the plains. Captain Clark killed a male pronghorn ("wild goat") weighing 65 pounds, and Lewis recorded its…
Sep
14
1804
Men Wade Sandbars in Fog and Rain
A foggy, cloudy day with some rain made for difficult travel, as shallow water forced the men to wade and haul the barge over sandbars. The party stopped…
Sep
14
1804
All Hands Wade to Drag Boat Over Sandbars
On a cloudy day with some rain, the expedition struggled through shallow water, with all hands repeatedly wading to drag the boat over sandbars. George Drouillard had caught…
Sep
14
1804
All Hands Wade to Drag Boat Upstream
The expedition struggled forward through shallow water, with all hands wading to drag the boat upstream. They halted for breakfast at 8 a.m., where hunters sent out the…
Sep
15
1804
Shannon Found; White River Mouth Explored
The party set out early and passed a creek where Shannon had survived on grapes while waiting for what he thought was their boat. At the mouth of…
Sep
15
1804
Gass and Field Scout the White River
The party set out early under cloudy skies, with Collins traveling overland with the horse. They passed Shannon's Creek on the south side and black bluffs on the…
Sep
15
1804
Shannon's Creek Named; White River Mouth Reached
The party set off early and passed a creek on the south side where George Shannon had camped for six days; they named it Shannon's Creek. They passed…
Sep
15
1804
Gass Scouts White River Twelve Miles Inland
The party set out early, passing a creek and black bluffs along the river, then reached White River on the south side. Gass and another man left the…
Sep
16
1804
Halted to Dry Goods and Reload the Pirogue
On a cloudy Sunday, the expedition traveled just over a mile before camping on the left side of the river in a timbered plain rich with plums and…
Sep
16
1804
Camp Above Corvus Creek to Dry Soaked Baggage
The expedition set out early and stopped by midmorning on the larboard shore above a creek they named Corvus, after a beautiful bird killed there. They decided to…
Sep
16
1804
Substantial Hunt Near the Pleasant Camp Bottom
The expedition set out early and traveled four miles, passing the mouth of the White River on the south side before stopping at a wooded bottom with sparse…
Sep
16
1804
Camp Chosen to Dry Cargo and Rest the Men
On a cool, clear day, the expedition pushed on to find a suitable camp where they could dry their cargo, reorganize the boats, and rest the men. They…
Sep
16
1804
Missouri River near White River — Patrick Gass: September 16, 1804
Editorial note: no detailed primary-source journal entry survives for September 16, 1804 that is distinct from the surrounding days. The...
Sep
17
1804
Lewis Kills Buffalo and Striking Corvus Bird
On a fine day above White River, the party dried out gear and provisions soaked by recent rain, though some food was spoiled. Captain Lewis spent the day…
Sep
17
1804
Lewis Explores Vast Prairie Dog Towns on Plains
Lewis spent the day exploring the prairie between the Missouri River and Corvus Creek, taking six hunters with him at sunrise. He described ripe plum groves, vast prairie…
Sep
17
1804
Lewis Returns with Deer, Goat, and Buffalo
Captain Lewis and several members of the expedition went out hunting and returned with a substantial haul: 13 common deer, 2 black-tailed deer, 1 goat, and 3 buffalo.…
Sep
17
1804
Lewis Returns to Camp with Thirteen Animals Killed
The party stayed in camp for the day in pleasant weather, with the boat already loaded. Some men went out hunting, and Drouillard caught a beaver. Toward evening,…
Sep
17
1804
Lewis's Party Takes Thirteen Deer and True Antelope
The expedition spent the day hunting and observing wildlife on the plains. Captain Lewis led a hunting party that brought in thirteen common deer, two black-tailed deer, three…
Sep
18
1804
Hard Headwind Slows Lightened Boat's Progress
On Tuesday, September 18, 1804, the expedition set out early under a hard northwest headwind that slowed progress despite the boat being lightened. They passed a mile-long island…
Sep
18
1804
First Brant Geese Spotted Flying Southward
On this date, the expedition recorded its first sighting of brant geese returning south from their northern range, an early sign of the changing season as autumn approached.…
Sep
18
1804
Reed Tried and Punished; Oto Leaders Witness Sentence
Drouillard and two other men returned to camp with the deserter Moses Reed, along with the Oto leaders Little Thief and Big Horse, a Frenchman, and seven warriors…
Sep
18
1804
Lewis Kills Unusual Bird Resembling Magpie
Clear, pleasant weather accompanied the day's travel, with timbered land along the south bank and hills and prairies to the north, alongside an island and numerous sandbars. The…
Sep
19
1804
Sioux Neutral Ground at Three Rivers Passage
On a clear, cool Wednesday with favorable southeast winds, the expedition set out early and passed Prospect Island and the mouths of three rivers known as the Sioux…
Sep
19
1804
Clark Hunts Ashore; Black-Tailed Deer Taken
The party set off early and passed clay bluffs and timbered bottoms along the Missouri. Joseph Fields, traveling with the horse, killed a black-tailed deer that was brought…
Sep
19
1804
Buffalo Swimming the Missouri; Two Killed
The expedition traveled past large timbered bottoms on both sides of the Missouri River. The party spotted buffalo swimming across the river and killed two. They passed an…
Sep
19
1804
Black-Tailed Deer Killed; Buffalo Shot in River
The expedition set off early under clear skies, passing large timbered bottomlands on both sides of the river. Field killed a black-tailed deer and hung it on the…
Sep
20
1804
Clark Walks the Grand Detour Portage Overland
On a fair morning with a southeast wind, Clark sent three men with the horse across the Big Bend (Grand Detour) to hunt and prepare jerked provisions while…
Sep
20
1804
Lewis Examines Black Porous Cliff at Big Bend
While traveling along the larboard shore at the start of the Big Bend of the Missouri River, Lewis examined a cliff of black, porous rock that initially looked…
Sep
20
1804
Shortcut Across the Grand Bend of Missouri
The expedition set off early under clear skies with a favorable wind, passing rising prairie to the north and timbered bottomland to the south. Drouillard and Shields cut…
Sep
20
1804
Rounding the Big Bend; Lewis Hunts Shore
The expedition set off early under a gentle east breeze, passing an island, Prickly Pear Creek, and timbered bottoms while rounding the Big Bend, covering about 27 miles.…
Sep
20
1804
Two Men Cross Grand Bend Overland with Horse
Under clear skies and a fair wind, the party traveled along the Missouri, passing rising prairies to the north and timbered bottoms to the south. Two men took…
Sep
21
1804
Collapsing Sandbar Forces Midnight Evacuation
In the early hours, the sandbar where the party was camped began collapsing into the river, forcing a hasty evacuation of men and pirogues just before the bank…
Sep
21
1804
Thirty-Five River Miles to Cross Two Overland
The expedition set out early under clear skies and traveled past bluffs on the south side, reaching the end of a large bend where the river was only…
Sep
21
1804
Completing the Great Loop of the Big Bend
The expedition set out early and continued upriver, passing scenic high prairies on the north side and a cedar bluff and bottom on the south. They rounded the…
Sep
21
1804
Passing Black Bluffs at End of Grand Bend
The expedition traveled along bluffs on the south side of the river for four miles, reaching the end of the Grand Bend about a mile from where they…
Sep
22
1804
Meeting Trader Loisel at Cedar Island
A thick morning fog delayed the expedition until 7 a.m. They traveled past beautiful plains teeming with buffalo, and Clark took a noon sun observation placing them at…
Sep
22
1804
Loisel's Cedar Fort at Three Sisters Islands
The party set off early on a foggy morning, passing timbered land to the south and high plains to the north. Around 3 p.m. they reached one of…
Sep
22
1804
Loisel's Abandoned Cedar Trading Post Discovered
The expedition traveled past timbered shores and high plains where large herds of buffalo grazed. Around 3 o'clock they reached a cedar-covered island, one of the Three Sisters,…
Sep
22
1804
Cedar Fort of Trader Lucelle on Cedar Island
Traveling along the Missouri River, the party observed timber on the south bank and high plains to the north. Around 3 p.m. they passed Cedar Island, one of…
Sep
23
1804
Vast Buffalo Herds and Reuben Fields Finds Creek
On a clear Sunday with a gentle southeast breeze, the expedition traveled past Goat Island, two small willow islands, and Elk Island, noting wide sandbars and a shoal…
Sep
23
1804
Fields Hunts Overland Along the Long Reach
The party departed early under clear skies, traveling past timber on the north shore and highlands to the south. They passed Smoke Creek and Elk Island at the…
Sep
23
1804
Prairie Fire Spotted; Buffalo Herds on Northern Hills
The expedition set out early, passing a timbered bottom rich in grapes on the north side. Captain Clark, returning from shore, reported spotting a large fire on the…
Sep
23
1804
Four Indians Spotted; Three Cross River at Dusk
The party traveled past timbered land and high ground along the Missouri, noting Smoke Creek on the north side, Elk Island with a wooded bottom, and barren hills…
Sep
24
1804
Sioux Reportedly Threaten Colter; Medals Prepared
On a fair, easterly-windy day, the expedition set out early and passed several islands, including one where Colter had camped and killed four elk. The crew prepared clothes…
Sep
24
1804
Colter's Horse Stolen; Five Indians Approach Camp
The expedition departed early and passed a small creek on the south side. Around 3 o'clock, Colter rejoined the group and reported that Indians had stolen his horse…
Sep
24
1804
Indians Steal Colter's Elk Meat at Riverbank
The party set out early under a gentle southeast breeze, passing a prairie on the north side dotted with ripe plum orchards and the mouth of a creek…
Sep
24
1804
Indians Steal the Horse; Five Appear on Bank
The party passed a small creek on the south side of the river. Around 3 o'clock, the man traveling overland with the horse reported that Indians had stolen…
Sep
25
1804
Armed Standoff with Teton Sioux at Bad River
At the mouth of the Bad River, the expedition faced its most dangerous standoff with the Teton Sioux (Lakota), who controlled trade on the upper Missouri. The Second…
