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
19
1805
Clark Scouts Upriver After Failed White Bear Hunt
Clark and his men hunted unsuccessfully for a white bear on the island in the morning. He decided to dry the meat already killed and continue scouting upriver.…
Jun
19
1805
Iron Boat Frame Greased; Elk Hunters Sent Out
Lewis recovered yesterday's kill before wolves found it and sent Drouillard, Reubin Field, and Shannon north toward the Medicine River to hunt elk in its timbered country. The…
Jun
19
1805
Men Dispatched to Medicine River for Supplies
The day began clear and cool, with high westerly winds that persisted throughout. Several men crossed the river to retrieve meat from the previous night's hunt, while three…
Jun
19
1805
Strong Winds Disrupt Logistics at Great Falls Camp
On a windy day with strong northwesterly gusts, the party focused on logistical tasks around the Great Falls of the Missouri. Men were sent across the river to…
Jun
19
1805
Hunters Sent to Medicine River for Elk
Three hunters departed for Medicine River, a large tributary entering from the north side above the falls, to hunt elk. The party finished constructing a cache or burying…
Jun
20
1805
Stakes Mark Portage Route Through Rain and Ravines
On a cloudy, windy morning, Clark had stakes cut to mark the portage route and set out early, briefly delayed by rain and a deep ravine that forced…
Jun
20
1805
Buffalo Hunters Sent Out; Sacagawea Recovering Slowly
Lewis waited at the lower portage camp for Clark's return, growing concerned that the portage would be longer than expected. He dispatched four hunters across the river to…
Jun
20
1805
Clark Surveys and Measures the Great Falls
Cold and windy at the camp at the start of the portage, where the party waited for Captain Clark. Hunters killed 11 mostly fat buffalo, with three men…
Jun
20
1805
Eleven Buffalo Killed; Clark Surveys the Great Falls
High winds blew from the west off the mountains, with light rain at midday. Four hunters sent across the river killed eleven mostly fat buffalo, and the camp…
Jun
20
1805
Buffalo Hunt Yields Fourteen Animals
The party hunted buffalo, with one hunter returning around 4 o'clock to fetch help carrying meat from 14 animals already brought down. A group went out about a…
Jun
21
1805
Men Haul Canoe Three Miles Up the Portage Hill
On a fine, windy morning at the portage camp along the Missouri, Captain Lewis and most of the men hauled baggage and a canoe three miles up the…
Jun
21
1805
Baggage Hauled to High Plain for Portage Advance
Lewis directed most of the men to haul baggage three miles up to the top of the high plain along the portage route, including a canoe moved on…
Jun
21
1805
First Wagon Haul to Upper Portage Camp
On a fair, breezy morning, Captains Lewis and Clark set out with most of the party, hauling a wagon with the canoe and baggage from the previous day's…
Jun
21
1805
Strong Winds; Meat Hauled into Camp
Strong winds blew throughout the day at the expedition's camp. The party finished hauling in the rest of the meat from earlier hunts, completing that task. One of…
Jun
22
1805
Grueling Portage Around the Great Falls
Sergeant Gass describes the grueling 18-mile portage around the Great Falls of the Missouri, one of the expedition's hardest stretches. The men constructed makeshift wagons from cottonwood trunks…
Jun
22
1805
Broken Axletree Halts Prairie Canoe Wagon
The party set out across the prairie hauling a heavily loaded canoe on a wagon, accompanied by a man and his wife. Progress was slow because the axletrees…
Jun
22
1805
Hauling Canoe and Baggage to Upper Portage Camp
On a fair, breezy morning, the party rose early and most members set out with Captains Lewis and Clark, hauling a wagon loaded with a canoe and baggage…
Jun
23
1805
Planting Poles Across Prairie on Return March
On a cloudy Sunday with southeast winds, Clark and his party ate the remaining meat at camp, then set out on the return trip, planting poles across the…
Jun
23
1805
Shannon Separated from Hunting Party on Medicine River
Easterly winds brought clouds and light rain. A hunter returned from the Medicine River reporting that George Shannon had separated from the hunting party on the first day,…
Jun
23
1805
Wide Gentle River Above the Great Falls
Above the Great Falls, the river was found to be wide and gentle, with three small islands and sparse cottonwood and willow along low banks. The surrounding country…
Jun
24
1805
Baggage Divided; Two Canoes Hauled on Truck Wheels
On a cloudy Monday during the portage around the Great Falls, Clark had the last canoe pulled from the water to dry and divided the baggage into three…
Jun
24
1805
Reuniting at White Bear Islands After Exhausting Crossing
Lewis sent J. Fields up the Medicine River to check for Drewyer and R. Fields, then crossed the Missouri and dispatched Shannon to retrieve dried meat from their…
Jun
24
1805
Sail Rigged on Largest Canoe Across the Plains
On a fair morning, the party hauled out and dried the last canoe, then set out early with a wagon loaded with baggage for the upper camp. After…
Jun
24
1805
Scarce Timber Hinders Iron Boat Construction
At camp near the Great Falls, the party struggled to find suitable materials for constructing the iron-frame boat. Two men Captain Lewis had left behind that morning rejoined…
Jun
25
1805
Drying Stores and a Rare Cup of Coffee
At the portage camp around the Great Falls of the Missouri, Clark spent a fair, warm day feeling slightly unwell while drying stores and having Charbonneau cook for…
Jun
25
1805
Fields Narrowly Escapes Charging White Bear
Lewis sent parties in multiple directions: men back to the lower camp, Frazier to retrieve Drouillard and meat, Joseph Fields to hunt elk, and Gass and Shields to…
Jun
25
1805
Iron Boat Fails After Grueling Great Falls Portage
Spanning late June through mid-July 1805, Whitehouse describes the grueling portage around the Great Falls, hauling canoes and baggage with truck wagons between camps amid buffalo herds, hailstorms,…
Jun
25
1805
Hailstorm Nearly Kills Clark and Sacagawea During Portage
Sergeant Ordway's journal covers the grueling final days of the Great Falls portage through mid-July 1805. The men hauled canoes and baggage on truck wagons across muddy plains,…
Jun
25
1805
Hunter Escapes Three Brown Bears in River
The party continued portage operations, dispatching men for canoes and baggage. One man was sent downriver below Medicine River to retrieve a hunter, while another went upriver searching…
Jun
26
1805
Early Departure Hauling Supplies Toward Upper Canoe
On a cloudy morning following overnight rain, the party set out early hauling supplies—parched meal, pork, powder, lead, axes, tools, biscuit, portable soup, merchandise, and clothing—to the canoe.…
Jun
26
1805
Iron-Frame Boat Work Begins at White Bear Islands
At the upper camp near the White Bear Islands, Lewis battled mosquitoes while organizing work on the iron-frame boat. He sent Fields and Drouillard to hunt elk, Frazier…
Jun
26
1805
Swans Shot; Pine and Fir Line Rocky Shoreline
Clear morning travel along the river, with hunters shooting two large swans and later a deer. The shoreline showed pine, spruce, and balsam fir, while the valley grasses…
Jun
26
1805
Swift Currents and Hunting Through Montana Mountains
The expedition continued up the Missouri River through Montana over several days in late July 1805, navigating swift currents, rapids, and island-filled channels while passing through mountain ranges…
Jun
26
1805
Seven Buffalo Killed; Man Bled with Penknife
Members of the party crossed the river to gather bark and encountered a large herd of buffalo, killing seven. Other men returned across the plains in the evening…
Jun
27
1805
Hottest Day of Year; River Draft Completed
A fair, warm morning with a moderate southeast wind opened the day, and Sergeant Pryor was feeling somewhat better. Clark worked on finishing a rough draft of the…
Jun
27
1805
Hailstorm Interrupts Iron-Frame Boat Construction
At the upper camp, Lewis kept the party busy building the iron-frame boat: Whitehouse and Frazier sewed skins while Shields and Gass shaped wooden crossbars from poor, crooked…
Jun
27
1805
Whitehouse Explores Amid Grassy Islands and Cedar
On a clear, pleasant day, the party set out and navigated past many large grassy islands, some bearing cedar and cottonwood timber, through strong currents and a maze…
Jun
27
1805
Lewis Departs Overland to Search for Indians
The party continued upriver, with hunters taking a goose and beaver early on. After breakfast under a cedar tree, Captain Lewis, Sergeant Gass, Drouillard, and interpreter Charbonneau set…
Jun
27
1805
Hailstorm Drops Heavy Ice Chunks on Camp
The party continued portaging their remaining canoe and baggage, while the ailing member of the group showed signs of recovery. Elk wandered near camp in the morning, and…
Jun
28
1805
Last Canoe Carried Up; Crossing the Reddish Creek
On a fair, south-windy morning, Clark sent the last canoe with baggage three miles up the hill while other men cached items in a hole, repaired one of…
Jun
28
1805
Buffalo Hides Singed for Iron-Frame Boat Section
At the upper camp, Lewis assigned his men various tasks for constructing the iron-frame boat: shaving elk skins, making cross stays and horizontal bars, and gathering willow bark…
Jun
28
1805
All Hands Engaged in Building the Iron Boat
The expedition members were all occupied at camp working on constructing a boat. The tasks were divided among the crew, with some men shaving animal skins, others sewing…
Jun
28
1805
Clark Advances to Find the Shoshone Nation
Captain Clark and three men departed ahead toward the Three Forks, hoping to locate the Snake (Shoshone) nation. The day was partly cloudy with troublesome mosquitoes and a…
Jun
29
1805
Violent Hailstorm Drives Party into Ravine Shelter
Wet prairie conditions forced Clark to send men back for baggage left the previous day while he pushed ahead to the falls with his servant York, interpreter Charbonneau,…
Jun
29
1805
Lewis Hikes to the Great Fountain Spring
After a morning rainstorm, Lewis left the boat work and hiked six miles with Drewyer to visit the large fountain Clark had described, getting drenched by a thunderstorm…
Jun
29
1805
Lewis Examines Large Spring on Missouri's Bank
After morning rain gave way to a clear forenoon, Captain Lewis and a hunter traveled about seven miles downriver to examine a very large spring flowing from the…
Jun
29
1805
Clark's Goatskin Sign and Yellowish-Red Cliffs
Clear and pleasant weather as the party set out and pushed against a very rapid current. They found a goat skin left on shore by Captain Clark's party…
Jun
30
1805
Scattered Baggage Recovered; Carriages Repaired at Portage
On a fair Sunday morning at the Great Falls portage camp, Clark sent most of the party out to retrieve scattered baggage, hunt, and work at the falls.…
Jun
30
1805
Twenty-Eight Elk and Four Buffalo Skins Cover Iron Boat
At the upper camp, work continued on the iron-frame boat: Frazier and Whitehouse sewed skins, Shields and Gass shaved bark, Fields finished crossbars, and Lewis and Drouillard rendered…
Jun
30
1805
Expected Canoe Party Fails to Return
A brief fragment notes that something (likely a plant, animal, or resource referenced earlier) is rare in this region. The men who had been sent out with a…
Jun
30
1805
White Bear Spotted; Snow-Capped Mountains Ahead
On a clear, pleasant day, the party traveled 16 miles up the river. They spotted a large white bear on an island, several otters, and a flock of…
Jul
1
1805
Portage Around Great Falls Finally Completed
Clark and his party completed the grueling portage around the Falls of the Missouri, arriving at Captain Lewis's camp at the White Bear Islands at 3 PM on…
Jul
1
1805
Tar Pit Prepared for Sealing the Iron-Frame Boat
At camp on a warm, mosquito-filled day, Lewis assigned crew members to various tasks preparing his experimental iron-frame boat: Frazier and Whitehouse sewed leather sections, Shields and J.…
Jul
1
1805
Hailstorm Injures Clark's Party at the Falls
Captain Clark and his men arrived at camp with most of the baggage, leaving some supplies six miles behind. The hailstorm from June 27th had injured several men…
Jul
1
1805
Second Mountain Chain Still Not Reached
On a clear morning, the party set out against a rapid current, passing springs, cedar and pine timber, and rocky cliffs as the hills lowered. They realized they…
Jul
2
1805
Crossing to Bear Island with Twelve Armed Men
Light rain fell at daybreak before clearing to a fair morning. Clark sent men back to retrieve baggage left at the six-mile stake, while others gathered timber for…
Jul
2
1805
Portage Finished; Iron-Frame Boat Assembled in Three Hours
After early morning rain, the men retrieved the last baggage from the six-mile stake, completing the arduous portage. Shields and Bratton tended a tar kiln, while Pryor and…
Jul
2
1805
Baggage Retrieved; Bear Hunted on Nearby Island
A previously lost item was recovered today. The men retrieved the remaining baggage that had been left along the way, bringing in everything along with the canoes safely.…
Jul
3
1805
Work Crews Sew Skins onto Iron-Frame Boat Sections
On a fine, southwest-windy morning at their camp above the falls, the party divided into work crews: some sewed skins onto the sections of the iron-frame boat, others…
Jul
3
1805
Tar Kiln Troubles Threaten Iron-Frame Boat Completion
At the Great Falls portage camp, the entire crew worked on multiple tasks: building a tar kiln, attaching skins to Lewis's experimental iron-frame boat, fitting bark lining, and…
