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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Aug
19
1805
Heavy Frost at the Farthest Navigable Point of Missouri
At the upper forks of Jefferson's River, considered the farthest navigable point of the Missouri near the Continental Divide, the party checked their fish net and beaver traps,…
Aug
19
1805
Dining at the Headspring of the Missouri
The party set out at 8 a.m., traveling six miles up the valley before the branch divided repeatedly as they entered mountainous terrain with pine groves and large…
Aug
20
1805
Clark Reaches Shoshone Village on Columbia Branch
Clark set out at 6:30 a.m. and traveled through hilly country to a Shoshone camp on a branch of the Columbia River. After a ceremonial halt and pipe-smoking…
Aug
20
1805
Hidden Cache Built; Packsaddles Fashioned from Oar Blades
At the Shoshone camp on the Beaverhead, Lewis oversaw construction of a hidden cache near the river to store baggage, instructing a sentinel to warn workers if Indians…
Aug
20
1805
Trap Dragged Two Miles; Hunters Return Empty
A clear, cold morning with white frost greeted the camp. Two hunters went out but returned empty-handed, though a beaver was recovered along with a steel trap that…
Aug
20
1805
Impoverished Village of Fine Horses on Columbia Branch
After traveling four miles, the party reached a village of about 25 willow-lodge dwellings along a branch of the Columbia River. The inhabitants were impoverished, surviving on berries…
Aug
20
1805
Shoshone Women Mend Moccasins; Game Grows Scarce
A frosty day at camp with most men dressing skins while two hunters searched unsuccessfully for game, which has grown scarce. The two Shoshone Indians and their wives…
Aug
21
1805
Salmon Weir and Basket Traps at Shoshone Camp
After a frosty night, Clark traveled with Shoshone guides about five miles to their camp, where he smoked with the people, observed a weir with baskets used to…
Aug
21
1805
Cache Buried After Dark to Avoid Shoshone Notice
A bitterly cold morning froze water and ink at Lewis's camp, though the day turned hot. Lewis sent out hunters, including Drouillard, and finished preparing baggage, saddles, and…
Aug
21
1805
Ink Freezes at Sunrise; Cache Digging Begins
A hard white frost gripped the camp overnight, freezing water in small vessels, stiffening wet deerskins, and even freezing ink in the pen at sunrise, though the morning…
Aug
21
1805
Hard Frost Freezes Ink in the Pen
A hard white frost gripped the camp, freezing standing water nearly an inch thick, stiffening wet deer skins, and even freezing ink in the pen. The sun rose…
Aug
21
1805
Guide's Lodge and Narrowing Valley
The party continued down the valley and stopped briefly at a few Indian lodges where their guide lived. As Indians passed by heading to fish, one expedition member…
Aug
22
1805
Terrified Indians Encounter White Men for First Time
Clark's party set out early and traveled through extremely steep, rocky mountainous terrain, crossing several creeks and a small river. They encountered Indian families drying fish and berries…
Aug
22
1805
Drouillard Recovers Stolen Rifle; Three Edible Roots Examined
At Lewis's camp, the buried cache was finished and Drouillard returned with a fawn and goods seized from a small Shoshone-area encampment after a chase in which he…
Aug
22
1805
Hunter's Gun Briefly Seized by Troublesome Indians
A cold, frosty morning gave way to a clear, pleasant day. The hunter returned with a fawn deer and goods recovered from a troublesome group of Indians who…
Aug
22
1805
Drouillard Recovers Gun from Thieving Indian
Hunter George Drouillard returned late after killing only a fawn and recovering his gun from an Indian who tried to steal it, also taking plunder from the camp…
Aug
22
1805
Four Steep Mountains and Three Native Lodges
After a frosty start, the party set out at 7 a.m. and crossed a branch of the river before tackling rugged terrain where mountains pressed against the water.…
Aug
23
1805
Impassable Canyon Halts Clark at River's Edge
Clark's party set out early but struggled over sharp rocks and steep hillsides where horses could barely pass. With provisions exhausted except for one goose, they reached an…
Aug
23
1805
Canoes Sunk in Pond; Hunters Bring Five Deer
Lewis waited at camp on the Shoshone chief Cameahwait's request for another party to arrive, sending hunters out who returned with five deer, some of which Lewis distributed…
Aug
23
1805
Trading with Shoshone for Additional Horses
Clear, pleasant weather. Two hunters were sent out, while Captain Lewis began trading with the Shoshone for additional horses. The natives declined to sell more horses until after…
Aug
23
1805
Canoes Sunk to Preserve Them for the Return
The expedition's hunters went out while the Shoshone natives declined to sell more horses until after crossing the mountains, though they agreed to help carry baggage over. The…
Aug
23
1805
Clark Scouts Ahead Through Dangerous Narrows
The party struggled through dangerous narrows with breast-high rocks and no trail, killing a goose and wounding a large buck. After three miles, Captain Clark halted the group…
Aug
24
1805
Clark Returns Upriver; Men Subsist on Pheasants and Berries
Setting out very early, Clark returned upriver along the route he had descended, marking his name on a pine tree at the creek's mouth and breakfasting on berries.…
Aug
24
1805
Twelve Pack Animals Acquired; Wiser Treated for Colic
Lewis traded battle axes, knives, and other goods to Shoshone Indians for three horses and a mule, bringing his total to twelve pack animals. The party set out…
Aug
24
1805
Buffalo-Bound Shoshone Band Offers Horses for Trade
On a clear cool morning, the expedition learned that the band of Snake (Shoshone) Indians who arrived the day before was heading down to the Missouri to hunt…
Aug
24
1805
Twenty Horses Loaded as Shoshone Women Carry Remainder
The party spent the morning trading with a band of the Snake nation that had arrived the previous day and was heading to the Missouri to hunt buffalo.…
Aug
24
1805
Clark Scouts Twelve Miles; Only Fowl for Food
The party camped along a narrow, rapid stretch of river hemmed in by steep mountains rising at least 1000 feet, sparsely covered with pines. Hunters brought in only…
Aug
25
1805
Impoverished Indians Share Salmon Before Mountain Crossing
The party set out very early and stopped briefly at an Indian camp, where the hospitable but impoverished inhabitants shared boiled salmon and dried berries. They continued back…
Aug
25
1805
Cameahwait's Secret Order Nearly Strands the Expedition
Lewis's party loaded horses and set out after sunrise, escorted by Shoshone Indians, halting after about seven miles for dinner. Charbonneau belatedly revealed that Chief Cameahwait had ordered…
Aug
25
1805
Three Deer Killed Crossing Level Pine Plain
On a clear morning following a light frost, the party loaded their own horses along with those provided by the Indians and traveled across a level plain. Hunters…
Aug
25
1805
Desert Crossing Through Hyssop and Prickly Pear
The party loaded horses and set out at sunrise across a flat sandy desert covered with wild hyssop, goldenrod, and prickly pear, halting after 7 miles to dine.…
Aug
25
1805
Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — Patrick Gass: August 25, 1805
Editorial note: no detailed primary-source journal entry survives for August 25, 1805 that is distinct from the surrounding days. The...
Aug
26
1805
Hunters Find No Game; Party Goes Hungry All Day
On a fine Monday morning, Clark sent hunters ahead and dispatched his guide with four men to recover missing horses, delaying departure until 9 a.m. He then traveled…
Aug
26
1805
Party Reaches the Extreme Source of the Missouri
On a frigid morning with ice on the water vessels, the party set out at sunrise and reached the extreme source of the Missouri, a long-anticipated milestone. They…
Aug
26
1805
Drinking from Missouri's Headspring; Ridge Crossed
On a clear, frosty morning cold enough to freeze water in small containers, the party set out at sunrise and traveled through pine-covered mountains lining the stream. They…
Aug
26
1805
Guide Quickly Recovers Strayed Horses at Breakfast
The party's hunters set out early, and one man went to search for the horses. Breakfast consisted of beaver and a salmon saved from the previous evening's supper.…
Aug
26
1805
Crossing Lemhi Pass at the Continental Divide
The party set out at sunrise in freezing cold, with small vessels iced over and fingers aching. They crossed the Continental Divide at Lemhi Pass, drinking from headsprings…
Aug
27
1805
Awaiting Lewis; Camp Scrapes By on One Small Salmon
Frost covered the ground on this Tuesday morning as nearly all of Clark's men went out hunting. A young man arrived from the upper village with word that…
Aug
27
1805
Flags Presented; Charbonneau Trades Cloak for Horse
On a pleasant morning at the Shoshone camp, Captain Lewis presented flags to the head chief and second chief, then opened trading for horses, first paying the women…
Aug
27
1805
Flax and Wild Sage Noted Along the Riverbank
While encamped along the river, members of the party went out hunting and noted the local vegetation, including flax in the bottomlands and a tall wild sage or…
Aug
27
1805
Flags Raised; Trading Eight Horses from the Shoshones
Hunters rode out while the camp raised a large flag, and Captain Lewis presented flags to the head chief and second chief. Lewis paid the Shoshone women who…
Aug
28
1805
Salmon and Fish Roe Traded; Hunters Find No Game
On a frosty Wednesday, Clark's camp subsisted on salmon caught by local Indians, who shared two fish and sold him others, along with fish roe traded for small…
Aug
28
1805
Lewis Doubles Horse Prices, Acquires Six More
Clear and pleasant weather greeted the camp, where the large flag was raised and men set out hunting and fishing with iron gigs. Around 9 a.m., Captain Lewis…
Aug
28
1805
Lewis Acquires Twenty-Three Horses from Upper Village
Gass traveled to the upper Native village, where he met Captain Lewis and his party negotiating with the locals to purchase horses for the expedition. Lewis had acquired…
Aug
28
1805
Bone-Tipped Gigs and More Horses at Shoshone Camp
At a Shoshone camp, the large American flag was raised alongside the chiefs' flags. Hunters and fishermen went out, the latter using bone-tipped gigs like the natives. Around…
Aug
29
1805
Clark Joins Lewis to Press Shoshone for More Horses
On a cold, frosty morning with a south wind, Clark left two men with the baggage and rode up to join Captain Lewis at the upper Shoshone village,…
Aug
29
1805
Shoshone Warrior Returns Scalped from Plains War
On a clear, pleasant morning, a group of Shoshone Indians returned to the village from east of the mountains, one warrior having been scalped by a plains war…
Aug
29
1805
Native Fire-Making Demonstration at Lewis's Camp
Captain Clark and most of the men traveled up to Captain Lewis's camp, while Gass and one other man stayed behind to guard camp and prepare packsaddles. During…
Aug
29
1805
Clark Returns; Mountains Declared Impassable for Canoes
A group of Indians returned to the village after a long absence, including one who had been scalped by unknown plains Indians, prompting relatives to weep. Captain Lewis…
Aug
30
1805
Twenty-Nine Horses Acquired; Expedition Departs Shoshone Village
On a fine Friday morning, the expedition finished trading for horses with the Shoshone but couldn't acquire enough for every man to ride. Clark traded his fuzee and…
Aug
30
1805
Guide Describes Two Mountain Routes Ahead
On a clear, pleasant morning, the party gathered their horses and purchased three more, bringing their total to thirty. Their hired guide described two possible routes: a smoother…
Aug
30
1805
Short March to Grassy Camp for the Horses
The full corps moved down to within a mile of camp and stopped there for the night, choosing the location because it offered good grass for the horses.
Aug
30
1805
Guide Describes Two Routes to the Pacific
The party purchased 8 more horses, bringing their total to 30, and prepared their loads for departure. Their hired guide described two possible routes to the ocean: a…
Aug
31
1805
Fleeing Indian Raises False Alarm Ahead of Party
On a fine, warm morning, the party set out before sunrise and retraced the route Clark had descended on August 21st. They paused three hours along Salmon Creek…
Aug
31
1805
Twenty-Seven Horses Depart on North Columbia Route
The expedition set out with 27 horses and one mule. After consulting other Indians, the old guide advised traveling down the north side of the Columbia rather than…
Aug
31
1805
Salmon Purchased at Snake Indian Weirs Along the River
The party traveled along the river, passing Snake Indian lodges where natives caught salmon in willow weirs; the explorers purchased several large salmon. A stranger, possibly a Flathead…
Aug
31
1805
Salmon Purchased at Indian Weir Lodges
On a fine morning, the party set out early and after two miles reached Indian lodges where they purchased fine salmon caught in river weirs. A stranger thought…
Sep
1
1805
Rain Pins Party on Rugged Hills Above the River
On a fine but later rainy Sunday, the expedition set out early and traveled over rugged, stony hills, crossing the heads of small streams before camping along a…
Sep
1
1805
Dense Forest and Sharp Stones Punish Unshod Horses
The party pushed up a creek through dense spruce and pine forest, struggling against thick brush, narrow paths, and sharp stones that hurt their unshod horses. Hunters took…
Sep
1
1805
Serviceberries and Chokecherries Through Rugged Mountain Terrain
The party traveled 23 miles through rugged mountain terrain after leaving the Lemhi River country. One horse fell backward early on but was not seriously hurt. They crossed…
