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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Jan
16
1806
Cured Meat and Comfort While Awaiting April Departure
The party finished curing meat at Fort Clatsop, with ample elk meat, some salt, and dry comfortable quarters. Having decided to remain until April 1st, everyone seemed content.…
Jan
16
1806
Decision to Remain at Fort Clatsop Until April
The party finished curing meat on this quiet day at Fort Clatsop, with ample elk meat, some salt, and dry, comfortable quarters. Lewis explained the decision to remain…
Jan
17
1806
Chief Comowool Trades Roots; Sea Otter Skins Coveted
Chief Comowool and seven Clatsops visited Fort Clatsop, bringing roots and berries to trade, though their prices were too high for most exchanges. Comowool gifted some roots and…
Jan
17
1806
Clatsops Demand Blue Beads for Sea Otter Skins
Chief Comowool and seven Clatsops visited the camp, bringing roots and berries to trade but asking prices too high for the captains' dwindling stock. Comowool received an awl…
Jan
17
1806
Native Visitors at Fort; Hunter Returns with Deer
A number of Native Americans visited the fort during the day. Around midday, one of the expedition's hunters returned, bringing in a deer he had killed.
Jan
18
1806
Men Dress Skins for the Homeward Journey
At Fort Clatsop, two Clatsop visitors from the previous day returned to retrieve a dog they had left behind, staying briefly before departing. Nothing else of note occurred.…
Jan
18
1806
Clatsops Retrieve Dog; Skin Dressing Continues
At Fort Clatsop, two Clatsop visitors from the previous day briefly returned to retrieve a dog they had left behind, then departed. Nothing else of note occurred. The…
Jan
18
1806
Two Native Visitors Make a Brief Call
A brief and uneventful day at the expedition's winter quarters. Two Native American visitors arrived at the fort, remained for only a short period, and then departed. No…
Jan
18
1806
Rain and Native Visitors at Winter Camp
Rain set in and fell throughout the previous night, and the wet weather continued through the day. Some of the local Native people came to visit the camp…
Jan
19
1806
Hunting Parties Dispatched; Clatsops Trade Sea Otter Skin
Two hunting parties were sent out, one toward Point Adams and another up the Netul River by water. Two Clatsop men and a woman visited to trade, selling…
Jan
19
1806
Last Blue Beads Traded for Sea Otter Skin
Two hunting parties were dispatched: Collins and Willard down the bay toward Point Adams, and Labiche and Shannon up the Netul River by water. Two Clatsop men and…
Jan
19
1806
Natives Sell Finely Woven Hats at the Fort
A rainy day at the fort, where the men spent their time dressing elk skins to make moccasins and other gear. Several Native visitors came by and sold…
Jan
19
1806
Fair Skies and Native Visitors Before Evening Rain
The day brought fair weather with passing clouds, though rain returned by evening. Some of the local Native people again visited the expedition's camp.
Jan
20
1806
Clatsop Visitors Smoke; Elk Supply Nearly Exhausted
Three Clatsop visitors spent the day at the fort, mainly to smoke with the party. The sergeant reported that the six pounds of jerked meat issued per man…
Jan
20
1806
Six Pounds of Jerked Elk Consumed in Two Days
Three Clatsops visited the camp and stayed the day, just to smoke the pipe. The sergeant reported that the six pounds of jerked elk issued per man on…
Jan
20
1806
Ordway Notes an Unspecified Abundance Near Fort
This is an unusually brief entry from John Ordway during the expedition's winter stay at Fort Clatsop on the Pacific coast. He notes only that something was very…
Jan
20
1806
Storms Keep Party In; Guests Allowed to Stay
Wet, stormy weather kept the party at Fort Clatsop on January 20th and continued through the 21st and 22nd. Because of the harsh evening conditions, visiting Native guests…
Jan
21
1806
Shannon and Labiche Return Having Killed Three Elk
Hunters Shannon and Labiche returned to camp after killing three elk, prompting Clark to order a party out the next morning to retrieve the meat while the hunters…
Jan
21
1806
Three Elk Killed; Thistle Root Carefully Described
Hunters Shannon and Labiche returned to camp having killed three elk; a party was ordered out the next morning to retrieve the meat while the hunters resumed the…
Jan
22
1806
Lean Elk Returned; Salt Supply Exhausted
The party sent to retrieve meat returned in the evening with it in poor condition, as the animals had been lean. Reuben Field, Shannon, and Labiche stayed behind…
Jan
22
1806
Poor Game Quality; Salt Gone; Hunters Unreported
The party sent to retrieve meat returned in the evening with poor-quality game, and hunter Reubin Fields stayed behind with Shannon and Labuish. The recent salt supply has…
Jan
23
1806
Howard and Werner Sent for Salt; Pine Ash Problem
At Fort Clatsop, Clark sent Howard and Werner to the salt makers' camp to fetch a fresh supply of salt. The garrison continued dressing elk skins for clothing…
Jan
23
1806
Pine Firewood Leaves No Ash for Tanning Hides
Lewis sent Howard and Warner to the salt-makers' camp to bring back a fresh supply of salt. At the fort, men continued the difficult work of dressing elk…
Jan
23
1806
Two Men Dispatched to the Salt Works
On this day, two men were dispatched to the salt works. The weather remained pleasant through most of the day, but around four o'clock in the afternoon conditions…
Jan
24
1806
Drouillard Returns with Comowool and Fresh Meat
Drouillard and Baptiste LaPage returned to the fort by canoe with the Clatsop chief Comowol and six other Clatsops, bringing two deer and three elk killed near Point…
Jan
24
1806
Drouillard's Hunting Prowess Impresses the Clatsops
Drewyer and La Page returned to Fort Clatsop with Chief Comowooll and six Clatsops, bringing two deer, elk meat, and one elk skin; three elk skins and meat…
Jan
24
1806
Drouillard Returns with Four Elk Through Rain and Hail
Several showers of rain and hail fell throughout the day at the fort. In the afternoon, hunters George Drouillard and Baptiste Lepage returned to the fort, accompanied by…
Jan
24
1806
Hunters Return by Canoe with Deer and Elk
Snow showers passed through during the day. In the afternoon, two of the expedition's hunters returned to the fort by Indian canoe, accompanied by some local Native people,…
Jan
25
1806
Comowool Departs; Collins Arrives from Salt Camp
Chief Comowool and the Clatsops left early in the morning. Colter returned with news that Willard was still hunting toward the salt camp at Point Adams, and that…
Jan
25
1806
Comowool's Party Leaves; Colter Reports Scarce Game
The Clatsop chief Commowooll and his party left Fort Clatsop early in the morning. At midday, Colter returned with news that Willard was still hunting toward the salt…
Jan
25
1806
Salt Camp Men Return Empty-Handed in Squally Weather
Snow mixed with hail fell overnight and the morning remained squally. Two men arrived in camp from the salt-making camps on the coast. They had been out hunting…
Jan
25
1806
Eight Inches of Snow; First Hard Freeze of Winter
Snow fell throughout the day, accumulating to about eight inches overnight. The following day, January 26th, brought light showers, but the weather cleared by evening and a hard…
Jan
26
1806
Collins Ordered to Salt Camp with Trade Goods
Collins is ordered to return at dawn to rejoin the salt makers, carrying small trade goods to buy provisions from local Indians if hunting continues to fail. The…
Jan
26
1806
Werner and Howard Overdue; Collins Sent to Salt Works
The salt-making party members Werner and Howard, sent out on January 23rd, had not returned, raising concerns they were lost in the dense pine country and persistent cloudy…
Jan
26
1806
Five Inches of Snow Accumulate at Fort Clatsop
Snow that began falling the previous night continued through the morning, accompanied by cold, freezing weather. By evening, the accumulation on level ground measured about five inches deep.…
Jan
27
1806
Shannon Reports Ten Elk Killed in Difficult Terrain
Collins departed for the saltmakers and Shannon returned to report his hunting party had killed ten elk. Because two were on a nearly inaccessible mountain miles away through…
Jan
27
1806
Ten Elk Located; Two Abandoned on Inaccessible Mountain
Collins departed for the salt works while Shannon returned to report his party had killed ten elk, leaving Labuche and R. Fields to guard them. Two elk lay…
Jan
27
1806
Shannon Reports Ten Elk Killed Near the Coast
On this day at the fort, one man departed in the morning to search for the salt makers. Around noon, George Shannon arrived at the fort with news…
Jan
27
1806
Nine Inches of Snow Under Dense Fir Timber
On this winter day, about nine inches of snow blanketed the ground. Some of it melted in spots where the sun broke through, but such patches were rare…
Jan
28
1806
Salt Makers Struggling; Hunters Depart in Rain
At Fort Clatsop, Drewyer and Baptiste Lapage left for a hunting trip. Around noon, Howard and Werner came back with salt, delayed by bad weather and rough roads;…
Jan
28
1806
Salt Supply Low; Hunters Short on Food
At Fort Clatsop, Drewyer and La Page departed on a hunting trip. Around noon, Howard and Werner returned with salt, delayed by bad weather and rough roads; they…
Jan
28
1806
Fourteen Men Retrieve Only Three Elk from Thickets
On a harsh winter day, fourteen members of the expedition set out early to retrieve meat from a previous hunt. The hunters were only able to locate three…
Jan
28
1806
Men Haul Meat in Freezing Cold; Salt Arrives
The cold weather persisted throughout the day. About half the men were assigned to haul meat back to camp, a task made miserable by the freezing conditions. Two…
Jan
29
1806
Whale Blubber Gone; Surviving on Lean Elk
A quiet day at Fort Clatsop with nothing notable to report. The party's diet has been reduced to lean elk boiled with water and salt, as their sparingly-used…
Jan
29
1806
Meager Elk Diet at Fort Clatsop
A quiet day at Fort Clatsop with nothing notable happening. The party subsisted on lean elk boiled with water and a little salt, having now exhausted their whale…
Jan
29
1806
Gathering Firewood the Sole Task of a Quiet Day
A quiet winter day at the expedition's encampment, with the men engaged in no significant activities. Their only task was gathering firewood to keep their fires going. No…
Jan
29
1806
Clear Weather Gives Way to Snow and Clouds
The clear weather from the previous day continued through January 29th. On January 30th, conditions shifted as the sky became cloudy and some snow fell, though temperatures were…
Jan
30
1806
Green Pine Burns Well; Clatsop Dress Observed
At Fort Clatsop, the day passed without notable events. The party was pleasantly surprised that their green pine firewood burned well once split. Clark recorded extensive observations on…
Jan
30
1806
Clatsops Wear No Leggings in Mild Wet Climate
A quiet day at Fort Clatsop with no notable events. The party was pleasantly surprised that the green pine firewood burned well once split. Lewis recorded observations about…
Jan
30
1806
Morning Rain Gives Way to Clear Cold Evening
A brief entry noting the day's weather conditions, with precipitation falling in the morning and the evening turning clear and cold. No other activities, events, or interactions are…
Jan
31
1806
Ice Blocks River; Fields Reports Two Elk Killed
On January 31, 1806, eight men sent with hunters to search for elk turned back when ice blocked the river. Joseph Field arrived at Fort Clatsop reporting he…
Jan
31
1806
Ice Halts Hunting Party; Two Elk Located
Eight men sent upriver to search for elk and hunt turned back when ice blocked the river. Joseph Fields returned in the evening reporting that after five days…
Jan
31
1806
Ice Forces Canoe Back; Salt Camp Hunter Kills Two Elk
Sergeant Gass and six men launched a canoe to go hunting but encountered ice in the river and were forced to turn back. Later that evening, one of…
Jan
31
1806
Ice Blocks Canoe Hunt; Salt Works Hunter Kills Elk
A hunting party set out by canoe up a small river but turned back after about a mile when ice blocked their progress, returning to the fort. Meanwhile,…
Feb
1
1806
Two Hunting Parties Dispatched; Columbia Canoes Described
At Fort Clatsop, two parties set out: four men with Joseph Field, and Sergeant Gass with five men heading up the Netul River to search for elk killed…
Feb
1
1806
Hunting Parties Depart; Lower Columbia Canoes Examined
Two hunting parties departed from Fort Clatsop: four men with Joseph Fields, and Sergeant Gass with five men heading up the Netul River to recover an elk killed…
Feb
1
1806
Two Hunting Parties Depart for Game and Salt Works
On this day, Sergeant Gass and five other members of the party departed on a hunting trip. Separately, four men set out accompanying another hunter, tasked with helping…
Feb
1
1806
Meat Delivered to Fort and Salt Works Alike
On this winter day at the fort, several men were sent out on supply errands. Their tasks involved hauling meat back to the fort and delivering a portion…
Feb
2
1806
One Month at Fort Clatsop; Native Customs Recorded
A quiet Sunday at Fort Clatsop with nothing notable happening, though the party was glad that one month of their planned stay had passed, bringing them closer to…
Feb
2
1806
One Month Passed; Indian Hand-Game Described
At Fort Clatsop, Lewis notes nothing remarkable occurred but the party is glad one month of their stay has passed. He devotes the entry to describing local Indian…
