William Clark: August 11, 1806

at Meridian Capt Lewis hove in Sight with the party which went by way of the Missouri as well as that which accompanied him from Travellers rest on Clarks river; I was alarmed on the landing of the Canoes to be informed that Capt. Lewis was wounded by an accident. I found him lying in the Perogue, he informed me that his wound was slight and would be well in 20 or 30 days this information relieved me very much. I examined the wound and found it a very bad flesh wound the ball had passed through the fleshey part of his left thy below the hip bone and cut the cheek of the right buttock for 3 inches in length and the debth of the ball. Capt L. informed me the accident happened the day before by one of the men Peter Crusat misstaking him in the thick bushes to be an Elk. Cap Lewis thinking it indians who had Shot him hobbled to the canoes as fast as possible and was followed by Crusat, the Mistake was then discovered. This Crusat is near Sighted and has the use of but one eye, he is an attentive industrious man and one whome we both have placed the greatest confidence in dureing the whole rout.

Source: Thwaites, Original Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1904–05). Public domain. Clark examined the wound on 12 August; the shot was 11 August.