Auguste Chouteau (1749–1829), co-founder of St. Louis and patriarch of its dominant mercantile family, is woven throughout the Lewis and Clark journals less as a participant than as a constant background presence: outfitter, host, correspondent, and proprietor of trading expeditions whose boats the Corps repeatedly crossed on the Missouri. The journal record does not describe his life or person; it shows him in his commercial and civic role as the expedition’s principal St. Louis connection. Where the journals are silent on his biography, this synthesis remains silent as well.

Outfitting at the Mouth of the Missouri (May 1804)

Chouteau’s name first enters the record during the expedition’s final preparations at River Dubois and St. Charles. On May 18, 1804, William Clark recorded the receipt of tobacco from Chouteau’s account as the boats were being reloaded:

I had the Boat & Pierogue reloded So as to Cause them to be heavyer in bow than asturn recved of Mr. Lyon 136 lb. Tobacco on act. of Mr. Choteau Gave out tin Cups & 3 Knives to the French hands…

Two days later, on May 20, 1804, Clark listed Chouteau among the "Officers & Several Gentlemen of St Louis" who arrived at St. Charles in a heavy shower:

Capt. Lewis Capt. Stoddard accompanied by the Officers & Several Gentlemen of St Louis arrived in a heavy Showr of Rain Mssr. Lutenants Minford & Werness. Mr. Choteau Grattiot, Deloney, Laber Dee Ranken Dr. SoDrang…

Meriwether Lewis, in his own entry of May 20, 1804, named him more formally as "A. Chouteau" and recorded the social farewell that bracketed the expedition’s departure:

I was joined by Capt. Stoddard, Lieuts. Milford & Worrell together with Messrs. A. Chouteau, C. Gratiot, and many other respectable inhabitants of St. Louis, who had engaged to accompany me to the Vilage of St. Charles…

Lewis’s same entry also records his "affectionate adieu" to the spouse of Pierre Chouteau (Auguste’s half-brother), a reminder that several Chouteaus circulated through the expedition’s St. Louis world.

Chouteau’s Reach into Indian Country

The journals show that Chouteau’s commercial influence ran far up the Missouri and into the Osage country. On May 31, 1804, Clark recorded news brought down to the Corps from the Grand Osage by a courier returning to St. Louis:

a Cajaux of Bear Skins and pelteries came down from the Grand Osarge, one french man one Indian, and a Squar, they had letters from the man Mr. Choteau Sent to that part of the Osarge Nation Settled on Arkansa River mentioning that his letter was Commited to the flaims, the Inds. not believeing that the Americans had possession of the Countrey they disregarded St Louis & their Supplies…

This passage is the journal record’s most substantive glimpse of Chouteau’s diplomatic-commercial role: he was attempting, even as the Corps moved upriver, to communicate American sovereignty to Osage bands that had migrated to the Arkansas — and his letter had been burned.

Encounters on the River (1804)

Joseph Whitehouse twice recorded the same encounter, dated June 9, 1804 in one rendering and June 12, 1804 in another, in which the Corps met a flotilla of his peltry boats descending the Missouri:

Met with 7 peirogues. Loaded with peltry for Cap’^o Chatto [Chouteau] in S! Louis Our men of Each Craft Exchang’d Blankets for Buffalow Robes & Mockisons…

The note’s editorial gloss identifies "Chatto" as Chouteau, and the encounter shows the scale of his returns: seven loaded pirogues bound for St. Louis from the upper river.

Geographic Echoes

The Chouteau name is also affixed to the country itself. John Ordway’s editor identifies Chouteau Creek on September 6, 1804 ("Modern Chouteau Creek, which empties into the Missouri near the western boundary of Bonhomme County, S. Dak.") and again on September 24, 1804. The same family name attaches to Chouteau County in Montana, repeatedly noted as a geographic landmark in Ordway’s entries of May 20, 1805, June 15, 1805, June 17, 1805, and August 1, 1806. These are place-name references rather than personal appearances, but they testify to how thoroughly the family’s commercial reach mapped onto the territory the expedition was crossing.

Re-encounters on the Return Voyage (September 1806)

The richest cluster of Chouteau references comes on the descent of the Missouri, when the Corps repeatedly met traders working out of St. Louis under his auspices. On September 6, 1806, Clark wrote:

at the lower point of Pelecan Island a little above the Petite River de Seeoux we met a tradeing boat of Mr. Ag. Choteaux of St Louis bound to the River Jacque to trade with the Yanktons, this boat was in Care of a Mr. Henry Delorn… we purchased a gallon of whiskey of this man and gave to each man of the party a dram which is the first Spiritious licquor which had been tasted by any of them Since the 4 of July 1805.

This is the journals’ clearest identification — "Mr. Ag. Choteaux of St Louis" — confirming Auguste (rather than Pierre) as the proprietor. Ordway’s entry of the same day, edited under the name September 10, 1806, supplies the editorial footnote "Auguste Chouteau" explicitly.

Encounters multiplied as the Corps neared St. Louis. Ordway, on September 12, 1806, recorded:

we met 2 two canoes and 11 frenchman 1 of which was loaded with Mr Shotoes [Chouteau’s] goods from S’ Louis the others going up trapping…

Clark’s parallel entry for September 12, 1806 identified the destination: "one contained the property of Mr. Choteau bound to the panias on River Platt" — a Pawnee-bound trading venture on the Platte. Each meeting offered news of home, gifts of whiskey, and confirmation that Chouteau’s network was actively pushing trade up every tributary the expedition had explored.

Homecoming in St. Louis

The final, and most personal, journal mention comes on September 25, 1806, two days after the Corps’s arrival. Clark wrote:

had all of our Skins &c. Suned and Stored away in a Storeroom of Mr. Caddy Choteau. payed Some visits of form, to the gentlemen of St. Louis. in the evening a dinner & Ball

"Caddy" here is generally read as a familiar form for Auguste (the editorial conventions of the period sometimes rendered his name in such variants). The expedition’s ethnographic and natural-history collections — the very tangible product of two and a half years’ labor — were lodged in his storeroom. It is a fitting bookend: Chouteau’s tobacco helped load the boats in May 1804, and Chouteau’s storehouse received the skins in September 1806.

What the Journals Do Not Say

The journal record, taken on its own terms, contains no description of Chouteau’s appearance, no record of conversation with him, and no portrait of his household beyond Lewis’s brief farewell to the wife of his half-brother Pierre. He is named eight or nine times directly and is implied in many more references to "Mr. Choteau’s" boats, goods, employees, and accounts. What the journals preserve is his function: the commercial and civic infrastructure that made the expedition possible at its outset, sustained American claims to the Osage country during its absence, populated the river with traders during its return, and received its specimens at journey’s end.

Narrators

Auguste Chouteau is mentioned by William Clark, Meriwether Lewis, John Ordway, and Joseph Whitehouse — every principal journal-keeper of the expedition save Patrick Gass in the entries surveyed here. The convergence is itself revealing: no other St. Louis civilian touches the record at so many points or from so many hands.

The post Auguste Chouteau: St. Louis Patron of the Corps of Discovery appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

English Translation

Sir, Captain Lewis, during the stay he had here before departing for Missouri, charged me with sending you some notes relating to the savage nations, and the trade that they do in Louisiana and to whom this district is sensitive. As I occupied myself with this important work, I was named by the people of the district of Louisiana to present their petition to congress; a mission I accepted with joy, hoping they It would offer me the occasion to make your acquaintance and assure you of my devotion. So, I have suspended my work, preferring to respond in person to the questions that Mr. Lewis left me via writing. However, after five days of travel, I was stopped by the sweat and forced to return to my home. I cannot express to you, sir, the extent of my sorrow at this setback, which prevented me from responding to the trust of my principals and at the same time satisfy the desires of Captain Lewis; but to remedy this as soon as possible, I sent to Mr. J. Wm. Eppes, following the advice of Mr. Harrison our governor, the petition of our inhabitants begging him to wish to be the advocate of our cause and to help with his council Mr. Eligius Fromentin who is like me a representative of the people of the District of Louisianna: I shall pick up my work again with ardor, to send it to you as promptly as possible; but as it will demand much thought and time, I believed it necessary, at this time, to send you some notes, which may interest you, although they do not entirely respond to Captain Lewis’ questions. As for news that is certain, I learned that Captain Lewis arrived without any accident 850 miles from the mouth of the Missouri around the 19th of August, as the savages received him perfectly well; and I presume that he will pass the winter season with the Mandanes, about 1300 miles from here. If I have the pleasure to see you, my intention will be to recommend to you the inhabitants of Louisianna as submitted and loyal citizens but who need encouragement and for you to inspire for them the state that they deserve. I dare to flatter myself that you will not find what I have done here by writing wrong. I intend to do so if I have the honor to see you. My supporters and I, Sir, we are infinitely jealous to earn your esteem, and have decided to do everything to earn it. If I can be happy enough to be useful to you in anything whatsoever, I beg you to state it without reserve, to the one who has the honor to be with the sentiments of most profound respect Sir. Your Very humble & very obedient servant, Auguste Chouteau

Original French Text

St. Louis Le 20. Novembre 1804 Monsieur Monsr. le capitaine Lewis dans le séjour qu’il a fait ici avant son depart pour le Missoury, m’avoit chargé de vous envoyer des notes relatives aux nations sauvages, et au commerce qui se fait dans la Louisiane, et dont ce district est susceptible; Comme Je m’occupois de ce travail conséquent, J’ai été nommé par les habitans du District de la Louisiane, pour présenter au Congres leur petition; Mission que j’ai accepté avec joie, espérant qu’elle me fourniroit l’occasion de faire votre connoissance, et de vous assurer de mon entier dévouement. J’ai alors suspendu mon travail, préferant répondre de vive voix, aux questions que Mr Lewis m’a laissées par écrit. Mais après cinq jours de route, J’ai été arreté par la goutte, et forcé de revenir chez moi. Je ne puis vous exprimer, Monsieur, combien Je suis peiné de ce contretems, qui m’empêche de répondre à la confiance de mes cometans et en même temps de satisfaire aux desirs du Cape. Lewis; mais pour y remedier autant que possible, J’envoye à Mr. J. Wm. Eppes d’après le conseil de Mr Harrison notre gouverneur, la petition de nos habitans, en le priant de vouloir bien être l’avocat de notre cause, et d’aider de ses conseils Mr Eligius Fromentin, qui est comme moi réprésentans des habitans du District de la Louisiane: Je vais reprendre avec ardeur, mon travail, pour vous l’envoyer le plus promptement possible; mais comme il exige beaucoup de reflexions et de temps, Je crois devoir par cette occasion, vous envoyer quelques notes, qui pourront vous intéresser, quoiqu’elles ne repondent point entierement aux questions du Capitaine Lewis. Par des nouvelles certaines, J’ai appris que le Cape. Lewis étoit arrivé sans aucun accident a Huit cent cinquante mille de l’ambouchure du Missoury a l’époque du 19. d’aoust dernier, que les sauvages l’avoyent parfaitement reçus; et Je presume qu’il passera la saison de L’hivers chez les Mandanes, à environ 1300 Miles d’ici. Si J’avois eu le bonheur de vous voir, mon intention étoit de vous recommander les habitans de la Louisiane comme des Citoyens soumis et fidels, mais qui ont besoin d’encouragement, et de vous inspirer pour eux, l’état qu’ils meritent. J’ose me flatter que vous ne trouverez pas mauvais, que Je fasse par ecrit, ce que Je conptois faire si J’avois eu L’honneur de vous voir. Mes cometans et moi, Monsieur, nous sommes infiniment jaloux de meriter votre estime, et sommes décidés à faire tout pour l’obtenir Si J’étois assez heureux pour pouvoir vous être utile en quelque chose que ce soit, Je vous prie de disposer sans réserve, de celui que a L’honneur d’etre avec les sentiments du respect le plus profond Monsieur Votre Très humble & très obeissant serviteur. Augte. Chouteau

The post Auguste Chouteau to Thomas Jefferson, November 20, 1804 appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

English Translation

Auguste Chouteau requests General W. Clark to do him the honor of dining at his home next Sunday two hours after noon.

Original French Text

Auguste Chouteau prie le General W. Clark de lui faire l’honneur de diner chez lui dimanche prochain deux heures apres midi.

The post Auguste Chouteau: Dinner Invitation to General William Clark appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

The post Treaty with the Sioux, 1816 appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

The post Treaty with the Osage, 1825 appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

The post Treaty with the Winnebago, 1816 appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

The post Treaty with the Sauk, 1815 appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

The post Treaty with the Quapaw, 1818 appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

The post Treaty with the Potawatomi, 1815 appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

The post Treaty with the Osage, 1815 appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.