In August 1803, while waiting for the keelboat to be completed at Pittsburgh, Meriwether Lewis acquired a large Newfoundland dog for twenty dollars—a substantial sum reflecting both the breed’s reputation and Lewis’s deliberate choice. The dog, named Seaman (long misread in transcriptions as “Scannon”), would become the only animal to travel the full route of the expedition from the Ohio River to the Pacific Ocean and back to St. Louis. Newfoundlands were prized as working dogs: webbed feet, water-resistant double coats, immense strength, and a docile temperament. All of these qualities would be tested over the next three years.

Hunter and Retriever on the Ohio

Within weeks of Seaman’s purchase, Lewis was already recording the dog’s working capabilities. During the descent of the Ohio in September 1803, the party encountered the seasonal mass migration of gray squirrels swimming the river. Lewis described how Seaman seized the opportunity:

My dog was of the newfoundland breed very active strong and docile, he would take the squirels in the water kill them and swimming bring them in the boat.

Lewis noted that the squirrel meat, fried, made “a pleasant food.” From the outset, then, Seaman functioned not as a pet but as a contributing member of the party.

Across the Plains: A Working Dog

References to Seaman accumulate as the expedition pushed up the Missouri. On 25 August 1804, Clark’s overland march to the Spirit Mound included the dog, but the August heat proved too much: “at 7 ms. the dog gave out & we Sent him back to the Creek.” The episode is a small but humanizing detail—even a Newfoundland had limits on the open prairie.

Above Fort Mandan in spring 1805, Seaman wandered off overnight, and Lewis’s journal records genuine alarm followed by relief. On 25 April 1805 Clark wrote that “the Dog which was lost yesterday, joined us this morning,” while Lewis confessed:

my dog had been absent during the last night, and I was fearfull we had lost him altogether, however, much to my satisfaction he joined us at 8 Oclock this morning.

By 5 May 1805 Seaman was again working actively in the food economy of the expedition; throughout the upper Missouri Lewis repeatedly notes him catching geese that, mid-molt, could not fly. On 21 July 1805, ascending toward the Three Forks, Lewis wrote: “my dog caught several today, as he frequently dose.”

The Beaver Bite

Among the dangerous moments of Seaman’s career occurred in May 1805 along the Missouri in present-day Montana, when the dog was bitten by a beaver. The bite severed an artery in his hind leg. Lewis stopped the bleeding with difficulty and wrote, “I fear it will yet prove fatal to him.” Seaman recovered, and the concern in Lewis’s entry reveals the depth of his attachment.

Sentinel at Camp: The Buffalo Stampede

Seaman’s most consequential service may have come on the night of 29 May 1805, when a buffalo bull charged through the sleeping camp, narrowly missing the men’s heads and crashing over the pirogue. Lewis wrote that “my dog saved us by causing him to change his course a second time.” Clark says a man sitting up alarmed the animal. The journals do not say the dog barked the camp awake, or then drove the bull off.

Suffering on the Portage

The summer of 1805 brought torments shared equally by men and dog. During the eighteen-mile portage around the Great Falls, prickly pear thorns drove deep into Seaman’s paws as they did into the men’s moccasins. Then came the mosquitoes. On 15 July 1806 Lewis recorded one of his most poignant lines about the animal:

My dog even howls with the torture he experiences from them.

The remark, set against Lewis’s usual restraint, registers the cumulative misery of the upper Missouri summer.

Pacific Winter and the Whale Blubber Comparison

At Fort Clatsop, Seaman appears less directly in the journals, but the dog—singular, beloved—coexisted there with another reality of the winter: the Corps had become almost wholly dependent on dog flesh purchased from Columbia River nations. Lewis admitted on 3 January 1806:

our party from necessaty having been obliged to subsist some lenth of time on dogs have now become extreemly fond of their flesh … for my own part I have become so perfectly reconciled to the dog that I think it an agreeable food.

Two days later, tasting whale blubber for the first time, he compared it to “the beaver or the dog in flavour.” The juxtaposition is striking: Seaman, the cherished individual, traveled within a culture in which dogs as a class were food. The journals never bridge this contradiction.

The Theft on the Columbia

On the return up the Columbia in April 1806, a group of Native men took Seaman from camp. Lewis’s reaction—recorded by Ordway and reflected in the supplementary expedition tradition—was uncharacteristically violent: he dispatched three armed men with orders to recover the dog or destroy the village. Seaman was returned without bloodshed. Throughout the expedition, several nations had offered horses to purchase him, and Lewis had always refused. The theft incident clarified the limit of his patience.

Hunting Companion to the End

Seaman continued working into the homeward summer. On 8 May 1806 along the Clearwater, Lewis recorded that Collins “wounded another [deer] which my dog caught at a little distance from the camp.” On 23 May 1806 Sergeant Pryor wounded a deer near a lick: “my dog pursud it into the river,” Lewis wrote, and the deer was driven back to shore where Pryor killed it. Crossing the Bitterroots in mid-June, Lewis noted on 7 July 1806—amid the harsh marches and beaver-dam meadows—simply that “my dog much worried.” It is the last clear, intimate glimpse of Seaman in the journals as preserved in this set.

Diplomatic Curiosity

Throughout the journey Seaman drew the attention of Native peoples, many of whom had never seen a dog of his size. The synthesizing entries (18 April 1805) note that Shoshone, Nez Perce, and Plains nations expressed astonishment, and that some offered three horses for him—offers Lewis consistently refused. His presence alongside Sacagawea and her infant also signaled, however unintentionally, that the party was not a war expedition.

The Limits of the Record

The journal record of Seaman is uneven. Lewis is by far the most attentive narrator; Clark mentions the dog only in passing (notably the lost-and-found episode of 25 April 1805 and the deer chase of 23 May 1806). After mid-July 1806 Seaman effectively disappears from the surviving entries in this corpus—his ultimate fate is not documented in the journals included here. What the record does preserve is unmistakable: a working animal who hunted, guarded, suffered, and accompanied Meriwether Lewis from the Ohio to the Pacific and most of the way home, mentioned with an affection Lewis rarely extended in writing to anything else.

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I derected 5 of the hunters to proceed on to Grouse Island a fiew miles
below and hunt on that island untill we arived, we proceded on to the main
N E Shore below the Island and encamped, the hunters joined us without any
thing. they Saw no game on the island. we made only 17 Miles to day. below
the ricaras the river widens and the Sand bars are emencely noumerous much
less timber in the bottoms than above

The Chyenne’s are portly Indians much the complections of the Mandans
& ricaras high Cheeks, Streight limbed & high noses the men are
large, their dress in Sumner is Simpelly a roab of a light buffalow Skin
with or without the hair and a Breach clout & mockerson Some ware
leagins and mockersons, their ornaments are but fiew and those are
composed principally of Such articles as they precure from other indians
Such as blue beeds, Shell, red paint rings of brass broaches &c. they
also ware Bears Claws about their necks, Strips of otter Skin (which they
as well as the ricaras are excessively fond of) around their neck falling
back behind. their ears are cut at the lower part, but fiew of them were
ornements in them, their hair is generally Cut in the forehead above their
eyes and Small ornimented plats in front of each Sholder the remainder of
the hair is either twisted in with horse or buffalow hair divided into two
plats over the Sholder or what is most common flow’s back, Their women are
homely, corse feetured wide mouthes they ware Simpially a leathe habit
made in a plain form of two pieces of equal length and equal weadth, which
is sewen together with Sinues from the tail to about half way from the hip
to the arm, a String fastens the 2 pieces together over the Sholders
leaveng a flap or lapells which fall over near half way ther body both
before and behind. those dresses usially fall as low as mid leg, they are
frequently ornemented with beeds and Shells & Elk tuskes of which all
Indians are very fond of. those dresses are als frequently Printed in
various regular figures with hot sticks which are rubed on the leather
with Such velosity as to nearly burn it this is very handsom. they were
their hair flowing and are excessively fond of ornamenting their ears with
blue beedsthis nation peacbly disposed they may be estimated at
from 350 to 400 men inhabetig from 130 to 150 Lodges, they are rich in
horses & Dogs, the dogs Carry a great preportion of their light
baggage. they Confess to be at war with no nation except the Sieoux with
whome they have ever since their remembranc been on a difencive war, with
the Bands of Sieoux. as I was about to leave the Cheifs of the Chyennes
lodge he requested me to Send Some traders to them, that their country was
full of beaver and they would then be encouraged to Kill beaver, but now
they had no use for them as they could get nothing for their skins and did
not know well, how to catch beaver. if the white people would come amongst
them they would become acquainted and the white people would learn them
how to take the beaver-. I promised the Nation that I would inform their
Great father the President of the U States, and he would have them
Supplied with goods, and mentioned in what manner they would be Supplied
&c. &c.

I am happy to have it in my power to Say that my worthy friend Capt Lewis
is recovering fast, he walked a little to day for the first time. I have
discontinud the tent in the hole the ball came out

I have before mentioned that the Mandans Maharhas Menetarras &
Ricarras, keep their horses in the Lodge with themselves at night.

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—

Tuesday July 15th 1806. Dispatched McNeal early this morning to the lower
part of portage in order to learn whether the Cash and white perogue
remained untouched or in what state they were. the men employed in drying
the meat, dressing deerskins and preparing for the reception of the
canoes. at 1 P.M. Drewyer returned without the horses and reported that
after a diligent surch of 2 days he had discovered where the horses had
passed Dearborn’s river at which place there were 15 lodges that had been
abandoned about the time our horses were taken; he pursued the tracks of a
number of horses from these lodges to the road which we had traveled over
the mountains which they struck about 3 ms. South of our encampment of the
7th inst. and had pursued this road Westwardly; I have no doubt but they
are a party of the Tushapahs who have been on a buffaloe hunt. Drewyer
informed that there camp was in a small bottom on the river of about 5
acres inclosed by the steep and rocky and lofty clifts of the river and
that so closely had they kept themselves and horses within this little
spot that there was not a track to be seen of them within a quarter of a
mile of that place. every spire of grass was eaten up by their horses near
their camp which had the appearance of their having remained here some
time. his horse being much fatiegued with the ride he had given him and
finding that the indians had at least 2 days the start of him thought it
best to return. his safe return has releived me from great anxiety. I had
already settled it in my mind that a whitebear had killed him and should
have set out tomorrow in surch of him, and if I could not find him to
continue my rout to Maria’s river. I knew that if he met with a bear in
the plains even he would attack him. and that if any accedent should
happen to seperate him from his horse in that situation the chances in
favour of his being killed would be as 9 to 10. I felt so perfectly
satisfyed that he had returned in safety that I thought but little of the
horses although they were seven of the best I had. this loss great as it
is, is not intirely irreparable, or at least dose not defeat my design of
exploring Maria’s river. I have yet 10 horses remaining, two of the best
and two of the worst of which I leave to assist the party in taking the
canoes and baggage over the portage and take the remaining 6 with me;
these are but indifferent horses most of them but I hope they may answer
our purposes. I shall leave three of my intended party, (viz ) Gass,
Frazier and Werner, and take the two Feildses and Drewyer. by having two
spare horses we can releive those we ride. having made this arrangement I
gave orders for an early departure in the morning, indeed I should have
set out instantly but McNeal road one of the horses which I intend to take
and has not yet returned. a little before dark McNeal returned with his
musquet broken off at the breech, and informed me that on his arrival at
willow run he had approached a white bear within ten feet without discover
him the bear being in the thick brush, the horse took the allarm and
turning short threw him immediately under the bear; this animal raised
himself on his hinder feet for battle, and gave him time to recover from
his fall which he did in an instant and with his clubbed musquet he struck
the bear over the head and cut him with the guard of the guns and broke
off the breech, the bear stunned with the stroke fell to the ground and
began to scratch his head with his feet; this gave McNeal time to climb a
willow tree which was near at hand and thus fortunately made his escape.
the bear waited at the foot of the tree untill late in the evening before
he left him, when McNeal ventured down and caught his horse which had by
this time strayed off to the distance of 2 ms. and returned to camp. these
bear are a most tremenduous animal; it seems that the hand of providence
has been most wonderfully in our favor with rispect to them, or some of us
would long since have fallen a sacrifice to their farosity. there seems to
be a sertain fatality attatched to the neighbourhood of these falls, for
there is always a chapter of accedents prepared for us during our
residence at them. the musquetoes continue to infest us in such manner
that we can scarcely exist; for my own part I am confined by them to my
bier at least 3/4ths of my time. my dog even howls with the torture he
experiences from them, they are almost insupportable, they are so numerous
that we frequently get them in our thrats as we breath.

The post Lewis: July 15, 1806 appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

N. 15 E. 8 m. over two ridges and again striking the wrighthand fork at 4
ms. then continued up it on the left hand side much appearance of beaver
many dams. bottoms not wide and covered with low willow and grass. halted
to dine at a large beaver dam the hunters killed 3 deer and a fawn. deer
are remarkably plenty and in good order. Reubin Fields wounded a moos deer
this morning near our camp. my dog much worried.

N. 10 E. 3 m. up the same creek on the east side through a handsome narrow
plain.

N 45 E. 2 m. passing the dividing ridge betwen the waters of the Columbia
and Missouri rivers at 1/4 of a mile from this gap which is low and an
easy ascent on the W. side the fort mountain bears North Eaast, and
appears to be distant about 20 Miles. the road for one and 3/4 miles
desends the hill and continues down a branch.

N. 20 W. 7 ms. over several hills and hollows along the foot of the
mountain hights passing five small rivulets running to the wright. saw
some sighn of buffaloe early this morning in the valley where we encamped
last evening from which it appears that the buffaloe do sometimes
penetrate these mountains a few miles. we saw no buffaloe this evening.
but much old appearance of dung, tracks &c. encamped on a small run
under the foot of the mountain. after we encamped Drewyer killed two
beaver and shot third which bit his knee very badly and escaped

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N. 25 E. 12 m. passing a small creek at one m. on S side on which there is
a handsom and extensive Valley and plain for 10 or 12 ms. also another
creek 12 yd. wide at 1/2 a mile further on N. sides and another 8 yds.
wide on N. side at 5 ms further one & 1/2 m. short of the extremity of
this course arrive at a high prarie on N. side from one to three miles in
width extending up the river. halted and dined in the mouth of a little
drane on the left of the plain where there was a considerable quantity of
quawmash. saw a gang of antelopes here of which we killed one the does at
this season herd with each other and have their young. the bucks are alone
there are many wild horses on Clarkes river about the place we passed it
we saw some of them at a distance. there are said to be many of them about
the head of the yellowstone river.

East 6 m. to the entrance of Werner’s Creek 35 yds. wide through a high
extensive prairie on N. side. hills low and timbered with the long leafed
pine, larch, and some fir. the road passes at some distance to the left of
the river and this couses is with the river.

N. 22 W. 4 miles to a high insulated knob just above the entrance of a
Creek 8 yards wide which discharges itself into Werners Creek.

N. 75 E. 21/2 M. to the river passing through an extensive and handsom
plain on Werner’s Creek, crossing that creek at 1 m. and leaving a high
prarie hill to the right seperating the plain from the river. saw two swan
in this beautiful Creek.

East 3 m. to the entrance of a large creek 20 yds. wide Called

31 m. Seamans Creek passing a creek at 1 m. 8 yds. wide. this course with
the river, the road passing through an extensive high prarie rendered very
uneven by a vast number of little hillucks and sinkholes at the heads of
these two creeks high broken mountains stand at the distance of 10 m.
forming a kind of Cove generally of open untimbered country.we
encamped on the lower side of the last creek just above it’s entrance.
here a war party had encamped about 2 months since and conceald their
fires.-

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