Kelsey B.
Lewis & Clark Expedition
Week 11, Assignment 5
Taking Leave of My Worthy Friend – Lewis Group
July 4th, 1806 – Camp: along the north bank of Clark’s Fork, Present day area: Missoula, Montana
I think we’re all still a bit worried about Capt. Clark’s group, whom we left just yesterday. While we hope to gather many more details of the land in this fashion, it is still impossible not to feel anxiety considering we may not see them for another month or so. A great deal of harm can happen in that time period.
They plan to travel to the head of the Jefferson River, where they will collect the baggage and canoes left there last fall, and then that party, too, will split. Sgt. Ordway will leave the party with his own group and meet up with a group of us that won’t accompany Lewis on his exploration of the Falls of the Missouri (instead waiting at the Falls themselves). Then the remainder of Capt. Clark’s group will travel up the Yellowstone, at whose mouth we’ll all be reunited.
We’re still drying out from crossing the confluence of the Bitterroot and Clark’s Fork River yesterday. Our rafts were unsteady, and Capt. Lewis’s even sank as it approached shore, forcing him to grab a bush and swim. I have to admit, I couldn’t help feeling a bit jealous watching the Nez Perce as they quickly and easily rowed their belongings across in animal skin canoes.
This morning, though, there were no hard feelings, simply sadness that we must part from them. Our Indian guides have been helpful and kind, and they seemed as sad to part from us as we were to part from them. They dared not travel farther, though, as we are entering the territory of their enemies, the Minnetares. Last night, those of the group that are hunters gathered a large supply of game which Capt. Lewis decided to give them as a parting gift, to show our thanks for their invaluable guiding.
Also yesterday, I must mention, for it was a huge discomfort, the mosquitoes bothered our horses horribly. They became so desperate Capt. Lewis made us all light fires so they could stand in the smoke. This rid them mostly of the mosquitoes, though today their fur and our equipment smells of smoke.
After our parting with the Nez Perce this morning, however, today at least has been rather uneventful. We have travelled away from the northern bank of the Clark’s Fork River today, and enjoyed the gorgeous scenery – there are many types of large, majestic trees and in them the birds sing charmingly. Now we are camping along the Blackfoot River, which rushes pleasantly. Even the mosquitoes seemed to leave us be for a short time. We all felt this to be because today was the day of independence for the United States…and I felt renewed pride at being a part of this expedition.
Additional: Take a look at for an online view of the Maclay Flat trail…which is near the area Lewis’s group travelled through.
July 7th, 1806 – Camp: along the Continental Divide, Present Day: near Augusta, Montana
We have been much on our guard the past few days. The Nez Perce warned us of the Minnetares, and so we’ve been posting guard and taking extra precautions. This, of course, is fine and dandy from a security point of view, unless you’re like me and get picked (even if it is random) for dawn watch three days running. You don’t even get a chance to catch up on lost sleep! Especially when we’re travelling at the pace we are – 25 to 30 miles a day.
There has been some interesting hunting, though. Reubin Fields wounded a moose near our camp who was harassing Seaman, Capt. Lewis’s dog. Just now, in fact, Drewyer is having his knee bandaged up – he came across three beaver, two of whom he shot but a third which he only wounded and bit him in the knee. The
wound is bad, but luckily not fatal.
We’ve are also, finally, back in States land. We crossed over the
mountains today, a pass that we have aptly named ‘Lewis and Clark Pass’, and
beheld the plains of the Missouri. These are plentiful in game, so we’ll be able to add that to our diet, but mostly Capt. Lewis was fixed upon the Square Butte in the distance, which is our landmark for finding the Great Falls.
July 16th, 1806 –
There are good things and bad things about being upon the Missouri plain.
The good is the game. The land teems with buffalo; so many bellowing so loud that often the horses will start and prance. Upon the 9th Joseph killed a bull fat enough to fill our bellies to the bursting. The Indians named the Clark’s Fork River Isquet-co-qual-la, which is translated as ‘Road to the Buffalo.’ Now, I can understand it.
The bad is the weather. The ground is swampy from the damp, and as a result it is tiring for the horses to travel. This means the mosquitoes trouble us also, when they rise from their fetid pools of water to attack us and our horses. Then, when it’s not damp and sludgy, it’s cold. The mountains that we can see are still capped with snow, and the nights and early mornings
are chilling.
We arrived, several days ago, at the west bank of the Missouri, where much
misfortune befell us. We awoke to find that many of our horses (seven of the seventeen)
had been stolen, the Salish tribe apparently to blame. Lewis sent Drewyer off to search for
them and the rest of us pushed forward. We made camp in the same location we’d made it in 1805 and dug up Lewis’s cache. Already in a bad humor from the theft, Capt. Lewis seemed distraught when we discovered that the water from the ground had seeped through the bearskins. All his plant specimens were utterly ruined, and a spilled vial of laudanum had ruined the majority of the medicines. However, still attempting optimism, we set those articles and papers we could out to dry, and were relieved to find the Chart of the Missouri had escaped unharmed.
Capt. Lewis is preparing those of us that will go with him on his exploration up the Marias. Because of the loss of horses, he’ll take less than he originally intended, so there are still enough for the remaining group to portage all the good around the Falls of the Missouri.
Drewyer returned yesterday, but he had no good news – he’d been unable to recover the horses. However, Capt. Lewis was so relieved to see him alive that I’m of the opinion the horses were less of a concern. We’d all been convinced a grizzly bear had attacked and eaten him.
Yet, our fears were not unfounded. Later that day, Pvt. McNeal returned to camp in a wild state, legs shaking like leaves. Apparently, a bear had broken out of the brush and surprised him very suddenly, and his horse had thrown him as a result. The animal had stood up, ready for battle, and the McNeal had enough good sense to him on the head with his musket, which stunned the animal sufficiently for him to climb a tree and wait out the attack. Eventually, the beast left, but his gun was broken off at the handle.
Today, though, we set off undaunted to explore the Marias. Capt. Lewis issued orders to Sgt. Gass to wait for the group Capt. Clark would send, then portage across the falls and wait for him at the Marias River. If we didn’t appear by the 1st of September, he was to continue on home. Hopefully, though, we would rejoin him on the 5th of August.
July 28th, 1806 – Camp: along the Missouri River, Present Day: Along Highway 87
A great many days have passed since I’ve written, but I have an excuse.
The Marias river exploration was a failure. We travelled as far along it as we could – in a landscape of such sameness that if we’d been on a less important mission I would have found myself terribly bored. The clay is a chalky white, and the grass is clipped so short by the buffalo that the hills seem almost barren.
Finally, we ascertained the river ran west, not north. We stayed 3 days at the place Capt. Lewis aptly named Camp Disappointment, when the weather conspired to foil any attempt at taking latitude measurements, and we had to head back empty-handed.
Disappointment was the only bland flavor of the day, though, danger added bitterness. As we travelled back toward our camp, we came
upon a group of Blackfoot and Minnetares Indians. They seemed friendly enough,
though when we told them about the trading network we planned to establish,
seemed to become almost angry. We inferred this was because it would ruin their monopoly of the firearms – a great advantage.
Still, there was no violence, until early the next morning. Then, they attempted to steal our guns.
It happened while Joseph Fields was on watch. His gun was lain beside him, and, unperceiving, an Indian crept up behind him and grabbed it, along with his brothers. Crying out, the two of them pursued him and wrested the gun from him, stabbing him in the process. Capt. Lewis was awakened when another Indian appeared and seized the remaining guns, and began making off with them. As they pursued him, more Indians materialized and began driving off the horses. In the pursuit of them, several of the Indians were shot. Capt. Lewis left a medal around the neck of one, so they might know who we were.
Taking four of their best horses, Capt. Lewis and the rest of the party fled, knowing that they couldn’t withstand the attack that would surely follow them when the dead men were discovered. We covered 100 miles by early in the morning, and though unbearably sore from riding so hard, still pressed forward.
So, in much, much, less time than we’d expected, we arrived at the falls. With cries of relief, we stumbled into the camp of our party, which we saw with good feeling had joined up safely with Sgt. Ordway’s, and to a much needed rest.
August 12th, 1806 – Camp: Missouri/Yellowstone confluence, Present Day: near Williston, North Dakota
Our fare has changed over the past two weeks, as we killed wild ibex with large horns. I think them like sheep, and their meat is like mutton, though not quite so strong. Capt. Lewis has preserved the fossils, to add to his collection.
The weather has stayed rainy and stormy, on the 31st it was so bad we were forced to shelter among and Indian lodge built of sticks, but there’ve been intermittent intervals of sun and dryness.
We’ve also been covering a good deal of ground - 80 or so miles a day.
However, none of this is what the camp is currently a-buzz about. Just yesterday, Capt. Lewis was out hunting, and was shot in the thigh.
His first assumption was that poor eyesight of Pvt. Cruzatte and his own leather clothes had been the cause of his injury, and he called out to the private. When he received no answer, however, Lewis became convinced it was an Indian, and Cruzatte had been seized. Capt. Lewis returned to camp and raised an alarm. However, upon scouring the woods we found no Indians, and Capt. Lewis discovered that the bullet was of the short kind our men use. Still, though, Cruzatte denies all knowledge of shooting him. Capt. Lewis is fair, his invalid eyesight won’t be punished, but as a result of it the Captain has been confined to a canoe the majority of yesterday.
Today was the best in a long time, though. Capt. Clark has returned, and we are all together again! Seeing them come up to our canoes was one of the happiest moments for the Corp in a long time. Although Lewis was injured, and our interlude of the Marias had been a failure, we were all well. It is amazing how much we are all attached to one another, after having spent nearly three years depending upon each other’s company.
Capt. Clark was especially glad to see Capt. Lewis, and although first alarmed at the news of his injury was glad to learn it wasn’t fatal. He even went so far as to take up the majority of the journals, as writing was painful to Capt. Lewis in his state, and he washed the other’s wound.
Truly, a touching reunion.