Keelboat sketch by Mark Eastman, U.S. Discoveries and Exploration Throughout history, humans have explored
The "discovery" of North America result- By 1800, the United States of America
Cover Image: Lewis and Clark: The Portraits of Lewis and Clark by Alan Archambeau, Director of Ft. Lewis Army Museum, Ft. Lewis, Washington Graphic Design: Mark MacKay, NWIA |
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THE LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION The Lewis and Clark Expedition is often called the greatest adventure in American history. What is it about the successful efforts of this small Army unit that interests people from around the world? Is it because this was the first diplomatic mission of the United States government to the native peoples of the West? Or is it because this adventure into the unknown was filled with dangers, hardships, bravery, enlightenment, and excitement? The Lewis and Clark Expedition cer- tainly was all of that! No other journey has had more influence on the national destiny of the United States of America. Nor has any expedition |
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provided such thorough |
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toric Army mission so you can Sergeant John Ordway (left) and Captain Lewis (with Seaman on right) in full regimental dress and armament. Paintings by Alan Archambault. |
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President Thomas Jefferson, painting courtesy of the White House Historical Association.
Lewis and Clark gave Jefferson Peace Medals as tokens of friendship to Indian chiefs and other important tribal members. |
JEFFERSON'S VISION Throughout his early political career, Thomas Jefferson sought support The Louisiana Purchase was negotiated just as Captain Lewis was PREPARATIONS While Captain Lewis was serving as Jefferson's personal secretary, the Lewis wrote to his friend and former Army colleague, William
The journey began as Lewis left Washington D.C. on July 5, 1803. |
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THE U.S. ARMY INFLUENCE For this military mission, Lewis was permitted to add any
Members of the expedition followed the Army chain of |
Reading the journals written
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Soldiers were in uniform throughout the entire expe- dition and wore hats issued according to unit assign- ments. Infantrymen wore round hats. Artillerists and offi- cers wore a hat called a chapeau des bra. Dress uniforms, commonly called regimentals, were stowed away in waterproof containers, and used only during special occasions. Most of the time the men dressed in their issued work garments- frocks or overshirts, vest, overalls, or pantaloons and gaiters. When the work uniforms wore out, they were dismantled and used as patterns to make leather clothing. Dressed in leather garments, they maintained a tailored military uniform appearance, not the slipshod, rough-and-tumble backwoodsmen image |
entries in this publication
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Each soldier was well armed, carrying either an Army-issue rifle or MEMBERS OF THE EXPEDITION Most members of the expedition were U.S. Army soldiers, chosen for |
The air rifle was made in 1803 by Isaiah Lukens, a Philadelphia clockmaker and gunsmith. This weapon has astounding power, enough to be able to dispatch deer-sized animals with one well placed shot. It is estimated that the power from this air rifle is about 14 times greater than that of air rifles produced today. |
This .31 caliber muzzleloading air rifle was quiet and didn't frighten animals when fired. There was no smoke to foul the lock and no barrel to clean. Since it used compressed air there was no need to keep gun powder dry. An air rifle could fire between 20-40 shots before recharging with the air pump. |
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Although the names of |
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Lewis and Clark are well known, other members of the expedition The only regular Army non-commissioned officer to join the expedi- Private Patrick Gass was also recruited at Fort Kaskaskia. His skills as At age 19, Private George Shannon was the youngest member of |
Corps of Discovery in Camp,
by Kathy Dickson, U.S. Army
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Sacajawea at the Big Water, by John Clymer, courtesy of Clymer Museum of Art |
Private Pierre Cruzatte, half-Omaha Indian and half-French, was York, Captain Clark's life-long slave companion, was a valued member The member of the group who put more miles on his feet than any |
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Seaman survived and earned his keep, in part, by serving as a watch- Sacagawea, a teenage Shoshone, was the only woman to accompany Sacagawea proved invaluable to the party. The Indians they encoun- In August 1805, after weeks of searching, Lewis finally found the MODES OF TRANSPORTATION Several modes of transportation were required for the accomplishment The keelboat was 55-feet long, 8-feet wide, and was equipped with a |
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This is a replica of a
Dugout canoes (above) and pirogues (top of page) were |
On several occasions, progress meant portaging around stretches of the rivers that could not be navigated by boat. Portaging was a long and tiring process. The crew would remove all the cargo, which they then transported by horse or on their backs across land. The boats were either carried or placed on crude makeshift carts and hauled over rough terrain until they could be put back in the water. After crossing the Rocky Mountains, the expedition had the luxury of floating downstream with the river currents, through rapids that even the natives feared. The captains obtained horses and mules from Indians by trading supplies and equipment, or in exchange for medical treatment. Horses carried members of the expedition, equipment, and supplies. At times they were even eaten. Though invaluable, particularly when crossing the Rocky Mountains, the horses required much attention; they fre-quently wandered away and were the cause of some frightful accidents. Horses and watercraft were not always available on the long trip. The men walked many miles, carrying personal gear and supplies, wearing only leather moccasins made along the way. ENCOUNTERS WITH THE INDIANS President Jefferson instructed the captains to document information about each tribe they encountered, explain their purpose of friendly commerce, and treat them in the most kind and conciliatory manner. As Lewis and Clark prepared for encounters with the Indians, they learned about the types of trade goods they should carry from experi-enced traders. As a result, they purchased peace medals, beads, buttons, knives, cloth, garments, and so forth to give as offerings of peace. When Lewis and Clark encountered new tribes, they participated in a council meeting. Each council included smoking a peace pipe, a mili-tary parade, a lengthy speech by Captain Lewis, and presentation of |
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Although many tribes readily accepted |
Meeting with the Mandans , by Kathy Dickson. |
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With weapons drawn and tensions high, bloodshed was averted On their return trip, the expedition made brief stops among the The expedition encountered and documented nearly 50 different BLOOD, SWEAT, AND FEARS We can only imagine the hardships and fears the members faced dur- Every day was a struggle. For half of the journey, the men were mov- |
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Lewis's Grizzly Encounter, |
Weather and terrain caused many hardships for the party. They The Hills or mountains were not like those I had Seen but like The winter of 1805-1806 at Fort Clatsop, near the Pacific coast, had During a hunt on the return trip, Cruzatte accidentally shot Captain The most-mentioned pest in the men's journals was the pesky mos- the Muquetoes and Small flyes are verry troublesome. My face Grizzly bears were the most dangerous animal confronted during the |
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The story of the expedition's diet may not be pleasant for [I]t requires 4 deer, an Elk, and a deer, This gives us some idea of how they must have exerted Food was scarce so often that they ate horses and even As they emerged from the Bitterroot Mountains, they Salt Makers, by John Clymer, courtesy of the Clymer Museum of Art. |
Salt was an important supply |
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Clark's rapport with the Indians combined
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It is not surprising that during the expedition, the members The most advanced medical practices at the beginning Clark's practice of medicine was beneficial to both the On one occasion the captains |
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A saw like the one pictured below may have been used for amputation. |
Medicines that were thought to be helpful at the time were often poison- ous, for instance, mercury was used as a remedy for constipation. |
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Jefferson's letter to Lewis in June
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Viewing Bison, by Kathy Dickson. |
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The known ‘discoveries’ of Lewis and Clark include 178 plants and In September 1804, the expedition came upon a prairie dog village, The Corps of Discovery marveled at the wonderland they encoun-
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The black-tailed prairie dog |
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A chronometer (above) was |
One of President Jefferson's goals was to map the west. It was Captain To determine latitude, an artificial horizon and a sextant or octant After the expedition, Clark continued his work on a map |
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With great excitement, the expedition headed homeward on March 23, Going with the current, the expedition traveled between 40 and 80 JOURNALS Scholars call the Lewis and Clark Expedition members the "writingest In a letter to Jefferson, Lewis revealed that seven enlist- The captains reported to Washington D.C. |
Clark names the landmark
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This is one of the journals |
It was not until after Lewis apparently took Over the years after the Biddle publication, many embellished and The subject of the Lewis and Clark journals is complex, and many BRIDGING THE YEARS Why is the story of the Corps of Discovery still exciting and extensive- |
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Opportunities abound to gain a new appreciation of the U.S. Army The Lewis and Clark Bicentennial |
A gold coin portraying |
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