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St. Louis, Missouri
William Clark left Camp River Dubois, Illinois with the Corps of Discovery. They had a 55 ft. long keelbeat and two pirogues. Clark wrote about meeting up with Capt. Lewis so, "Capt. Lewis could finish the business in which he was obliged to attend to at St. Louis and join me by Land from that place 24 miles." The first day they travelled 4 1/2 miles and camped on an island in the Missouri River according to Clark's journal entry. -
Sergeant Charles Floyd dies
Sergeant Charles Floyd died three months into the voyage of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. He was the only member of the Corps to die during the expedition. Lewis and Clark reported in July that Floyd "has been very sick for several days." He seemed to get better for a while, but on August 15, he was "seized with a complaint somewhat like a violent chorlick". The illness got worse during the evening of August 19, and Clark sat up with the suffering man until death. He died in Iowa. -
Experience with a Sioux Tribe
The Corp met the Yankton Sioux indian tribe at the mouth of the James River. William Clark described their teepees by saying, "Conic form Covered with Buffalow Roabs Painted different colours and all compact & handsomly arranged." The next day 70 Yankton indian followed a group of musicians to the camp of the Corp and Yankton chief Weuche tried to set up trade with the Americans. The meeting wasn't very successful because the Indians would have to go to Washington D.C. to set up trade. -
Experience at Fort Mandan
Lewis and Clark needed to set up a winter camp. They chose a site directly opposite 5 Mandan villages near the mouth of the Knife River. Fort Mandan was not completed until Christmas Day. Toussaint Charbonneau and his wife Sacagawea were recruited there to be interpreters. Sacagawea had a baby, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau. Capt. Clark called him "pompy". -
Sacagawea gives birth to Pompey
Sacagawea gave birth to her first child, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau(Pompey) on Feburary 11th, 1805. He was bornn in North Dakota at Fort Mandan. Lewis acted as the doctor during the birth. He said, "her labour was tedious and the pain violent." He gave her a mixture from the rattle of a rattlesnake and soon after that the baby was born. -
Grizzly bear affected
Lewis and Clark had been warned about grizzly bears by some of the tribes. The Corps came into contact with one on May 5th, 1805. It took 10 shots from the group to finally kill the bear. Lewis wrote, "Most tremendous looking animal, and extreemly hard to kill." They saw several grizzlies in Montana. One even chased them up a tree and one chased them into a river. -
Sacagawea becomes ill
Sacagawea got sick during the month of June in 1805. The Captains never new what her illness was. On the 10th of that month, Clark noted that “our Indian woman verry sick” and recorded that he had to “blead her.” Clark was very concerned about her and the baby. He tried many remedies to help her. It wasn't until later in the month that she was finally getting better. -
A plant or tree
While the Corps was making vehicles that could get around the great falls of the Missouri River, they were also trying to help Sacagawea. She was very ill. Lewis said, "I found that two dozes of barks and opium which I had given her since my arrival had produced an alteration in her pulse for the better." By the next day, they wrote that she was recovering and much better because of the bark and opium given to her. -
Experience with the Shoshone Tribe
The Shoshone Indians were also known as the Snake Nation. They were on ares both east and west of the Rocky Mountains.The Shoshone tribe were nervous at first, but welcomed Lewis and his three men as guest and treated them well. The Shoshone tribe gave Lewis and his men advice and helped them figure out their way for the journey. -
Experience in present day Idaho
Lewis celebrated his 31st birthday near Tendoy, Idaho. The Shoshoni were given presents and they in return began to bring horses to the Corp. Two days later, the 20th, Clark was in Baker, Idaho being guided by Old Toby, a Shoshoni man. Several days later near Gibbonsville, Idaho the men cut a road in a very steep area and lost some of their horses. -
Aided by Nez Perce Tribe
Once crossing the Rockie Mountains, Lewis and Clark were greatly aided and helped by the Nez Perce tribe. At first the Nez Perce tribe was very mad and skeptical about Lewis and Clark entering their territory, but soon helped them out with food and other goods. This greatly impacted the expedition. -
A peaceful trade
On October 18, 1805 the expedition met the Walla Walla tribe. The lead chief, Yelleppit, wanted the trade goods that Lewis and Clark could provide. They traded horses, guns, ammunition, and more that helped the Corps to prevail. -
Weather challenges
The Corp had not been able to travel for 5 days because of severe thunderstorms near the Pacific Ocean at Chinook Point. The severe thunderstorms prohibited their travel. When they were finally able to travel, they went four miles up and were able to glimpse the Paciic Ocean. Lewis wrote, "the Ocian is imedeately in front and gives us an extensive view". -
Fort Clatsop
Fort Clatsop was a camp that was up the Columbia River in what is now Oregon. Construction of the Fort began on December 9 of 1805. The Clatsop tribe traded with the Corps. Although the Fort was only open for trading 24 days out of the winter, this was the last camp before the Corps long road home to St. Louis. They remained at the fort until March 23, 1806. They spent their time there constructing their maps and writing their scientific data. -
They killed a native American
When Lewis and his men were sleeping, Lewis awoke to shouting of his men. The Piegans were stealing their weapons. Drouillard and Lewis chased them and retrieved most their wepons from them. During this chaos, Reubin Field ended up stabbing and killing a Piegan Indian.
