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St. Louis, Missouri
Thomas Jefferson asked Congress for authorization of the expedition. Meriwether Lewis was chose and he wrote William Clark, a former army comrade, to be a partner in the expedition. They prepared for the journey, but Clark states, "...all in health and readiness to set out. Boats and everything Complete, with the necessary stores of provisions & such articles of merchandize as we thought ourselves authorised to procure -- tho' not as much as I think nessy..." -
Period: to
Lewis and Clark Expedition
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First Casuality
Sergeant Charles Floy died of appendicits. He was the first U.S soldier to die west of the Mississippi river. Before he died Clark wrote in his journal, "Sergeant Floyd much weaker and no better. Serjeant Floyd as bad as he can be no pulse & nothing will Stay a moment on his Stomach or bowels." He was progressively getting weaker until he finally died. -
Near Pierre, South Dakota
Lewis and Clark encounter the Teton Sioux tribe, and unlike the friendly Yankton Sioux tribe, the Teton Sioux demand one of their boats as payment before they can move farther upriver. They almost fight, but the diplomacy of the chief named Black Buffalo prevents it. Clark declared, “...Their treatment to me was verry rough & I think justified roughness on my part..." -
Fort Mandan
Lewis applied his doctoring skills while at Fort Mandan. He treated an abscess on an Indian child's back and cut the frostbitten toes off another young boy. He lacked pain killers or even a saw. Lewis and Clark also met Sakakawea here. -
Trading.
The Corps of Discovery traded with the Americans. They traded their food for supplys and beads throughout the winter. It took place in the upper missoui river. -
Jean Baptiste
Sacagawea gives birth to a baby boy, Jean Baptiste. He is born in Fort Mandan. Lewis helps with the delivery by giving Sacagawea a medicine made made by crushing a rattle snakes rattle and drinking it in water. -
Tangle!
The Lewis and Clark Expedition did forever imprint one bad impression on the Blackfeet Indians. Lewis regretfully tangled with Blackfeet Indians who were caught stealing some of the men's rifles and one Indian was shot another was stabbed to death. Throughout the settling of the West the Blackfeet Indians made war upon the mountain men the Army, and the pioneers due to this event. -
Grizzly Bear
At Brown Bear Defeated Creeks. After some acounts with the bears in North Dakota. where a bear chases the company into a river and chases some men up a tree. Lewis stateswith, "I find the curiosity of our men with respectto this animal is pretty much satisfied." -
Idaho-onward!
Facing the Bitterroot Mountians of Idaho, the expedition was rescued from starvation by the Nez Perce tribe. After recuperating they gave their horses to the Nez Perce and set off in cotton wood canoes. Lewis talks about the land, "we proceeded on to the top of the dividing ridge from which I discovered immence ranges of high mountains.." -
Shoshone Tribe
Shoshone women spot Lewis and 3 of his men drawing near. Fearful at first, the women believe they are friendly after Lewis laid down his gun, and gave them trinkets and painted their faces. The women then convinced an 60 men war party of shoshones that they were friendly. -
Bitterroot Mountains
Lewis and Clark completed their passage over the Bitterroot mounaints using the Nez Perce's trail the Lolo Trail. They helped clark make timber for making canoes and the captains traded goods for horses, which they left in the indians care. -
Canoes
By burning out large tree trunks and carving them round, they made canoes. The Nez Perce taught them how to make them. They were located by the missouri river. -
Fort Clatsop
The men vote where they want to make camp for the winter. Sakakawia as well as Clark's slave are allowed to vote also. They decide to cross to the other side of the Columbia to build a winter fort. -
Illness
Lewis and his crew experienced illness from drinking river water and having a lack of fruits and vegetables. Bad water caused the men to suffer from terrible boils on their skin. Lewis caught the flu and Clark suffered from a rheumatism of the neck. -
Bad Weather!
At Meriwethers Bay, Clark writes, "The winds violent Trees falling in every derection, whorl winds, with gusts of rain Hail & Thunder, this kind of weather lasted all day, Certainly one of the worst days that ever was!" Most of their stores got wet and the men were thinly dressed. It ruined a large thing of supplys.
