1
NAME:______________________________
Mr. Bloom
Journals from the Expedition of Lewis & Clark
1. Put a check mark next to the historical event you are researching.
_____A. Corps first meeting with the Teton Sioux (September 24-28,1804)
_____B. The portage around the Great Falls (June 13-July 4, 1805)
_____C. Corps crossing of the Rocky Mountains (September 9-22, 1805)
_____D. Corps confrontation with and retreat from the Blackfeet (July 26-28, 1806)
2. Find the answers to each of the questions below by using the journal entries provided.
A. Who was involved in this event? List specific people and describe each one's personality traits.
B. When did this event take place? List specific days/dates.
C. Where did this event happen? List specific places and their descriptions.
D. What happened in this situation? List at least 5 facts in the spaces below.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
3. How did this event affect the expedition? Discuss its effect on the people below and use facts to support what you say.
the Corps:
the Native Americans (If applicable):
4. Why was this event important/relevant to the expedition? Give at least 3 reasons that are supported by the facts above.
i.
ii.
iii.
Reflection Paragraph Writing Guidelines
Directions: To further reflect on the information you read, you will write 1-2 paragraphs to SUMMARIZE the journal entries in your own
words. Follow the steps below.
1. State the date of the journal entries and the name of the journal entry's author.
2. Write several sentences that summarize (using your own words) what the author said in the journal entries. Include facts such as:
who, what, when, where, why and how in your sentences.
3. Include a sentence that describes how you think the person writing the journal entry felt as he was recording the events. If there
were other people mentioned in the journal entry, write a sentence that describes how you think those people may have felt about the
event as well.
4. The last sentence should describe how you think this event affected the attitudes of the people on the expedition as well as others
they met along the way.
2
Journals from the Expedition of Lewis & Clark
JOURNAL (A)
September 24, 1804
William Clark
... prepared all things for Action in Case of necessity, ... Soon after the man on Shore run up the bank and reported that the
Indians had Stolen the horse
... we Shall Call the River after that Nation, Teton ... (Also known as Bad River.)
... the French Man who had for Some time been Sick, began to blead which allarmed him 2/3 of our party Camped on
board the remainder with the Guard on Shore.
September 25, 1804
William Clark
... we gave them 1/4 a glass of whiskey which they appeared to be verry fond of, Sucked the bottle after it was out & Soon
began to be troublesom, one of the 2d Cheif assumeing Drunkness, as a Cloake for his rascally intentions ... as Soon as I
landed the Perogue three of their young Men Seased the Cable of the Perogue, the Chiefs Soldr [each Chief has a soldier]
Huged the mast, and the 2d Chief was verry insolent both in words & justures ... declareing I should not go on, Stateing he
had not receved presents sufficent from us, his justures were of Such a personal nature I felt My self Compeled to Draw
my Sword (and Made a Signal to the boat to prepare for action) ... I felt My Self warm & Spoke in verry positive terms.
... the perogue Soon returned with about 12 of our determined men ready for any event. ... Their treatment to me was verry
rough & I think justified roughness on my part,
... I call this Island bad humered Island as were in a bad humer.
September 26, 1804
William Clark
The Squars are Chearfull fine look'g womin ... do all their laborious work & I may Say perfect Slaves to the Men, as all
Squars of Nations much at War, or where the Womin are more noumerous than the men. ... on landing I was receved on a
elegent painted B.[uffalo] Robe & taken to the Village by 6 Men & was not permited to touch the ground untill I was put
down in the grand Concill house on a White dressed Robe. ... when the Principal Chief Spoke with the Pipe of Peace he
took in one hand some of the most Delicate parts of the Dog which was prepared for the fiest & made a Sacrefise to the
flag. ... Those people have Some brave men which they make use of as Soldiers those men attend to the police of the
Village I saw one of them to day whip 2 Squars, who appeared to have fallen out,
... I saw 25 Squars and Boys taken 13 days ago in a battle with the Mahars
September 27, 1804
William Clark
... the Cable & broke it which obliged me to order in a loud voice all hands up at their ores. ... In about 10 minits the bank
was lined with men armed the 1st Cheif at their head, ... the misfortune of the loss of our Anchor obliged us to Lay under
a falling bank much exposd to the accomplishment of their hostile intentions. ... the Maha Prisoners informed him we
were to be Stoped. ... we kept a Strong guard all night in the boat, no Sleep
September 28, 1804
William Clark
... the Soldiers took possession of the Cable ... after much Dificuelty -- which had nearly reduced us to necessity to
hostilities I threw a Carrot of Tobacco to 1st Chief ... Spoke so as to touch his pride ... I am verry unwell for want of Sleep
Deturmined to Sleep to night if possible, the Men Cooked & we rested well.
3
Journals from the Expedition of Lewis & Clark
JOURNAL (C)
September 09, 1805
Meriwether Lewis
the point of the Missouri where this Indian pass intersects it, is about 30 miles above the gates of the rocky Mountains, or
the place where the valley of the Missouri first widens into an extensive plain after entering the rockey Mountains. the
guide informed us that a man might pass to the missouri from hence by that rout in four days ... we called this Creek
Travellers rest.
September 13, 1805
William Clark
Capt Lewis and one of our guides lost their horses, Capt Lewis & 4 men detained to hunt the horses,
(hot springs) ... one of the Indians had made a whole to bathe, I tasted this water and found it hot & not bad tasted ... I put
my finger in the water, at first could not bare it in a Second.
September 14, 1805
William Clark
here we were compelled to kill a Colt for our men & Selves to eat for the want of meat & we named the South fork Colt
killed Creek, ...
... 9 miles over a high mountain steep & almost inaxcessible much falling timber which fatigues our men & horses
exceedingly, in stepping over so great a number of logs added to the steep assents and decents of the mountains ...
rained and snowed & hailed the greater part of the day all wet and cold
September 15, 1805
William Clark
Several horses Sliped and roled down Steep hills which hurt them verry much the one which Carried my desk & Small
trunk Turned over & roled down a mountain for 40 yards & lodged against a tree, broke the desk the horse escaped and
appeared but little hurt Some others verry much hurt, ... when we arrived at the top As we Conceved, we could find no
water and Concluded to Camp and make use of the Snow we found on the top to cook the remns. of our Colt & make our
Supe, evening verry cold and cloudy. ... nothing killed to day except 2 Phests.
From this mountain I could observe high ruged mountains in every direction as far as I could see.
September 16, 1805
William Clark
began to Snow about 3 hours before Day and continued all day the Snow in the morning 4 inches deep on the old Snow,
and by night we found it from 6 to 8 inches deep, ... I have been wet and as cold in every part as I ever was in my life,
indeed I was at one time fearfull my feet would freeze in the thin Mockirsons which I wore, ... men all wet cold and
hungary. Killed a Second Colt which we all Suped hartily on and thought it fine meat.
to describe the road of this day would be a repition of yesterday except the Snow which made it much worse
September 17, 1805
William Clark
Killed a fiew Pheasents which was not sufficient for our Supper which compelled us to kill Something, a Colt being the
most useless part of our Stock he fell a Prey to our appetites.
September 18, 1805
Meriwether Lewis
Cap Clark set out this morning to go a head with six hunters. ... this morning we finished the remainder of our last coult.
we dined & suped on a skant proportion of portable soupe, a few canesters of which, a little bears oil and about 20 lbs. of
candles form our stock of provision, the only recources being our guns & packhorses. ... there is nothing upon earth
ex[c]ept ourselves and a few small pheasants, small grey Squirrels, and a blue bird of the vultur
4
September 18, 1805
William Clark
The want of provisions together with the dificul[t]y of passing those emence mountains dampened the sperits of the party
which induced us to resort to Some plan of reviving ther sperits.
... Encamped on a bold running Creek passing to the left which I call Hungery Creek as at that place we had nothing to
eat.
September 19, 1805
Meriwether Lewis
Fraziers horse fell from this road in the evening, and roled with his load near a hundred yards into the Creek. ... this was
the most wonderful escape I ever witnessed ... we took a small quantity of portable soup, and retired to rest much
fatiegued. several of the men are unwell of the disentary. brakings out, or irruptions of the Skin, have also been common
with us for some time.
September 19, 1805
William Clark
... we found a horse. I directed him killed and hung up for the party after takeing a brackfast off for our Selves which we
thought fine ...
(from log book) ... found a horse on the head of the Creek in some glades, he was not fat the me[n] beg leave to kill him
which I granted,
September 20, 1805
William Clark
I met 3 (Indian) boys, when they saw me [they] ran and hid themselves, ... They call themselves Cho pun-nish or Pierced.
I find myself verry unwell all the evening from eateing the fish & roots too freely
September 21, 1805
Meriwether Lewis
we killed a few Pheasants, and I killed a prarie woolf which together with the ballance of our horse beef and some
crawfish which we obtained in the creek enabled us to make one more hearty meal, not knowing where the next was to be
found. ... I find myself growing weak for the want of food and most of the men complain of a similar deficiency, and have
fallen off very much.
September 21, 1805
William Clark
I am verry sick to day and puke which relive me
September 22, 1805
Meriwether Lewis
the pleasure I now felt in having tryumphed over the rockey Mountains and decending once more to a level and fertile
country where there was every rational hope of finding a comfortable subsistence for myself and party can be more
readily conceived than expressed, nor was the flattering prospect of the final success of the expedition less pleasing.
5
Journals from the Expedition of Lewis & Clark
JOURNAL (D)
July 26, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
...we set out biding a last adieu to this place which I now call camp disappointment.
I discovered several indians on the top of an iminence just above them who appeared to be looking down towards the river
I presumed at Drewyer. about half the horses were saddled. this was a very unpleasant sight, however I resolved to make
the best of our situation and to approach them in a friendly manner. I directed J. Fields to display the flag which I had
brought for that purpose and advanced slowly toward them, about this time they discovered us and appeared to run about
in a very confused manner as if much allarmed, their attention had been previously so fixed on Drewyer that they did not
discover us untill we had began to advance upon them, ... I told the two men with me that I apprehended that these were
the Minnetares of Fort de Prarie and from their known character I expected that we were to have some difficulty with
them; that if they thought themselves sufficiently strong I was convinced they would attempt to rob us in which case be
their numbers what they would I should resist to the last extremity prefering death to that of being deprived of my papers
instruments and gun and desired that they would form the same resolution and be allert and on their guard.
I told these people that I had come a great way from the East up the large river which runs towards the rising sun, that I
had been to the great waters where the sun sets and had seen a great many nations all of whom I had invited to come and
trade with me on the rivers on this side of the mountains, that I had found most of them at war with their neighbours and
had succeeded in restoring peace among them, that I was now on my way home and had left my party at the falls of the
missouri with orders to decend that river to the entrance of Maria's river and there wait my arrival and that I had come in
search of them .
July 27, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
... J. Fields who was on post had carelessly laid his gun down behind him near where his brother was sleeping, one of the
Indians ... sliped behind him and took his gun and that of his brother unperceived by him, at the same instant two others
advanced and seized the guns of Drewyer and myself. J. Fields seeing this turned about to look for his gun and saw the
fellow just runing off with it and his brother's he called to his brother who instantly jumped up and pursued the indian
with him whom they overtook at the distance of 50 or 60 paces from the camp seized their guns and rested them from him
and R. Fields as he seized his gun stabed the indian to the heart with his knife the fellow ran about 15 steps and fell dead.
Drewyer who was awake saw the indian take hold of his gun and instantly jumped up and seized it and rested her from
him but the indian still retained his pouch, his jumping up and crying “damn you let go my gun” ... I then drew a pistol
from my holster and turning myself about saw the indian making off with my gun I ran at him with my pistol and told him
lay down my gun which he was in the act of doing when the Fieldses returned and drew up their guns to shoot him which
I forbid , Indain droped the gun and walked slowly off, I picked her up instantly, as they found us all in possession of our
arms they ran and indeavored to scare off our horses I now hollowed to the men and told them to fire on them if they
attempted to drive off our horses, they accordingly pursued the main party who were dr[i]ving the horses up the river and
I pursued the man who had taken my gun who with another was driving off a part of the horses which were to the left of
the camp. ... being nearly out of breath I could pursue no further, I called to them as I had done several times before that I
would shoot them if they did not give me my horse and raised my gun, one of them jumped behind and rock and spoke to
the other who turned arround and stoped at the distance of 30 steps from em and I shot him through the belly, he fell to his
knees and on his wright elbow from which position he partly raised himself up and fired at me, and turning himself about
crawled in behind a rock which was a few feet from him. he overshot me, being bearheaded I felt the wind of his bullet
very distinctly. ... we left one of our horses and took four of the best of those of the indian's; while the men were preparing
the horses I put four sheilds and two bows and quivers of arrows which had been left on the fire, with sundry other
articles; ... I also retook the flagg but left the medal about the neck of the dead man that they might be informed who we
were. we took some of their buffaloe meat and set out ascending the bluffs by the same rout we had decended last evening
leaving the ballance of nine of their horses which we did not want. ... no time was therefore to be lost and we pushed our
horses as hard as they would bear ... we passed a large branch ... which I called battle river. ...we arrived at rose river
about 5 miles above where we had passed it as we went out, having traveled by my estimate compared with our former
distances and cou[r]ses about 63 ms. ... after refreshing ourselves we again set out by moonlight and traveled leasurely,
heavy thunderclouds lowered arround us on every quarter but that from which the moon gave us light. we continued to
pass immence herds of buffaloe all night as we had done in the latter part of the day. we traveled untill 2 OCk in the
morning having come by my estimate after dark about 20 ms. ... my indian horse carried me very well in short much
better than my own would have done and leaves me with but little reason to complain of the robery.
6
July 28, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
I was so soar from my ride yesterday that I could scarcely stand, and the men complained of being in a similar situation
however I encouraged them by telling them that our own lives as well as those of our friends and fellow travellers
depended on our exertions at this moment; ... I now told them that it was my determination that if we were attacked in the
plains on our way to the point that the bridles of the horses should be tied together and we would stand and defend them,
or sell our lives as dear as we could. ... being then within five miles of the grog spring we heared the report of several
rifles very distinctly on the river to our right, we quickly repared to this joyfull sound and on arriving at the bank of the
river had the unspeakable satisfaction to see our canoes coming down. ... we decended the river opposite to our principal
cash which we proceeded to open after reconnoitering the adjacent country. we found that the cash had caved in and most
of the articles burried therin were injured; I sustained the loss of two very large bear skins which I much regret; most of
the fur and baggage belonging to the men were injured. the gunpowder corn flour poark and salt had sustained but little
injury the parched meal was spoiled or nearly so. having no time to air these things which they much wanted we droped
down to the point to take in the several articles which had been buried at that place in several small cashes; these we found
in good order, and recovered every article except 3 traps belonging to Drewyer which could not be found. here as good
fortune would have it Sergt. Gass and Willard who brought the horses from the falls joined us at 1 P.M. ... having now
nothing to detain us we passed over immediately to the island in the entrance of Maria's river to launch the red perogue,
but found her so much decayed that it was impossible with the means we had to repare her and therefore mearly took the
nails and other ironworks about her which might be of service to us and left her. we now reimbarked on board the white
perog[u]e and five small canoes and decended the river about 15 ms. and encamped on the S.W. side ... during the time
we halted at the entrance of Maria's river we experienced a very heavy shower of rain and hail attended with violent
thunder and lightning.
7
Journals from the Expedition of Lewis & Clark
JOURNAL (B)
June 13, 1805
Meriwether Lewis
... my ears were saluted with the agreeable sound of a fall of water and advancing a little further I saw the spray arrise
above the plain like a collumn of smoke which would frequently dispear again in an instant caused I presume by the wind
which blew pretty hard from the S.W. I did not however loose my direction to this point which soon began to make a
roaring too tremendious to be mistaken for any cause short of the great falls of the Missouri. ... to gaze on this sublimely
grand specticle ... formes the grandest sight I ever beheld, ... irregular and somewhat projecting rocks below receives the
water in it's passage down and brakes it into a perfect white foam which assumes a thousand forms in a moment
sometimes flying up in jets of sparkling foam to the hight of fifteen or twenty feet and are scarcely formed before large
roling bodies of the same beaten and foaming water is thrown over and conceals them. ... from the reflection of the sun on
the sprey or mist which arrises from these falls there is a beatifull rainbow produced which adds not a little to the beauty
of this majestically grand senery. after wrighting this imperfect discription I again viewed the falls and was so much
disgusted with the imperfect idea which it conveyed of the scene that I determined to draw my pen across it and begin
agin, but then reflected that I could not perhaps succeed better than pening the first impressions of the mind; I wished for
the pencil of Salvator Rosa [a Titian] or the pen of Thompson, that I might be enabled to give to the enlightened world
some just idea of this truly magnifficent and sublimely grand object which has from the commencement of time been
concealed from the view of civilized man; ... of it's kind I will venture to ascert is second to but one in the known world.
... the grizly bear we have never yet seen.
My fare is really sumptuous this evening; buffaloe's humps, tongues and marrowbones, fine trout parched meal pepper
and salt, and a good appetite; the last is not considered the least of the luxuries.
June 14, 1805
Meriwether Lewis
I scelected a fat buffaloe and shot him very well, through the lungs; while I was gazeing attentively on the poor anamal
discharging blood in streams from his mouth and nostrils, expecting him to fall every instant, and having entirely
forgotten to reload my rifle, a large white, or reather brown bear, had perceived and crept on me within 20 steps before I
discovered him; in the first moment I drew up my gun to shoot, but at the same instant recolected that she was not loaded
and that he was too near for me to hope to perform this opperation before he reached me, as he was then briskly advancing
on me; it was an open level plain, not a bush within miles nor a tree within less than three hundred yards of me; the river
bank was sloping and not more than three feet above the level of the water; in short there was no place by means of which
I could conceal myself from this monster until I could charge my rifle; ... I had no sooner terned myself about but he
pitched at me, open mouthed and full speed, I ran about 80 yards and found he gained on me fast, I then run into the water
the idea struk me to get into the water to such debth that I could stand and he would be obliged to swim, and that I could
in that situation defend myself with my espontoon; accordingly I ran haistily into the water about waist deep, and faced
about and presented the point of my espontoon, at this instant he arrived at the edge of the water within about 20 feet of
me; the moment I put myself in this attitude of defence he sudonly wheeled about as if frightened, declined the combat on
such unequal grounds, and retreated with quite as great precipitation as he had just before pursued me.
... It now seemed to me that all the beasts of the neighbourhood had made a league to distroy me, or that some fortune was
disposed to amuse herself at my expence, for I had not proceded more than three hundred yards from the burrow of this
tyger cat, before three bull buffaloe, which wer feeding with a large herd about half a mile from me on my left, seperated
from the herd and ran full speed towards me, ... at sometimes for a moment I thought it might be a dream, but the prickley
pears which pierced my feet very severely once in a while, particularly after it grew dark, convinced me that I was really
awake, and that it was necessary to make the best of my way to camp.
June 23, 1805
Meriwether Lewis
this evening the men repaired their mockersons, and put on double souls to protect their feet from the prickley pears.
during the late rains the buffaloe have troden up the praire very much which having now become dry the sharp points of
earth as hard as frozen ground stand up in such abundance that there is no avoiding them. this is particular[l]y severe on
the feet of the men who have not only their own weight to bear in treading on those hacklelike points but have also the
addition of the burthen which they draw and which in fact is as much as they can possibly move with. they are obliged to
halt and rest frequently for a few minutes, at every halt these poor fellows tumble down and are so much fortiegued that
8
many of them are asleep in an instant; in short their fatiegues are incredible; some are limping from the soreness of their
feet, others faint and unable to stand for a few minutes, with heat and fatiegue, yet no one complains, all go with
cheerfullness.
June 27, 1805
Meriwether Lewis
... violent Thunder Lightning and hail ...
a bear came within thirty yards of our camp last night and eat up about thirty weight of buffaloe suit which was hanging
on a pole. my dog seems to be in a constant state of alarm with these bear and keeps barking all night.
June 29, 1805
Meriwether Lewis
... I continued my rout to the fountain ... & think it may well be retained on the list of prodigies of this neighborhood
towards which, nature seems to have dealth with a liberal hand, for I have scarcely experienced a day since my first arrival
in this quarter without experiencing some novel occurrence among the party or witnessing the appearance of some
uncommon object. I think this fountain the largest I ever beheld, ...
June 30, 1805
Meriwether Lewis
I begin to be extremely impatient to be off as the season is now waisting a pace nearly three months have now elapsed
since we left Fort Mandan and not yet reached the Rocky Mountains I am therefore fully preswaded that we shall not
reach Fort Mandan again this season if we even return from the ocean to the Snake Indians.
July 02, 1805
Meriwether Lewis
The Musquetoes uncommonly troublesome.
... we caught a large rat.
July 03, 1805
Meriwether Lewis
the Indians have informed us that we should shortly leave the buffaloe country after passing the falls; this I much regret
for I know when we leave the buffaloe that we shal[l] sometimes be under the necessity of fasting occasionally. and at all
events the white puddings will be irretrievably lost and Sharbono out of imployment.
The current of the river looks so gentle and inviting that the men all seem anxious to be moving upwards as well as
ourselves.
July 04, 1805
Meriwether Lewis
… all (men) appear perfectly to have made up their minds to suceed in the expedition or purish in the attempt. we all
beleive that we are now about to enter on the most perilous and difficult part of our voyage, yet I see no one repining; all
appear ready to me[e]t those difficulties which await us with resolution and becoming fortitude.
9