Lewis and Clark Trust, Inc. presents: Exploring with Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark

Support for this website is funded in part by the Anne Rutledge Tufts memorial gift provided by Lorna Hainesworth

The Lewis and Clark Trust’s research brings the national scope of the Lewis and Clark Story and Expedition into full view, a nexus of history and geography. Through the compilation of print and digital resources the first United States military exploration of the American West is presented in chronological order. Planning, equipping, escorting Sovereign Nation Tribal Chiefs, reporting to President Jefferson, and the Lewis and Clark Journal printing are all in the fabric of the Lewis and Clark Story.

The referenced sources explain how the labors of the men and women of the Expedition are still guide posts for all people and ages. Constant leadership of the co-commanders, Lewis and Clark, and the non-commissioned Sergeants inspired the faithful support of the enlisted men and the hired crew. York, Sacagawea, and the Native American People are a major part of the expedition success and reflects the human element in the epic story. It is our sincere hope this narrative inspires the readers curiosity sufficient to locate “mis-placed” primary source documents that will further the knowledge of the Lewis and Clark Story. While the narrative follows their route of travel and the people they met, it leaves open in-depth research papers and books for future writing.

The theoretical Northwest Passage and foreign financial rivalry was never far from Thomas Jefferson’s mind. Donald Jackson said, “Three of the proposed explorations, George Rogers Clark, John Ledyard and Andre Michaux, either originated or abetted by Jefferson”. The abortive attempt by Lt. John Armstrong was initiated in the War Department at the direction of General Harmer, an attempt unknown to Jefferson. (1) The first successful military exploration of the West by Lewis and Clark is clearly founded in planning, preparation, and recruitment of people with the “right stuff’”. The exploration included recording the findings, and experiences as outlined in President Jefferson’s Orders to Meriwether Lewis. Equally important, the reporting and diplomatic phase, occurring after the 28- month Western Exploration, in which Jefferson directed Lewis to “repair yourself with your papers to the seat of the government”. (2) The third phase lasted a number-of-years, and includes Lewis’ death in 1809, along with William Clark’s success in seeing that the journals and exploration map were published.

The Lewis and Clark story and trail has been described as a “string of pearls”. Each pearl is a Lewis and Clark site with its own important story within the national story. The historic and cultural identity of each site, community, and region strengthens the total story of Lewis and Clark, local and national. Each site should take pride in its location and part it played in the Lewis and Clark epic story.

Millions of words have been written by brilliant authors and scholars but the journals and material collected are the basis of their research and writing. Dr. Thomas P. Slaughter states the fact so very clear, “without the journals the expedition would be a footnote to history”. (3) Clearly, it is time to use the full story of Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Journals and the thousands of related documents or sites to improve the lives of all people.

Source: (1) Storm, Colton, Lt. Armstrong’s Expedition to the Missouri River1790, Reprint – Mid-America Vol 25, New Series, Vol 14, Number 3. Courtesy: Historical Society of Pennsylvania, page 181. (Call Number-Tz*.689) (2) Jackson, Donald, Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Second Printing, V-l, University of Illinois Press, Urbana, page 61-66.; page 665 & 666. (3) Ibid, page 66. (4) Slaughter, Thomas P., Exploring Lewis and Clark, Alfred A. Knopf, NY 2003, page xviii.

Pictures: Page 1 -Washington DC and Charlottesville, President House & Monticello Indian Hall

1 Planning and Equipping for Exploration, 18 January – 4 July 1803

Presidents House credit: http://www.mdhs.org/digitalimaee/design-presidents-house-elevation drawing by Jannes Hoban

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson was the President and no longer just providing verbal support with small amounts of finance for exploration of the Western America. The publication and public knowledge of Alexander Mackenzie’s trans-continental crossing of Canada in 1789-1793 became the catalyst that brought the President to action. (l) Using commerce as the primary reason to secure funding from Congress on 18 January 1803, planning for the expedition was fully underway. (2)

Early planning considerations included, traveling to Ft. Southwest Point, present-day Kingston, TN where troops would be selected then continue overland to Nashville, TN. Lewis’ thought process went so far as to send $50.00 to Dr. (William) Dickson in Nashville for a down payment to procure boats to transport supplies and men via the Cumberland and Ohio Rivers. (3)

By June Lewis had learned that qualified men could not be found at Ft. Southwest Point and securing a boat in Nashville was not a good option. He would travel by the Ohio River from Pittsburgh, PA selecting men at post along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. (4) While members of the Jefferson Administration were securing maps, and passports for the foreign lands to be crossed, Lewis travels to the U. S. Arsenal at Harpers Ferry to secure rifles, knives, and tomahawks, etc. Much of his time at Harpers Ferry was spent superintending the construction of an iron frame boat. He planned to cover it with animal skins where wood was unavailable for canoes in the dryer western climate.

Jefferson arranged with the leading scholars and scientist in Philadelphia to provide a “crash course” for skills that Lewis would need during the expedition. Traveling through Lancaster, PA, Lewis stayed with Andrew Ellicott for instruction on using instruments to determine longitude by using a sextant, artificial horizon, and chronometer. In Philadelphia, he was tutored by Robert Patterson, professor of mathematics; Benjamin Smith Barton, author of Elements of Botany; Casper Wistar, paleontologist; and Benjamin Rush, physician. During his “idle time” Lewis secured supplies at the Schuylkill Arsenal and purchased material that included $696.00 in “Indian presents” (5) (Note, for a full list of supplies purchased in Philadelphia see: www.lewis-clark.org/article/2977.

Lewis was back in Washington by 19 June 1803, having completed the basic education skills and securing supplies. He turned his thoughts to additional leadership then wrote his friend and former ranking Army Office, William Clark. (6) This was the most important decision made during the planning. The combined strengths of the two men made the expedition successful. Clark’s response, dated 18 July 1803, was a firm “yes” to Lewis’s offer to be a co-leader. We can almost hear Lewis’ audible sigh of relief in Pittsburgh, where he was trying to get the keel boat built. (7)

The combined strengths of the two Captains had been developed through life experiences with little formal education. Lewis has served and traveled between the Army Post west of the Allegheny Mountains and served and as the President’s personal secretary, a position of great importance with an unlimited opportunity to learn. Clark had traveled and served admirably during the Indian Wars of 1792-1796, attempted to sort-out the tangled financial affairs of his brother, General George Rogers Clark and made two successful commercial trips from the Falls of the Ohio to New Orleans, the east coast and back to Louisville. Clarks extensive travel and cultural experiences that included a basic understanding the French and Spanish language, and attending theater productions had elevated him to “cosmopolitan explorer” with the ability to live in the wilderness and communicate with Tribal people. William Clark was ready for the challenge when he received Lewis’ invitation to be a Co-Commander. (8) (9) Planning and equipping was complete, with only minor adjustments as the mission was carried out. Senior Leadership was selected, now it was time to select the crew and produce results. With President Jefferson’s Instructions to Lewis, dated 20 June 1803, clearly defining the mission that Lewis and Clark are about to undertake, the mission is nearly ready to launch. (10) On 2 July, Lewis wrote to his mother, Lucy Marks. (11) The letter is worthy of reading and hearing a son reassure his mother of his good health, wellbeing and safety in the coming months then turning to educational concerns for his siblings. On 4 July 1803, Thomas Jefferson personally wrote a Letter of Credit backed by the United States Government to support the expedition when it reached the Pacific Ocean and on the 5th of July, Lewis leaves the White House on a 28 month expedition across the North American continent.

Source:

(l) Mackenzie, Alexander, Sir, The Journals of Alexander Mackenzie: Voyages from Montreal, on the River St. Laurence: Through the Continent of North America, To the Frozen and Pacific Oceans; in the Years, 1789 and 1793, Narrative Press, 2001. (2) Jackson, Donald, Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, University of Illinois Press, Urbana, 1978, Vol. I, page 10. (3) Ibid, page 38. (4) Ibid, page 53. (5) Ambrose, Stephen, Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the West, Simon & Schuster, NY, 1996, page 78. (6) Jackson, Donald, Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, University of Illinois Press, Urbana, 1978, Vol. l, page 57. (7) Ibid, page 110. (8) https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/1897611.pdf (9) https://collections.shsmo.org/manuscripts/columbia/c1075 (10) Jackson, Donald, Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, University of Illinois Press, Urbana, 1978, Vol. 1, page 61. (11) Ibid, page 100.

Picture: Material purchased in Philadelphia, Beads, Peace Medals, wood dish with coins, Map of Louisiana Purchase

2 Traveling from Washington DC, Harpers Ferry and Pittsburgh 5 July — 31 August 1803

Picture: https://librarv.whitehousehistory.or2/fotoweb/archives/5017-Digital-Library/?q=%23 1 1 12599.ti f

The route from the President’s House to Harpers Ferry would follow 17th Street, Connecticut Ave. to Massachusetts Ave. crossing Rock Creek to I-495 to I-270 to US 340.

3 First Dilemmas with Transportation – 6 July to 22 July 1803, Harpers Ferry

Lewis arrived at the Harpers Ferry Arsenal on 6 July, and learns that the supplies had not been taken by the wagon from Philadelphia. Arranging for another wagon, Lewis examined the supplies, “shot my guns and found the quality be good”. (1) Leaving the United States Arsenal at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, he traveled a familiar road and arrived in Pittsburgh on 15 July to learn that the keel boat was not complete. Disappointment would be an understatement, Lewis’ letters for more than a month tell the frustration he experienced with the boat and boat builder (2)

David Gilbert, National Park Service’s, masterful research, and brochure, https://www.nps.gov/hafe/learn/historyculture/route-from-harpers-ferry-va-to-pittsburgh-pa.htm provides the historic route traveled by Lewis. Today the route would follow the corridor of WV 9 to US 40 (National Road) to PA 43 passing near Elizabeth and into Pittsburgh.

At Uniontown, Lewis would have been approximately 15 miles for Albert Gallatin’s Friendship Hill. http://npshistory.com/publications/frhi/index.htm

Albert Gallatin is almost forgotten in the Lewis and Clark Story, except for the river named for him in 1805. Lewis remembered and recognized the behind-the-scenes energy of the Swiss-born secretary of treasury had devoted to the planning of the expedition. (3)

With the water falling in the Ohio River, the only positive event was the receipt of Clark’s acceptance to be the co-Captain of the expedition. Clark’s immediate judgement concerning the qualifications for the expedition men was pleasing to Lewis. Surely, Seaman, Lewis’ newly purchased Newfoundland Dog, gave him some diversion from the slow progress with the keel boat delayed construction.

Source:

• Jackson, Donald, Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, University of Illinois, Urbana 1978, Vol. l, page 106-107. • Ibid, page 111 & 112. • Tubbs, Stephenie Ambrose, & Jenkinson Clay Straus, The Lewis and Clark Companion: An Encyclopedic Guide to the Voyage of Discovery, Owl Books – Henry Holt & Company, New York, 2003, page 123.

Note: Credit Samuel W. Durant History of Allegheny Co. PA https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Ft Lafayette marker’ Pittsburgh

4 Troubles and More Troubles with Transportation, 30 August 1803 Pittsburgh, PA

The keel boat was finished at 7 AM, Lewis, with pilot T. Moore, and 11 men -7 soldiers & 3 men on trial basis – load the boat and head down the Allegheny and Ohio River at 11 AM. (l) T. Moore was paid $70.00 as a river pilot to guide Lewis to Louisville. (2)

Note: There is a discrepancy between Lewis’ Journal entry for 30 August and his letter to Jefferson of 8 September where he states they left on 31 August at 10 AM.

Getting the keel boat loaded with supplies by the temporary crew was extremely important to Lewis but he did not mention an important member of the expedition, Seaman his Newfoundland dog. In a few days Seaman was catching Squirrels as they swam across the Ohio River. Seaman had cost Lewis $20.00, a wise investment. Seaman’s importance to the expedition is shown as a guard dog and when Lewis named a creek for him in Montana. (3) (4)

Lewis understood the challenges he was facing with low water levels in the Ohio River. His letter to Jefferson on 15 July 1803, immediately after arriving in Pittsburgh, noted the dry conditions and “extremely dusty” roads. (5) Subsequent letters to the President before the departure from Pittsburg clearly show Lewis’ concern for the water level in the river.

Lewis was wise to employ a pilot for the trip to Louisville. Zadock Cramer was not the first to describe the Ohio River and the land on either side of the “la Bell River” or “Oyo” as it was called by the Iroquois Indians but he was the most prolific publisher. Cramer produced the first Ohio and Mississippi Navigator in 1801 with 12 updated editions that followed through the 1824 version. The Navigator was the bible for navigating the Ohio River gravel bars and falls. We have no firm record of Moore or Lewis having a copy but failure to have a copy would be foolish for a pilot earning $70.00 for the trip with all of Lewis’ exploration supplies. The updated 6th edition of The Navigator even contained information, from William Clark’s letters and the Patrick Gass Journal about the Lewis and Clark Exploration.

It is unfortunate that Lewis did not have the maps and narrative description developed by French General George Henri Victor Collot. In March 1796, Collot traveled overland from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh then followed the Ohio, Mississippi, and a portion of the Missouri Rivers before traveling to New Orleans via the Mississippi. Collot’s cartographic information was very accurate, even if recorded by a French spy. Unfortunate, Collot’s maps and narrative were not published until 1826. (6)

The Ohio River has been a transportation artery for emigrants and industry through out recorded history. Almost 100-years after Lewis and Clark used the “interstate highway” of 1803, Reuben Gold Thwaites, with his family of four, started at Brownsville, PA, on the Monongahela River, and traversed the Ohio River in a skiff equipped with a sail. Afloat on the Ohio was first published in 1897. (7) Was Thwaites already thinking about editing the Lewis and Clark Journals?

For a more modern-day view of the Ohio River that Lewis faced with his untried crew, and exploration supplies in a new keel boat, Always a River: The Ohio River and the American Experience is an excellent collection of scholarly essays edited by Robert L. Reid. (8)

The Lewis and Clark Journals, and documents are filled will lessons. One of the first teachings was entered in the second sentence of the Ohio River Journal- Treat all Firearms with Caution. Arriving at Bruno’s Island, only three miles after departure from Pittsburg, Lewis showed-off his air gun to a group of gentlemen and allowed Mr. Blaze Cenas to examine the gun. Unfamiliar with the gun, Cenas accidentally shot a woman approximately forty yards away. Fortunately, the wound to the head was superficial and only drew blood. (9) In future demonstrations of the air rifle for the Tribal People, Lewis fires the rifle with caution.

Source: (l) Quaife, Milo, The Journals of Lewis and Ordway, The State Historical Society, Wisconsin, Madison, page 3; Moulton, Gary, The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, page 65. (2) National Archives & Records Administration, War Department Journal L, 20 Feb. 1805, page 5625 – Lt. Hook at Pittsburgh to T. Moore. (3) Moulton, Gary, The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, 1986, Vol.-2, page 89 (4) Ibid, 1993, Vol. 5, page 92. (Note: Seamans’ Creek is today’s Monture Creek, MT. (5) Jackson, Donald, Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents 1783-1854, University of Illinois Press, Urbana, 1978, Vol. 1, page 110. (6) Cohen, Paul, Mapping the West: America’s Westward Movement 1524-1890, Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., New York, 2002, page, 68-73. (7) Thwaites, Reuben Gold, Afloat on the Ohio: An Historical Pilgrimage of a Thousand Miles in a Skiff, from Redstone to Cairo, Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale, 1999, page 1-2. (8) Reid, Robert L., editor, Always a River: The Ohio River and The American Experience, University of Indiana Press, Bloomington & Indianapolis, 1991. (9) Quaife, Milo, The Journals of Lewis and Ordway, The State Historical Society, Wisconsin, Madison, page 3; Moulton, Gary, The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, page 65.

5 Heavy Boat in Low Water, 6 September 1803 Steubenville, OH

“got on pretty well to Steubenville which we past at 2 OC.” 2 miles below stuck on riffles again and returned to Steubenville in search of horses or oxen to pull boat over riffle”. (1)

Source: (l) Quaife, Milo, The Journals of Lewis and Ordway, The State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Madison, page 9. Moulton, Gary, The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, V-2, University of Nebraska Press, page 73. https://wwvv.oldfortsteuben.com/

6 Federal Agents on the Ohio River, 7 September 1803 Charlestown, VA

Lewis passed Charlestown, present day Wellsburg, Brooke Co. WV, and future home of expedition member Patrick Gass. Insert Picture: Gass Bronze Bust on waterfront @ Wellsburg Lewis reached Wheeling, present day WV in the evening. At Wheeling Lewis met Col. Thomas Rodney, Judge for the Mississippi Territory appointed by President Jefferson. From Rodney’s Journal we learn that the keel boat drew 2 1/2 feet of water when loaded and that Lewis was extremely proud of the air rifle. Lewis departs Wheeling on 9 September 1803 after eating water melon and having a departing drink with Rodney. (1)

Source:

• Rodney, Thomas, A Journey through the West, ed. Smith and West, Ohio University Press, Athens, 1997, page 50 – 51.

Image

7 By Horse to Big Bone, 28 September 1803 Cincinnati, OH

Ft. Washington was built in 1789-1790 at Losantiville, later renamed Cincinnati, across from the Licking River. Lewis wrote to Jefferson 3 October 1803, advising that he had arrive in Cincinnati on 28 September with a need to resupply the keel boat and rest his men. On 1 October he sent his men and the boats to Big Bone Creek, on the south side and down the Ohio River. (1)

Thomas Jefferson’s curiosity was insatiable, including hopes of finding living Mammoths and Megatherium during the expedition. Information describing Big Bone Lick was first recorded by French Captain Longueil in the 1729 Map of Jacques Nicolas Bellin and noted by traveler Nicholas Cresswell in 1775. (2) More broadly disseminated information by John Filson’s 1784 Map of Kentucke and Filson’s best-selling book, The Discovery, Settlement and Present State of Kentucke, significantly raised the interest in Big Bone Lick and the Mammoth bones. George Turner, a member of the American Philosophical Society, further stirred interest of Dr. Caspar Wistar, Charles Wilson Peale, and Thomas Jefferson in securing a complete skeleton of the Mammoth for a full examination. (3) Dr. Goforth, of Cincinnati, was a source for securing the large bones and knew their location. The Doctor guided Lewis to Big Bone Lick for the purpose of securing mastodon bones for President Jefferson.

The route Lewis and Goforth followed was not recorded but most likely followed the old Bison (Buffalo) Trail which followed the incline from the Ohio River, in the vicinity of today’s Roebling Bridge and Licking River, to Union, KY then Big Bone Lick. Bison Trails were recorded being as much as 15 feet wide and as hard as stone from continuous use by the 800-2000-pound animals. Even with urban development and Interstate highways, the route today can be traced by using: West Pike Street though Covington connecting with U. S. 25 (Dixie Highway) through Park Hills, Ft. Wright, Erlanger, Florence, to U.S. 42 in Union then to KY 338 (Beaver Road) to the Big Bone Historic Site. (4)

The letter Lewis wrote Jefferson, on 3 October 1803, fully describes the investigation before going to Big Bone Lick and the on-sight finding at Big Bone Lick. Clearly, the length of the letter and detailed description of preparation to travel to Big Bone Lick describes the importance of the trip Thomas Jefferson had requested. (5)

Lewis would have followed Big Bone Creek to his crew and the keel boat at present day Big Bone Landing, Boone County, KY. KY 338, and KY 1925, follow the drainage to Big Bone Landing. (6) By road today, the distance is approximately 3 miles.

Unfortunately, the Lewis collection of bones was lost in a boating accident near Natchez. President Jefferson never gave up and directed Wm. Clark to return to Big Bone in 1807. Clarks’ excavation crew included his brother Gen. George Rogers Clark and York. The three (3) week dig resulted in an eleven (11) page letter to Jefferson detailing the findings and a conclusion about the collection and site. The 1807 excavation and report became the foundation of vertebrate paleontology as a science. (7) (8) During Clark’s excavation, attended by Dr. Goforth, flint points were found and retained by the Doctor. The unquestionable provenance for the points can be seen in In Search of Ice Age Americans. Similar flint points were later found near Clovis, NM thus their name. In reality, the flint arrow points should be called Big Bone Points. (9)

Source:

(l) Jackson Donald, Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Second Printing, V-l page 126 & 127. Thwaites, Reuben G., Original Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, V-7, Arno Press, NY, pages 274-279. (2) Cresswell, Nicholas, The Journal of Nicholas Creswell 1774-1777, The Dial Press, New York, 1924, page 87. (3) Tankersley, Kenneth, In Search of Ice Age Americans, Gibbs Smith Publisher, 2002, pages 49; Hedeen, Stanley, University of Kentucky Press, Lexington, 2008, page73-84; https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=etas (4) https://maps.kytc.ky.gov/activehighwayplan (5) Jackson, Donald, Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition….., Second Printing, V-1 page126-132. (6) https://www.boonecountyky.org/departments/parks/boone_s_landing_marina/index.php (7) https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-6406 (8) https://lewis-clark.org/the-trail/down-the-ohio/big-bone-lick/ (9) Tankersley, Kenneth, In Search of Ice Age Americans, Gibbs Smith Publishingm2002, page 53-55.

https://www.nps.gov/places/big-bone-lick-state-historic-site.htm

Note: The Lewis and Clark Trust appreciates the on-site research for Lewis and Dr. Goforth’s route of travel from the Licking River-Ohio River confluence to Big Bone Lick by Ralph G. Wolf and Woodrow Schuster.

8 Co-Commanders Meet, 14 October 1803 Louisville, KY

When Meriwether Lewis finely arrived in Louisville, he was in the city founded by General George Rogers Clark during the American Revolution. William Clark had grown to manhood in Louisville after his parents and the younger Clark children moved from Caroline County, VA in 1785.

The 1802, 3rd edition of The Ohio and Mississippi Navigator by Zadok Cramer states that Louisville was the port of entry. On a cloudy Friday, 14 October, Lewis brought the keel boat and pirogue in to the natural harbor formed by Beargrass Creek and Corn Island. (l)

On 15 October the keel boat and pirogue were moved through the “Indian Chute” to the mouth of Mill Creek below the Point of Rocks where George Rogers Clark and William Clark were living in the Clark Grant, Old Northwest Territory. The most likely pilot was James Patten a highly respected and Kentucky licensed pilot. The pilot’s legal fee was $2.00. (2) At the mouth of Mill Creek, near the future Clarksville, IN, the Lewis and Clark recruiting station was established. During the next 12 days the nucleus of the expedition members were recruited and sworn into the First Regiment of Infantry.

Along with the goodbyes and last-minute packing, there were considerations of a more serious matter. On 26 October 1803, William Clark filed a Power of Attorney at the Jefferson Co. KY County Court Clerk Office. In September William had appointed Jonathan Clark, his older brother, as his power of attorney. (3) Clearly, Clark recognized the dangers of the journey he and the new members of the expedition were about to face.

Today the Falls of the Ohio State Park and Interpretive Center is an excellent place to learn about Lewis and Clark at the Falls of the Ohio. https://www.fallsoftheohio.org/interpretive-center/

Source:

(l) Jones, Landon, William Clark and the Shaping of the West, Hill and Wang, NY 2004, page 18. (2) U. S Army Corps of Engineers Louisville, District, Triumph At The Falls: The Louisville and Portland Canal. Leland R. Johnson and Charles E. Parish, page 8-10. (3) Jonathan Clark Papers- Temple Bodley Collection, The Filson Historical Society.

Show Link – https://lewisandclarkinkentucky.org/

9 26 October 1803 Camp Site West point, KY

Leaving the Mill Creek Camp in the afternoon would be a “Hudson Bay Start”, making that night’s camp not far along the Ohio River. (1) While there is no primary source describing the camps location, the reasonable location is West Point, KY, and the mouth of the Salt River. James Young, founder of West Point, established a ferry at the mouth of the Salt River in 1797. The James Young Inn was less than a hundred yards from the ferry and public wharf and Young’s home was across the street. (2) The captains could have visited either house. (3) (4) The Salt River ferry landing would provide a safe place for the keel boat and red pirogue that night.

West Point was the home of expedition blacksmith John Sheilds. (5) Joseph and Reubin Field lived near-by in Southwestern Jefferson County, today’s Jefferson Memorial Forest area. (6) (7) The three members of the Corps of Discovery were essential and involved in every momentous event during the 28-month exploration of the American West.

Source: • https://derivadow.com/2007/11/08/hudson-bay-start-reducing-project- risk/#:~:text=The%20Hudson%20Bay%20Start%20was,anything%2C%20nor%20t aken%20too%20much. • Briggs, Richard A., The Early History of West Point (Harden County) Kentucky, McDowell Publishing, Utica, KY, 1992 reprint, page 12-13. (3) https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=122117 (4) https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/62a2f5a7-ae56-45f5-b736-2a402368b8ee (5) https://lewisandclarkinkentucky.org/kentucky-people/the-nine-young-men-from- kentucky/john-shields/ (6) https://lewisandclarkinkentucky.org/kentucky-people/the-nine-young-men-from-kentucky/joseph-and-reubin-field/ (7) https://louisvilleky.gov/government/parks/park-list/jefferson-memorial-forest

10 Ft. Massac and “A Man of Much Merit”, 11 November 1803 Ft. Massac State Park, IL

Leaving West Point on 27 October and traveling to Ft. Massac, present day Massac Co. IL, was uneventful except for Clark’s health. Digestive ailments were an old situation but it did not stop Clark from his duties. (1)

During the 15-day passage to Ft. Massac they passed the future Trail of Tears site at Berry’s Ferry and the future site of Paducah, KY, another Trail of Tears Crossing. Immediately on arriving at Ft. Massac, Lewis “engaged” George Drouillard, a man of French/Indian parentage, to travel to Ft. Southwest Point, TN. George’s mission was to escort the 8 soldiers to the expedition winter encampment in IL. (2)

After the selection of William Clark, as co-commander of the expedition, the hiring of George Drouillard was the wisest decision Meriwether Lewis made to bring about a successful expedition. George’s total payment was $833.331/3 for 33 months of service. In Lewis’ report to Secretary of War Dearborn, 15 January 1807, Lewis used 124 word to define his appreciation for George’s service as a civilian contractor. (3)

At the Mouth of the Tennessee River, Clark had passed the future site of Paducah, a city he would survey and established in 1827.

Source: (l) Jones, Landon, William Clark and Shaping the West, Hill and Wang, New York, 2004, page 120. Moulton, Gay, The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, 1986, page 85. (2) Jackson, Donald, Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Second Printing. University of Illinois Press, 1978, V-l, P-368. (3) Ibid, p-368.

11 Celestial Observations and Ft. Jefferson 15, November 1803 Confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi River

During five (5) days at the Mouth of the Ohio Lewis and Clark made celestial observations, drew maps, wrote reports, and described how eastern American Indians were already migrating west of the Mississippi River. The captains visited Old Ft. Jefferson, built by George Rogers Clark, William’s older brother, during the Revolutionary War. (1) (2) Clark had previously surveyed and drawn a map of the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers in 1796 and had been at the confluence on other occasions. (3)

Source:

(1) Moulton, Gary, The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, V-2, page 87. (2) Osgood, Ernest, The Field Notes of Captain William Clark 1803-1805, Yale University, Hartford, CT, 1964, page 195. (3) Ehrenberg, Ralph and Viola, Herman, Mapping West with Lewis & Clark, Library of Congress. Levenger Press, Delray Beach, FL, page 76.

12 Against the Current, 20 November 1803 Up the Mississippi River

Lewis and Clark turned the boats against the Mississippi River current and experienced a new challenge. Traveling against the current would last until the expedition reached Camp Fortunate, in today’s Clark Canyon Reservoir, Southwestern Montana (near 44 0 59′ 36″ N, 1 12 0 51 ‘ 43″ W). At Cape Girardeau, Lewis met and dined with Louis Lorimier, a former Ohio trader and uncle of George Drouillard, expedition interpreter and hunter. Lorimier is credited with founding Cape Girardeau. (1)

Their camp of 25 November 1803 was at the Grand Tower Rock, a four-million-year-old rock formation near the west bank of the Mississippi River. The Grand Tower was first noted by Jacques Marquette in 1673 but was measured and mapped by William Clark. (2)

At Kaskaskia, Lewis leaves the crew and boats in Clark’s care after recruiting more members for the expedition, including John Ordway and Patrick Gass, two of the more prominent members of the expedition. The White Pirogue was purchased to transport the additional men. [Thanks to the Southern Illinois University Center for Archeological Investigation, new research is determining the exact location of the 1803 American Ft. Kaskaskia.]

https://news.siu.edu/2018/05/053118-unknown-american-fort-found-by-archaeological-field-school.php

Clark reports they crossed the river to St. Genevieve and later back across the river to Old Ft. de Chartres, built in the French Colonial Period. On 7 December they arrived at Cahokia, a US Post Office site and center of communication during the Lewis and Clark Expedition. (3)

Sources:

• Quaife. Milo, The Journal of Lewis and Ordway, State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Madison, page 24-46. Moulton, Gary, The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, University of Nebraska Press, V-2, pages 95-127. • Quaife, Milo, The Journal of Lewis and Ordway, State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Madison, page 37 & 38. • Ibid, pages 40-46.

13

Trouble with the Spanish, 12 December 1803 St. Louis, MO

The Spanish Government would not permit the expedition to spend the winter West of the Mississippi River. “Monday the 12th of December opposite the mouth of the Missouri River I came to the mouth of a little river called Wood River about 2 o’clock,” William Clark. Shortly after arriving the wind started to blow with hail and snow at the location of Camp River Dubois, the first winter camp of Lewis and Clark. (1) Historically, enlisted men in the Army do not like garrison duty and so it was with this camp. The building of cabins was the first priority. While the expedition exploration journals had not been started, from Osgood’s Field Notes of Captain William Clark and Jackson’s Letters we learn that the camp was a busy place. The young recruits started learning military discipline when they broke protocol, that included killing live stock or visiting the local source of liquor in the American Bottom where the camp was located. (2)

John Hay, the Post Master at Cahokia, and his wife and others visited the camp and provided information about the region and Missouri River the expedition would confront in the spring. Being friends with the Post Master helped communications with the East and President Jefferson or his Cabinet. (3)

Lewis spent the greater part of the winter in St. Louis gathering information and material for the exploration. However, Clark traveled to St. Louis on ceremonial occasions especially for the transferring of Upper Louisiana to the United States. Clark’s faithful recording of the weather and evaluation of the men during the winter training clearly explains why garrison duty is not appreciated by the recruits.

Source:

(l) Osgood, Ernest, Field Notes of Captain William Clark, Yale University Press 1964, p. 3-38. (2) Quaife, Milo, The Journal of Lewis and Ordway, The State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1916, P. 48. (3) Jones, Landon, William Clark and The Shaping of the West, Hill and Wang, New York, 2004, P. 122 – 123.

Editorial Note: The Lewis and Clark Story has many stories within the story. To maintain continuity of date sequence, let us pause and look at one of the internal stories connecting Ft. Mandan, St. Louis, New Orleans, Baltimore, and Washington D. C. in 1805. While the exploration of the Missouri River and its principal tributaries was underway the story is also very alive and active in the East.

On 7 April 1805 the keel boat, under the command of Corporal Warfington, departed Ft. Mandan, the 1804-1805 winter fort in North Dakota. The boat arrived back in St. Louis late May or very early June 1805, containing the collection of material, observations, and messages collected between St. Louis and Ft. Mandan. (1) The list of items sent to President Jefferson is well detailed. (2) Fortunately, we can follow the collection to the White House through the research of Scott S. Sheads, NPS Ranger-Historian (Retired). Mr. Shead’s excellent report clearly points to the fact that Baltimore is one of the eastern points on the Lewis and Clark Story.

In addition to the port of entry for first collection sent to President Jefferson, the Fells Point warehouse, located east of the Inter Harbor of Baltimore, is an excellent example of a port warehouse built during the 1800s. The Living Classrooms Maritime Park, adjoining the warehouse is an excellent site for learning by doing.

Baltimore’s Walters Museum is home for two hundred excellent water color paintings of the American West by Alfred Jacob Miller. (3) The Miller paintings, commissioned by Capt. William Drummond Stewart, are equal to or exceed any of the early western American paintings of the Tribal People, animals, and landscape scenes representing the people and scenery that the expedition was viewing as they traveled toward the Rockey Mountains along the Missouri River.

Source: • Jackson, Donald, Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Second Edition, Vol.1, University of Illinois, Urbana, page 236, note 5. • Ibid, page 234-236. • Ross, Marvin C., The West of Alfred Jacob Miller (1837): from the Notes and Water Colors in The Walters Art Gallery with an account of the artist, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, 1951.

Note: Attach Scott Shead’s Narrative Documents (Curiosities from Corps of Discovery: Baltimore, August 1805and Alfred Jacob Miller (1810-1874) The Bombardment of Fort Mc Henry, September 13-14 1814.

The 1804-1806 exploration by Lewis and Clark is in development process. We urge the use of www.nps.gov/lecl to explore the Lewis and Clark Explorations Story

Reporting to President Jefferson and Tribal Diplomacy

1 St. Louis to Vincennes, 19 October 1806

The common misconception of the Lewis and Clark Story is that it ended on September 23 1806. At least some excellent historians and authors — Ambrose, Brakeless, Buckley, Dillon, Foley & Jones- read Jefferson’s Instructions to Lewis and got it right. After providing compensation for service, back pay, and discharging the men no longer required for the mission, Lewis and Clark and the Tribal Delegation plus interpreters, departed St. Louis for Washington, D. C. on 21 October1806. (l)

Immediately on return to St. Louis, Lewis wrote President Jefferson of his return and that he would travel by way of Cahokia, Vincennes, Louisville, the Crab Orchard (near Stanford, KY), Abington, Fincastle, Stanton and Charlottesville, VA to Washington, D. C. The large party traveled to Vincennes in 9 days following the Cahokia- Belleville Mail Route established in 1805. The route across Illinois followed the Buffalo Trace from St. Louis to Vincennes then multiple trails to the Falls of the Ohio at Louisville. (2) (3) (4)

In Vincennes, 30 October 1806, Lewis wrote Bill of Exchange # 113 in favor of George Wallace, Jr. Wallace was a merchant and contractor for U. S. Army rations. He accepted the bill in exchange for $500.00 cash. Territorial records for Knox County, IN detail transactions and court cases in the early 1800’s involving Wallace. (5) (6) The stay in Vincennes was an opportunity to thank Indiana Territorial Governor, General William Henry Harrison, for the maps and information the Governor had graciously provided Lewis and Clark before the exploration of the west. (7)

The Buffalo Road would follow todays U.S. 50 from Cahokia, IL to Vincennes, IN. Urban highway development in the area between Cahokia and O’Fallon has obliterated the old road.

Source:

(1) Chouteau, Pierre, Pierre Chouteau ‘s Letter Book, Chouteau Family Papers, Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis, page 79. (2) White, Mary, Historical Notes On Lawrence County Illinois, Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society 1908- 1984, V-IO # 3(0ct. 1917, page 367-393. (3) Carlton. J. Corliss, Trails to Rails- A story of Transportation Progress in Illinois, Illinois Central System, Abraham Lincoln Library & Museum, Springfield, IL, 1934, page 7. (4) Carey, H. C. and Lea, l. Geographical, Historical and Statistical Map of Illinois #33, David Rumsey Maps, http://www.davidrumsev.con1/maps5 194. html (5) Montana Historical Society Library, George Wallace, Jr. Bill of Exchange 113. (6) Jackson, Donald, Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Second Printing, University of Illinois Press, Urbana, 1978, page 349. (7) Ibid, page 135.

2 Vincennes to Louisville 5 November 1806

Lewis and Clark and the East bound traveling party’s return to Louisville was joyous on November 5 1806, even in the rain. (1) (2)

Following the Buffalo Trace, a.k.a., The Louisville Trace, Clarksville Trace, and the Old Indian Road, surveyed shortly after the Vincennes Treaty of 1804, connected Vincennes with the Clark Grant at the Falls of the Ohio. The treaty line followed within 1/2 mile of the most northerly bend of the road. (3) Multiple American Bison or Buffalo Trails, from Vincennes to the Falls of the Ohio are noted in Holmberg’s, Getting Out the Word. The travel time was at least 5 days. (4) (5) The Buffalo Trail from Vincinnes , IN to the Falls of the Ohio at Louisville would have followed the corridor of todays U. S. 50/U.S. 150 to the Fall of the Ohio and Louisville, KY.

The letters written to President Jefferson and Jonathan Clark, William Clark’s oldest brother, on 23 and 24 September, were carried east by Patrick Gass. (6) As planned, the letter to Jonathan Clark announcing the successful return and exploration of the West was published in the Palladium, Frankfort, KY 2 October 1806. (7)

On 8 November 1806, the captains, members of the traveling party, including Sheheke his family and the Osage delegation, enjoyed a Clark Family homecoming at Locust Grove, the home of William and Lucy Clark Croghan. The elder statesman and leader, General George Rogers Clark, enjoyed seeing the success of his younger brother as box after box was opened to reveal the expedition collection. (8) (9)

York’s return home was no doubt an occasion for celebration and an opportunity to tell of the wonders of the West that included the Tribal People they met and their respect for his black skin.

In-addition to festivities, in Louisville, Lewis a was clearly securing for cash to finance the traveling party headed to Washington. On 9 November 1806, he wrote Bill of Exchange #117 in the amount of $400.00, to Thomas Procter, a Louisville merchant. (10)

Source:

• Jonathan Clark Day Book, Personal Papers of Jonathan Clark, Filson Historical Society, Louisville, KY. • Jones, Landon, William Clark and the Shaping of the West, Hill and Wang, NY 2004, page 153. • Wilson, George, Early Indian Trails and Surveys, Indiana Historical Society, 1919, page 75. • Holmberg. James, Getting Out The Word, We Proceeded On, Journal of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, August 2001, page 12-17. • Jacobs, J. G., The Life and Times of Patrick Gass, Cone Wolf Press, Mansfield Center, CT, 2000, page 107-109. • Ibid, page 107 • The Palladium, 2 October 1806, Frankfort, KY Kentucky Historical Society. • Jones, Landon, William Clark and the Shaping of the West, Hill and Wang, NY, 2004, page 153. • Jacobs, J. G. The Life and Times of Patrick Gass, Lone Wolf Press, Mansfield Center, CT, 2000, page 108. • Jackson, Donald, Letters of the Lawis and Clark Expedition, Second Edition, University of Illinois Press, Urbana, 1978, Vol. l, page 351.

3 Into the Bluegrass and Wilderness, 11 November 1806

Lewis and his party, including Pierre Chouteau and the Osage Indian delegation, departed Louisville on 11 November 1806, following today’s U. S. 60 to Frankfort, KY. The party of Osage Indians and Pierre Chouteau left Frankfort and traveled to Lexington, KY then followed the Buffalo Trace to Maysville, KY and taking the northern route to Washington, D. C. via Wheeling and Winchester, VA. We have found no reason why the two groups separated. Possibly it was easier to find food and lodging for the smaller groups.

Clark did not leave Louisville until early December. He was preparing for his courtship with Julia Hancock when he reached Fincastle, Virginia. With York, Clark would travel the Wilderness Road from Louisville through Danville where Clark checked on his nephew John O’Fallon, attending school. At some point in their travel and possibly at Danville, York was directed to return to Louisville and purchase corduroy or dark velvet for of sherryvallies, overalls that buttoned on the outside to cover other clothing. Lewis and Sheheke and party had traveled through Danville, KY a few weeks earlier on their way to Washington. (1)

Following the Wilderness Road, Clark and York would have joined the Boone Trace, the first trail into Kentucky cut by Daniel Boone and his group of axmen in March 1775. The Wilderness Road and Boone Trace join at Bimble, east of Barbourville and on U. S. 25 E, generally following the same corridor South through the Cumberland Gap. (2) (3) (4) https://boonetrace 1775.com/

Lewis was leading his party along a route he had traveled before. On 24 July 1797, Lewis wrote to his mother, Lucy, from Shelbyville, KY and advised that he would be in Frankfort the next day to arrange payment for property tax on land in present day Estill and Powell County, KY. This was land inherited by the children of William Lewis. Meriwether further explained that he would “set out for Georgia the next day”. His trip to Georgia would be related to settling John Mark’s estate and property owned by the Marks children. (5)

In 1806, Lewis and his party, including Sgt. John Ordway, arrived at Cumberland Gap on or before 20 November 1806. Revolutionary War veteran Col. Arthur Campbell, on learning of the Lewis party being in the area visited with them and provided John Ordway with a letter of introduction to Jedidiah Morse, geographer, concerning the publication of Ordway’s Journal, a journal later purchased by Lewis and Clark. (6)

Lewis may have thought that his celestial observations were over when he reached the mouth of the Columbia River. While at Cumberland Gap, Col. Campbell prevailed on Lewis to make a celestial observation to help settle a dispute concerning the location of the Walker Line, the state line between Virginia and North Carolina and Kentucky and Tennessee. With Lewis’ Survey Certificate we know that he was still at Cumberland Gap on 23 November 1806, one of the most hallowed historic locations on the North American Continent. (7) As we will see, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark crossed this impediment to travel on numerous occasions during their public service to the America people.

Lewis and Clark followed the corridor from Danville, KY along U. S.150 to through Stanford, Crab Orchard, connecting to U. S. 25 in Mt. Vernon, KY, then following U. S. 25 South to Corbin, KY before taking U. S. 25 E through the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.

Source:

(1) Jones, Landon, William Clark and the Shaping of the West, Hill and Wang. NY, 2004, page 154. (2) Kincaid, Robert, The Wilderness Road, Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1966, Page Map on inside covers. (3) Myer, William, Indian Trails of the Southeast, Extract from the Forty-second Annual Report of the Bureau Of American Ethology, 1924-1925, page 760. (4) Delorme, Kentucky Atlas & Gazetteer, Yarmouth ME, 1997, page 87. (5) Letter, Meriwether Lewis to Lucy Meriwether Lewis Marks, Missouri Historical Society-St. Louis, ML Papers, Collection A0897, Box 5. (6) Oman, Kerry Serendipity, We Proceeded On, Journal of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, November 2001, page 8. (7) Hainesworth, Lorna, Meriwether Lewis ‘s Survey at Cumberland Gap, self-published by Lornalnent Press, 2011, 18 pages.

4 Mountains smaller than the Rocky Mountains Cumberland Gap to Staunton, VA

Lewis and his traveling party left few notes during their travels of November and December 1806 to report to President Jefferson. However, today we can follow the Boone Trace, later the Wilderness Road, from Cumberland Gap to the East along U. S. 58/U. S. 421 to US 11 to understand the difficulties of 1806 travel. The Daniel Boone Wilderness Road Interpretive Center, Duffield, VA (https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/daniel-boone-center) is an excellent source to learn the difficulties of travel on the Boone Trace -Wilderness Road.

Documentation for the route of travel after Cumberland Gap appears once again on 11 December 1806, when Lewis wrote Bill of Exchange 119, to Heiskell and Sowers in Staunton, VA for $200.00. (1) Then crossed the Blue Ridge to Locust Hill, his mother’s home near Ivy, VA, on 13 December 1806. (2) Lewis’ arrival became public knowledge and on 15 December 1806, he was celebrated with a dinner in nearby Charlottesville, VA at the Stone Tavern (3)

Lewis, Sheheke and the traveling party had traveled the Great Valley Road, today’s U. S. 11. At Stanton they turned East across the Blue Ridge following today’s U. S. 250 through Ivy and into Charlottesville, VA.

Source:

(l) Jackson, Donald, Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Second Edition, University of Illinois Press, Urbana, 1978, page 353. (2) Ambrose, Stephen, Undaunted Courage Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and the Opening of the West, Simon & Schuster, NY, 1996, Page 408. (3) Ibid, page 408.

5 Christmas with Family in Ivy, VA, December 1806

After spending Christmas with his family, Lewis and his party arrived at the Presidents House on 28 December. The annual New Year’s Day Reception at the President’s Home included Sheheke and his family, the Osage Chiefs, and their interpreters. (l) The Chouteau and Osage Delegation had arrived in Washington on 24 December after taking the Northern route from Lexington, KY through Ohio, Pennsylva