Forwarding Lewis and Clark

The forwarding Lewis and Clark (of 1804 with 1806) is the first American forwarding to cross the the United States until the Pacific Ocean. Thomas Jefferson had convinced the Congrès to allot 2.500 Dollar S to the project.

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark is the chiefs of forwarding. Clark and thirty members leave the Camp Dubois the May 14th 1804 and meet Meriwether and ten other members of the group with Saint Louis in the Missouri. Forwarding reaches the Pacific Ocean in 1805. The return voyage begins the March 23rd 1806 and is completed the September 23rd.

The success of forwarding was for a good part due to the presence of Sacagawea, guide and interprets Shoshone. In spite of the dangers during the voyage (rapids of Missouri, hunger, cold, attacks of bear, hostility of the Amerindians), there was one death.

Preparation and objectives of forwarding

The Vente of Louisiana by France in the United States in 1803 causes an growing interest for the expansion of the country towards the Pacific Ocean. A few weeks after, the president in function, Thomas Jefferson, obtain congress a subsidy of 2.500 dollars in order to send officers in order to explore the wild west. This last imagined that Mammouth S, Volcan S and salt mountains would be found.

Forwarding was to allow the study of the Amerindian tribes , of the Flore, the fauna and the Géologie of these regions. The objective was also to evaluate the presence of the trappers and the British and Canadian hunters in this sector. The assigned mission with Lewis by Jefferson consisted in finding rivers navigable in order to develop the trade towards the Pacific Ocean. One knew already thanks to testimonys of trappers whom Missouri took his source in the Rocky Mountains, and which there existed another river more in the west which was thrown in the Pacific. In 1792, Robert Gray, an American merchant, had recognized the estuary of a river which he baptized Columbia.

Alexander MacKenzie had already explored the North America in 1793 while crossing the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Jefferson chooses the captain Meriwether Lewis to carry out forwarding. Lewis chooses as for him William Clark as partner in this adventure. This last had competences in river navigation and geography. Although Clark was not, in comparison with the American army, that lieutenant as a second, Lewis always regarded it as his equal and shared with him the command of forwarding.

Since 1803, Lewis studied with Philadelphia the information consigned in the newspapers of the Trappeur S and the merchants who had visited the west. July 5th, 1803, it leaves Washington DC, gathers weapons, builds a large boat then goes up the Ohio. Clark joined it in Clarksville in the Indiana. In December 1803, 45 men are gathered at Saint Louis: nine come from the Kentucky, 21 men belong to the army, two French (Cruzatte and Labiche), nine boatmen. One brings some gifts for the Amerindians (shoddy goods, tobacco, knives, fabrics, alcohol…). If these present are not sufficient, one embarks a compressed-air gun in order to frighten possible attackers. Three boats leave Saint Louis: independent measurement approximately 16 meters. The two others are small boats.

A difficult adventure

The task force counted 33 members at the beginning of Dubois Camp, located today beside Hartford, in the Illinois. It spent on May 14th, 1804 on the way, without publicity, and joined Lewis with Saint-Charles in the Missouri on May 20th.

May 25th, 1804: The Cart, last white establishment on the river. The group spent their nights on sites protected from possible Indian attacks. Men were charged to assemble the guard.
June 12th, 1804: meet with Sioux and a French Canadian of the name of Dorion which joined forwarding with its sons
June 26th, 1804: river Kansas
July 20th, 1804: the men suffer from the dysentery and furoncles
July 31st, 1804: river Platte
2 August 3rd, 1804: meet with Otos and Missouris. The two groups exchange gifts. The Council with Council Bluffs, opposite current the Omaha.
August 13rd, 1804: discovered of 300 huts set fire to by Mahas (Omahas) which massacred theirs because of an epidemic of small pox and alcoholism.
August 20th 1804: the sergeant Charles Floyd dies, undoubtedly of appendicitis. A river of his name is baptized.
August 27th, 1804: the Pryor sergeant is sent as a scout at the Yanktons Sioux who offer dog to him. The latter inform the explorers of the threat of the Sioux Nipples.
September 23rd, 1804: threats of the Sioux Nipples. One their chiefs claims a boat as a right-of-way.
October 14th, 1804: John New man is whipped for seditious words
October 27th, 1804: Forwarding spends the winter to Fort Mandan (current North Dakota), located beside current the Washburn in the North Dakota. The men repair their equipment, trade with the Indians and drive out. The Lewis and Clark collect information on the Mandan S and their neighbors the Hidatsa S. It is here that Amerindian the Sacagawea, which had been removed by Minnetarees, and her Franco-Canadian husband All Saints' day Charbonneau joins the group and guide it towards the west. Lewis observes manners in the Indians and their way of driving out the bisons. They put fire at the meadow to frighten them.

February 11th, 1805: Sacagawea puts with difficulty at the world a fore-mentioned boy Jean-Baptiste. To facilitate the childbirth, Jesseau gives him venom of rattlesnake in a little water.
February 14th, 1805: flight of horses by the Sioux
February 27th, 1805: construction of small boats
April 7th, 1805: after the cast iron of the ices, forwarding leaves Fort Mandan. Lewis returns part of her men towards Saint-Louis, on the large boat. They are charged to bring back 108 botanical specimens, 68 minerals and of the charts. The remainder of forwarding continues to go up Missouri with 32 people.
April 12th, 1805: Small Missouri
April 26th, 1805: River Yellowstone
April 29th, 1805: two Grizzly S tackle forwarding. One is wounded but succeeds in fleeing. The other took in Lewis hunting before it is cut down. At the beginning of May, one of the dugouts capsizes and Sacagewea succeeds in saving accuracy the newspaper of forwarding.
May 26th, 1805: Lewis sees the Rocky Mountains for the first time.
June 3rd, 1805: forwarding must choose between two rivers: then the captains think that it is necessary to take that of the south, the remainder of the men prefer that of north. Lewis then decided to leave with three men to recognize the falls of Missouri.
June 13rd, 1805: great falls of Missouri ( Great Falls , Montana); the spectacle is imposing but navigation is difficult because the river becomes not very deep and the rocks are numerous. The crossing of the falls one week later, was one of the most difficult passages of the voyage.
July 1805: territory of the Shoshone S.
August 11th, 1805: meet with first Shoshone. The Cameahwait chief, who proves to be the brother of Sacagawea, provides four horses without which forwarding could not have continued.
September 3rd, 1805: the first snows
September 14th, 1805: the hunger is felt in the chain of Bitterroots: Lewis cuts down a horse
September 20th, 1805: the Amerindians Pierced-nose Indians give fish and roots.
October 7th, 1805: river Kooskooskee (Clearwater To rivet)
October 10th, 1805: Snake To rivet
October 16th, 1805: Columbia and Indiens Sokulk S which consumes salmon
November 7th, 1805: Pacific Ocean in sight, but the descent appears difficult.

Forwarding carried on its way while passing by the site of future the Kansas City (Missouri) and of Omaha (Nebraska), crossed the Rocky Mountains and descended the Clearwater River, the Snake, and the Columbia. It passed by Celilo Falls and the site of Portland (Oregon). It reaches the Pacific Ocean in December 1805. Lewis could observe the Mont Hood. Clark engraved on a trunk of pine the following words:

"William Clark December 3rd 1805. By Land from the U.States in 1804 & 1805" i.e. " William Clark, December 3rd, 1805, arrived of the United States by the continent in 1804-1805."

Forwarding decided to spend the winter on southern bank of Columbia and built the Fort Clatsop close to current Astoria in Oregon. The return voyage got under way the March 23rd 1806: forwarding went up Columbia at the price of significant efforts. It was badgered by the Chinook years. One month after their departure, the men decide to give up the idea to go up the river on the channels and prefer outward journey with horse. They spend May in the Pierced-nose Indians to Camp Choppunish. Incompetents to cross Bitterroots covered with snow, they turn over to seek the assistance of a guide in the Pierced-nose Indians. June 30th, forwarding separates in two groups: The Lewis accompanied by 9 men explore Married it To rivet towards north, whereas Clark and the others move towards the south by Yellowstone River. July 26th, Lewis meets the Blackfeet Indians. August 11th, at the time of a shooting party, Lewis is wounded with the thigh. The two groups are found to descend Missouri. They arrive the September 23rd 1806 at Saint-Louis where they are accommodated by hundreds of people.

Assessment

forwarding considerably made progress the knowledge of the geography of the American northern West (establishment of charts comprising the most important rivers and mountains).
178 plants and 122 species and subspecies of animals were observed and described.

('' Voir the list '')

about fifty Amerindian tribes were met and identified.
forwarding supported the trade euro-American of skins in the West, it opened diplomatic relations with the Indians and bench a precedent for the exploration of the army in the West
forwarding reinforced the federal claim on the territory of the Oregon, it drew the attention of the media to the West.

Members of forwarding

Captain Meriwether Lewis (1774 - 1809) private secretary of the president of the United States Thomas Jefferson and chief of forwarding. During forwarding, it passed the majority of its time on banks to study the rocks, the grounds, the animals and the plants.
Captain William Clark (1770 - 1838) division command of forwarding, although he was the second of Lewis. It generally remained in the boat and carried out many charts.
York (born about 1770 -?) was the slave of Clark.
Sergeant Charles Floyd (1782 - 1804) leading seaman, it dies quickly at the beginning of the voyage.
Sergeant Patrick Gass (1771 - 1870) first carpenter, promoted sergeant after the death of Floyd.
Sergent John Ordway (about 1775 - about 1817) was responsible for the provisions and the account of the voyage.
Sergent Nathaniel Hauls Pryor (1772 - 1831) chief of the first section.
Corporal Richard Warfington (1777 -?) the return towards St Louis in 1805.
Soldat John Boley led (unknown dates).
Soldat William E. Bratton (1778 - 1841) was useful like hunter and blacksmith.
Soldat John Collins (death in 1823) had problems of discipline (whiskey flight)
Soldat John Colter (born about 1775 - 1813) helped with the hunting of the game
Soldat Pierre Cruzatte (unknown dates) French one-eyed, skilful with the navigation and player of violin.
Soldat John Rams (1784 -?) kill a pelican.
Soldier Joseph Field (about 1772 - 1807), brother of Reubin Field, runner of wood and hunter.
Soldier Reubin Field (towards. 1771 - 1823?) brother of Joseph, runner of wood and hunter like him.
Soldier Robert Frazer (? - 1837) held a newspaper of the forwarding which was never published.
Soldier George Gibson (? - 1809) player of violin and good hunter; it was also used as interpreter.
Soldier Silas Goodrich (unknown dates), the principal fisherman of forwarding.
Soldier Hugh Hall (about 1772 -?) judged by the martial court with John Hakes to have flown of the whiskey.
Soldier Thomas Proctor Howard (1779 -?) also judged in martial court to have shown the Indians how to take Strong Mandan.
Soldier François Labiche (unknown dates) French trafficker of furs, it was useful as interprets.
Soldat Hugh McNeal (unknown dates) was the first on the sources of Missouri.
Soldier John Newman (about 1785 - 1838) judged in martial court for remarks incentive with the mutiny.
Soldier John Potts (1776 - 1808?) immigrating German and miller.
Soldier Moses B. Reed (unknown dates) deserter in August 1804 and excluded from forwarding.
Soldier John Robertson (about 1780 -?) did not take part a long time in forwarding.
Soldier George Shannon (1785 - 1836).
Soldat John Shields (1769 - 1809) was blacksmith, arms manufacturer and carpenter. He was judged by the martial court with John Colter, for mutiny.
Soldat John B. Thompson (unknown dates) seems to have been topographer.
Soldier Ebenezer Tuttle (1773 -?).
Soldier Peter Mr. Weiser (1781 -?).
Soldier William Werner (unknown dates).
Soldier Isaac White (about 1774 -?).
Soldier Joseph Whitehouse (about 1775 -?) was used as tailor on several occasions. He also held a newspaper of forwarding.
Soldat Alexander Hamilton Willard (1778 - 1865) was blacksmith and assisted John Shields.
Soldier Richard Windsor (unknown dates) hunter.
Interpreter All Saints' day Charbonneau , husband of Sacagawea, prepared also the meals.
Interpreter Sacagawea , wife of Charbonneau.
Jean Baptist Charbonneau , wire of Charbonneau, born on February 11th, 1805.
Interpreter George Drouillard (about 1775 - 1810) expert in the Indian signs and better hunter of forwarding.
the dog Seaman , Labrador of Lewis.

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