Page 24 - MFM July Aug 2022 W.indd

‘ŽŽ‘™‹‰ –Š‡ ’—” Šƒ•‡ǡ ‡ơ‡”•‘ ™ƒ• ƒš‹‘—• –‘ Ƥ† Discovery" continued up the Missouri River as far as
out exactly what it was that he had purchased since ™Šƒ– ‹• ƒŽŽ‡† –Š‡ ”‡ƒ– ƒŽŽ• ™Š‹Ž‡ –Š‡ „ƒŽƒ ‡ ‘ˆ –Š‡
most of the area had never been explored by white men. ”‡™ ”‡–—”‡† –‘ – ‘—‹•Ǥ Š‡‡Ž• ƒ† ƒšŽ‡• ™‡”‡ „—‹Ž– –‘
‡ơ‡”•‘ †‹”‡ –‡† Š‹• ’‡”•‘ƒŽ •‡ ”‡–ƒ”›ǡ ›‘—‰ ”› carry some of their boats past the falls, while other boats
ƒ’–ƒ‹ ‡”‹™‡–Š‡” ‡™‹•ǡ –‘ ƒ••‡„Ž‡ ƒ ‡š’‡†‹–‹‘ –‘ were hidden to be used on the return journey. When the
Ƥ† ƒ ”‘—–‡ –‘ –Š‡ ƒ ‹Ƥ ‡ƒǡ ƒ’ –Š‡ ‘—”•‡ ‘ˆ ‹–• river was no longer navigable, the expedition traveled
travels, establish a presence with the Native Americans by foot until they made contact with the Shoshone and
they encountered, determine economic potential and were able to trade for horses.
‰ƒ–Š‡” • ‹‡–‹Ƥ ‹ˆ‘”ƒ–‹‘Ǥ Š‹Ž‡ –Š‡ ‘—‹•‹ƒƒ
—” Šƒ•‡ †‹† ‘– •–”‡– Š ƒŽŽ –Š‡ ™ƒ› –‘ –Š‡ ƒ ‹Ƥ ‡ƒǡ ˆ–‡” •‡˜‡ ‘–Š• ‘ˆ –‡””‹„Ž› †‹ƥ —Ž– –”ƒ˜‡Žǡ –Š‡ ̺ ‘”’•
‡ơ‡”•‘ •ƒ™ ƒ ‘’’‘”–—‹–› –‘ ‹˜‡•–‹‰ƒ–‡ –Š‡ ƒ”‡ƒ ‘ˆ ‹• ‘˜‡”›̺ ƤƒŽŽ› ”‡ƒ Š‡† –Š‡ ƒ ‹Ƥ ‡ƒ ƒ– –Š‡
ƒ† Žƒ› Žƒ‹ –‘ –Š‡ ƒ ‹Ƥ ‘”–Š™‡•– ‹ ƒ†˜ƒ ‡ ‘ˆ –Š‡ mouth of the Columbia River on November 15, 1805. A
British. •ƒŽŽ ™‘‘† ˆ‘”– ™ƒ• „—‹Ž– –‘ •’‡† –Š‡ ™‹–‡”ǡ ƒ† ‡ơ‘”–
™ƒ• ƒ†‡ –‘ Š—– ƒ† ‰ƒ–Š‡” ƒ†‡“—ƒ–‡ ˆ‘‘† –‘ •—•–ƒ‹
‡™‹• ”‡ƒŽ‹œ‡† Š‡ ™‘—Ž† ‡‡† ƒ••‹•–ƒ ‡ –‘ ƒ ‘’Ž‹•Š the group. After two years of travel, supplies of all sorts
all these tasks and lead the overall expedition. As a had run terribly short, and survival became a constant
”‡•—Ž–ǡ ‡™‹• ‘–ƒ –‡† ƒ ‹Ž‹–ƒ”› ˆ”‹‡† ‹ŽŽ‹ƒ Žƒ” struggle.
–‘ Œ‘‹ Š‹Ǥ ‡ơ‡”•‘ ‘ —””‡†ǡ ƒ† Žƒ” Œ‘‹‡† –Š‡
expedition as a co-commander. In the spring of 1806, the expedition headed east
‘–Š‡” •—’’Ž‹‡• ™‡”‡ ƒŽ•‘ ”‡“—‹”‡†ǡ ‹ Ž—†‹‰ • ‹‡–‹Ƥ
Much preparation had to be done to organize the instruments, medicine, guns, trade goods, tools,
expedition and choose the personnel who would clothing, writing material, etc.
ƒ ‘’ƒ› –Š‡ ‘ –Š‡‹” –”‹’ ™‡•–Ǥ › Žƒ–‡ ˆƒŽŽ ‘ˆ ͙͛͘͠ǡ
men and material were transported down the Ohio River, In the spring of 1806, the expedition headed east
and a winter camp was built across the river from St –‘‘ ƒ †‹ơ‡”‡– ”‘—–‡ ‹ ‘”†‡” –‘ •Š‘”–‡ –Š‡ –‹‡ ƒ†
‘—‹•Ǥ  ƒ› ͙͘͜͠ǡ –Š‡ ‡š’‡†‹–‹‘ǡ ‘•‹•–‹‰ ‘ˆ –Š‡ –™‘ the distance. Once successfully over the Rockies, they
‘ƥ ‡”•ǡ ͛͠ ‡Ž‹•–‡† ‡ǡ ƒ† •‡˜‡”ƒŽ ”‡ Š „‘ƒ–‡ǡ Ž‘ ƒ–‡† –Š‡‹” •–‘”‡† „‘ƒ–• ƒ† –”ƒ˜‡Ž‡† “—‹ Ž› †‘™ –Š‡
called the "Corps of Discovery" started up the Missouri ‹••‘—”‹ ‹˜‡”ǡ ƒ””‹˜‹‰ „ƒ  ‹ – ‘—‹• ‘ ‡’–‡„‡”
‹˜‡” „› „‘ƒ–Ǥ Ž–Š‘—‰Š •‡˜‡ –‘• ‘ˆ ˆ‘‘†•–—ơ• ™‡”‡ ͚͛ǡ ͙͘͠͞Ǥ
taken with them, civilian hunters were included in the
roster to provide fresh meat and other edibles along the ƒŽƒ•ǡ ‡Ž‡„”ƒ–‹‘•ǡ ƒ† ’ƒ”–‹‡• ™‡”‡ Š‡Ž† –‘ ‡Ž‡„”ƒ–‡
route. When available, the men consumed nine pounds the successful expedition, and word was immediately
of fresh meat daily. In 1805, Clark wrote, "We eat an •‡– –‘ ”‡•‹†‡– ‡ơ‡”•‘ ‘ˆ –Š‡‹” ”‡–—”Ǥ ‘ŽŽ‘™‹‰
‹‡•‹–› ‘ˆ ‡ƒ–ǡ ƒ† ‹– ”‡“—‹”‡• ˆ‘—” †‡‡”ǡ ‘” ƒ ‡Ž –Š‡‹” ”‡–—” –‘ – ‘—‹•ǡ ‡™‹• ™ƒ• ƒ’’‘‹–‡† –Š‡
ƒ† ƒ †‡‡”ǡ ‘” ‘‡ „—ơƒŽ‘ –‘ •—’’Ž› —• ͚͜ Š‘—”•Ǥ̺ ‘• ‘˜‡”‘” ‘ˆ –Š‡ ‘—‹•‹ƒƒ ‡””‹–‘”› ‹ ͙͘͟͠ǡ ™Š‹Ž‡ Žƒ”
‘ˆ ‘–Š‡” •—’’Ž‹‡• ™‡”‡ ƒŽ•‘ ”‡“—‹”‡†ǡ ‹ Ž—†‹‰ • ‹‡–‹Ƥ ™ƒ• ƒ’’‘‹–‡† –Š‡ ‘˜‡”‘” ‘ˆ –Š‡ ‹••‘—”‹ ‡””‹–‘”›
instruments, medicine, guns, trade goods, tools, ˆ”‘ ͙͙͛͠ –‘ ͙͚͘͠Ǥ Žƒ” ™ƒ• ƒŽ•‘ ’Žƒ ‡† ‹ Šƒ”‰‡ ‘ˆ
clothing, writing material, etc. †‹ƒ ƒơƒ‹”• ™‡•– ‘ˆ –Š‡ ‹••‹••‹’’‹ ‹˜‡” ˆ”‘ ͙͙͛͠ –‘
͙͛͠͠Ǥ
As the fall of 1804 approached, the "Corps of Discovery"
•‡––Ž‡† ‹–‘ ™‹–‡” “—ƒ”–‡”• –Š‡› „—‹Ž– ‡ƒ” ™Šƒ– ™ƒ• During the expedition, detailed geographic readings
ƒŽŽ‡† –Š‡ ƒ†ƒ †‹ƒ ‹ŽŽƒ‰‡ǡ ͛͘ ‹Ž‡• ‘”–Š ‘ˆ and mappings were made, and both men kept journals.
present-day Bismarck, North Dakota. The Mandan ‡™‹•̹• ”‡ ‘”†• ™‡”‡ ‡•’‡ ‹ƒŽŽ› †‡–ƒ‹Ž‡† ƒ† ‹ Ž—†‡†
Indians were friendly to the expedition and traded foods weather readings, drawing of plants and animals,
–Š‡› ”ƒ‹•‡† ˆ‘” –”ƒ†‡ ‰‘‘†• –Šƒ– ‡™‹• ƒ† Žƒ” Šƒ† language of the various Indian tribes they encountered,
„”‘—‰Š– ƒŽ‘‰ ˆ‘” –Šƒ– ’—”’‘•‡Ǥ ‡™‹• ƒ† Žƒ” •’‡– ƒ† ƒ ˜ƒ”‹‡–› ‘ˆ ‘–Š‡” ‹ˆ‘”ƒ–‹‘Ǥ ‡ơ‡”•‘ ™ƒ• ƒš‹‘—•
much time that winter with the Mandan discussing what ˆ‘” ‡™‹• –‘ ”‡–—” ‡ƒ•– –‘ •Šƒ”‡ –Š‡ ƒ› ƒ”–‹ˆƒ –•
lay further up the Missouri River and what could be –Šƒ– Šƒ† „‡‡ ‘ŽŽ‡ –‡† ƒ† •‡‡ –Šƒ– ‡™‹•̹• Œ‘—”ƒŽ
expected in crossing the continental divide in the Rocky ™ƒ• ’—„Ž‹•Š‡† „‡ˆ‘”‡ –Š‡ ‡† ‘ˆ ‡ơ‡”•‘̹• •‡ ‘†
Mountains. The Mandan information was reliable to presidential term in 1808.
the base of the Rockies, since they often traveled west
to hunt and raid other tribes, they had no familiarity ‡™‹• ˆ”‡“—‡–Ž› Šƒ† ‘ƪ‹ – ™‹–Š ‘–Š‡”• ƒ• ‡””‹–‘”‹ƒŽ
beyond that. ‘˜‡”‘”ǡ Š‡ •–ƒ”–‡† †”‹‹‰ Š‡ƒ˜‹Ž›ǡ ƒ† Š‡ ƒ’’ƒ”‡–Ž›
•—ơ‡”‡† ˆ”‘ ̺‡Žƒ Š‘Ž‹ƒ̺ ‘” †‡’”‡••‹‘Ǥ ơ‘”–• „›
– –Š‡ ƒ†ƒ ˜‹ŽŽƒ‰‡ǡ ‡™‹• ƒ† Žƒ” Š‹”‡† ‘—••ƒ‹– ‡ơ‡”•‘ –‘ ‰‡– ‡™‹• –‘ ˆ‘”™ƒ”† –Š‡ ‡š’‡†‹–‹‘̹• Š—‰‡
Charbonneau, a French-Canadian trapper, as an ‘ŽŽ‡ –‹‘ ‘Ž› ”‡•—Ž–‡† ‹ ‡š —•‡• ˆ”‘ ‡™‹• ”‡ƒ•‘ ˆ‘”
‹–‡”’”‡–‡”Ǥ Šƒ”„‘‡ƒ—̹• ™‹ˆ‡ǡ ƒ ƒ‰ƒ™‡ƒǡ ™ƒ• ƒ †‡Žƒ›Ǥ ‡™‹•̹• ƒ‹ ”‡ƒ•‘ ˆ‘” –Š‡ †‡Žƒ› ™ƒ• –Šƒ– Š‡ ™ƒ•
Š‘•Š‘‡ †‹ƒǡ ƒ† ‡™‹• ƒ† Žƒ” ”‡ƒŽ‹œ‡† –Š‡› editing his own journals, a task he would never complete.
would be traveling through a wide area of the Rockies
populated by that tribe. In April 1805, the "Corps of ‹ƒŽŽ›ǡ ‹ –Š‡ ˆƒŽŽ ‘ˆ ͙͘͠͡ǡ ‡™‹• †‡ ‹†‡† –‘ ”‡–—” ‡ƒ•–Ǥ
His initial plan was to travel down the Mississippi River
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