William Clark, Meriwether Lewis, and the Osage and Mandan delegations[1]For the delegations traveling with Lewis and Clark on this day, see The Osage Delegations and Sheheke’s Delegation. travel the often swampy trail to Vincennes, the capital of the Territory of Indiana. They follow the historic traces originally created by migrating bison and developed by Native Americans.
In present Kansas, Zebulon M. Pike‘s expedition needs bison hides to make bull boats. One bull takes nineteen balls before dropping.
St. Louis/Kaskaska Trace near Xenia, Illinois
Derived from Hulbert, Historic Highways of America: Military Highways of America.
The bison often left relatively wide traces through the wooded sections as shown above, but they usually left single-track, braided trails through the brushy meadows.
Pooling Waters
During the Revolutionary War, William Clark’s brother George Rogers Clark led his four companies along the Kaskaskia-Vincennes trace in February 1779. South of present Oakdale, Illinois, George Roger’s second in command mentions the large, swampy plains they needed to cross:
[February] 8th. Marched early through the waters, which we now began to meet in those large and level plains, where, from the flatness of the country rests a considerable time before it drains off; notwithstanding which, our men were in great spirits, though much fatigued.
—Maj. Joseph Bowman[2]Joseph Bowman, “Journal of the Proceedings of George R. Clark, from the 27th January, 1779, to March 20th Inst. (1779)”, in William H. English, Conquest of the Country Northwest of the … Continue reading
One Tough Bull
Dr. Robinson and myself, accompanied by one man, ascended the river with an intention of searching the Spanish trace; at the same time, we dispatched Baroney and our two hunters to kill some buffalo, to obtain the skins for canoes. We ascended the river, about 20 miles to a large branch on the right; just at dusk gave chase to a buffalo and was obliged to shoot nineteen balls into him, before we killed him. Encamped in the fork.
—Zebulon Pike[3]Donald Jackson, The Journals of Zebulon Montgomery Pike (Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1966), 1:337.
Notes
| ↑1 | For the delegations traveling with Lewis and Clark on this day, see The Osage Delegations and Sheheke’s Delegation. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | Joseph Bowman, “Journal of the Proceedings of George R. Clark, from the 27th January, 1779, to March 20th Inst. (1779)”, in William H. English, Conquest of the Country Northwest of the River Ohio 1778–1783 and Life of Gen. George Rogers Clark (Indianapolis: The Bowen-Merill Company, 1897), 1:569. |
| ↑3 | Donald Jackson, The Journals of Zebulon Montgomery Pike (Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1966), 1:337. |
Experience the Lewis and Clark Trail
The Lewis and Clark Trail Experience—our sister site at lewisandclark.travel—connects the world to people and places on the Lewis and Clark Trail.
Discover More
- The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.
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