Robert Heacock

Contributions

• November 7, 1805 -

  Pillar Rock, WA In heavy fog, the expedition paddles around numerous islands stopping to trade with local Indians. They reach Pillar Rock and mistakenly exclaim 'Ocean in view! O! the joy'.

• October 21, 1805 -

  Near John Day Dam, WA The paddlers navigate several rapids while the non-swimmers walk around them, something Clark says has become routine. They buy food and firewood from Indians who show "great kindness," and Collins shares his home-brewed beer.

• The Deschutes River -

  The fall salmon run was ending when the Corps arrived at the Great Falls of the Columbia, several miles below the mouth of Towarnehiooks, with some native people still at the river, fishing with gigs and nets and processing their salmon harvest.

• The Columbia River Gorge -

  The consolidated rocks that compose the Gorge were formed by a complex interplay of Columbia River Basalt Group flood basalt deposition and basin subsidence, along with contemporaneous folding and faulting—not the Glacial Lake Missoula floods.

• The Falls of the Ohio -

  As the days grew shorter and cooler, William Clark must have worn a path to the Louisville landing. The barge (keelboat) could be expected to heave into site at any moment.

• November 17, 1803 -

  Mouth of the Ohio, IL Strong winds swamp the smaller boats, which fortunately had been emptied of cargo. The captains compare the sizes of the Mississippi and Ohio river banks.

• John Newman -

  A Pennsylvanian, he had transferred from Fort Massac into the expedition in the fall of 1803, and was a good member of the expedition until October 1804 when he was convicted of "having uttered repeated expressions of a highly criminal and mutinous nature."

• January 8, 1806 -

  Fort Clatsop and Ecola Creek, OR From Clark's Point of View, the travelers see the "grandest and most pleasing prospects." At Ecola, Tillamook Indians trade a little blubber. In the evening, McNeal's life is threatened.

• November 24, 1803 -

  Trail of Tears State Park, MO After an early start, Nathaniel Pryor, the hunter who had been lost the past two days, is found. As they work their way ten miles up the Mississippi, Lewis observes the limestone lining the shores and hills.

• March 27, 1806 -

  Near present Deer Island, Oregon, some generous Skilloots give away food with hopes that the expedition hunters will hunt with them. Lewis describes the area's trees and prepares a salmonberry specimen.

• November 23, 1803 -

  Old Cape Girardeau, MO Lewis brings letters of introduction to Louis Lorimier, whose store was burned to the ground by George Rogers Clark in 1782. Pryor still hasn't returned from a hunting trip, and Clark's illness continues.

• The Wahkiakums -

  The Wahkiakums exemplify the complexities encountered when trying to classify Chinookan peoples. Linguistically, they spoke the Upper Chinookan Clackamas dialect. Culturally, they were related to the Lower Chinookan Clatsops and Chinooks proper. They resided primarily along the north side of the Columbia between Grays Bay and Cathlamet, Washington.

• The Skilloots -

  The Skilloot were an Upper Chinookan group that spoke the Clackamas dialect of the Chinookan language. They were located on both sides of the Columbia River above and below the mouth of the Cowlitz. At first, the captains applied the name over a much wider area, perhaps misinterpreting a similar expression meaning 'look at him!'. Cape Horn, a few miles east of Washougal, was named sqúlips, and could be the origin of the tribe's name.

• Beacon Rock -

  "a remarkable high detached rock Stands in a bottom on the Stard [starboard, the navigator's right] Side & about 800 feet high and 400 paces around"

• November 25, 1803 -

  The Grand Tower, MO Lewis learns that the first time any boatman passes the Grand Tower, a ritual is held. Lewis describes the streams and rivers that enter the Mississippi.

• November 13, 1803 -

  Below Fort Massac, IL The expedition moves three miles down the Ohio. Lewis experiences malaria-like symptoms.

• November 19, 1803 -

  Mouth of the Ohio, IL On their final day at the mouth of the Ohio, Clark completes his survey and Lewis makes celestial observations.

• April 6, 1806 -

  The members pack up the last of the dried meat and paddles into the Columbia River Gorge. Lewis remarks on the spring flood, a ‘remarkable’ Beacon Rock, and the blindness common with the local People.

• April 25, 1806 -

  During a march of 20 miles, the travelers stop at a large Pish-quit-pah village that have never seen white men before. Lewis remarks on the abundant bunch grass of the Horse Heaven Hills.

• Phoca (Seal) Rock -

  The mid-river island identified as "Phoca" and "Seal rock" on one of William Clark's route maps is a compact landslide block that detached from the Cape Horn headland.

• September 16, 1803 -

  Ravenswood, WV After a delay due to morning fog, Lewis pushes the crew until it's nearly dark. They tire from the labor of unloading the barge, pushing it through the shallow spots, and then re-loading. They pass an area with trees marked by Indians and settlers.

• May 16, 1804 -

  The boats set out early, pass the coal beds of Charbonier Bluff, and reach St. Charles, an early French settlement on the Missouri River. Many citizens come out to see the event and socialization commences.

• Alcohol Rations -

  No military commander of the 18th-century would have thought of leading his troops on any mission without planning for liquor. In legislation and military orders of the day, the ration was typically expressed in "gills."

• A Solitary Hero -

  Lewis had made a habit of abandoning Clark in quests for exploratory triumph. It was no coincidence that Lewis was the first to see the Great Falls or the Continental Divide; he engineered those moments.

• April 7, 1806 -

  The expedition spends another day at the lower end of the Columbia River Gorge to hunt and jerk meat. The men practice shooting and adjust their sights. Lewis describes the mountain quail, new to science.

• The Clearwater River -

  Clark spent the night of 21 September 1805 at Twisted Hair's camp on an island in the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River. The next morning the chief and his son accompanied him back up to the village on Weippe Prairie where he expected to rendezvous with Lewis.

• March 26, 1806 -

  After a wet night, they paddle approximately 18 miles up the Columbia River and camp on an island near an area they call "fannys bottom". Lewis describes eagles and substitutes for tobacco.

• April 3, 1806 -

  Clark concludes his exploration of the Willamette River and learns that a smallpox epidemic had devastated the local population. At Provision Camp, Lewis demonstrates the air gun as a defensive measure.

• September 6, 1803 -

  Steubenville, OH Lewis employs horses, sails, and oxen to pass over numerous gravel bars. Lewis employs the boat's sails, but the strong winds provide new challenges. They make only ten miles.

• April 2, 1806 -

  Clark sets out to find the Multnomah River and at its mouth, resorts to trickery to entice Indians to trade for food. At Provision Camp, Lewis says the berries are all gone except for the Oregon grape.

• January 3, 1806 -

  Fort Clatsop, Astoria, OR Visiting Clatsops sell roots, berries, fresh whale blubber, and dogs. Three hunters return empty-handed, and two men are sent to bring Willard and Weiser back from the salt maker's camp.

• September 13, 1803 -

  Marietta, OH At sunrise, Lewis sets out down the Ohio River. They lift the barge over a few riffles and see a large flock of passenger pigeons. Lewis writes a letter to President Thomas Jefferson describing river conditions thus far.

• December 30, 1805 -

  Fort Clatsop, Astoria, OR The journalists appear happy to see the sun, and Clark enjoys a "Sumptious" dinner of fresh elk tongue and marrow bones. With the pickets and gates completed, overnight guests are banned from the fort.

• September 15, 1803 -

  Blennerhassett Island, WV On a rainy day, Lewis heads down the Ohio passing the present-day Little Kanawha and Little Hocking rivers. The big boat must be lifted over a bar of gravel. They are further delayed when one of small boats falls behind.

• April 11, 1806 -

  On this wet spring day at the Cascades of the Columbia, the men tow four dugout canoes through the "big Shoote." Hostilities ensue when a few local Indians start stealing things—even Lewis’s dog Seaman.

• April 27, 1806 -

  The expedition passes the Umatilla River and then climbs to the high plain above the Wallula Gap. Late in the day, they are met by Chief Yelleppit and guided to his village opposite the Walla Walla River.

• The Sandy River -

  The expedition traveled out from under an ancient river channel frozen in time to a river discharging huge volumes of sediment in real time, the "quicksand river," now known as the Sandy River.

• May 4, 1806 -

  With help from their 1805 Nez Perce guide, the Corps crosses the Snake River and continues upriver to present Clarkston, Washington. Curious villagers crowd camp, and Lewis sees menstrual lodges.

• November 18, 1803 -

  Mouth of the Ohio, IL The captains and eight men cross the Ohio to visit Fort Jefferson, started by William's older brother, George Rogers Clark. Near Natchez, the Governor of the Mississippi Territory notices that Spanish officers are reluctant to cede Louisiana to France.

• The Salt Works -

  On 28 December 1805, the officers detailed three enlisted men to proceed to the Ocean and "at Some Convenient place form a Camp and Commence makeing Salt with 5 of the largest Kittles . . . ."

• William Clark (1784–1838) -

  Clark was a highly intelligent man, and in terms of the practical knowledge required to make his way in the wilderness, to lead men, and to succeed in the world of frontier politics, he was highly educated and consummately effective.

• September 18, 1803 -

  Letart Falls, OH-WV With a dry night and no morning fog, the expedition departs before sunrise. They safely pass a rapid near the present-day community of Letart Falls. Lewis writes his last known journal entry until 11 November 1803.

• November 25, 1805 -

  Pillar Rock, WA The canoes are put in the river and loaded. After paddling nine miles up the Columbia, they attempt to cross but are turned back by high waves. They return to Pillar Rock where the river narrows.

• December 7, 1803 -

  Meramec River, MO to Cahokia, IL
  Lewis traveling by land, and Clark by river, arrive at Cahokia. Lewis meets two useful locals, John Hay and Nicholas Jarrot who help him negotiate entering Spanish territory.

• November 27, 1805 -

  Tongue Point, Astoria, OR After receiving Indian visitors, they paddle to present-day Tongue Point. There, they are forced to take shelter from high wind and waves. Everyone is wet and disagreeable.

• November 3, 1805 -

  Government Island, Portland, OR Walking on the southern shore, Clark is unable to cross a river full of quicksand. The boats continue to a large island full of ponds and enjoy a "Sumptuous Supper" of swans, brant, and ducks. In Philadelphia, Charles Willson Peale observes two of Lewis's animal specimens.

• October 20, 1803 -

  Falls of the Ohio, KY-IN Two new recruits, Nathaniel Pryor and William Bratton, enlist. In Washington City, the Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase treaty.

• Rattlesnakes -

  Lewis awoke to find "a large rattlesnake coiled on the leaning trunk of a tree under the shade of which I had been lying." It certainly wasn't the first rattlesnake seen on the trip, but he killed this one, and took time to study it.

• April 22, 1806 -

  Charbonneau‘s horse bolts causing several items to fall off. They are hidden by watchful Wishram Indians. The march continues by foot, horse, and dugout canoe to a spring near present John Day dam.

• September 4, 1803 -

  Newell, WV The pirogue and canoe used to lighten the barge both spring leaks. They stop to repair the leaks and dry wet cargo.

• September 28, 1803 -

  Cincinnati, OH Lewis arrives in Cincinnati where he rests his crew and writes a letter to William Clark. He tells Clark that he has two recruits that may be suitable for the expedition.

• April 20, 1803 -

  Lancaster, PA Meriwether Lewis finally leaves Harpers Ferry for Lancaster where Andrew Ellicott will train him in celestial navigation. He writes to Thomas Jefferson explaining his delay.

• April 9, 1806 -

  The flotilla moves sixteen miles up the Columbia River Gorge marveling at its many beautiful waterfalls. In Washington City, the Secretary of War deals with the unexpected death of Arikara Chief Too Né.

• April 28, 1806 -

  Across from the Walla Walla River, talks begin with Sacagawea and Charbonneau as interpreters. Yelleppit brings Clark a horse, Clark gives medical aid, and Pvt. Frazer buys ten fat dogs for consumption.

• February 8, 1806 -

  All three sergeants are dispatched to bring into Fort Clatsop the various elk killed on previous days. By day’s end, they all complete their missions. Lewis describes the salal plant.

• October 29, 1805 -

  Little White Salmon River, WA The expedition encounters friendly villages where they buy food. The climatic transition from the Cascade Mountain's dry side to its wet side begins.

• The Watlalas -

  Watlala was the name of a key Upper Chinookan village at the Cascades of the Columbia. The name has been extended by many to mean the tribe more often called the Cascades. The captains called them the Shahala, meaning 'those upriver.' The natural constriction of the river provided the people with a fishery and a good measure of control over those who traveled up and down the river. As a result, the Cascade Clahclellah village which the expedition visited on 31 October 1805 and 9 April 1806 was a major trade center before and during white contact.