August 15, 1805 - Discover Lewis & Clark

Contents

Shoshone Cove and Clark’s Canyon, MT Lewis discovers that the Lemhi Shoshones have become suspicious of his motives and are reluctant to travel with him. Eventually, most of the village crosses Lemhi Pass, and they all camp in Shoshone Cove. The main party suffers through another day to reach Clark’s Canyon.

At Last the Shoshone^[1]Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © … Continue reading

Lewis Returns with Help

Shoshone Cove Moonrise

Hungry Morning

This morning I arrose very early and as hungary as a wolf. I had eat nothing yesterday except one scant meal of the flour and berries except the dryed cakes of berries which did not appear to satisfy my appetite as they appeared to do those of my Indian friends. I found on enquiry of McNeal that we had only about two pounds of flour remaining. this I directed him to divide into two equal parts and to cook the one half this morning in a kind of pudding with the burries as he had done yesterday and reserve the ballance for the evening. on this new fashoned pudding four of us breakfasted, giving a pretty good allowance also to the Chief who declared it the best thing he had taisted for a long time.
—Meriwether Lewis

Fearing an Ambush

he [Cameahwait] told me that some foolish persons among them had suggested the idea that we were in league with the Pahkees and had come on in order to decoy them into an ambuscade where their enimies were waiting to receive them.
—Meriwether Lewis

Threats from Lewis

I told him if they continued to think thus meanly of us that they might rely on it that no whitemen would ever come to trade with them or bring them arms and amunition and that if the bulk of his nation still entertained this opinion I still hoped that there were some among them that were not affraid to die, that were men and would go with me and convince themselves of the truth of what I had asscerted.
—Meriwether Lewis

A Change of Heart

several of the old women were crying and imploring the great sperit to protect their warriors as if they were going to inevitable distruction. we had not proceeded far before our party was augmented by ten or twelve more, and before we reached the Creek which we had passed in the morning of the 13th it appeared to me that we had all the men of the village and a number of women with us.
—Meriwether Lewis

Stopping to Smoke and Graze

when we arrived at the spring on the side of the mountain where we had encamped on the 12th the Chief insited on halting to let the horses graize with which I complyed and gave the Indians smoke. they are excessively fond of the pipe; but have it not much in their power to indulge themselves with even their native tobacco as they do not cultivate it themselves.—
—Meriwether Lewis

Last of the Flour

I had sent Drewyer forward this evening before we halted to kill some meat but he was unsuccessful and did not rejoin us untill after dark I now cooked and among six of us eat the remaining pound of flour stired in a little boiling water.—
—Meriwether Lewis

Clark Reaches Clark’s Canyon

Beaverhead River below Clark’s Reservoir

Wading in Cold Water

The water is very cold, and severe and disagreeable to the men, who are frequently obliged to wade and drag the canoes.
—William Clark

Clark’s Canyon

Saw and took on board 4 deer Skins which Capt. Lewis had left at the entrence of the Mountains. we passed Several bad rapids. caught a nomber of Trout in the Eddys below the rapids.
—William Clark

Sacagawea Walks on Shore

In walking on Shore I Saw Several rattle Snakes and narrowly escaped at two different times, as also the Squar [Sacagawea] when walking with her husband [Charbonneau] on Shore—
—William Clark

our Intrepters wife found and gethered a fine persel of Servis berrys we Came
—John Ordway

Weather Diary

State of the Thermometer at rise Weather at rise Wind at rise State of the Thermometer at 4 P.M. Weather at 4 P.M. Wind at 4 P.M.

43 [above 0] fair S E 74 [above 0] fair S W

remarkably cold this morning
—Meriwether Lewis^[3]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column and spelled out some abbreviations.

State of the Thermometer at rise	Weather at rise	Wind at rise	State of the Thermometer at 4 P.M.	Weather at 4 P.M.	Wind at 4 P.M.
43 [above 0]	fair	S E	74 [above 0]	fair	S W

Dearborn’s Inspection

In Washington City, the Secretary of War Henry Dearborn examines the specimens sent by Lewis from Fort Mandan and reports his findings to Thomas Jefferson.

Washington August 15th. 1805

Sir

The various articles sent by Capt. Lewis by the way of New Orlians arrived yesterday at your home from Baltimore, . . . I took the liberty of requesting your Stuard to have the boxes opened, in which there were great numbers of vermin. . . . The undressed skins, the skeletons, horns &c &c, I directed to be cleand from vermin and after being exposed to the air for one day, to be put into boxes,—the box containing, as I presumed, minerals & earths, was not opened.—One magpie and the little burrowing dog or squirrel, are alive & appear healthy, the latter is undoubtedly of the family of what we call wood chucks, or ground hoggs. The Buffalo robes are good skins, well dressed, and highly embellished with Indian finery—

with sentiments of respectfull esteem I am Sir Your Huml. Serv

H. Dearborn^[4]Founders Online, National Archives, founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-2244 [Originally from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson]; also in Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with … Continue reading

Lemhi Pass is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The pass is managed by the US Forest Service.

Notes[+]

Notes
↑1	Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © 2003 by Yellowstone Public Radio.
↑2	Moulton, Journals, 8:90n9.
↑3	To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column and spelled out some abbreviations.
↑4	Founders Online, National Archives, founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-2244 [Originally from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson]; also in Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783–1854, 2nd ed., ed. Donald Jackson (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), 254–55.