Day-by-Day / August 22, 1804

August 22, 1804

A new sergeant

The boats sail about twenty miles up the Missouri stopping southeast of present Vermillion, South Dakota. While investigating some minerals, Lewis is overcome by caustic fumes. Pvt. Gass is elected to the rank of sergeant replacing Charles Floyd who recently died.

Missouri River near Vermillion, South Dakota

morning fog lifts over the Missouri at Clay County Park

Courtesy U.S. National Park Service.Missouri National Recreational River.

Caustic Fumes

Capt lewis was near being Poisened by the Smell in pounding this Substance I belv to be arsenic or Cabalt. [He] took a Dost of Salts this evening to carry of the effects of (arsenec) or cobalt which he was trying to find out the real quallity
—William Clark

Related: NE Nebraska Minerals

Mineral Specimens

This Bluff contain Pyrites alum, Copperass & a Kind Markesites . . . . arsenic or Cabalt . . . . Cops. ans [copperas] and almin [alum] pure & Straters of white & brown earth of 6 Inch. thick.
—William Clark

Related: Mineralogical Scientists

Electing a New Sergeant

ordered a vote for a Serjeant to chuse one of three which may be the highest number the highest numbers are P. Gass had 19 Votes, Bratten [Bratton] & Gibson
—William Clark

Pvt. Patrick Gass would not be officially promoted until August 26.
Related: Elk Point | The Enlisted Men

 

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.

This page was funded in part by the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, U.S. National Park Service.

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Unless otherwise noted, journal excerpts are from The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, edited by Gary E. Moulton, 13 vols. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001).