The expedition leaves the headwaters of the Missouri, and on the Jefferson River, they pass the place of Sacagawea‘s childhood capture. Lewis scouts by land and camps about two miles ahead of Clark and the boats. In St. Louis, fellow Army explorer Zebulon M. Pike is given his instructions to explore the upper Mississippi River.
Jefferson River Marsh
Near Willow Creek, Montana, 22 July 2013 by © Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Sacagawea’s Capture
we dined at a Camp where the snake [Lemhi Shoshone] Indians had been camped 4 years ago, and was actacted by the Gross vauntaus [Hidatsas]. 2 or three of the Snake nation was killed, and Several Squaws taken prisoners our Intrepters wife [Sacagawea] was one of them. She tells us that She was taken in the middle of the River as She was crossing at a Shole place to make hir ascape.
—John Ordway
Lewis’s Swampy Hike
I passed the river and continued my walk on the Stard. side . . . . I would willingly have joined the canoes but the brush were so thick, the river crooked and bottoms intercepted in such manner by the beaver dams, that I found it uceless to attempt to find them, and therefore proceeded on up the river in order to intersept it where it came near the plain and woult be more collected into one channel.
—Meriwether Lewis
Lewis’s Solitary Camp
I found a parsel of drift wood at the head of the little Island on which I was and immediately set it on fire and collected some willow brush to lye on. I cooked my duck which I found very good and after eating it layed down and should have had a comfortable nights lodge but for the musquetoes which infested me all night.
—Meriwether Lewis
Main Party Encampment
we Camped on the Std. Side the evening Cool. Capt Lewis who walkd on Shore did not join me this evening
—William Clark
Weather Diary
State of the thermometer at rise
Weather at Wind at State of the Thermometer at 4 P.M. Weather at 4 P.M. Wind at 4 P.M. State of the river 50 [above 0] fair S. E. 80 [above 0] fair S. E. Set out from 3 forks
—Meriwether Lewis and William Clark[1]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “State of the river” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.
Pike’s Instructions
HEAD QUARTERS ST. LOUIS July 30th 05
Sir
Having compleated your equipments, you are to proceed up the Mississippi with all possible diligence, taking the following Instructions for your general government, which are to yeild to your discretion in all cases of exigency.
You will be pleased to take the course of the River and calculate distances by time, noting rivers, creeks, Highlands, Praires, Islands, rapids, shoals, mines, Quarries, Timber, water Soil, Indian Villages and Settlements, in a Diary to comprehend reflections on the wind and weather.
. . . . .
James Wilkinson[2]James Wilkinson to Zebulon M. Pike, Donald Jackson, The Journals of Zebulon Montgomery Pike (Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1966), 3.
Three Forks of the Missouri is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The site a Montana State Park.
Notes
| ↑1 | To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “State of the river” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | James Wilkinson to Zebulon M. Pike, Donald Jackson, The Journals of Zebulon Montgomery Pike (Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1966), 3. |
