In Philadelphia, Purveyor of Public Supplies Israel Whelan buys 193 pounds of “portable soup” made by François Baillet. Two years later, while crossing the Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho, the travelers relied on the soup for emergency rations. Three years later, it was given as medicine to a Nez Perce man.
Portable Soup Invoice
Cans of Portable Soup
Historical interpretation by John W. Fisher. Photo © 2023 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Israel Whelen for the United States Bot. of Fras. Bellet 1803 May 30—193 lbs. of Portable Soup at 150 Cents $289.50[1]“Supplies from Private Vendors,” in Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783-1854, 2nd ed., ed. Donald Jackson (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), … Continue reading
Portable Soup Encounters
François Baillet of Philadelphia prepared the expedition’s infamous portable soup. Incidents with this emergency ration include the following:
Colt Killed Camp
Capt. Lewis gave out some portable soup, which he had along, to be used in cases of necessity. Some of the men did not relish this soup, and agreed to kill a colt; which they immediately did, and set about roasting it; and which appeared to me to be good eating.
—Patrick Gass, 14 September 1805
Snowbank Camp
we found Some Spots of Snow so we Camped on the top of the Mountain and melted Some Snow. this Snow appears to lay all the year on this Mount we drank a little portable Soup and lay down without any thing else to Satisfy our hunger.
—John Ordway, 15 September 1805
Snowbank Camp to Lonesome Cove
proceeded over the most terrible mountains I ever beheld. It continued snowing until 3 o’clock P. M. when we halted, took some more soup, and went on
—Patrick Gass, 16 September 1805
Bald Mountain
we dined & suped on a skant proportion of portable soupe, a few canesters of which, a little bears oil and about 20 lbs. of candles form our stock of provision, the only resources being our guns & packhorses. the first is but a poor dependance in our present situation where there is nothing upon earth exept ourselves and a few small pheasants . . . .
—Meriwether Lewis, 18 September 1805
Hungery Creek
we took a small quantity of portable soup, and retired to rest much fatiegued. several of the men are unwell of the disentary. brakings out, or irruptions of the Skin, have also been common with us for some time.
—Meriwether Lewis, 19 September 1805
Long Camp
a canoe arrived with 3 of the [Nez Perce] natives one of them the sick man of whom I have before made mentions as having lost the power of his limbs. he is a cheif of considerable note among them and they seem extreemly anxious for his recovery . . . .
this poor wretch thinks that he feels himself of somewhat better but to me there appears to be no visible alteration. we are at a loss what to do for this unfortunate man. we gave him a few drops of Laudanum and a little portable soup.
—Meriwether Lewis, 24 May 1806
Notes
| ↑1 | “Supplies from Private Vendors,” in Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783-1854, 2nd ed., ed. Donald Jackson (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), 81. |
|---|
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.
This site is provided as a public service by the
Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance
with cooperation and funding from the following organizations:
- Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
- Montana Committee for the Humanities
- Idaho Governor's Lewis and Clark Trail Committee
- The Capital Gallery (Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation)
- Yellowstone Public Radio
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).