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In Memory of....
Sergeant Charles Floyd became the first U.S. soldier to die west of the Mississippi. The cause may have been because of appendicitis but no one could know for sure. He was the only member of the Corps to die along the journey. -
Winter Preparation
During this Winter time period, Lewis and Clark stayed and kept shelter in the Mandan Tribe's villages. They built a fort of protection against the Sioux and experienced the harsh rations of food in such a bitter time period. -
Never Under Estimate the Grizzley
By this time Lewi and Clark have reached "Grizzly Country." The Indians had warned Lewis but he remained unimpressed.
On this day his men got into an attack with a pair of grizzlies. The men managed to wound one of the bears, but the other chased Lewis down. Before the Bear could reach Lewis one of his men thankfully shot the bear when the rifle was reloaded. -
The Falls
On June 13 Lewis became the American to see the Great Falls of the Missouri River. Unlike the Indians description of just one big fall, there were acyually 5 of them stretching out about 12-miles. -
So Close and Yet So Far
When Clark journied upon a big body of water he thought he had finally reached the Pacific. "Ocian in view! O! the joy," he wrote in his journal. They were actually at the estuary of the Columbia which was still 20 miles from the coast. But by the middle of November they made it to the Pacific.
Eagerly the men scanned the gray, rolling waves of the ocean for the masts of -
Retracing Steps
Their journey was complete and now it was time to go home. It was the third week in March when the expedition was ready. Their next journey of making their return was about to begin, it was time to put their knowledge to the test. -
The Pit Stop
The men were low on supplies and almost out of food. They stopped in the Nez Perce territory to take the time to get back on their feet and wait until the weather improved before trying to cross the snow-covered Bitterroots. Until their departure the men faced a diet of dried fish and roots, with occasional meat, deer, elk, or dog. During this time period, Lewis burshed up on his nature studies Clark treated sick members of the tribe. -
Divide and Conquer
Upon reaching the Traveler's Rest, Lewis and Clark decided to part ways in order to fully explore the Louisiana Territory. Lewis and nine men would explore the Marias River to the north and Clark would head for the Yellowstone River in the south with the rest of the men. -
Unforgettable Reunion
During another ordinary hunt for Clark's group, one of the men shot at what he thought was an elk but was really Lewis instead. The shot passed through Lewis’s left thigh and was not a fatal wound. -
Home Sweet Home
The Corps of Discovery entered the Mississippi River and at noon and disembarked at St. Louis. Upon their arrival one thousand people gathered along the shore greeting the men with gunfire salutes along with a warm welcome.