Lewis and Clark RM

By UShistory63

  • Start of Expedition

    Expedition begins from camp Dubois. Expedition consits of the two captians and 31 men along with one dog, Seaman. Expedition travels in one large keelboat and two smaller pirogues.
  • Period: to

    Expedition timeline

  • First Causality

    First causality occurs. Sargent Charles Floyd dies from a burst appendix and is buried. He is the only person in the expedition to die. Clark wrote, "Floyd Died with a great deal of Composure, before his death he Said to me, ‘I am going away I want you to write me a letter.’".

  • Encounter with Sioux

    The expedition encountered the Teton Sioux tribe. The Sioux demended one of the boats as tribute in order to use the river. The expidition stayed to three days in order to come to an understanding. Even with a diplomatic chief, Black Buffalo, communication is difficult as there is no interpreter.

  • Fort Mandan

    Fort Mandan is completed for use as a winter shelter. While there a french trapper is recruited as an interpreter along with his two indian wives, one being Sacagawea. Communications with the nearby Mandan tribe where also peaceful and food was exchanged for trade goods.

  • Jean Baptiste Charbonneau is Born

    Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, the child of Touissant Charbonneau and Sacagawea, is born. Jean Baptiste was the first child of Sacagawea and traveled with the expedition. In order to help Sacagawea give birth Lewis gave her some medicine made of crushed rattle snake rings. He later commented on the medicine, "Whether this medicine was truly the cause or not I shall not undertake to determine, but...she had not taken it more than ten minutes before she brought forth.”

  • Encounter with a Grizzly Bear

    After going out alone Private William Bratton had an encounter with a grizzly bear. Previous encounters with the creatures had been rather easy and the animals were thought to pose no threat.
    however despite shooting the bear dead center it chased him for a half mile before Bratton could find help to kill it.

  • Encounter with the Shoshone

    The expedition arrives at the Shoshone village to negotiate for horses. It is discovered that the chief, Cameahwait, is Sacagawea's brother. Lewis learns that there is no water way across the mountians.

  • Trade with the Shoshone

    The expedition, needing horses to travel through the Bitterroot Mountains, trade with the Shosone for them. The shoshone ask for guns in exchange for the horses. The expedition sucures 29 horses and one mule along with a guide. Lewis later wrote about what ,Cameahwait told him, “If we had guns, we could live in the country of the buffaloe and eat as our enimies do, and not be compelled to hide ourselves in these mountains and live on roots and berries as the bear do.”

  • Weather Hampers Progress

    While travelling throught the Bitterroot mountians the expedition runs into trouble. Severe snow storms hamper their progress and slows down the expedition. Falling temperatures not only affect the expedition but slowly food runs out and hunger begins to take a toll.

  • Help from the Nex Perce

    Late in September the expedition reached the end of the mountains. Near starvation they encountered the Nez Perce. Deciding to befriend the expedition the Nez Perce gave gifts of food which greatly helped the expedition. The Nez Perce also taught them how to make canoes which would help the expedition on their way.

  • Entering the Clearwater River

    The expedition resumes their journey via river. Entering the Clearwater river near what is now Orofino, Idaho, the expedition sets off in canoes made with the help of the Nez Perce tribe. This event is marked as the first time since St. Louis when the expedition has had a river at their back.

  • Fort Clatsop

    Fort Clatsop is built as a winter camp at the end of the expedition's journey. Named after the Clatsop tribe much like fort Mandan. Also like for Mandan the relationship with the Clatsop tribe is very good.

  • Use for Crabtree Bark

    The expedition discovered a use for the bark of the crabtree. Having run out of whiskey the expedition used up the last of it's tabacoo the following christmas. Thus the expedition started using crabtree bark as a substitute.

  • Private is Treated for Back Pain

    Private William Bratton had been suffereing from back pain on the return journey. However when the expedition stopped with the Nez Perce in order to wait to cross the mountians he was treated in one of their sweat lodges. After being several stays in a sweat lodge and given mint tea to drink he recovered and had little pain afterwards.

  • First Violent Encounter

    After learning that the expedition would be trading guns with the Blackfeet's enemies a raid is attempted to steal the expeditions's guns. The raid goes awry and two Blackfeet warriors are killed. The expedition then leaves as fast as possible.