The Definitive Journals of Lewis and Clark, Vol 8: Over the Rockies to St. Louis

by Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Gary E. Moulton (Editor)

Since the time of Columbus, explorers dreamed of a water passage across the North American continent. President Thomas Jefferson shared this dream. He conceived the Corps of Discovery to travel up the Missouri River to the Rocky Mountains and westward along possible river routes to the Pacific Ocean. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led this expedition of 1804–6. Along the way they filled hundreds of notebook pages with observations of the geography, Indian tribes, and natural history of the trans-Mississippi West. This last volume recounts the expedition's experiences as they continued their journey homeward from present-day Idaho and the party divided for separate exploration. Lewis probed the northern extent of the Louisiana Purchase on the Marias River, while Clark traveled southeast toward the Yellowstone to explore the river and make contact with local Indians. Lewis's party suffered from bad luck: they encountered grizzlies, horse thieves, and the expedition's only violent encounter with Native inhabitants, the Piegan Blackfeet. Lewis was also wounded in a hunting accident. The two parties eventually reunited below the mouth of the Yellowstone and arrived back in St. Louis to a triumphal welcome in September 1806.

456 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2002

About the author

Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer, soldier, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition also known as the Corps of Discovery, with William Clark, whose mission was to explore the territory of the Louisiana Purchase.

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading these journals (a total of 10 volumes in their book form, almost 4600 pages) may be the single most important contribution to my understanding of both our species and our national character, in three words, significant, impactful and memorable. Thomas Jefferson tasked the Corps of Discovery with their journey to the Pacific Ocean and the recording of their observations along the way; this they did with remarkable fidelity for the times. In part travelogue, in part ethnography, in part adventure story, in part cookbook, in part meteorological, medical, botanical and zoological record, this work leaves me with a profound understanding for a world now long past. I feel like I’ve just been to the Pacific Ocean and back with Lewis and Clark, such has been the experience of reading the journals assembled with the diligent care of the publishing team.

While Meriwether Lewis and William Clark both maintained journals throughout the journey, other accounts were also recorded by Corps members John Ordway, Patrick Gass, Joseph Whitehouse, and, until his death, Charles Floyd. I read the journals online, https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu, which presented an excellent experience. All the entries were compiled onto a single webpage for each corresponding day of the journey, along with html links to relevant information and detailed footnotes, a most impressive undertaking. Gary Moulton and his editorial team at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Great Plains Studies deserve a huge round of applause.

When life overwhelms, as it sometime can, reflect on this gem from the journal of Meriwether Lewis, Tuesday, July 15th, 1806:

a little before dark McNeal returned with his musquet broken off at the breech, and informed me that on his arrival at willow run he had approached a white bear within ten feet without discover him the bear being in the thick brush, the horse took the allarm and turning short threw him immediately under the bear; this animal raised himself on his hinder feet for battle, and gave him time to recover from his fall which he did in an instant and with his clubbed musquet he struck the bear over the head and cut him with the guard of the gun and broke off the breech, the bear stunned with the stroke fell to the ground and began to scratch his head with his feet; this gave McNeal time to climb a willow tree which was near at hand and thus fortunately made his escape. the bear waited at the foot of the tree untill late in the evening before he left him, when McNeal ventured down and caught his horse which had by this time strayed off to the distance of 2 ms. and returned to camp. these bear are a most tremenduous animal; it seems that the hand of providence has been most wonderfully in our favor with rispect to them, or some of us would long since have fallen a sacrifice to their farosity. there seems to be a sertain fatality attatched to the neighbourhood of these falls, for there is always a chapter of accedents prepared for us during our residence at them. the musquetoes continue to infest us in such manner that we can scarcely exist; for my own part I am confined by them to my bier at least ¾ths of my time. my dog even howls with the torture he experiences from them, they are always most insupportable, they are so numerous that we frequently get them in our thrats as we breath.

A final note, in reading this last volume, my eye caught a footnote reference to a General James Wilkinson. The editors remarked, “He died in Mexico in 1825 and was remembered as the general who never won a battle or lost a court martial.” Now how American is that? This is some great stuff!!!