The first floor of the Lewis & Clark National Headquarters had the smallest look at the Lewis & Clark expedition, but its exhibits and its movie more than made up for its size. Mitch, one of the park rangers working there, was so helpful and told us about places we had to visit along our route that we were unaware of or didn’t think were important. But for now, let’s look at what we learned here that was new to us.
traveling along the Missouri River
The expedition camped in this area on the night of July 27, 1804, after spending 5 days at White Catfish Camp near present-day Bellevue, Nebraska (just south of where we are now in Omaha). During their stay in the region, Lewis collected specimens of Canada and Virginia wild rye, big blue stem (?), and an unidentified bush.
Per Wikipedia, big blue stem is “a tall perennial grass native to the Great Plains and grassland regions of North America, often growing over six feet tall. It plays a crucial role in prairie ecosystems and is known for its drought tolerance and ecological importance as forage for livestock.”
As they traveled, 7 members of the expedition recorded each day’s events in their journals. Their writings ranged from descriptions of the beautiful and terrible landscapes they saw to the personalities and cultures of the American Indians they met. Since they were so far from home, they observed the West and its people through strangers’ eyes.
This historic trail stretches across 11 states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon.
In part 8, we mentioned the medical resources that Lewis used and mentioned Dr. Rush’s Thunderclappers. Let’s learn more about it.
One school of academic medical thought at the time of the expedition revolved around purgatives. The idea was that if someone was sick, an imbalance was present in the body that could be resolved by purging it out, whether by bleeding or by a laxative.
One of the purgatives that Dr. Rush recommended,and that Lewis brought a big supply of along on the expedition, was known as “Thunderclappers.” These were large pills made from 2 separate laxatives: calomel and jalap. The medicine’s name alone should tell us how effective they were.
various means of transportation on the expedition
Dugout canoes: The Nez Perce Indians (whom the expedition met after they barely made it over the Bitterroot Mountains, which makes up much of the border between Idaho and Montana) taught the Corps to use fire to build canoes that were up to 33 feet long from cottonwood and pine trees. [So much more effective than hallowing out a log by hand.]
Bull Boats: Bowl-shaped and sturdy, bull boats were made of buffalo hides stretched over a wooden frame, then sealed with pine pitch to make the vessel completely water tight in order to float.
The Iron Boat: On the East Coast before Lewis started on this trip, he invented a 200-pound collapsible iron boat frame to carry over land, but it sunk when the Corps could not seal the hides covering it with tar (too many little holes). This failure led Clark to design a cart to move the other boats and supplies overland.
Horses were essential to the Corps when crossing the Rocky Mountains. Sacagewea helped the Corps acquire these horses from the Shoshone since she was part of that tribe.
Pirogues: The 2 pirogues, open boats, carried specific items. The while pirogue stored the captains’ desks, valuable papers, instruments, medicine, and trade goods. The red pirogue contained gunpowder, biscuits, and more.
Keelboat: Even with the size and weight, the keelboat could be moved upstream with rows, poles, and cordells (heavy ropes pulled by hand).
survival and weaponry
Without firearms, the expedition would not have succeeded. Guns were required for defense and to obtain food. Hunting was a daily activity, because on this long trip (2 years and 4 months), the Corps needed over 30,000 dinners.
The expedition used the musket, the air rifle, and a swivel gun, 2 blunderbusses, and lead canisters on the trip.
The musket bore (barrel) is smooth, which permits faster loading and decreases jamming; but it also had reduced accuracy, which worked well for a soldier. It can fire single or multiple smaller projectiles similar to a modern shotgun.
Lewis brought his personal weapons, including his “air gun.” He often demonstrated this air rifle at council meetings. One shot could pierce a 1-inch pine board at 100 yards, proving it was lethal. It could fire off 20 shots in 60 seconds and was even smokeless.
Clark had installed lockers on the sides with lids that formed protective shields when raised. A small bronze cannon, called a swivel gun, was mounted on the bow. It could fire a 1-pound solid lead ball or spew 16 musket balls.
Two blunderbusses (heavy shotguns) also swiveled at the stern. They could fire buckshot, musket balls, or even scrap iron. Both of these guns were fired primarily for signaling, saluting, and celebrations.
Innovation and invention delighted Captain Lewis. He made lead canisters that each held 4 pounds of gunpowder. The 8 pounds of sheet lead that formed the canister could be melted down and cast into bullets if needed. This dual purpose gear is just one example of creating and adjusting suitable designs to resources and basic needs.
Let’s go to Council Bluffs now and learn about its importance.
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