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Timeline of the Lewis and Clark Expedition#1806

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File:Lewis and Clark.jpg and William Clark]]

This is the timeline of the Lewis and Clark Expedition through the American West, 1803–1806.

1803

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|January 18President Jefferson sends a secret message to the U.S. Congress proposing an expedition to the Pacific Northwest.{{Cite web|url=https://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1800-1850/President-Thomas-Jefferson-s-secret-letter-to-Congress/|title=President Thomas Jefferson's Secret Letter to Congress|last=Jefferson|first=Thomas|author-link=Thomas Jefferson|date=January 18, 1803|website=house.gov|publisher=History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives|access-date=March 15, 2020}}Ambrose, p. 59
|February 22The House and Senate approve Jefferson's request.{{cite web|url=https://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/louisiana1.html|title=The Louisiana Purchase Legislative Timeline|publisher=Library of Congress|access-date=March 18, 2020}}Ambrose, p. 60
|March 15Lewis travels to the U.S. Army arsenal in Harper's Ferry, Virginia (later West Virginia) to procure arms and ammunition for the expedition.Ambrose, pp. 84-90
|April 19Lewis arrives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he studies the use of the sextant and chronometer for celestial navigation.Ambrose, p. 79-91
|April 30James Madison, Secretary of State, and Robert R. Livingston, U.S. Minister to France, reach an agreement to purchase Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million.
|May 14Lewis leaves Lancaster and travels to Philadelphia to study medicine, anatomy and botany under the day's leading experts. During his three-week stay, he buys supplies and equipment as well as gifts for the Indians he expects to encounter.Ambrose, pp. 87-92
|June 19Lewis writes to William Clark inviting him to co-lead the expedition.Ambrose, p. 99
|June 20President Jefferson sends Lewis instructions for exploring the Louisiana Territory.{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/lewisandclark/transcript57.html|title=Transcript: Jefferson's Instructions for Meriwether Lewis|last=Jefferson|first=Thomas|date=June 20, 1803|website=loc.gov|publisher=Library of Congress|access-date=March 17, 2020}}
|July 4The proposed Louisiana Purchase Treaty is announced in Washington, D.C.{{cite web|url=https://www.monticello.org/thomas-jefferson/louisiana-lewis-clark/the-louisiana-purchase/|title=The Louisiana Purchase|website=monticello.org|publisher=Thomas Jefferson Foundation|access-date=March 5, 2020}}
|July 15Lewis arrives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to direct the construction of a 55-foot keelboat with a 32-foot mast and benches for 22 oarsmen. He also purchases a pirogue over 40 feet long.Ambrose, pp. 102-107Discovering Lewis & Clark, [http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/496 Keelboats]
|July 18Clark writes to Lewis accepting his invitation.*{{Cite web|url=https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-41-02-0074-0002|title=William Clark to Meriwether Lewis, 18 July 1803|last=Clark|first=William|author-link=William Clark|date=July 18, 1803|website=archives.gov|publisher=National Archives and Records Administration|access-date=March 15, 2020}}Ambrose, p. 104
|August 31After more than a month of delays, the keelboat is completed and immediately loaded. With a crew of 11, Lewis heads down the Ohio River.Ambrose, pp. 105-107{{cite web|url=https://www.historytoday.com/archive/start-lewis-and-clark-expedition|title=Start of the Lewis and Clark Expedition: August 31st, 1803|last=Cavendish|first=Richard|date=August 8, 2003|publisher=History Today|access-date=March 18, 2020}}
|September 1Lewis documents the first day of travel, beginning what becomes the Journals of the Lewis & Clark Expedition.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1803-09-01 September 1, 1803]Ambrose, pp. 108-110
|October 15Lewis rendezvous with Clark in Clarksville, Indiana territory. Clark is accompanied by his African-American slave York. Over the next two weeks, they select nine civilians from a field of volunteers.{{Cite web|url=http://www.in.gov/dnr/lewis-clark/falls/|title=Falls of the Ohio|website=www.in.gov|publisher=Indiana Bicentennial Commission|access-date=March 17, 2020|archive-date=February 17, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217165128/http://www.in.gov/dnr/lewis-clark/falls/|url-status=dead}}Ambrose, pp. 107-108
|October 20The U.S. Senate ratifies the treaty for the Louisiana Purchase.{{cite web|url=

https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Senate_Approves_Louisiana_Purchase_Treaty.htm|title=The Senate Approves for Ratification the Louisiana Purchase Treaty|date=October 20, 1803|website=senate.gov|publisher=Art & History, United States Senate|access-date=March 17, 2020}}

|November 15While the Corps camps at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, Lewis and Clark practice determining longitude and latitude using their surveying instruments.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1803-11-15 November 15, 1803]
|November 28The expedition arrives at the U.S. Army post at Kaskaskia, Illinois, where they recruit more men.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1803-11-28 November 28, 1803]
|December 6Lewis travels by horseback to St. Louis in present-day Missouri intending to spend the winter procuring more supplies.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1803-12-06 December 6, 1803]{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/jeff/learn/historyculture/timelines-1803.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150322095826/http://www.nps.gov/jeff/learn/historyculture/timelines-1803.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 22, 2015|title=Lewis and Clark Timeline 1803|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=March 18, 2020}}
|December 12Clark arrives at the site of the expedition's winter encampment on the Mississippi River above St. Louis in Illinois. The construction of Camp Dubois begins the next day.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1803-12-12 December 12, 1803]Discovering Lewis & Clark, [http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/18031212 December 12, 1803]
|December 20France transfers the Louisiana Territory to the U.S., which takes possession on December 30.

1804

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|March 9Lewis attends ceremonies in St. Louis witnessing the formal transfer of the new U.S. territory.Ambrose, p. 129Discovering Lewis & Clark, [http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/18040309 March 9, 1804]
|March 26To his bitter disappointment, Lewis learns that Clark's commission has been approved but as a lieutenant rather than captain. Despite the difference in rank, a fact withheld from the men, the two share command equally throughout the expedition.Ambrose, pp. 134-136
|March 29Pvts. Shields and Colter are tried for mutiny following a fight in which they threaten Sgt. Ordway's life. Their pleas for forgiveness are accepted.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-03-29 March 29, 1804]Discovering Lewis & Clark, [http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/2608 John Shields]Discovering Lewis & Clark, [http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/2613 John Colter]
|March 31Lewis and Clark hold a ceremony formally inducting 25 recruits into the Corps. Another five men are designated to return on the keelboat the next spring before the "permanent party" crosses the Rocky Mountains.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-03-31 March 31, 1804]Ambrose, p. 130
|April 7Lewis and Clark travel to St. Louis by canoe to attend a dinner and ball.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-04-07 April 7, 1804]Discovering Lewis & Clark, [http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/18040407 April 7, 1804]
|May 14The Corps of Discovery departs Camp Dubois under Clark's command, its crew more than 40 strong.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-05-14 May 14, 1804]Discovering Lewis & Clark, [http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/18040514 May 14, 1804]{{Cite web|url=https://www.history.com/news/lewis-clark-timeline-expedition|last=Roos|first=David|title=Lewis and Clark: A Timeline of the Extraordinary Expedition|date=January 16, 2020|publisher=History|access-date=March 15, 2020}}
|May 16They reach St. Charles on the Missouri River to await Lewis's return from St. Louis.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-05-16 May 16, 1804]Discovering Lewis & Clark, [http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/18040516 May 16, 1804]
|May 17Pvts. Collins, Hall and Werner are court martialed for being AWOL. Collins, who is convicted of additional charges, receives 50 lashes. The other two have their sentences of 25 lashes suspended.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-05-17 May 17, 1804]
|May 21With Lewis and Clark in command, the Corps embarks on the keelboat and two pirogues. During their 2,300 mile trip to the Rockies, the men struggle against the Missouri's current. While sails help when the winds are favorable, most progress is by rowing and either pushing or pulling the heavily ladened keelboat.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-05-21 May 21, 1804]Discovering Lewis & Clark, [http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/18040521 May 21, 1804]
|May 25About 50 miles from St. Charles, the party passes La Charette, the westernmost Euro-American settlement on the Missouri.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-05-25 May 25, 1804]
|June 26The expedition encamps at Kaw Point near the Missouri's confluence with the Kansas River in present-day Kansas, 400 river miles into their journey. As a precaution against a possible attack by the regions's Kansa tribe, the men build a temporary defense, but otherwise they spend several days resting and repairing their boats.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-06-26 June 26, 1804]{{Citation|last=Sturdevant|first=Dan C.D.|title=The Threat on Kaw Point: Redoubt at the Kansas River|journal=We Proceeded On|volume=41|issue=1|pages=17–20|publisher=Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation|date=February 2015|year=2015|url=http://www.lewisandclark.org/wpo/pdf/vol41no1.pdf|access-date=March 18, 2020}}
|June 29During the Corps' stay at Kaw Point, Pvt. Collins is court martialed on charges of stealing whiskey while on guard duty. His sentence is severe, 100 lashes. Pvt. Hall, who is tried for drinking with Collins, receives 50 lashes.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-06-29 June 29, 1804]
|July 4To honor Independence Day, Lewis and Clark name Independence Creek near modern-day Atchison, Kansas.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-07-04 July 4, 1804]Ambrose, p. 149
|July 11The Corps enters present-day Nebraska. Pvt. Willard is caught sleeping on guard duty, a capital offense. He is sentenced the next day to receive 100 lashes in four equal installments.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-07-11 July 11, 1804]
|July 21The expedition reaches the confluence of Nebraska's Platte River, 640 miles from St. Louis.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-07-21 July 21, 1804]Moulton (Day by Day), IntroductionDiscovering Lewis & Clark, [http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/18040721 July 21, 1804]
|July 30The Corps camps near today's Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, on a hill they name Council Bluff.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-07-30 July 30, 1804]
August 3Lewis and Clark meet at Council Bluff with chiefs of the Oto and Missouri tribes. While the chiefs want weapons more than token gifts, the Corps' first attempt at diplomacy is for the most part a success.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-08-03 August 3, 1804]Discovering Lewis & Clark, [http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/18040803 August 3, 1804]
|August 4The party departs, but Pvt. Reed deserts. Two days later, the captains determine Reed is to be brought back dead or alive.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-08-04 August 4, 1804]Discovering Lewis & Clark, [http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/18040806 August 6, 1804]
|August 18Reed is captured and returned for trial. In addition to being sentenced to a flogging in which he is required to run the gauntlet four times, Reed is expelled from the Corps. Since banishment to the wilds would be a death sentence, he is allowed to remain with the expedition through the winter.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-08-18 August 18, 1804]Ambrose, pp. 158-160
|August 20Sgt. Floyd dies, probably from a ruptured appendix. He is the sole casualty of the two-year expedition.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-08-20 August 20, 1804]{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2017/11/03/lewis-and-clark-charles-floyd/827408001/|title=The only death on the Lewis and Clark expedition|last=Garth|first=Gary|date=November 3, 2017|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=March 15, 2020}}
|August 26The men elect Pvt. Gass sergeant. Pvt. Shannon, the Corps' youngest member, becomes lost while searching for horses stolen by the Indians.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-08-26 August 26, 1804]Ambrose, pp. 160-161
|August 27The Corps strikes camp in Yankton Sioux territory on the Nebraska side of the Missouri near the mouth of South Dakota's James River.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-08-27 August 27, 1804]
|August 30Lewis and Clark hold talks with the Yanktons, who want rifles and whiskey. Instead, the tribe is invited to send a delegation to meet with the Great White Father in Washington, D.C.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-08-30 August 30, 1804]Discovering Lewis & Clark, [http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/18040830 August 30, 1804]{{Citation|last=Tennant|first=Brad|title=Reading Between the Lines (Encounter with the Teton Sioux)|journal=We Proceeded On|volume=35|issue=1|pages=6–11|publisher=Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation|date=January 2007|year=2007|url=http://www.lewisandclark.org/wpo/pdf/vol35no1.pdf|access-date=March 18, 2020}}
|September 11Pvt. Shannon is found on the bank of the Missouri starving and out of ammunition after being lost 16 days.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-09-11 September 11, 1804]
|September 20They reach the Missouri's Big Bend in central South Dakota, nearly 1,300 miles from their starting point.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-09-20 September 20, 1804]
|September 25Weapons are drawn in a confrontation with the Lakota Sioux near modern-day Pierre, South Dakota. Elder Chief Black Buffalo diplomatically intervenes, averting bloodshed.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-09-25 September 25, 1804]
|October 13Pvt. Newman is convicted of mutinous talk and expelled. As with Pvt. Reed, he is permitted to remain with the expedition until the spring.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-10-13 October 13, 1804]Discovering Lewis & Clark, [http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/18041013 October 13, 1804]
|October 24The Corps reaches Mandan Indian territory near present-day Washburn, North Dakota. Over the next few days, they meet with Mandan and Hidatsa chiefs and begin looking for a site for a winter fort.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-10-24 October 24, 1804]
|November 2A location for their winter fortification is selected across the river from the main Mandan village. They name the encampment Fort Mandan to honor the tribe. Construction begins.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-11-02 November 2, 1804]
|November 4Toussaint Charbonneau, a French fur trader living with the Mandans, is hired as an interpreter. One of Charbonneau's wives, a pregnant 16-year-old Lemhi Shoshone named Sacagawea, is also hired.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-11-04 November 4, 1804]Discovering Lewis & Clark, [http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/18041104 November 4, 1804]
|December 24Fort Mandan is completed.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-12-24 December 24, 1804]
|December 25The Corps celebrates Christmas with special food, rum and dancing.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-12-25 December 25, 1804]

1805

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|February 9Pvt. Howard returns after dark and scales the fort's wall instead of asking the guard to open the gate. An Indian happens to see this and scales the wall himself. In the last disciplinary trial of the expedition, Howard is charged with a breach of security and is ordered to receive 50 lashes, but Lewis suspends the sentence.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-02-09 February 9, 1805]
|February 11Sacagawea gives birth to a son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, nicknamed "Pompy" by Clark.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-02-11 February 11, 1805]
|April 7With the arrival of spring, the Corps resumes its journey. The keelboat is sent back down the Missouri with a crew of a dozen men and a shipment for President Jefferson. The "permanent party" travels west in the two pirogues and six dugout canoes.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-04-07 April 7, 1805]
|April 25The expedition reaches the confluence of the Yellowstone River in northwestern North Dakota, the Missouri's principal northern tributary.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-04-25 April 25, 1805]
|April 27They enter present-day Montana. In the ensuing days, the men sight herds of up to 10,000 buffalo. They also encounter and kill their first grizzly bear.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-04-27 April 27, 1805]
|May 14A sudden storm tips a pirogue and many items, including the Corps' journals, spill into the river. Sacagawea calmly recovers most of the items, earning Clark's praise for her quick thinking.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-05-14 May 14, 1805]
|May 26Lewis sees the Rocky Mountains for the first time. His initial reaction is joy, but he then considers the serious challenges the snow-covered mountains will pose for his men.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-05-26 May 26, 1805]
|June 1In north-central Montana, the Corps comes to an unexpected fork in the river, with one branch flowing from the north, the other from the south. They take a vote on which is the Missouri. Only Lewis and Clark favor the southern route. After days of debate and explorations, another vote yields the same result. Despite their doubts, the men agree to follow the leaders.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-06-01 June 1, 1805]
|June 13A scouting party led by Lewis reaches the Great Falls of the Missouri. The discovery proves they have taken the correct course.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-06-13 June 13, 1805]
|June 17The men circumnavigate the falls, dragging their canoes and equipment across {{convert|18|mi|round=5}} of rough terrain, a month-and-a-half ordeal.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-06-17 June 17, 1805]
|August 8Sacagawea recognizes a natural formation from her childhood, Beaverhead Rock, indicating they are in the area where the Shoshone spend their summers.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-08-08 August 8, 1805]
|August 12Lewis and three other men cross the Continental Divide at Lemhi Pass on the Montana-Idaho border. Meanwhile, the expedition's shipment arrives at the President's house in Washington, D.C.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-08-12 August 12, 1805]
|August 13While Clark is on a scouting expedition, Lewis meets up with sixty warriors of the Shoshone nation. Once he establishes their peaceful intentions, he and his men are welcomed into the tribe's village.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-08-13 August 13, 1805]
|August 16When the Shoshone become fearful of being led into a trap, Lewis lends his rifle to the Chief and his men follow suit. The gesture helps gain the Shoshone's trust.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-08-16 August 16, 1805]
|August 17Sacagawea has a tearful reunion with her brother Cameahwait, now a Shoshone chief. Clark returns, and with Sacagawea's help, the Corps is able to negotiate for the horses needed to cross the Rockies.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-08-17 August 17, 1805]
|September 4The expedition approaches the eastern slope of the Bitterroot Mountains and enters a valley near Sula, Montana. They are met by a band of Bitterroot Salish, also known as Flathead Indians, and spend two days resting and trading for horses. The band consists of 33 lodges, 80 men, and 400 total members.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclcarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1809-09-04 September 4, 1805]
|September 11After several days at Traveler's Rest near Lolo, Montana, the Corps begins crossing the Bitterroot Mountains, the most dangerous leg of the entire journey. Over the next 11 days, the men struggle through deep snow. Starving, they resort to eating some of their colts.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-09-11 September 11, 1805]
|September 22Emerging from the mountains on the Weippe Prairie, the expedition is taken in by the Nez Perce Indians. In the days ahead, everyone becomes sick from overeating the dried fish and boiled roots served by their hosts.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-09-22 September 22 1805]
|September 26The party travels down north central Idaho's Clearwater River to set up an encampment for building canoes, west of present-day Orofino. Work proceeds slowly as the men recover.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-09-26 September 26, 1805]
|October 7The journey resumes.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-10-07 October 7, 1805]
|October 10The expedition enters present-day Washington at the Clearwater's confluence with the Snake River (Lewiston-Clarkston). They follow the Snake, the Columbia River's largest tributary.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-10-10 October 10, 1805]
|October 16The Corps reaches the Columbia at present-day Tri-Cities. Several miles to the south, the Columbia turns west and is the modern-day border of Oregon and Washington.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-10-16 October 16, 1805]
|October 18Clark sights Mount Hood through the fog, some {{convert|45|mi}} in the distance.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-10-18 October 18, 1805]
|October 22The Corps descends Celilo Falls, the beginning of a treacherous {{convert|55|mi|round=5|adj=on}} stretch of the Columbia.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-10-22 October 22, 1805]{{Cite web|url=http://columbiariverimages.com/Regions/Places/celilo_falls.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610105658/http://columbiariverimages.com/Regions/Places/celilo_falls.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=June 10, 2008|title=Celilo Falls|last=Topinka|first=Lyn|date=September 2016|publisher=The Columbia River: A Photographic Journey|access-date=February 16, 2020}}
|November 7Clark writes in his journal, "Great joy in camp we are in View of the Ocian". His elation is premature. They have sighted the Columbia River's estuary and are still {{convert|20|mi|round=5|spell=in}} from the Pacific.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-11-07 November 7, 1805]{{cite journal|last=Rees|first=Mike|title=Ocean in View?|journal=We Proceeded On|volume=35|issue=2|pages=22–30|publisher=Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation|location=Great Falls, Montana|date=May 2009|url=http://www.lewisandclark.org/wpo/pdf/vol35no2.pdf|access-date=February 16, 2020}}Ambrose, pp. 310-313
|November 8The waves in the estuary become too hazardous for the canoes, so they set up camp.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-11-08 November 8, 1805]
|November 10The men attempt to make progress by hugging the shoreline, but the dangerous conditions again force them to shore.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-11-10 November 10, 1805]Discovering Lewis & Clark, [http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/18041110 November 10, 1805]
|November 12A violent thunderstorm strikes with hail, heavy rain, and gale force winds. After burying all but one of their canoes under rocks to prevent them from being crushed by the waves and floating logs, they retreat by land to a cove up river. They are pinned down here for several days as the inclement weather continues.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-11-12 November 12, 1805]Discovering Lewis & Clark, [http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/18041112 November 12, 1805]{{Citation|last=Ziak|first=Rex|title=Seven Days on the Lower Columbia|journal=We Proceeded On|volume=31|issue=2|pages=10–19|publisher=Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation|date=May 2005|year=2005|url=http://www.lewisandclark.org/wpo/pdf/vol31no2.pdf|access-date=March 18, 2020}}
|November 15With a break in the weather, the estuary becomes navigable, enabling the Corps to reach the Pacific. The men land on a sandy beach that they name Station Camp. They spend the next ten days here hunting, trading with the Chinook and Clatsop Indians, and exploring the surrounding coastline.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-11-15 November 15, 1805]{{cite web|url=https://www.historylink.org/File/5383|title=Lewis and Clark Expedition reaches the Pacific Ocean on November 15, 1805|last=Tate|first=Cassandra|date=March 6, 2003|publisher=HistoryLink.org|access-date=February 16, 2020}}
|November 24The Corps' members vote on a site for their winter encampment. Sacagawea and York, Clark's slave, participate in the vote. Following the recommendations of the local Indians, they pick a site on the south side of the river (Oregon), where game is more plentiful.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-11-24 November 24, 1805]
|December 8They begin building Fort Clatsop, near modern-day Astoria.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-12-08 December 8, 1805]
|December 30The expedition's log fortress is completed, but the winter proves miserable as it rains during all but twelve days of their three-month stay.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1805-12-30 December 30, 1805]Discovering Lewis & Clark, [http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/18041230 December 30, 1805]{{cite web|url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lewis-and-clark-temporarily-settle-in-fort-clatsop|title=Lewis and Clark temporarily settle in Fort Clatsop|date=December 9, 2019|publisher=History|access-date=March 19, 2020}}

1806

class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"

!style="width:8%"|Date

style="width:92%"|Event
March 23The Corps departs Fort Clatsop, eager to begin their journey home.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1806-03-23 March 23, 1806]
|April 18The expedition reaches the Columbia's Great Falls. They need horses for re-crossing the Rockies, but the Native Americans demand steep prices so they buy only four.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1806-04-18 April 18, 1806]
|April 28They leave Oregon, following the Columbia to the Snake River in southeastern Washington.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1806-04-28 April 28, 1806]
|May 3After enduring a heavy snow storm, the Corps meets up with a familiar Nez Perce chief and 10 of his men.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1806-05-03 May 3, 1806]
|May 5The expedition reaches present-day Idaho, where they pick up the Clearwater River.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1806-05-05 May 5, 1806]
|May 14Having started their journey too early, the Corps must wait for the mountain snows to melt. The men camp for nearly a month in what is now the Nez Perce Reservation.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1806-05-14 May 14, 1806]
|June 10They pull up camp and four days later reach the Bitterroot Mountains.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1806-06-10 June 10, 1806]
|June 24The Corps starts to cross the Bitterroots. With the help of three Nez Perce guides, they cut 300 miles off the journey.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1806-06-24 June 24, 1806]
|June 29The expedition enters western Montana through Lolo Pass.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1806-06-29 June 29, 1806]
|July 3The Corps is divided in two to enable them to explore additional lands. Lewis leads one group down the Missouri, while Clark's takes a southern route following the Yellowstone River. Along the way, they break into smaller exploratory groups.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1806-07-03 July 3, 1806]{{Citation|last=Rust |first=Thomas C.|title=Archaeological Findings of Clark's Yellowstone River Canoe Camp: A Final Assessment|journal=We Proceeded On|volume=43|issue=1|pages=11–24|publisher=Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation|date=February 2017|year=2017 |url=http://www.lewisandclark.org/wpo/pdf/vol43no1.pdf|access-date=March 18, 2020}}
|July 25Clark names a rock formation on the Yellowstone for Sacagawea's son, a site now known as Pompeys Pillar. Clark inscribes his name and the date on the rock face, the only remaining physical evidence of the Corps' journey.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1806-07-25 July 25, 1806]
|July 26Traveling on horseback, Lewis and his men encounter a small band of Blackfeet warriors. They spend the night together, but in the morning two Blackfeet braves are killed while trying to steal the group's guns and horses. Afraid of reprisals, the men ride for nearly 24 hours.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1806-07-26 July 26, 1806]
|August 2Clark's group reaches the Missouri and enters present-day North Dakota.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1806-08-02 August 2, 1806]
|August 11Lewis is accidentally shot in the buttocks by one of his men.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1806-08-11 August 11, 1806]
|August 12The Corps reunites on the Missouri in western North Dakota near the mouth of Knife River.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1806-08-12 August 12, 1806]
|August 14The expedition returns to a warm welcome by the Hidatsa and Mandan tribes.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1806-08-14 August 14, 1806]
|August 17The men continue down the Missouri, leaving Charbonneau, Sacagawea and their son with the Mandans. Clark offers to raise the boy, who is now 19 months old. With the Missouri's current in their favor, they are able to cover over 70 miles a day.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1806-08-17 August 17, 1806]
|September 23The Corps arrives in St. Louis, successfully concluding their 8,000-mile journey after two years, four months and 10 days.Lewis & Clark Journals, [https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1806-09-23 September 23, 1806]
|December 28Lewis arrives in Washington, D.C. At the end of February, Jefferson nominates him as Governor of Upper Louisiana.

1807

class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"

!style="width:8%"|Date

style="width:92%"|Event
|January 15Clark arrives in Washington, D.C. He is appointed Agent for Indian Affairs in the Louisiana Territory.

References

=Footnotes=

{{Reflist|25em}}

=Sources=

{{div col|colwidth=30em}}

  • {{Cite book|first=Stephen E.|last=Ambrose|author-link=Stephen E. Ambrose|title=Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West|edition=Touchstone|publisher=Simon & Schuster|year=1997|isbn=0-684-82697-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AncsCfQMyx8C|access-date=March 15, 2020}}
  • {{Cite web|url=https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.sup.clarke.01|title=The Men of the Lewis & Clark Expedition|last=Clarke|first=Charles G.|publisher=Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln|access-date=March 15, 2020}}
  • {{Cite web|url=http://www.lewis-clark.org/|title=Day by Day with Lewis & Clark|publisher=Discovering Lewis & Clark|access-date=March 15, 2020}}
  • {{Cite episode|url=https://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/inside/cfloy.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000518045652/http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/inside/cfloy.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 18, 2000|title=American Lives|series=Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery|series-link=Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery|last=Duncan|first=Dayton|author-link=Dayton Duncan|publisher=PBS|access-date=March 15, 2020}}
  • {{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2017/11/03/lewis-and-clark-charles-floyd/827408001/|title=The only death on the Lewis and Clark expedition|last=Garth|first=Gary|date=November 3, 2017|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=March 15, 2020}}
  • {{Cite web|url=http://www.lewisandclark.org/learn/timeline.php|title=Expedition Timeline|last=Jackson|first=Jill|date=2020|publisher=Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Foundation|access-date=March 15, 2020}}
  • {{Cite web|url=https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-33-02-0048|title=From Thomas Jefferson to Meriwether Lewis, 23 February 1801|last=Jefferson|first=Thomas|author-link=Thomas Jefferson|date=February 23, 1801|website=archives.gov|publisher=National Archives and Records Administration|access-date=March 15, 2020}}
  • {{Cite web|url=https://monticello-www.s3.amazonaws.com/files/old/inline-pdfs/timeline_0.pdf|title=Lewis & Clark Timeline|publisher=Thomas Jefferson Foundation|access-date=March 15, 2020}}
  • {{Cite journal|last1=Lewis|first1=Meriwether|author-link1=Meriwether Lewis|last2=Clark|first2=William|author-link2=William Clark|editor-last=Moulton|editor-first=Gary E.|title=Nebraska Edition|journal=Journals of the Lewis & Clark Expedition Online|url=https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/|publisher=University of Nebraska-Lincoln|access-date=March 15, 2020}}
  • {{Cite book|last=Moulton|first=Gary E.|title=The Lewis and Clark Expedition Day by Day|publisher=University of Nebraska Press|date=2018|pages=832|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D4dTDwAAQBAJ|isbn=978-1496205292|access-date=March 15, 2020}}
  • {{Cite web|url=https://history.army.mil/LC/The%20Mission/planning_and_preparation.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213121827/http://www.history.army.mil/LC/The%20Mission/planning_and_preparation.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 13, 2007|title=With Resolute and Thorough Planning: Captain Meriwether Lewis' Preparations for the Journey to the Pacific Ocean|last=Reardon|first=Lt. Col. Mark J.|website=history.army.mil|publisher=United States Army|access-date=March 15, 2020 }}
  • {{Cite web|url=https://www.history.com/news/lewis-clark-timeline-expedition|last=Roos|first=David|title=Lewis and Clark: A Timeline of the Extraordinary Expedition|date=January 16, 2020|publisher=History|access-date=March 15, 2020}}
  • {{Cite web|url=https://www.historylink.org/File/5323|title=Lewis and Clark Expedition enters future state of Washington on October 10, 1805|last=Tate|first=Cassandra|date=February 28, 2003|publisher=HistoryLink.org|access-date=March 15, 2020}}

{{div col end}}

External links

  • [http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/ Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Online]
  • [http://www.lewisandclarkwyco.org/ Kaw Point Encampment] (26–29 June 1804)

{{Thomas Jefferson|state=collapsed}}

Lewis and Clark Expedition