Editing Lewis and Clark Expedition (section)

== Journey ==
{{For timeline}}

=== Departure ===
[[File:Lewis and clark-expedition.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Corps of Discovery]] meet [[Chinook people|Chinooks]] on the [[Columbia River|Lower Columbia]], October 1805 (''Lewis and Clark on the Lower Columbia'' painted by [[Charles Marion Russel]], {{circa}} 1905)]]

The [[Corps of Discovery]] departed from [[Camp Dubois]] (Camp Wood) at 4{{nbsp}}pm on May 14, 1804. Under Clark's command, they traveled up the Missouri River in their keelboat and two [[pirogues]] to [[St. Charles, Missouri]], where Lewis joined them six days later. The expedition set out the next afternoon, May 21.<ref>[[#Ambrose|Ambrose, 1996]] pp. 137–139</ref> While accounts vary, it is believed the Corps had as many as 45 members, including the officers, enlisted military personnel, civilian volunteers, and [[York (explorer)|York]], an [[African American]] man [[Slavery in the United States|enslaved]] by Clark.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/18040514|title=May 14, 1804 &#124; Discovering Lewis & Clark ®|website=lewis-clark.org|date=May 14, 1804|access-date=March 20, 2020|archive-date=March 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200320174243/http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/18040514|url-status=live}}</ref>

From St. Charles, the expedition followed the Missouri through what is now [[Kansas City, Missouri]], and [[Omaha, Nebraska]]. On August 20, 1804, Sergeant [[Charles Floyd (explorer)|Charles Floyd]] died, apparently from acute [[appendicitis]]. He had been among the first to sign up with the Corps of Discovery and was the only member to die during the expedition. He was buried at a bluff by the river, now [[Floyd's Bluff|named after him]],{{sfn |Peters |1996 |p=16}} in what is now [[Sioux City]], [[Iowa]]. His burial site was marked with a cedar post on which was inscribed his name and day of death. {{convert|1|mi|km|0}} up the river, the expedition camped at a small river which they named [[Floyd River|Floyd's River]].<ref>[[#allen1|Allen, Lewis & Clark, Vol. 1, 1916]] pp. 26–27</ref><ref>[[#Woodger|Woodger & Toropov, 2009]] p. 142</ref><ref>[[#Lewis&Clark1893|Coues, Lewis, Clark, Jefferson 1893]], Vol. 1 p. 79</ref> During the final week of August, Lewis and Clark reached the edge of the [[Great Plains]], a place abounding with [[elk]], [[deer]], [[American Bison|bison]], [[pronghorn]], and [[North American beaver|beavers]].

The Lewis and Clark Expedition established relations with two dozen Native American nations, without whose help the group would have risked starvation during the harsh winters and/or become hopelessly lost in the vast ranges of the Rocky Mountains.<ref>[[#Fritz|Fritz, 2004]] p. 13</ref>

The Americans and the [[Lakota people|Lakota]] nation (whom the Americans called [[Sioux]] or "Teton-wan Sioux") had problems when they met, and there was a concern the two sides might clash. According to Harry W. Fritz, "All earlier Missouri River travelers had warned of this powerful and aggressive tribe, determined to block free trade on the river. ... The Sioux were also expecting a retaliatory raid from the [[Omaha people|Omaha]] tribe, to the south. A recent Sioux raid had killed 75 Omaha men, burned 40 lodges, and taken four dozen prisoners."<ref>[[#Fritz|Fritz, 2004]] p. 14</ref> The expedition held talks with the Lakota near the confluence of the Missouri and Bad Rivers in what is now [[Fort Pierre, South Dakota]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bad River Encounter Site (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/places/bad-river-encounter-site.htm |website=nps.gov |language=en |access-date=May 18, 2020 |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803043544/https://www.nps.gov/places/bad-river-encounter-site.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:001 Fort Mandan Interior.jpg|thumb|280px|Reconstruction of [[Fort Mandan]], Lewis and Clark Memorial Park, North Dakota]]

One of their horses disappeared, and they believed the Sioux were responsible. Afterward, the two sides met and there was a disagreement, and the Sioux asked the men to stay or to give more gifts (or tribute) instead, before being allowed to pass through their territory. Clark wrote they were "warlike" and were the "vilest miscreants of the savage race".<ref>[[#Fritz|Fritz, 2004]] pp. 14–15</ref><ref name="Ambrose, 1996 p.170"/><ref>[[#Ronda|Ronda, 1984]] pp. 27, 40</ref><ref>[[#Lavender|Lavender, 2001]] p. 181</ref> They came close to blows several times, until the Lakota chief, Black Buffalo, persuaded Lewis to distribute more tobacco to the assembled warriors. Lewis complied and the expedition was allowed to continue upstream to the [[Arikara]] villages.<ref name="Ronda">{{cite web |last1=Ronda |first1=James P. |title=Lakota Sioux Difficulties |url=https://lewis-clark.org/native-nations/siouan-peoples/lakotas/teton-sioux-difficulties/ |website=Lewis-Clark: Native American Tribes |access-date=20 June 2024}}</ref> 

In the winter of 1804–1805, the party built [[Fort Mandan]], near present-day [[Washburn, North Dakota]]. Just before departing on April 7, 1805, the expedition sent the [[keelboat]] back to St. Louis with a sample of specimens, some never-before-seen east of the Mississippi.{{sfn |Peters |1996 |pp=20–22}} One chief asked Lewis and Clark to provide a boat for passage through their national territory. The Americans quickly continued westward (upriver), and camped for the winter in the [[Mandan]] nation's territory.

After the expedition had set-up camp, nearby tribal members came to visit in fair numbers, some staying all night. For several days, Lewis and Clark met in council with Mandan chiefs. Here they met a French-Canadian fur trapper named [[Toussaint Charbonneau]], and his young [[Shoshone]] wife, [[Sacagawea]]. Charbonneau, at this time, began to serve as the expedition's translator. Peace was established between the expedition and the Mandan chiefs with the sharing of a Mandan [[ceremonial pipe]].<ref>[[#Clark|Clark & Edmonds, 1983]] p. 12</ref> By April 25, Captain Lewis wrote his progress report of the expedition's activities and observations of the Native American nations they had encountered to-date in ''A Statistical view of the Indian nations inhabiting the Territory of Louisiana'', which outlined the names of various tribes, their locations, trading practices and water routes used, among other points. President Jefferson would later present this report to Congress.<ref>[[#allen1|Allen, Lewis & Clark, Vol. 1, 1916]] pp. 81–82</ref>
[[File:Lewis and Clark Meeting the Flatheads in Ross Hole, September 4, 1805.jpg|thumb|Lewis and Clark meeting the [[Salish peoples|Salish]] at Ross Hole, September 4, 1805.]]
They followed the Missouri to its headwaters, and over the [[Continental Divide]] at [[Lemhi Pass]], then north to [[Traveler's Rest (Lolo, Montana)|Traveler's Rest]], and crossed the [[Bitterroot Range|Bitteroots]] at [[Lolo Pass (Idaho–Montana)|Lolo Pass]]. They descended on foot, then proceeded in canoes down the [[Clearwater River (Idaho)|Clearwater]], [[Snake River|Snake]], and Columbia rivers, past [[Celilo Falls]] and present-day [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], at the confluence of the [[Willamette River|Willamette]] and Columbia rivers. Lewis and Clark used [[William Robert Broughton]]'s 1792 notes and maps to orient themselves once they reached the lower Columbia River. The sighting of [[Mount Hood]] and other [[stratovolcano]]s confirmed that the expedition had almost reached the Pacific Ocean.<ref name="WoodgerToropov2009">{{cite book|author1=Elin Woodger|author2=Brandon Toropov|title=Encyclopedia of the Lewis and Clark Expedition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8vYA0zDFy_IC&pg=PA244|access-date=August 28, 2013|year=2009|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=978-1-4381-1023-3|pages=244–45}}</ref>

=== Pacific Ocean ===
[[File:Fort Clatsop replica 2007.jpg|thumb|[[Fort Clatsop]] reconstruction on the Columbia River near the Pacific Ocean]]
The expedition sighted the Pacific Ocean for the first time on November 7, 1805, arriving two weeks later.<ref name=nps>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/lewi/learn/historyculture/index.htm|title=History & Culture – Lewis and Clark National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)|website=nps.gov|access-date=June 23, 2020|archive-date=February 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222123456/http://www.nps.gov/lewi/historyculture/index.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lewisandclark/journey_leg_13.html |title=Lewis and Clark, Journey Leg 13, 'Ocian in View!', October 8 – December 7, 1805 |publisher=[[National Geographic Society]] |year=1996 |access-date=October 22, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927025708/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lewisandclark/journey_leg_13.html |archive-date=September 27, 2016 }}</ref> The expedition faced the beginning of its second bitter winter camped on the north side of the Columbia River, in a storm-wracked area Clark called [[Dismal Nitch]].<ref name=nps/> Lack of food was a major factor. The elk, the party's main source of food, had retreated from their usual haunts into the mountains, and the party was now too poor to purchase enough food from neighboring tribes.<ref name="Ambrose, 1996 p.326">[[#Ambrose|Ambrose, 1996]] p. 326</ref> On November 24, 1805, the majority of the party voted to move their camp to the south side of the Columbia River near modern [[Astoria, Oregon]]. Both Sacagawea and the enslaved York participated in the vote.<ref>[[#Clark|Clark & Edmonds, 1983]] pp. 51–52</ref>

On the south side of the Columbia River, {{convert|2|mi|km|0}} upstream on the west side of the Netul River (now Lewis and Clark River), they constructed [[Fort Clatsop]].<ref name=nps/> They did this not just for shelter and protection, but also to officially establish the American presence there, with the American flag flying over the fort.<ref name="Ambrose, 1996 p.170">[[#Ambrose|Ambrose, 1996]] p. 170</ref><ref>[[#Harris|Harris, Buckley, 2012]], p. 109</ref> During the winter at Fort Clatsop, Lewis committed himself to writing. He filled many pages of his journals with valuable knowledge, mostly about botany, because of the abundant growth and forests that covered that part of the continent.<ref>[[#Ambrose|Ambrose, 1996]] p. 330</ref> The health of the men also became a problem, with many suffering from colds and influenza.<ref name="Ambrose, 1996 p.326"/>

Knowing that [[maritime fur trade]]rs sometimes visited the lower Columbia River, Lewis and Clark repeatedly asked the local [[Chinookan peoples|Chinooks]] about trading ships. They learned that Captain [[Samuel Hill (sea captain)|Samuel Hill]] had been there in early 1805. Miscommunication caused Clark to record the name as "Haley". Captain Hill returned in November 1805, and anchored about {{convert|10|mi|km}} from Fort Clatsop. The Chinook told Hill about Lewis and Clark, but no direct contact was made.<ref name=Malloy2006>{{cite book |last= Malloy |first= Mary |title= Devil on the deep blue sea: The notorious career of Captain Samuel Hill of Boston |date= 2006 |publisher= Bullbrier Press |isbn= 978-0-9722854-1-4 |pages= 7, 46–49, 56, 63–64}}</ref>

A Russian maritime expedition under statesman [[Nikolai Rezanov]] arrived at the mouth of the Columbia River while Lewis and Clark were still there. Neither Rezanov nor Lewis and Clark knew about each other. Rezanov had come from ''Novo-Arkhangelsk'' (today [[Sitka, Alaska]]), intending to establish a Russian agricultural colony to help with the perennial food shortages in [[Russian America]], and made plans for a relocation of the capital of Russian America from Sitka to the lower Columbia River. But his ship, ''Juno'', was unable to cross the [[Columbia Bar]]. So Rezanov went to California instead, setting in motion a process that eventually led to the founding of [[Fort Ross, California]].<ref>{{cite book |last= Matthews |first= Owens |title= Glorious Misadventures: Nikolai Rezanov and the Dream of a Russian America |year=2013 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn= 978-1620402412 |pages=254–257}}</ref>

=== Return trip ===
Lewis was determined to remain at the fort until April 1, but was still anxious to move out at the earliest opportunity. By March 22, the stormy weather had subsided and the following morning, on March 23, 1806, the journey home began. The Corps began their journey homeward using canoes to ascend the Columbia River, and later by trekking over land.<ref>[[#Ambrose|Ambrose, 1996]] p. 334</ref><ref>[[#Lewis&Clark1893|Coues, Lewis, Clark, Jefferson 1893]] pp. 902–904</ref>

Before leaving, Clark gave the Chinook a letter to give to the next ship captain to visit, which was the same Captain Hill who had been nearby during the winter. Hill took the letter to [[Guangzhou|Canton]] and had it forwarded to Thomas Jefferson, who thus received it before Lewis and Clark returned.<ref name=Malloy2006/>

They made their way to [[Camp Chopunnish]]{{#tag:ref|'Chopunnish' was the Captain's term for the [[Nez Perce Pass]]|group="note"}} in Idaho, along the north bank of the Clearwater River, where the members of the expedition collected 65 horses in preparation to cross the [[Bitterroot Mountains]], lying between modern-day Idaho and western Montana. However, the range was still covered in snow, which prevented the expedition from making the crossing. On April 11, while the Corps was waiting for the snow to diminish, Lewis's dog, [[Seaman (dog)|Seaman]], was stolen by Native Americans, but was retrieved shortly. Worried that other such acts might follow, Lewis warned the chief that any other wrongdoing or mischievous acts would result in instant death.

On July 3, before crossing the Continental Divide, the Corps split into two teams so Lewis could explore the [[Marias River]]. Lewis's group of four met some men from the [[Blackfoot Confederacy|Blackfeet]] nation. During the night, the Blackfeet tried to steal their weapons. In the struggle, the soldiers killed two Blackfeet men. Lewis, [[George Drouillard]], and the Field brothers fled over {{convert|100|miles|km|abbr=off}} in a day before they camped again.

Meanwhile, Clark had entered the [[Crow tribe]]'s territory. In the night, half of Clark's horses disappeared, but not a single Crow had been seen. Lewis and Clark stayed separated until they reached the confluence of the [[Yellowstone River|Yellowstone]] and Missouri Rivers on August 11. As the groups reunited, one of Clark's hunters, Pierre Cruzatte, mistook Lewis for an elk and fired, injuring Lewis in the thigh.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/meriwether-lewis-is-shot-in-the-leg |title=Meriwether Lewis is shot in the leg |website=History |publisher=A&E Television Networks |access-date=October 14, 2018 |archive-date=October 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015042245/https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/meriwether-lewis-is-shot-in-the-leg |url-status=live }}</ref> Once together, the Corps was able to return home quickly via the Missouri River. They reached St. Louis on September 23, 1806.{{sfn |Peters |1996 |p=30}}

=== Spanish interference ===
In March 1804, before the expedition began in May, the Spanish in [[Santa Fe de Nuevo México|New Mexico]] learned from General [[James Wilkinson]]{{#tag:ref|After Wilkinson died in 1825, it was discovered that he was a spy for the Spanish crown.|group="note"}} that the Americans were encroaching on territory claimed by Spain. After the Lewis and Clark expedition set off in May, the Spanish sent four armed expeditions of 52 soldiers, mercenaries {{explain|date=May 2021}}, and Native Americans on August 1, 1804, from [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]], New Mexico northward under [[Pedro Vial]] and José Jarvet to intercept Lewis and Clark and imprison the entire expedition. They reached the Pawnee settlement on the [[Platte River]] in central Nebraska and learned that the expedition had been there many days before. Vial's attempt to intercept them was unsuccessful.<ref>[[#Uldrich|Uldrich, 2004]] p. 82</ref><ref>[[#Ambrose|Ambrose, 1996]] p. 402</ref>