Seaman’s Contributions to the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Drawing of a Newfoundland dog, like Seaman from the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Stonehenge, "The Dog in Health and Disease," 1879, page 188. University of Cornell Library

Seaman, a big, shaggy dog, was the only non-human permanent member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

He was especially adept at hunting squirrels, but they weren’t his only trick.

He helped hunt beavers, caught a goat in the water once, and assisted hunting parties in carrying back their catches. On more than one occasion, he saved his humans from charging bison, and he alerted the party to the presence of bears along the Upper Missouri River.

Like his air gun, Lewis liked to show off his dog. Lewis was happy when people admired Seaman, as their Shoshone hosts did in August 1805. A Shawnee man living near the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers once even offered to buy Seaman (for three beaverskins), but Lewis refused.

Seaman was an important member of this long expedition.

About this article: This article is part of a series called “Pivotal Places: Stories from the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.”