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Historical Background

Return of the keelboat

By April 5, 1805, the river was sufficiently clear of ice in both directions to allow for navigation, but final preparations consumed 2 more days. Late in the afternoon on April 7, at the same time, the keelboat under Corporal Warfington headed back to St. Louis and the expedition set out westward. Accompanying Warfington were Privates Boley, Dame, Tuttle, and White; [86] Privates Newman and Reed, who had been discharged; Gravelines, acting as pilot and interpreter; two of the French boatmen; [87] possibly two other French-Canadian traders; [88] and a lame Arikara chief returning to his village. Traveling along with the keelboat in a pirogue were the two trappers originally encountered near the mouth of the Cannonball River.

Coming on board at the Arikara villages were Antoine Tabeau and apparently four of his employees with a load of peltry, as well as Chief Ankedoucharo, who planned to visit President Jefferson. Gravelines acted as the chief's interpreter. On the way downriver, a large number of other chiefs, totaling 44, from among the Poncas, Sioux, Omahas, Otos, and Missouris augmented the party. [89] It arrived in St. Louis on May 20, 1805.

Downstream view along the Missouri from the top of Crow High Butte, near Sanish, N. Dak., before Lake Sakakawea (Garrison Reservoir) engulfed the area. This scene was probably typical of the high Plains to members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. (National Park Service (George Grant, 1948).)

Breaching the unknown

As the main party pushed westward into the unknown that spring afternoon of April 7, 1805, Lewis walked along on shore for a few miles, probably as usual accompanied by Scannon. Some of the thoughts that must have flashed through his mind concerning the momentous nature of the exploration that lay ahead, he dramatically recorded in his journal that night:

Our vessels consisted of six small canoes, and two large perogues. This little fleet altho' not quite so rispectable as those of Columbus or Capt. Cook, were still viewed by us with as much pleasure as those deservedly famed adventurers ever beheld theirs; and I dare say with quite as much anxiety for their safety and preservation, we were now about to penetrate a country at least two thousand miles in width, on which the foot of civilized man had never trodden; the good or evil it had in store for us was for experiment yet to determine, and these little vessells contained every article by which we were to expect to subsist or defend ourselves, however, as the state of mind in which we are, generally gives the colouring to events, when the immagination is suffered to wander into futurity, the picture which now presented itself to me was a most pleasing one. enterta[in]ing as I do, the most confident hope of succeeding in a voyage which had formed a da[r]ling project of mine for the last ten years, I could but esteem this moment of my departure as among the most happy of my life.

No one could guess what "futurity" held, but Lewis was certain the expedition could never reach the Pacific and get back to St. Louis that year. In a letter dated April 7, forwarded on the keelboat with Corporal Warfington, Lewis had told President Jefferson that by winter he expected to be able to return only to the "head of the Missouri" or possibly to Fort Mandan—a highly optimistic prediction. [90]

But Lewis was cheered by the calibre of his men, who were "zealously attatched to the enterprise, and anxious to proceed." They had passed through the shakedown period and been welded into a cohesive force. Their wits and nerves had been tempered by their experiences, such as those with the Teton Sioux. The unreliable had been weeded out; the youths had matured. Lewis could not detect "a whisper of discontent or murmur" among them and he found that they all acted in unison and "with the most perfect harmoney." Except for venereal complaints, they were in fine health.

Disciplinary problems had long since been brought under control. What was to prove to be the last court-martial had been conducted at Fort Mandan in February. Even that involved a minor offense and Lewis remitted the sentence.

Tried and true, the party consisted of 31 people, in addition to the two leaders: [91] Sergeants Ordway, Pryor, and Gass; interpreters Drouillard and Charbonneau; 23 privates; [92] Sacagawea with her infant son, Baptiste; and York. At this point, the principal long-range objective was contact with the Shoshonis somewhere between the Three Forks and the Continental Divide. It was hoped they would be friendly and provide horses and guides for the passage across the mountains to the Columbia River, which would afford a water route to the Pacific. But, to reach the Shoshonis, it would be necessary to traverse more than a thousand miles of unknown country, possibly peopled by hostile tribes, frequented by fierce animals, and characterized by rugged terrain.

Camping procedures remained essentially the same as before, except that special arrangements were necessary to accommodate some of the new members. Lewis and Clark, interpreters Drouillard and Charbonneau, Sacagawea, and her infant son slept in an Indian-style tent made of dressed buffalo skins sewn together and supported by poles.