Going East ….to West - 6

Return Journey

Fort Clastop

vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/Historical/Lewi.

Lewis and Clark decided to make a camp south of the Columbia for spending the winter. They built Fort Clatsop, named after the local Clatsop Indians. The members of the expedition had gone through hazards of great magnitude before reaching their destination--the Pacific but now they found the routine at Fort Clastop quite monotonous and therefore boring. To add to their dismay the rain was constant. The captains (Lewis and Clark) were anxious to meet one of the trading ships that came frequently to the mouth of the Columbia from United States or from Britain. One ship did stop to trade with the Indians during the corps's time on the West Coast. But the Indians did not tell Lewis and Clark about it, and the ship left without them ever knowing it had been there.

Readying for the Return (March 1806)

The members of the expedition were all keen to go home. The timing of the return journey, however, would be critical. They would have to wait for the snow over the Rockies to melt before attempting to cross them, but if they waited too long, the Missouri River to the East of the Rockies would be frozen.By the third week in March the expedition was ready to commence its return voyage. The men loaded their three dugouts, purchased a fourth from the local Indians, and stole one from the nearest village. On March 23 the Corps of Discovery took its leave of Fort Clatsop and began to travel up the Columbia River. Chinookan Indians were forever attempting to steal the Americans’ meagre supplies and a constant watch had to to be maintained. Getting around all the falls of Columbia River was tougher than was expected and the expedition abandoned its boats and chose the overland route with horses acquired from the hospitable Walla Walla tribe.

Among the Nez Perce

www.blaircongregationalucc.org/Alton_Larsen.htm

Parting and Reuniting

The expedition arrived back in Nez Perce territory and the men were as starving as they were when they had come there during their onward journey. Nez Perce fed them once again with dried fish and roots. By early June the expedition was equipped with fresh horses and ready to continue East. Nez Perce advised them to wait until July for undertaking the crossing of the Bitterroots but the Americans were not prepared to wait. The expedition left the Nez Perce on June 10. It had been spring on the plain, but in the Bitterroots it was still winter and the Americans soon found themselves in ten feet of snow and were forced to return to the Nez Perce for help. They were now with Indian guides and reached Travelers Rest on 30 June.

Lewis and Clark decided to part ways in order to explore more of the Louisiana territory. Lewis and nine men went North to explore the Marias River, and Clark and the others would go along the Yellowstone River in the South. Lewis knew that the Marias territory was inhabited by the Blackfeet Indians and therefore was dangerous. They soon found that out in a skirmish with the Blackfeet. Fortunately there were no American casualties but Lewis's group had to flee to safety since two Indians had been killed in the encounter and the reprisal by the Indians was a certain possibility. Clark and his party too got a first hand experience with the Crow tribe, the great horse thieves of the plains when they lost half of their horses and yet, never saw a Crow.

Lewis and Clark were reunited on August 11, although Lewis had been injured in a firing accident just before the reunion.

Reuniting of Lewis and Clark. Picture taken from Wikipedia.

Returning to St Louise

Lewis and Clark and their men reached back at the Mandan villages, where they bade farewell to some members of the expedition, including Sacagawea. Americans left Mandan villages on August 17 but were apprehensive about meeting the Sioux Indians en route. On August 30 nearly a hundred armed and mounted Sioux warriors lined the banks of the Missouri but the Americans kept their boats in the middle of the river and only a verbal exchange took place between the two parties. Going downstream, the expedition was now making as much as 80 miles a day. Lewis and Clark began to meet traders who informed them that the expedition-group had been given up for dead.

On the morning of September 23, the Corps of Discovery entered the Mississippi River and at noon disembarked at St. Louis—two years, four months, and ten days after they had left. A thousand people of St. Louis had gathered on the bank to greet and welcome the heroes.

When Jefferson directed the “Corps of Discovery to find a water route to the Pacific and explore the uncharted West, he believed woolly mammoths, erupting volcanoes, and a mountain of pure salt awaited them. What they found was no less mind-boggling : some 300 species unknown to science, nearly 50 Indian tribes, and the Rockies.”* (*From National Geographic website)