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Historical Background

Clark readies supplies and personnel

Once the camp was established, Clark could turn his attention to the formidable array of tasks necessary to prepare for the arduous journey ahead. They included receiving, selecting, training, and disciplining personnel; modifying the keelboat; providing it and the two pirogues with armament; and the assembling and packing of supplies.

A KEY aspect of the preparation was final determination of the number of personnel who would be required and their selection. By the time they arrived in the St. Louis area, Lewis and Clark realized they would need at least twice the number of 10 or 12 men originally planned. As veteran traders there knew, that number would not be sufficient to take the keelboat upriver, let alone fend off any hostile Indians. Although Clark's calculations for personnel requirements in relation to boat space and logistical support fluctuated throughout the winter between 25 and 50, the figure finally chosen for the permanent party, in addition to the two leaders, was 29: Drouillard, York, and 27 enlisted men. In addition, about seven Army personnel would be assigned to a temporary detachment that would travel only as far as the Mandan villages and then return with the keelboat to St. Louis.

Clark probably reached Camp Wood with roughly half of the permanent party. With him were York and the nine men from Clarksville; [53] Joseph Whitehouse and possibly John Newman, from Fort Massac; and perhaps John Ordway, John G. Robertson, and Alexander H. Willard. If the latter three men did not arrive at the camp with Clark, they undoubtedly did so soon thereafter.

More volunteers flowed in during December, and a few probably later in the winter. On December 22 Drouillard arrived from South West Point, Tenn., with eight men from Capt. John Campbell's company of the 2d Infantry Regiment. Other personnel came from the 1st Infantry Regiment, either from Capt. Daniel Bissell's company at Fort Massac or from Capt. Russell Bissell's unit at Fort Kaskaskia; or from Capt. Amos Stoddard's artillery company at Fort Kaskaskia. [54]

Making the final selections was a difficult task for Lewis and Clark, and they probably chose some men who lacked the temperament and qualifications they would have preferred. For example, they were especially dissatisfied with the group of eight men from South West Point, noting that not even one of them was a hunter, yet four of the party were accepted. Others were rejected for various reasons, or chose not to join the expedition.

On April 1 Clark issued a detachment order listing the permanent party "for the Expedition through the interior of the Continent of North America." Charles Floyd, John Ordway, and Nathaniel H. Pryor were designated as sergeants; in the case of Ordway, this was simply a confirmation of rank, for he had held it when he joined the expedition. The following 22 privates were listed: William E. Bratton, John Collins, John Colter, Joseph Field, Reuben Field, Patrick Gass, George Gibson, Silas Goodrich, Hugh Hall, Thomas P. Howard, Hugh McNeal, John Newman, John Potts, Moses B. Reed, George Shannon, John Shields, John B. Thompson, William Werner, Joseph Whitehouse, Alexander H. Willard, Richard Windsor, and Peter M. Wiser. Two more privates were to be added to this group at St. Charles.

The order also stated that Cpl. Richard Warfington and Pvts. John Boley, Robert Frazer, and John G. Robertson were to be "retained in service." These personnel, plus apparently Pvts. John Dame, Ebenezer Tuttle, and Isaac White, were ultimately assigned to the special detachment that only went as far as the Mandan villages.

NOT much is known about these men individually. Collectively, they represented diverse origins, backgrounds, qualifications, and experiences. They were natives of such present States as Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Virginia. One man, Potts, had been born in Germany; Wiser was probably of similar descent. Gass was of Irish extraction. Most were single but at least one, Shields, and possibly others, including Pryor, may have been married. The majority were young. Shannon, aged 18 or 19, was probably the youngest; Shields, likely the oldest, followed by Clark and Gass. A few, Ordway and Shannon for example, were well educated, but most had little formal schooling. Some were illiterate.

On the other hand, the bulk of them had gained worthwhile practical experience on the frontier. A large number possessed special skills. Chief carpenter Gass, also a boat-builder, was assisted by Joseph Field. Another individual with boat-building skills was Shields, who served as the head blacksmith, gunsmith, and general repairman. Willard and possibly one or two others assisted him. Some of the personnel specialized as cooks, hunters, or boatmen.

On December 23, the day after Drouillard returned from South West Point, he told Clark he had decided to accompany the expedition, but that he first wanted to settle his affairs at Fort Massac. [55] When or if he ever did so is not clear, but on December 30 he left for Cahokia with Sergeant Ordway. And, during the rest of the winter, he was absent from Camp Wood most of the time, carrying out special missions—for which his reliability, expert woodsmanship, and excellent knowledge of the frontier country admirably suited him.

ONCE the final personnel complement was selected, it needed to be forged into a closely knit and well-motivated team. The primary requirement was the establishment of discipline—imperative for a small group undertaking such a dangerous mission. Otherwise, the lives of all its members would be jeopardized. Most of the newly inducted frontiersmen and some of the soldiers transferred from frontier garrisons of the Regular Army—young and hardy and no doubt anxious to enjoy a last fling before heading into the wilderness—not only demonstrated a strong liking for whisky and brawling but also resented military control. They inevitably would test their new leaders to see what they could get away with.

At one time or another, practically all the men in camp engaged in some wrongdoing. Yet some of the rowdiest and most undisciplined, such as Colter and Reuben Field, were later to number among the most reliable in the command. Whisky peddlers from Cahokia and St. Louis set up shop near camp or came by frequently selling their wares. The drinking inevitably led to fights. Other offenses were insubordination, general disorder, absence-without leave (AWOL), refusal to mount guard duty or obey orders, and theft of Government property. Many of these violations occurred when Sergeant Ordway was in charge during Clark's absence.

But this pattern was not new to an experienced Army officer such as Clark, and he did not intend to tolerate any form of insubordination or misbehavior. He dealt harshly with all infractions of the rules. The guilty were restricted to camp, reprimanded, or if necessary court-martialed. As a positive step, Clark tried to keep the men busy. He awarded extra whisky rations to winners of marksmanship drills and those distinguishing themselves in work parties. By the end of the winter, he had tightened up discipline considerably, though a few scattered problems were to arise on the way up the Missouri.

One problem for Clark was that for much of the winter he was sick. This may have originated when he got wet and cold one time and froze his feet. Lewis brought a doctor to treat him at least once. Pryor and a few others also suffered from illness.

Clark's sketch of the keelboat and proposed modifications. (OSGOOD, p. 22. Yale University Press.)

ANOTHER major activity was modifying the interior of the keelboat to allow for better loading, protection of supplies, and military defense. After Clark drew a sketch of the boat with proposed modifications and made estimates of needed materials, he started a party whipsawing planks. The blacksmiths set to work making iron hinges and other fixtures.

Lockers were constructed along the sides of the hold, between the bow and stern decks. These were 2-1/2-feet wide and 1-1/2-feet deep. Other lockers, 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep, were built on both sides of the elevated cabin on the stern. Cleverly devised, the locker lids could be raised to form a breast-work, or shield, around the outside of the boat and behind which the crew could fight in the event of attack. When the locker tops were down, they protected baggage from the elements and prevented inspection by Indians, as well as provided catwalks, or "passe-avants," for passage from the forecastle to the stern cabin deck. Crosswise between the lockers 11 benches were built, each 3 feet long for use by two oarsmen. At Camp Wood, if not at Pittsburgh, oarlocks were provided along the sides of the vessel.

Another substantive modification was erection over the hold of three removable ridgepoles, resting on center supports that were forked at the top. These poles held up the center of an awning, which was lashed to the sides of the boat. A similar ridgepole awning also apparently covered the cabin deck.

The two pirogues, obtained in the Pittsburgh or St. Louis areas, were apparently not altered except for the placing of waystrips along the gunwales of the six-oared, smaller one, called the white pirogue because of its color. The other vessel, equipped with seven oars, was known as the "red" pirogue. Neither of them was decked.

Finally, the keelboat and pirogues were provided with armament. On the bow of the large boat a small cannon was mounted on a swivel so it could be turned and fired in any direction. Apparently of Spanish or French manufacture, it was probably similar to those used at Spanish forts in Upper Louisiana, and Lewis likely obtained it in the St. Louis area. Representing the expedition's heaviest armament and at the time the largest weapon ever taken up the Missouri, it was capable of delivering a deadly discharge at close range and would be valuable for persuasion or defense among the natives. Two smaller swivel guns, probably blunderbusses, were mounted on the stern of the keelboat, and one each on the two pirogues. The two types of weapons could be loaded with balls, scrap iron, or buckshot. [56]

Bronze swivel gun, a small cannon of Spanish manufacture, probably similar to the one Lewis and Clark carried with them. This weapon, captured during the Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902) and displayed by the U.S. Army at the 1905 St. Louis World's Fair, is now in the John M. Browning Memorial Museum, Rock Island, Ill. (U.S. Army.)

A THIRD major function was the repacking of supplies that had been brought down the Ohio, receipt and packing of other goods, and the loading of all of them into the boats. John Hay, who had once been a trader with the North West Company in Canada, was probably more helpful than anyone in the St. Louis area. He assisted Lewis in numerous ways and advised him on supplies that would be needed. On several occasions, including the period April 26-May 2, he also came up from Cahokia to Camp Wood to help with the packing, which required special care because no other basic supplies could be procured in the wilderness ahead.

At Hay's suggestion, the Indian trade goods and presents were packed into 14 bales and one box, each containing a portion of the various items. This allowed the opening of only one container at a time, insured that a variety of goods would then be accessible, and guaranteed the availability of a diversity of goods in the event some of the containers should be lost or damaged. Essential supplies, such as clothing, tools, flints, locks, and powder were packed in a similar manner, in seven bales and one box. Gunpowder was ingeniously sealed in lead kegs that when emptied could be melted down and molded into bullets.

Except mainly for 32 canisters (193 pounds) of dried soup, 2 pounds of Hyson tea, and some wine that had been purchased in Philadelphia, apparently most of the basic food supplies were procured in the St. Louis-Cahokia area through requisitions drawn on Maj. Nathan Rumsey at Cahokia, agent for Elijah G. Galusha, the Army contractor. Because all the necessary food could not be transported and the expedition would need to live off the land as much as possible or barter for food with the Indians, provisions were restricted to staple items.

Wagons or boats, often accompanied by Major Rumsey, brought most of the food from Cahokia. The month of April was an especially busy one in receiving, processing, and packing it. The men parched corn and packed it into bags. Other food supplies consisted of kegs, half-barrels, and barrels of flour and salt pork, as well as barrels and bags of biscuits. In smaller quantities were salt, coffee, sugar, and dried apples. As early as April, on hand were 4,175 complete rations, 5,555 of flour, and 4,000 of pork, as well as 100 gallons of whisky.

The keelboat was armed with a number of swivel guns, one of which was apparently a small-bore cannon, The others may have been blunderbusses or pieces similar to the Spanish Miquelet that is illustrated here and is presently exhibited at the Springfield (Mass.) Armory Museum. (U.S. Army.)

THERE were respites from the hard work. Visitors were numerous, and social exchanges often relieved the tedium. Passing boatmen dropped by. Neighboring Indians—Kickapoos, Sauks, and Delawares—appeared at the camp almost daily, sometimes trading game to the expedition's members. In other instances, they merely sought provisions, which Clark liberally supplied, as well as whisky and tobacco. Local settlers, including some from along the Missouri in Louisiana Territory, gratuitously furnished or bartered to the party corn, vegetables, butter, milk, and other produce. Members with a sweet tooth enjoyed the honey some of the men obtained in the woods. Another welcome dietary change were fish, caught in the river.

Also breaking the humdrum were occasional visits by Lewis, and Clark made several trips to St. Louis. On one occasion, the two of them traveled up the Missouri to St. Charles to procure supplies. The soldiers welcomed the opportunity afforded to get away from camp for awhile when Clark sent them with messages to Lewis or others at St. Louis and Cahokia. Shooting matches with local settlers afforded another enjoyable pastime. The settlers won the first one, early in January, but none after that. On May 6 Clark wrote as follows: "Several of the Countrey people in Camp Shooting with the party all git beet and lose their money."