Meriwether Lewis

Lewis and Clark Journals (Abridged) : An American Epic: The Hardship and Medicine of the Lewis and Clark Expeditio

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Following orders from President Thomas Jefferson, Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out from their wintering camp in Illinois in 1804 to search for a river passage to the Pacific Ocean. In this riveting account, editor Gary E. Moulton blends the narrative highlights of the Lewis and Clark journals so that the voices of the enlisted men and of Native peoples are heard alongside the words of the captains. All their triumphs and terrors are here--the thrill of seeing the vast herds of bison on the plains; the tensions and admiration in the first meetings with Indian peoples; Lewis's rapture at the stunning beauty of the Great Falls; the fear the captains felt when a devastating illness befell their Shoshone interpreter, Sacagawea; the ordeal of crossing the Continental Divide; the kidnapping and rescuing of Lewis's dog, Seaman; miserable days of cold and hunger; and Clark's joy at seeing the Pacific. The cultural differences between the corps and Native Americans make for living drama that at times provokes laughter but more often is poignant and, at least once, tragic.

Lewis Art Poster

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In 1803, Meriwether Lewis visited the U.S. Armory and Arsenal at Harpers Ferry to obtain guns and hardware. He procured rifles, powder horns, pipe tomahawks, knives, and a collapsible iron-frame boat to supply his transcontinental expedition. This poster was printed to celebrate the 2003 commemoration of Lewis’ visit to Harpers Ferry. The approximate measurements of the poster is 14” x 20”.

Lewis Photo Poster

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In 1803, Meriwether Lewis visited the U.S. Armory and Arsenal at Harpers Ferry to obtain guns and hardware. He procured rifles, powder horns, pipe tomahawks, knives, and a collapsible iron-frame boat to supply his transcontinental expedition. This poster was printed to celebrate the 2003 commemoration of Lewis’ visit to Harpers Ferry. Poster measures 16"x20". Includes a list of the inventory pictured such as tools for repairing the arms, fish gigs, etc.

Seeking Western Waters The Lewis and CLark Trail from th Rockies to the Pacific

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From 1804-1806, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark conducted one of the best managed, most successful explorations in history. With President Thomas Jefferson’s instructions to examine the recently bought Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery set out on a peaceful expedition that was unparalleled in the information it brought back to the rest of the United States.Emory Strong and Ruth Beacon Strong have used excerpts from the Reuben Thwaites edition of the Lewis and Clark journals that focus on the native population the Corps of Discovery came in contact with in their journey from the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean. To quote from the Strong’s preface, “the project originated with our interest in learning about the archaeological resources of the Columbia River, for which the journals of the Lewis and Clark expedition are exceedingly useful. The accurate and detailed descriptions of places we know, and the explorers’ marvelous powers of observation under difficult circumstances so impressed us that we found ourselves following the route, taking notes and pictures.” Following their journey from the Continental Divide to the Pacific Ocean, the Strongs supplied this book with over 200 photographs, many of them sites that have been since consumed by geological, riverine or human forces. Paperback 383 pages.

Weapons of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

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When Meriwether Lewis began shopping for supplies and firearms to take on the Corps of Discovery's journey west, his first stop was a federal arsenal. For the following twenty-nine months, from the time the Lewis and Clark expedition left Camp Dubois with a cannon salute in 1804 until it announced its return from the West Coast to St. Louis with a volley in 1806, weapons were a crucial component of the participants' tool kit. In Weapons of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, historian Jim Garry describes the arms and ammunition the expedition carried and the use and care those weapons received.

The Corps of Discovery's purposes were to explore the Missouri and Columbia river basins, to make scientific observations, and to contact the tribes along the way for both science and diplomacy. Throughout the trek, the travelers used their guns to procure food--they could consume around 350 pounds of meat a day--and to protect themselves from dangerous animals. Firearms were also invaluable in encounters with Indian groups, as guns were one of the most sought-after trade items in the West. As Garry notes, the explorers' willingness to demonstrate their weapons' firepower probably kept meetings with some tribes from becoming violent.

The mix of arms carried by the expedition extended beyond rifles and muskets to include pistols, knives, espontoons, a cannon, and blunderbusses. Each chapter focuses on one of the major types of weapons and weaves accounts from the expedition journals with the author's knowledge gained from field-testing the muskets and rifles he describes. Appendices tally the weapons carried and explain how the expedition's flintlocks worked.

Weapons of the Lewis and Clark Expedition integrates original research with a lively narrative. This encyclopedic reference will be invaluable to historians and weaponry aficionados.