Page:The Pacific Monthly vol. 14.djvu/123



THE STORY OF THE LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION

By Jokn A. Morris

THE Lewis and Clark Exposition now taking place in the City of Portland commemorates the original exploration of a vast country, through which run multitudinous railroads connecting great cities, where scarce a hundred years ago roamed only savage tribes and unnum- bered herds of buffalo.

Meriwether Lewis, one of the young men engaged in the enterprise, was born near Charlottesville, Va., August 18, 177-i. He was a distant relation of Gen- eral Washington, his uncle. Fielding Lewis, having married Washington's sis- ter. At 20 years of age Lewis volun- teered to put down Shay's rebellion; and afterwards he became private secretary to President Jefferson, who organized the Lewis and Clark expedition. This bril- liant man died from a pistol shot, in a house where he sought lodging over night, en route to Washington on a visit to President Jefferson. As he was subject to fits of melancholia, many say he com- mitted suicide, though his relatives claim that he was murdered.

William Clark was born in Virginia August 1, 1770, and at 22 years of age he entered the army, intent upon leading the soldier's life. He was forced to re- sign five years later, on account of fail- ing health; and Lewis, becoming ac- quainted with him, seeing engineering and executive ability in him, persuaded him to accompany that which is now his- torically known as the Lewis and Clark expedition. This he did ; and the com- pany, numbering forty-four men, left Washington July 5, 1803. These con- sisted of Frenchmen, Americans and one negro — all hardy, venturesome fellows.

T";p; first thousand "miles up the Mis- souri Eiver fram St. Louis was truly ap- palling on account of the difficulties en- countered. Snags and half submerged logs seemed to combine against the craft, to prevent it from invading the head-

waters of the river; but owing to the de- termination of the men the obstacles that beset them were overcome, and they finally reached Council Bluffs, where they dis- tributed their presents among the In- dians.

After staying here for a time, they pushed on their way into the country of the Omahas, whose villages along the river were decimated since Cruzatte, one of the company who spoke their language, had traded there years before. Blackbird, an enemy, had poisoned the little town out of existence by means of arsenic.

^\^ule the party was preparing to erect its winter quarters among the Mandan Indians, in the southern part of what is now Dakota, an Indian woman named Sacajawea, known among members of her own tribe as the "bird woman" because of her gift of song, came forward to help the intrepid pioneers, Lewis and Clark, in the ultimate purpose of their expedi- tion. She it was who led them through the vast wilderness of the Xorthwest, piloting the vanguard of civilization across a continent.

It is thus to her credit that America presents its modern appearance on the map of the new world, for were it not for the presence and power of Sacajawea, the little band would in all probability have been massacred, and Lewis and Clark would not have been able to complete their explorations and surveys in time to en- able the country to lay claim to such an extensive area of territory.

At 13 years of age the Dakotas had stolen her from her people, and brought her far away into their own country. They treated her well, however, and a few years later a French fur trader, named Charboneau, gave them the price of her ransom and made her his wife, promis- ing her that she should some day visit her people. Learning that Lewis and Clark were in search of a guide, the lit-