Meriwether Lewis by Gale Kira

Author:Gale, Kira [Gale, Kira]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: River Junction Press, LLC
Published: 2015-07-15T07:00:00+00:00

Fort Clatsop replica, Lewis and Clark National Historial Park, Astoria, Oregon (Photo by Rick Blond).

On November 24th, the captains asked the members of the party to vote as to where they should spend the winter. Everyone except the captains and the baby cast a vote. “Janey”—Clark’s name for Sacagawea—voted in favor of a place in which there were plenty of wapatos (Indian potatoes). York voted in favor of examining the other side of the river. The majority opinion was to go take a look at the south side of the river where the Clatsop Indians had told them there was plenty of game. Other alternatives were to go back to Celilo Falls, or to the confluence of the Sandy River near Mount Hood. If the south side of the coast wasn’t suitable, they would go back to the Sandy.

It was “truly disagreeable” weather after they crossed over to the south side. Their tents, tipi, sails, bedding and clothing were rotting. They were continually wet and there were violent winds and rain. They were exploring the coastal area, looking for game. On December 2nd they killed an elk, the first since the Rocky Mountains. They discovered there were plenty of elk and deer and Lewis found a location to built a fort. On December 10th they started cutting down trees to built Fort Clatsop. By Christmas Eve, on December 24th, they were moving into their huts. On Christmas morning, they were awakened by a “Shout and a Song” and presents were given out after breakfast—tobacco to the men who smoked, and handkerchiefs to the others. Dinner consisted of some poor elk boiled, spoiled pounded salmon and a few roots. Their blankets were infested with fleas and the huts were filled with smoke, but they were living under a roof.

On the 27th, they set up a salt making camp at the ocean, 15 miles to the southwest. The Salt Works consisted of five kettles of ocean water boiling 24 hours a day to extract the salt from the water. Salt was necessary to preserve the meat from spoiling and for use as flavoring. For the next two months, three men tended to the salt works, producing about 20 gallons of salt. 12 gallons were put in small kegs to be used on the return journey.

Lewis resumed writing in his journal on January 1st, 1806. He abandoned writing at the Nez Perce village after he became ill, and made only a few notes in the weather records after that. On January 1st, the captains issued orders for the fort. They were concerned about safety—a sentinel was to keep watch day and night for the approach of any Indians, and a sergeant and three privates were on guard duty day and night. The natives were to be treated in a friendly manner, but the sergeant could expel any native who became troublesome. No Indians could remain in the fort after sunset and the main gate was to be locked. All tools were to be kept in the room of the commanding officers, and brought back the moment they were not being used.

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