Excerpts from Lewis and Clark journals along Iowa

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It is interesting to read from the diaries of Lewis and Clark as they journeyed along the Missouri River of what is now Iowa. Their spelling and punctuation are atrocious, but the meaning is clear. Following are excerpts from their diaries on those 37 days along Iowa's western border:

July the 30th Monday 1804: (Clark) waiting for Indians….Captain Lewis and Myself walked in the Priaire on the top of the Bluff and observed the most butifull prospects imagionable, this Prarie is covered with grass about 10 or 12 Inch high….Jo Fields killed a Burrow [badger]…animal feeds on Dogs of the Prarie…has thick loose Skin…has white streake from nose to its Shoulders…large Tonals on its forefeet….saw evidence of many fires on prarie.

July 31st Tuesday 1804: a fair day 3 hunters out this morning….killed very fat buck one inch fat on ribs….killed three more Deer….caught a small Beever….the evening verry cool, The musquitors are verrry troublsom….saw some geese with young, caught several they not yet feathered nor can fly…..deer and bear begin to get scarece and Elk begin to appear……catfish verry common and easily taken in any part of river sum are nearly white….Praries Contain Cheres, Apple, Grapes, Currents, Rasp berry, Gooseberris, Hastlenuts and great variety of Plants and Flowers not Common to the U.S. What a field for a Botents [Botanist] and a natirless [naturalist] The Mosquitors verry troublsom on this evening on bottoms.

12th August Sunday 1804: a south wind we set out early the river wider than usual. Sent one man to step off where we took dinner yesterday distance across isthmus 974 yards, we travels 18¾ miles around bend in river and gained less than mile.

14th August 1804: sent party out to town of Indians but could find none as they had not returned from hunting Buffalow on Prarie. Saw ravages of smallpox Indians bury dead on top if hillsand raise mounds on top of them

August 15th Wednesday 1804: Took brush drag and caught 308 fish, pike salmon pirch bass red horse catfish

18th August Friday, Satday 1804: caught two deserted and caused them to run Gauntlet four times. Celebrated my birthday and we danced until 11 oclock and each man received an extra gill [1/4 pint] of whiskey. Sergt. Floyd was taken violently bad with Beliose Cholick [later diagnosed in 19th century as ruptured appendix] and is dangerously ill we attempt in vain to relieve him and I am much concerned for his Situation_we could get nothing to Stay on his Stomach a moment nature appear existing fast on him every man attentive to him

20th August Monday 1804: Sgt Floyd much weaker and no better Sgt Floyd died with a great deal of composure. He said before he died that he was going away and wanted me to write him a letter. We buried him on top of high bluff below a small river to which we Gave his name He was buried with Honors of War much lamented. [Sgt. Floyd was the only man to die on this remarkable and dangerous journey. A monument to him is atop a large hill in Sioux City today.]

Links to more of the Lewis and Clark journals: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/JOURNALS/journals.html


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