Dear Mr. Jefferson.....

Dear Mr. Jefferson,

The journey was the Corps at its best. It was America at its best. It was everyone at their best. Throughout the journey We have come across everything from new  plants and animals to people. We Crossed the continent, with rafts, canoes, horses, and on our two feet. We smoked, traded, and laughed with the different tribes. We crossed the grueling mountains, braved the rapids, and endured the sleet and rain. The Captains chose each man (and woman) specifically with the right skills that would help the corps reach the western ocean. We sent out from St. Louis with that goal in our minds and nothing would stop us from reaching that ocean. The Captains were amazing in every way that they could be. From choosing which fork in the river to take, or letting everyone vote where to stay for the winter they excelled in their position.

ps. For my weekly labors, discoveries...for all my endeavors have brought to this expedition, I believe I should be paid the grade of an A

Elk December 2, 1805

Today we discovered an animal that was even bigger than the enourmous Grisely Bear. This animal is called the Elk. The Elk is one of a kind animal and has a lot of interesting parts.The Elk's head has a huge rack of horns like a deer. The antlers can grow up to be as large as 4 feet  making the elk anywhere between 7-9 feet tall. The elk use their horns to attract mates and to show off to other elk. The elks fur can be a dark brown, and light brown. Their  shoulders, neck and their faces are a very dark brown color. Its nose and mouth grow to be about one foot long and its ears stick out of its head. We have spotted numerous elk in our travels, and have killed them for food. Their meat can be salted for jerky to use in other time.

The Native American arrowhead November 1805

 A very new useful native American tool that we have found is the Arrowhead.  the arrowhead is a sharp rock usually sharpened by rubbing it with another rock on the tip.It is used for many things, but the main purpose, or what many Native American  people use it for in putting in on the end of a arrow ( duh ) and a  spear.  It is great for hunting, and sticks right in to pretty much any animal. The native Americans use this tool for everyday life. The arrowhead easily replaces the gun and with practice can be extremely accurate. Native American use obsidian or any rock that it hard enough to penetrate what they are shooting at. Even at far range the arrow head can pierce the skin of a grizzle bear.

Weather November 7th 1805

The weather this time of the year is very unpredictable. We were travelling in smoldering heat and in what seemed to be a couple of days we were freezing in the snow and sleet. We need to wear everything that we can to keep the wind and snow from penetrating our skin. Already we have had several cases of frost bite and severe hypothermia. Even pomp is wrapped in all that Sacagaweia can wrap him in. Seaman has been having an extremely hard time navigating in the snow and crossing  the creeks. The game is scarce and we eat anything that we can get our hands on. This week has been a very grueling one. We were so tired form the snow that we could not even bring ourselves to swim in the hot spring we came upon. The men were so tired that they could not even get their clothes off.

Food.... September 20th 1805

You can not believe how much that I crave for red meat. Where did it go??? Crossing the plains we had 9 lbs. of buffalo a day and the meat was plentiful. The Indians cook salmon ever day and seem to eat it for every meal. If you look into the river it would be easy to find a salmon and to spear it. The Indians also eat a root called Camas IT IS HORRIBLE!!! You taste the first bite and it tastes extremely good but 2 hours later you become so full of gas that you stomachs swell and you have to go to the bathroom every 5 minuets. It is like having the thunderbolt pills every 5 minuets. To the left is a picture of the terrible Camas root.

The horrible mountains September 22nd 1805

These past weeks have been the worst. The mountains as one of the men said "were as steep as the roofs of our houses back home." We could not even climb them on horses. We had to leave our supplies on the horses and climb the mountain on foot. Sometimes there were logs covering the trail we headed up. We used our saws and cut a path for the horses. Each mountain we reached we were forced to take a break form the pure exhaustion. We lost two horses climbing when their hooves slipped and they fell to their death. The mountains seem endless and everyone we climb there is another one waiting for us.

The first shoshone July 26, 1805

Captain lewis decided to leave the corps and scout ahead for any sign of the Shoshones. He, Sacagawea, and group of men,  went with him.In my curiousity I decided to go with them as well. We searched almost everywhere following the river and searching the plains. As we followed a small creek we could put one foot on each side of it. As we followed the creek we came to the end of it. And this was the start point of the great Missouri river. We bent down to drink and where amazed that such a large river could start from this small little pond. As we began to lose hope we spotted what was  a Indian on a horse. He had a rifle and was scrawny. We immediatly put down our weapons and asked Sacagawea what "friend" was in Shoshone. As we shouted what we thought was "friend" we quickly galloped off as fast as he could. Latter we found out that Sacagawea had misunderstood and we were shouting "stranger" and "enemy". Captain Clark with a heavy heart sighed and picked up his rifle. 

Medicine pipe July 25 1805

Today was my first try of a medicine pipe. The Plains Indians carried bags of such things as animal, bird skins, pipes, dried herbs, and tobacco. They believed these objects to have special powers. Two of the most important bundles were the pipe bundle and the beaver bundle. The beaver bundle alwayscontained the skin of the beaver along with skins of other animals. Some had feathers of birds, rattles, and other objects. The bundles were used in healing and opened at certain times such as when the first thunder was heard in the spring. The pipe bundle contained tobacco to be used in pipes. The plains native americans believe the pipe to cleanse them of everything and gather around to share one pipe that has usually been passed down from generation to generation.

The travois July 23 1805

I thought I might change it up a little bit and write about another native american tool. The Travois was a very valuable tool that the Indians used for trade, transport, and war. The Travois is a horse or human drawn basket that can carry large or heavy loads. The basic construction of a Travois is a platform or netting mounted on two long poles. The poles are lashed in the shape of a long triangle. The frame was dragged with the sharply pointed end forward. Sometimes the blunt end of the frame was stabilized by a third pole bound across the two main poles. The Travois was mainly used by the plains indians but can be found among many different types of Indians.

How to make a homemade DIY compass

The great Falls of the Missouri June 13, 1805

Finally! We have made it to the great falls of the Missouri river. I can only stare in awe of how amazing and beautiful they are...... I am extremely glad that the captains made the right decision at the fork and we are on our way to the Pacific ocean. The falls are such a sight i am not sure if i can describe them in my words but i will try. The falls roar from the top of the Missouri falling onto rocks with rapids in between every section of the river . We  still run into different types of grizzlies and other animals that can provide problems. One of the animals that has been extremely annoying are the beavers. They dam up the river with their wood and make it extremely hard to navigate around them.The Shoshones still elude us as we search for them to provide us with pack horses to help carry our equipment over the rocky mountains. Sacagawea is starting to remember the country that she grew up in and I am confident that she will lead us to the Shoshones. Above is a picture of the great falls of the Missouri.

Prickly Pears June 1805

Oh god the horrible pain of walking is almost unbearable. The heat the humidity and worst of all the prickly pears. Our moccasins are worthless and provide no protection from these horrible plants. At the end of the day men limp around camp pulling thorns out of their feet and dressing their wounds. It seems as if the prickly is good for nothing but causing pain to men and animals. While the captains headed up the forks of the rivers they put us to work crafting new moccasins with what leather that we had. To the left is a image of a prickly pear cactus.

The huge herds of buffalo June 3, 1805

Today as we were Heading through the northern plains of America we were amazed at the almost innumerable amounts of buffalo grazing on the grass in huge herds. As Captain Lewis said "the country in every direction around us was one vast plain in which innumerable amounts of buffalo were seen attended by their Shepperd's the wolves..." The buffalo can weigh up to twenty-four hundred pounds and are as long as thirteen feet long from nose to tail. The animals massive heads have two short black horns that curve upward covered with thick woolly hair. As we also found out buffalo are surprisingly easy to take down with a rifle. A hunter with a rifle could easily take down a grazing buffalo and skin and cook the meat for food. The plains native Americans showed us how to use every last part of the buffalo and how to make many delicacy's from the buffalo. The buffalo intestines could be cleaned and then used to make white pudding which Captain Lewis proclaimed "one of the greatest delicacy's in the forest." The buffalo also provided a bug repellent which would protect against the mosquito's and small flies, we burned buffalo dry dung to make smokes. To the left is a painting of some grazing buffalo. 

The fork in the River June 1805

Today as we sailed and trudged up the missouri we came to a fork in the gigantic river. On the northwest fork of the missouri it was dark, muddy, and turbulent. But the other fork that came from the southwest was wider and clearer. Which one was the real missouri? A large majority of the men agreed that the Northwest fork was the best choice for the expedition. Captain Lewis and Captain Clark both knowing that the decision would determine the fate of the expedition sent scouts up each fork and set up camp waiting for them to return. When the scouts returned with their reports the Captains still believed that southwest fork was the real missouri and went to check for themselves. Captain Lewis took a group of men up the Northwest fork and Captain Clark took a group of men up the southwest fork. Captain Clark had not gone far up before he was sure that the southwest fork was the Missouri. He told us that he had carved his name into a tree and headed back down to camp. We await the return of Captain Lewis and his group with his information. 

A new species called "Barking Squirrels" [ aka prarie dogs ]

Today As we were Heading up the Missouri we spotted what looked to be small animals almost like squirrels poking their heads out of holes dug into the ground. The entire Corps were fascinated by the behaviour of these animals and we immediately decided to try and capture one. But as we soon found out capturing them were no easy feat. Everyone in the corps started dumping water into the holes trying to Flush out the squirrel like things. After digging down about six feet we found that running a pole down that we had not dug even half way to the bottom. after almost 3 hours we finally flushed one out alive and caught it and put it into a cage to send back to President Jefferson. To the left is a picture of what we call Barking Squirrels. 

Seaman encounters a beaver

Today Seaman had a frighting and very close encounter with a beaver. He  jumped into the water to retrieve a wounded beaver and as he swam toward it it bit him. The bite severed an artery and he is not doing well. Captain Lewis Thinking quickly stopped the blood from pouring out of the wound. But even so Seaman lost a lot of blood. Captain Lewis is not letting him put weight on it so for now he is resting in our  dugout. Seaman has been a valuable companion and i cant believe that we had almost lost him. The beaver swam away before we could do anything and is still out there. The new animals are incredible and everyone in the corps are taking notes and drawing about them. Captain Clark and Captain Lewis frequently take notes about the land, temperature, humidity, and anything that could be of value for President Jefferson. Above are pictures of a beaver and of Captain Clark recording in his journal.

The Indian Dream Catcher

The Dream Catcher was quite an interesting item that all sorts of Indian tribes use. The dream catcher was first introduced by the  Ojibway tribe. The dream catcher is made of a wooden circle with  leather strips wove into it with different type of birds feathers hanging from it .They are wove in a pattern so that there is a circle in the middle. This circle is where the good dreams go to be stored to dream again in later time. The design is very intricate so that the bad dreams get caught in it also. But the bad dream get burned by the sun when the sun rises. I personally wish to buy one and am looking in my belongings for an item which i can trade for one. If u walk down and look at all of the native american huts you can see dream catchers hanging from doorways and windows.

Mandan Village and the new fort

Today we traveled into the Indian Village of the Mandans. The Mandan are a peaceful tribe who gather most of their food from farming. Their village's are some of the biggest trade sites in America. People from all over including English, French, other Native tribes, and all sorts of different people. We brought with us immense goods for trade with the Village and people were immediatly crowding around us. We needed some where to spend the winter and this place seemed to be the best bet for us. The kind Village cheif gave us permission to use the land on the other side of the river as our space to build a fort. The two captains decided to name the Fort Fort Mandan and ordered us to start working at once. I need to help gather wood.

Private Halls and Private Hollins

 I cant believe that i slept through this but last night two men from the corps, private Halls and private Hollins, both snuck extra glasses of whiskey. But not just one glass, they had three or four each and this is  a 6 day ration! They were so drunk that they began to sing and yell in the camp site  until they woke the captain and he shut them up. The next day they were severally punished and private Hollins got 100 lashes. Private Halls got lucky and got away with only 50. We tied them with rope to a tree and each man counted along. private Hollins lost consciousness after 52 lashes. Then they were taken to the river to have their wounds cleaned and dressed.The Privates were not even excused from their regular duties around the camp. Even the way that the captain diciplines the men may seem a little bit harsh, but one mistake could cause the entire expedition to fail and not be a success.

 To the left is a picture of what the captain uses to discipline the men.

Sergeant Floyd Bluff's Death R.I.P

Today we buried Sgt. Floyd Bluff. Capt. Clark said he was vomiting violently and suffering extreme pain. The different types of medication we gave him did not seem to work at all and the next day Sgt Floyd died a sorrow filled death. Sgt Floyd Bluff died August 20th 1804 and was buried on a hill overlooking the Missouri river. Captain Lewis read from the Bible and marked his grave. Captain Clark was blaming himself for the Death of Sgt. Floyd but there was nothing that we could do about it. We took a vote for a new Sergeant and moved on towards the Pacific ocean.

To the Left is and image of Sgt. Charles Floyd Bluff

Teton Sioux

^^^^^^

An Image of a Teton Sioux Cheif

Today had to be one of the scariest day's so far on our expedition. Today we were heading into the Teton Sioux territory. The Teton Sioux are notorious for killing travelers and demanding a huge amount of supplies. As we were heading up the river we were stopped  by 4 cheif's and 60 warriors. our men immediately got our rifles and were aware of the Teton Sioux with their bows strung and with arrows notched. Capt. Clark jumped off of the boat to meet the chiefs with him he brought immense gift's. The Teton Sioux wanted more and one of the chiefs went to grab one of the dugout canoes. and Clark step ed in front of him to stop him his hand on his sword ready to drive it through the heart of anyone daring to stop the expedition. One of the other cheifs stopped him and we cautiously continued up the river. Capt. Clark is calling my name. Till next time,

Clay Will

The captains dog and Packing

April 7 1804

Today we met the captains dog Seaman. He is a Playful dog and always looks at us funny. Sometimes I think that he can understand us. I only wish that we could understand him. I picked up some navigational charts for the General store, and also got all of my things ready. I have just started packing and already find myself missing home. I have packed my charts, compass, blanket, and my stuffed bear from when i was only a child. I am so excited to start this trip because of all of the new experiences and people that we will meet on our trip across america.

 

My Mess

My mess has many different traits that we can use on our trip across america.

 

Quinn is good at telling campfire stories and can cook.

Alex is good at cooking and being annoying towards Clay.

Austin is a good sailor and outdoorsman. He knows about different plants.

Andrew is good at handeling money and has negotiating skills.

Ryan is good at telling jokes and being jesussaurus rex.

Jake is a good swimmer and Has a good sense of direction.

Amanda is an excellent cook and a musician.

Brian is a sailor and can blaze a trail for the rest of the crew.

Sammie is a good humored person and can always bring comic relief in tough situations.

Evy is good at writting and reading.

Gabe is good at writting poetry and telling storries.

Dear Captain John......

Dear Captain John,

I am writting this letter to inform you of my special talents that i can use to help the group with our trip across America. I can read a map and I know how to use a compass. I can tell great campfire stories to the troop to boost the morale of them and to get them motivated. I have studied many maps and have made some maps myself. I also have just had a knack for telling stories and getting people to laugh and forget about their troubles. I am really excited about going on this trip and collecting new treasures and meeting new people. We will meet so many different native american tribes i don't think that i will be able to remember them all.

First Post

Hey.... umm this is the first post and I am writting about nothing but its the first post which is amazing..... XD