Fergus County argus., 1902-07-23

Lolo creek, in the Bitter Root valley.
There they divided their forces. Clark
returning. with some variation of
route, to the Three Forks of the Mis-
souri,, while Lewis struck out north
east across the mountains via He'll
gate and Big Blackfoot rivers and
Lewis and Clarke's pass to the Great
Falls of the Missouri. At that point
Captain Lewis subdivided his party,
and while Sergeant Gass and his sub
party proceeded down the river with
the luggage. etc. Lewis and the 9TH
ers made sundry explorations north.
west on the headwaters of Marias
river, joining Gass later at the mouth
of that stream. From there they float
ed down the Missouri to the mouth of
the Yellowstone. near which they re-
Joined Captain Clarke and party, who
had crossed the Rockies from the
Three Forks to the Yellowstone river
and then followed down the stream.
United again, they pursued their
course down the Missouri to st. Louis.
where the expedition was disbanded.
The exploration was a remarkable
one, not more in its important achieve
ments than in the minor details. man.
agement, progress and results. II
may we'll be regarded as a national
epic of exploration. The expedition
started from the mouth of the Wood
(Du Bois) river. opposite the mouth
of the Missouri. in Illinois, May, IA.
1904, and reached st. Louis on its
return September %, 1906, thus con-
suming in its work two years. four
months and nine days. During this
time not one disagreement or clash
OF authority occurred between the
leaders. a remarkable record. There
was but one death. that Of Sergeant
Floyd, on August 20. 1904. although
there was much sickness. There was
but one suggestion of mutiny and this
on the part OF one man only, who,
besides being promptly punished. af-
terward fully atoned for his fault.
There were two attempts at desertion,
one of which was successful; In the
ether case the man was promptly dis
ciplined and discharged from service.
Through all their vicissitudes and dan.
gers there was but one really serious
accident as | recall. Captain Lewis
being accidentall:' shot through the
thigh when we'll on the way home.
He recovered before reaching st.
| ouis.
Although their route was through
an Indian country entirely. and the
Indians were In most instances the
widest of nomads. in some cases new
er having seen a white man. yet there
was but one serious difficulty with
them, and then It was necessary to
kill two Indians. Their almost uni
formly kind reception by. and treat
ment of, the Indians, and their abso-
lutte and utter dependence upon them,
time after time. for food with which
to save themselves from starvation.
furnishes perhaps the most caustic
and cutting criticism that can be made
upon tie governments subsequent
treatment of The red man.
Born in 177}. Captain Lewis. vir-
ginian. was 80 years old when he took
command of the expedition. At one
time he was President Jeffersons pri-
vate secretary. When he returned
from his trip he became governor OF
Louisiana. He held that Office when
he died In 1913. His death occurred
in an obscure tavern In Tennessee,
and the tradition is that he was vic.
tim of suicide. The place is 60 or 10
miles southwest OF Nashville. Lewis
was buried there. In lS43 the Ten.
nessee legislature named a county in
his honor and. in lS4S. erected mon
ument over his grave.
william Clarke was also Virginian
by birth. He was born in 80. He
held an army commission and resign
ed upon his return to st. Louis in
1906. He was appointed Indian agent
for Louisiana by Jefferson. After the
death of Lewis. In 1913. he became
governor OF the territory Of Missouri,
and he held that posi..on until Mis-
souri, became a state in 1920. He died
in 1888, at the age OF 81.