The Men of the Lewis and Clark Expedition: A Biographical Roster of the Fifty-One Members and a Composite Diary of Their Activities from All Known Sources

JULY 23. We commenced drying our provisions, dressing skins and made new oars for the boats. The captains prepared dispatches and made maps of the country we have passed. George Drouillard and Peter Cruzatte were sent to the Ottoes or Pawnee nation with a present of tobacco and an invitation to their chiefs to visit us. A flag was hoisted over our camp to show the new United States possession of these lands.

JULY 24. We named our camp, "White Catfish Camp" because Silas Goodrich caught one of these large fish. Great quantities of ripe grapes are found here. Our men are making oars and the captains are preparing papers and maps to send back. "They were not sent back to St. Louis at this time."

JULY 25. Drouillard and Cruzatte returned, having found no Indians. At this season they are on the plains hunting buffalo. John Collins killed two deer and Joseph Fields killed one turkey today.

JULY 26. The wind blew hard and raised such clouds of sand that Capt. Clark could not complete his map in the tent, so he tried the boat, but that rolled in such a manner that he could do nothing there, so he was compelled to go into the woods and combat the mosquitoes. He had opened the tumor on the left breast of one of the men and it discharged a half a pint of matter. Five beaver were caught near camp, the flesh of which was shared by the party.

JULY 27. We reloaded the boats, completed the oars, and crossed the horses to the s.w. side of the river where the traveling is better. At 1 o'clock p.m., we proceeded on under a gentle breeze. Capt Clark and Reuben Fields walked on shore all afternoon, and did not reach camp until after dark. "That evening they camped at the present site of Omaha, Nebraska." George Shannon killed a deer. Joseph Whitehouse cut his knee very bad. Captain Clark killed a deer. The mosquitoes are very bad here.

JULY 28. Today George Drouillard and his party brought a Missouri Indian in to camp. This Indian reports that he lives with the Ottoe Indians about four miles from the river, but that his tribe is now on the plains hunting buffalo.

JULY 29. We sent Joseph Barter (La Liberté) and the Indian to their camp to invite them to meet us at the next high point of land. Our men

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