University of Virginia Library

XVI. XVI

LEWIS INVITES CLARK TO JOIN HIM

XVI. [From original MS. in possession of Mrs. Julia Clark Voorhis and Miss Eleanor Glasgow Voorhis.]

Dear Clark: Herewith inclosed you will receive the papers belonging
to your brother Genl. Clark, which sometime since you requested
me to procure and forward to you; pray excuse the delay which has
taken place, it has really proceeded from causes which I could not control;
Mr. Thompson Mason the gentleman in whose possession they
were, is a member of the Virginia legislature, and was absent of course
from his residence untill March, previous to his return I was compelled
to leave this place on a matter of business, which has detained me in
Lancaster & Philadelphia untill the day before yesterday and since my
return having possessed myself of the papers I seize the first moment
to forward them to you: In this claim I wish you success most
sincerely.

From the long and uninterrupted friendship and confidence which has
subsisted between us I feel no hesitation in making to you the following
communication under the fulest impression that it will be held by
you inviolably secret untill I see you, or you shall hear again from me.

During the last session of Congress a law was passed in conformity
to a private message of the President of the United States, intiled "An
Act making an appropriation for extending the external commerce
of the United States." The object of this Act as understood by its
framers was to give the sanction of the government to exploreing the
interior of the continent of North America, or that part of it bordering
on the Missourie & Columbia Rivers. This enterprise has been confided
to me by the President, and in consequence since the begining of
March I have been engaged in making the necessary preparations for
the tour, these arrangements being now nearly completed, I shall set
out for Pittsburgh (the intended point of embarcation) about the last
of this month, and as soon after as from the state of the water you can
reasonably expect me I shall be with you, say about the 10th of August.

To aid me in this enterprise I have the most ample and hearty support
that the government can give in every possible shape. I am armed
with the authority of the Government of the U. States for my protection,
so far as its authority or influence extends; in addition to which,
the further aid has been given me of liberal pasports from the Ministers
both of France and England: I am instructed to select from any corps
in the army a number of noncommissioned officers and privates not
exceeding 12, who may be disposed voluntarily to enter into this
service; and am also authorized to engage any other men not soldiers
that I may think usefull in promoting the objects or success of this
expedition. I am likewise furnished with letters of credit, and authorized
to draw on the government for any sum necessary for the comfort of
myself or party. To all the persons engaged in this service I am
authorized to offer the following rewards by way of inducement—
1st.. the bounty (if not a soldier) but in both cases six months pay in
advance; 2dly.. to discharge them from the service if they wish it, immediately
on their return from the expedition giving them their arrears
of pay clothing &c. & 3dly.. to secure to them a portion of land equal to
that given by the United States to the officers and soldiers who served
in the revolutionary army. This is a short view of means with which
I am intrusted to carry this plan of the Government into effect. I
will now give you a short sketch of my plan of operation: I shall
embark at Pittsburgh with a party of recruits eight or nine in number,
intended only to manage the boat and are not calculated on as a permanent
part of my detatcment; when descending the Ohio it shall be
my duty by enquiry to find out and engage some good hunters, stout,
healthy, unmarried men, accustomed to the woods, and capable of
bearing bodily fatigue in a pretty considerable degree: should any
young men answering this description be found in your neighborhood
I would thank you to give information of them on my arivall at the
falls of the Ohio; and if possible learn the probability of their engaging
in this service, this may be done perhaps by holding out the idea that
the direction of this expedition is up the Mississippi to its source, and
thence to the lake of the Woods, stating the probable period of absence
at about 18 months; if they would engage themselves in a service of
this discription there would be but little doubt that they would engage
in the real design when it became necessary to make it known to them,
which I should take care to do before I finaly engaged them:—The
soldiers that will most probably answer this expedition best will be
found in some of the companies stationed at Massac, Kaskaskias &
Illinois: pardon this digression from the discription of my plan: it is
to descend the Ohio in a keeled boat of about ten tons burthen, from
Pittsburgh to it's mouth, thence up the Mississippi to the mouth of the
Missourie, and up that river as far as it's navigation is practicable with
a boat of this discription, there to prepare canoes of bark or raw-hides,
and proceed to it's source, and if practicable pass over to the waters
of the Columbia or Origan River and by descending it reach the
Western Ocean; the mouth of this river lies about one hundred and
forty miles South of Nootka-Sound, at which place there is a considerable
European Tradeing establishment, and from which it will be easy
to obtain a passage to the United States by way of the East-Indies in
some of the trading vessels that visit Nootka Sound anually, provided
it should be thought more expedient to do so, than to return by the
rout I had pursued in my outward bound journey. The present season
being already so far advanced, I do not calculate on geting further than
two or three hundred miles up the Missourie before the commencement
of the ensuing winter. At this point wherever it may be I shall
make myself as comfortable as possible during the winter and resume
my journey as early in the spring as the ice will permit:—should
nothing take place to defeat my progress altogether I feel confident
that my passage to the Western ocean can be effected by the end of the
next Summer or the begining of Autumn. In order to subsist my party
with some degree of comfort dureing the ensuing winter, I shall engage
some French Traders at Illinois to attend me to my wintering ground
with a sufficient quantity of flour, pork, &c. to serve them plentifully
during the winter, and thus be enabled to set out in the Spring with a
healthy and vigorous part. So much for the great outlines of this
scheem, permit me now to mention partially the objects which it has in
view or those which it is desirable to effect through it's means, and then
conclude this lengthy communication. You must know in the first
place that very sanguine expectations are at this time formed by our
Government that the whole of that immense country wartered by the
Mississippi and It's tributary streams, Missourie inclusive, will be the
property of the U. States in less than 12 Months from this date: but
here let me again impress you with the necessity of keeping this matter
a perfect secret.[1] In such a state of things therefore as we have every
reason to hope, you will readily concieve the importance to the U.
States of an early friendly and intimate acquaintance with the tribes that
inhabit that country, that they should be early impressed with a just
idea of the rising importance of the U. States and of her friendly dispositions
towards them, as also her desire to become usefull to them by
furnishing them through her citizens with such articles by way of barter
as may be desired by them or usefull to them. The other objects of
this mission are scientific, and of course not less interesting to the U.
States than to the world generally, such is the ascertaining by celestial
observation the geography of the country through which I shall pass;
the names of the nations who inhabit it, the extent and limitts of their
several possessions, their relation with other tribes and nations; their
language, traditions, and monuments; their ordinary occupations in
fishing, hunting, war, arts, and the implements for their food, clothing
and domestic accomodation; the diseases prevalent among them and
the remidies they use; the articles of commerce they may need, or
furnish, and to what extent; the soil and face of the country; it's
growth and vegetable productions, its animals; the miniral productions
of every discription; and in short to collect the best possible information
relative to whatever the country may afford as a tribute to general
science.

My Instruments for celestial observation are an excellent set and my
supply of Indian presents is sufficiently ample.

Thus my friend you have so far as leasure will at this time permit me
to give it you, a summary view of the plan, the means and the objects
of this expedition, if therefore there is anything under those circumstances,
in this enterprise, which would induce you to participate with
me in it's fatiegues, it's dangers and it's honors, believe me there is
no man on earth with whom I should feel equal pleasure in sharing
them as with yourself; I make this communication to you with the
privity of the President, who expresses an anxious wish that you would
consent to join me in this enterprise; he has authorized me to say that
in the event of your accepting this proposition he will grant you a
Captain's commission which of course will intitle you to the pay and
emoluments attached to that office and will equally with myself intitle
you to such portion of land as was granted to offers of similar rank
for their Revolutionary services; the commission with which he proposes
to furnish you is not to be considered temporary but permanent
if you wish it; your situation if joined with me in this mission will in
all respects be precisely such as my own. Pray write to me on this
subject as early as possible and direct to me at Pittsburgh. Should you
feel disposed not to attatch yourself to this party in an official character,
and at the same time feel a disposition to accompany me as a friend
any part of the way up the Missourie I should be extremely happy in
your company, and will furnish you with every aid for your return from
any point you might wish it.

With sincere and affectionate regard your friend & Humbl.. sevt..