A View From The Camp

    This page contains photographs of Discovery Corps Encampments so that you can get an idea of what the Lewis & Clarks rest and repair camps looked like. Text is included to further illuminate what the pictures illustrate. All of the Discovery Corps Volunteers pictured on this page provide their own equipment and clothing and all items are subject to historical verification. Links to the individual photos are provided below for your convenience. If  you have any questions or comments feel free to email us. 

Pictures

     Most people with any interest in history can give a vague description of the clothing worn by the American military during  the Revolutionary War and during the Civil War but the time period that falls between those two conflicts is a mystery to most. Hopefully we will be able to fill in some of those blanks. All the items you see in the following article have been researched and verified as authentic either by records kept by the Expedition or by documents referring to common usage of that time period. As a result of our ongoing research our gear and clothing are constantly being updated and improved.

    By 1800 some of the clothing and equipment used in the military was still a hold over from Rev. War designs but styles and technology were changing fast. Soldiers were still wearing Rev. War style fall front trousers. (The fall is a flap that buttons up over the front.) Another old  standard was the hunting frock or frock coat that was common male attire from before the Revolution until well into the mid 1800s. Frock coats were usually dyed a shade of brown or green like the ones seen here but it was not uncommon to leave them the natural canvas white. Shirts and waistcoats (vests) were commonly white but just as often they could be a solid color or a pattern of that period. As approximately half of the Expedition members were civilians on their assent of the Missouri River in 1804, the clothing of the individuals probably showed drastic diversity. Even the military dress of the Army at that time had not been standardized completely and varied from regiment to regiment.

    The Regimental Coat had been given some standardization but could still show variations depending upon materials used and who made them. The basic design was sewn from a Revolutionary War pattern. A number of the men recruited by Capt. Lewis wore a coat of a modified design called a Drab Coat. Unfortunately, we have no photos of those coats at this time but they can be easily described. They were cut upon the same basic design seen here in the Regimental Coat, however they were unlined, cuffless and had fewer buttons. The tails were also cut square and were unfolded and hung only half as long as the tails of their predecessor. This showed a shift toward the style of this period which demanded a closer fit and a shorter cut. The Drab Coats were also to be dyed "drab", a color that falls somewhere between nutmeg and tan in hue. Lewis' choice of this inconspicuous color begins to make sense when one realizes that he designed these uniforms for his men before America's acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase. At that time, all those involved in the Expedition still expected to be exploring in "foreign" territory.

    Head wear was also changing. In spite of what Hollywood has shown us over the years, Lewis & Clark probably didn't wear Rev. style tri-cornered hats or Disney's popular raccoon cap. It helps to remember that most of the painting we see of the Expedition were done many years after the fact when the artists were no longer familiar with the fashions of the early nineteenth century and were most likely to paint a romantic version of what they thought would look good. In reality the tri-corn was out of vogue to all but the most backward backwoodsman. There are woodcuts of the short top hats (coachmen's hats) that were worn on parade. They were affixed with a cockade on one side and a ruff of bear fur arching over the crown. Other common hats were the "round hats" (pinned up on the left side so they would not be knocked off while shouldering one's firearms) and the red and blue "forage cap" which looked similar to the voyager's cap. It's tasseled, long, pointed crown was worn folded and tucked into the band and could serve as an extra pocket while foraging.

    You can see by this photo taken at the Sergeant Floyd Memorial in August of 2000 that the Army apparel was very diverse. Add to this an equal number of civilians who served as boatmen, hunters and interpreters and you can imagine that the uniforms of the Lewis & Clark Expedition were in no way "uniform." The Expedition had also purchased additional clothing from the merchants in Saint Louis to supplement their reserves. Those articles would have originally been made for civilian consumption and would have varied greatly. The attire of all those involved in the exploration continued to change as time went on. Exposed to constant wear, water and sun, their clothing wore out quickly. When supplies ran out the men had to learn to make new garments using the techniques and materials available to the Native Americans.

    Armament also varied greatly. Although Lewis had helped design the 1803 Harper's Ferry Rifle (not shown), a firearm that was state of the art in it's day, the majority of the members carried muskets that had been issued to them by the army or guns that they had brought with them to the service. The diversity of weapons is demonstrated by a passage in the journals referring to the accidental damage of a blunderbuss, a weapon that one would think would have been obsolete by this time. Probably the most common firearm carried was the smoothbore musket or fusil. Although they differed from the Harper's Rifles in a number of ways, the gear that each man carried for the care and maintenance of his weapons were virtually identical.

    Another type of weapon that was commonly used during the Expedition was the swivel gun. It was large enough to do considerable damage but small enough to be mounted upon the boat or carried ashore and set up on a mobile stand. While the Captains never ordered their small cannons fired in a confrontation, the mere presences of the weapons were more than once the deterrent to a potentially bloody altercation. Although small, it's amazing how much punch a swivel gun can pack. In the photo here, T.J. (named for Thomas Jefferson) barks!

    As of yet we have not found more than general references to how the Lewis & Clark swivel guns were constructed so we are unable to produce an exact replica but these are some good examples of guns of this period. This brass cannon is mounted on the keel boat "Discovery" at Lewis & Clark State Park in Onawa, Iowa. 

    One of the common questions we get is "where are your boats?" Unfortunately, a keel boat and two pirogues are a little beyond the scope of our program but you can still see a beautiful reproduction of Lewis & Clark's keel boat at Lewis & Clark State Park in Onawa, Iowa. Links to the builder's web page are provided above and on our Info page. In spite of what is often portrayed, the Expedition did not "sail" up the Missouri. The River in 1804 was nothing like it is today. It wound around aimlessly and was shallow and full of sand bars, snags and obstacles. Although the keel boat had a sail, the winding of the river made it almost impossible to catch a wind from a usable direction. The sail was more often used as an awning during councils and rest camps.

    More often the pirogues and the keel boat would be rowed or poled. Poling involved setting long heavy poles into the river bed and then, with the pole under your arm, walking toward the stern of the craft thereby driving it forward against the current. You can see the cleated gangways for this task in the accompanying photo. However, by far the most common mode of conveyance was cordelling which involved using a heavy rope attached to the mast that ran through a ring spliced to a cord on the bow of the boat. The majority of the crew would get into the river, grab hold of the rope, and literally drag the keel boat upriver, through snags and around and over sand  bars. Considering the payload of the craft was several tons, this was no small accomplishment. Working day after day in the water also explained why the men's clothing wore out so quickly and why so much time was spent making new apparel, especially moccasins.

    A good share of the cargo that the Expedition carried was meant as gifts for the Native American tribes Lewis & Clark would encounter along the way. Lewis' list of items to be given as peace offerings  contained orders for such items as sewing needles, fish hooks, mirrors, trade knives, magnifying glasses, bundles of woolen cloth and strings of beads. All of these items were intended to be used to impress the tribes with the American's wish to promote trade relations and peace among the nations and commerce with the Americans.

    In an attempt to promote feelings of goodwill among the tribes they encountered, the Expedition carried a limited number of "chief's bundles" which were to be given as gifts to the high ranking head men among the Native Americans. Many of the bundles contained a "Chief's Coat" which was designed after military style but was embellished in a number of ways to make the garments stand out and hopefully lend it's wearer a sense of kinship with their woolen clad visitors. On several occasions the coats caused unexpected tension when jealousy arose among the lesser chiefs over not having received  a bundle containing the gift coats.

   In addition to gifts and supplies, the Expedition had to carry facilities for building and repair. This would require a blacksmith, carpenter, coopers and members of various trades in addition to all of the  necessary tools of those trades if the explorers were to overcome any eventuality on their journey. Lead for musket balls, iron for repairing firearms, woodworking tools, powder and primer all had to be hauled thousands of miles upriver. A forge was a necessity on any military campaign. It was well worth their trouble as it was, on a number of occasions, their salvation. Once, during the winter of 1804/05 it saved the party from starvation thanks to the ingenuity of their blacksmith Private Shields who manufactured tomahawks to trade for food.

    Daily life for the explorers was lived in the open, exposed to the elements, but when they were required to stay two or more days they would pitch camp which consisted of canvas awnings and 7 foot wedge tents that were 7 feet wide and as deep. Each tent would shelter six men. This could be a blessing in the winter because each soldier was issued only one blanket. A single person in a wool blanket could not survive some of the colder nights but six men on two blankets with the remaining four covering them would be able to stay warm.

    Even though the tents are untreated canvas they are still surprisingly water resistant. The weave of the canvas tends to swell when it gets wet thus helping to prevent leaking. At other times it was just more comfortable or convenient to sleep in the open. There are numerous references in the journals to the men laying down after the evening meal  and falling asleep. This was often done in the pouring rain. By the time the  Expedition reached the Pacific Ocean the tents were in tatters and  Clark lamented their pitiable state in his journal. Though the Corps volunteer reenactors live in these tents during our Living History Encampments, we do have a luxury that the Expedition members didn't have. We can sleep one or two to a tent.

    Discovery Corps endeavors to present as accurate a presentation of the Lewis & Clark Expedition as possible. Through individual and group research we are constantly  striving to improve the quality of the educational experience we offer. What visitors see and hear when in an encampment may help them to comprehend the magnitude of the accomplishments achieved by all that were involved in the mission. You are invited to join us in the summer of 1804 and learn  what made it one of the most fascinating periods in the history of our nation. Discovery Corps invites you to experience the life of Lewis & Clark and the Corps of Discovery!