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After leaving the Ricara villages, the men were possessed by an ardent
longing to get home; and the Missouri, as though it had learned to know
and respect and love them, and could appreciate their ardor, lent them
its best aid. Upon the swift current, and under pleasant skies, the
boats flew onward. Seventy-five or eighty miles a day was a common
achievement; but even that progress did not keep pace with the speed of
their desires. There was nothing more to be accomplished, no reason for
lingering by the way; and there was nothing to be guarded against,
except possible trouble with the Tetons. As the boats passed through
their country, these people appeared in large numbers upon the banks,
shouting invitations to land; but the officers felt safer in refusing
further intercourse. The Tetons were obliged to content themselves with
trotting along upon the shore, keeping abreast of the boats as well as
they were able, crying out taunts and imprecations; and one, more
zealous in his passion, went to the top of a hill and struck the earth
three times with the butt of his gun,--the registration of a mighty
oath against the whites, long since abundantly fulfilled.
Occasionally there was a meeting with a trading party from St. Louis or
elsewhere, with brief exchange of news and gossip; but they were
growing too eager for loitering. On the 9th of September they passed
the mouth of the Platte; and on the 12th they met one of their own men
who had been sent back with the batteau from Fort Mandan, in April,
1805. This man was now returning to the Ricaras, with a message from
President Jefferson, and an independent mission to instruct the Ricaras
in methods of agriculture. A few days later they met with one Captain
McClellan, an old acquaintance of Captain Clark, who told them that the
people of the United States had generally given them up for lost,
though the President still entertained hopes of their return.
"September 20th.... As we moved along rapidly we saw on the banks some
cows feeding, and the whole party almost involuntarily raised a shout
of joy at seeing this image of civilization and domestic life. Soon
after we reached the little French village of La Charette, which we
saluted with a discharge of four guns and three hearty cheers. We
landed, and were received with kindness by the inhabitants.... They
were all equally surprised and pleased at our arrival, for they had
long since abandoned all hopes of ever seeing us return."
The next day they came to the village of St. Charles; and on the 22d
they stopped at a cantonment of United States soldiery, three miles
above the mouth of the Missouri, where they passed the day. The
concluding paragraphs of the journals must be quoted literally from
Captain Clark:--
"September 23rd. Took an early brackfast with Colo Hunt and set out,
descended to the Mississippi and down that river to St. Louis at which
place we arived about 12 o'clock. We suffered the party to fire off
their pieces as a Salute to the Town. We were met by all the village
and received a harty welcom from its inhabitants &c here I found my old
acquaintance Maj W. Christy who had settled in this town in a public
line as a Tavern Keeper. He furnished us with storeroom for our baggage
and we accepted of the invitation of Mr. Peter Choteau and took a room
in his house. We payed a friendly visit to Mr. Auguste Choteau and some
of our old friends this evening. As the post had departed from St.
Louis Capt. Lewis wrote a note to Mr. Hay in Kahoka to detain the post
at that place until 12 tomorrow which was rather later than his usual
time of leaveing it.
"Wednesday 24th of September, 1806. I sleped but little last night
however we rose early and commenced wrighting our letters Capt. Lewis
wrote one to the presidend and I wrote Gov. Harrison and my friends in
Kentucky and sent off George Drewyer with those letters to Kohoka &
delivered them to Mr. Hays &c. We dined with Mr. Chotoux to day and
after dinner went to a store and purchased some clothes, which we gave
to a taylor and derected to be made. Capt. Lewis in opening his trunk
found all his papers wet and some seeds spoiled.
"Thursday 25th of Septr. 1806. had all our skins &c suned and stored
away in a storeroom of Mr. Caddy Choteau, payed some visits of form, to
the gentlemen of St. Louis, in the evening a dinner & Ball.
"Friday 26th of Septr. 1806. a fine morning we commenced wrighting,
&c."
That is the last word in the chronicles of the expedition,--modest,
unassuming, matter-of-fact--the word of one who had done a difficult
thing thoroughly and well, and who was at the end, as he had been
throughout, larger than the mere circumstances of his labor. His
companion was of the same stalwart stuff. It is hard to choose between
them in any essential detail of manhood. Nor were the officers much
exalted in temper above the men of their command. When we are
celebrating the heroes of our national life, every name upon the roster
of the Lewis and Clark Expedition deserves to be remembered.
* * * * *
In this brief narrative, we have just touched the hilltops of the
adventures of the expedition. Much of importance has been suggested
indirectly; much has been passed by altogether. Each day's work was
full of value and had a lasting significance.
One thing remains to be said. We must not forget that the undertaking
was not primarily one of adventure; it was an exploration, in the
broadest sense of the word. It was not the mere fact of getting across
the continent and back that gave the work its character, but the
observations that were made by the way. A book of this size would not
contain a bare catalogue of the deeds and discoveries of those
twenty-eight months; nor could any number of volumes do full justice to
their importance. Whoever reads the journals, from whatever point of
view, is amazed by what they reveal. Geographers, ethnologists,
botanists, geologists, Indian traders, and men of affairs, all are of
one mind upon this point. We must wait long before we find the work of
Lewis and Clark equaled.