Who kept the journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition?

Over time, historians have debated this question. While many members of the Corps of Discovery may have written notes or kept informal records, we know for certain that five men documented their experiences in journals that were later published:

• Sergeant Patrick Gass

• Sergeant Charles Floyd (until his death on August 20, 1804)

• Sergeant John Ordway

• Private Joseph Whitehouse

• And, of course, Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark

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Their words have become the foundation for nearly everything we know about the expedition’s daily life. Through their eyes—and their pens—we glimpse the hardships, routines, encounters, and sheer wonder of journeying into the uncharted American West.

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Not every man wrote everyday.

But on some days, like July 31, 1804, near present-day Omaha, all the journal keepers left behind a record. Their combined observations form a mosaic of voices—each perspective unique, each entry adding depth to the day's story.

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July 31, 1804 — Near Present-Day Omaha

Captain Clark
📖 “a fair day, hunter out this morning, G. Drewyer killed a verry fat Buck one inch fat on the ribs. R and Jo Fields returned at 10 oclok they killed 3 deer, and lost the horses… Cought a small beever which is already taim… The Ottoes not yet arrived… Musqueters verry troubleson.”

Captain Lewis
📖 “Camp at Council Bluffs, Larboard shore. Observed Meridian Altd. Of 0’s L.L. with Octant by the back observtn. 51 degrees, Latitude deduced from this obsertn. 41.18’ 1.5”

Sergeant Ordway
📖 “Pleasant and cool this morning. Jo Fields did not return with the horses last night… George Drewyer killed a fat Buck… caught a young Beaver in a trap last night which he keep in order to tame… Sergenat Floyd has been Sick Several days but now is Gittin Some better… The Missour is verry crooked… we expected the Zotteau nation of Indians to day… but they did not come.”

Sergeant Floyd
📖 “we Lay By for to See the Indianes who we expect Hear to See the Captains. I am verry Sick and Has ben for Somtime but have Recoverd my helth again… this place is Called Council Bluff…”

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Private Gass
📖 “One of our men… found a young beaver… brought it in alive… went out again and killed a large buck… Two other hunters came in… had killed two deer; but lost the horses… supposed they had been stolen by the Indians.”

Private Whitehouse
📖 “the Morning was Clear… G. Dreuier Catched a young beavour kept him for a pet… Joseph fields, and his brother lost the horses when the went to bring whome a deer…”

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Each voice offers a distinct angle on the same unfolding day: a lost horse, a caught beaver, illness, expectation, and the ever-present rhythm of the Missouri River. Together, these entries reveal not just the logistics of travel, but the personality and pulse of the expedition.
 

This is why historians and scholars still search for additional journals—perhaps written by Sergeant Pryor, Private Willard, Private Shannon, and others known to be literate. Each undiscovered page could add more color and clarity to the living story of the Corps of Discovery.

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