StL Surveyor

2 days ago

October 26, 1803.
Into The "Wilderness".
Photo: Kentucky Gazette, 1803.

The expedition leaves the Falls of the Ohio bound for Fort Massac near the mouth of the Ohio. CLARK'S brother, JONATHAN, joins them for a short distance. Fellow traveler THOMAS RODNEY says there is “nothing but wilderness on both sides of the river.”

LOUISVILLE, October 29
Kentucky Gazette
Capt. CLARK and Mr. LEWIS left this place on Wednesday last, on the expedition to the Westward. We have not been enabled to ascertain what length this rout will extend, as when it was first set on foot by the President, the Louisiana country was not ceded to the United States, and it is likely it will be considerably extended—they are to receive further instructions at Kahokia. It is, however, certain that they will ascend the main branch of the Mississippi, as far as possible: and it is probable they will then direct their course to the Missouri, and ascend it. They have the iron frame of a boat, intended to be covered with skins, which can, by screws, be formed into one or four, as may best suit their purposes. About 60 men will compose the party."

#surveyorsunited #SurveyorsHistoricalSociety #MissouriSocietyOfProfessionalSurveyors #landsurveyorsunited #LifeOfASurveyor ... See MoreSee Less

StL Surveyor

5 days ago

October 23rd, 1803.
Young Men From Kentucky.
Photo: Young Recruit From Kentucky by Michael Haynes. © Michael Haynes, www.mhaynesart.com. Used with permission.
This soldier wears a tan coatee and blue overalls as described in Outfitting the Expedition. He carries a model 1792 Springfield (see Muskets and Rifles).

BIDDLE'S NINE YOUNG MEN
NICHOLAS BIDDLE in his paraphrase of the expedition journals, coined a phrase still applied to CLARK's Kentucky recruits:

"The party consisted of nine young men from Kentucky, fourteen soldiers of the United States army who volunteered their services, two French watermen—an interpreter and hunter—and a black servant belonging to captain Clarke—All these, except the last were enlisted to serve as privates during the expedition, and three sergeants appointed from amongst them by the captains. In addition to these were engaged a corporal and six soldiers, and nine watermen to accompany the expedition as far as the Mandan nation, in order to assist in carrying the stores, or repel1ing an attack which was most to be apprehended between Wood river and that tribe.
—NICHOLAS BIDDLE"

Today, many count YORK as the tenth young man from Kentucky. He was, however, too old to be considered young.

#MissouriSocietyOfProfessionalSurveyors #SurveyorsHistoricalSociety #LifeOfASurveyor #landsurveyorsunited #surveyorsunited ... See MoreSee Less

StL Surveyor

6 days ago

October 22nd, 1803.
Louisville, Kentucky.
Photo: Louisville today.

At the Falls of the Ohio, CLARK and LEWIS are recruiting soldiers and preparing to leave for St. Louis. Other travelers give their impressions of the Louisville and Clarksville area.

In Washington City, PRESIDENT JEFFERSON asks the House of Representatives to ratify the Louisiana Purchase treaty.

"I had thought Cincinnati one of the most beautiful towns I had seen in America, but Louisville, which is almost as large, equals it in beauty, and in the opinion of many excels it.
—Fortescue Cuming (1810)"

EPSY'S SICKLY TOWN
Two years after LEWIS and CLARK left Louisville, JOSIAH EPSY regarded Louisville as yet another “sickly” Ohio River settlement.

"[O]n account of prevalence of the fever and ague during the autumnal months, it [Louisville] has not risen to that wealth and population which might have been expected . . . . [I]t is to be presumed that its great natural advantages will finally get the better of the prejudices now existing against it on account of its being so sickly, and that it will yet at no very distant day become a great and flourishing town.
—JOSIAH EPSY (1805)."

#SurveyorsHistoricalSociety #surveyorsunited #landsurveyorsunited #LifeOfASurveyor #MissouriSocietyOfProfessionalSurveyors ... See MoreSee Less

StL Surveyor

1 week ago

October 21st, 1803.
Louisville Viewscape.
Photo: George Rogers Clark Cabing by Steve Ludeman. © 2023 by Steve Ludeman, www.steveludemanfineart.com. Used by permission.

The cabin of GEORGE ROGERS CLARK, CLARK'S older brother and hero of the Revolutionary War, was built in the area that would become Clarksville, Indiana. LEWIS and CLARK spent two weeks in the area where YORK and Seven Young Men from Kentucky joined the expedition.

#SurveyorsUnited #surveyorshistoricalsociety #missourisocietyofprofessionalsurveyors #lifeofasurveyor #landsurveyorsunited ... See MoreSee Less

StL Surveyor

1 week ago

IPLSA offers scholarships and awards for students, surveyors and other individuals in the surveying profession. Below is a listing and brief purpose of each scholarship. To review the full requirements, please visit the links below. Scholarship submissions are evaluated by a committee of Professional Land Surveyors. Scholarships are presented at the IPLSA Annual Conference, held in February of each year. All checks are sent directly to the college or university for application to student accounts.

Find out more here: www.iplsa.org/scholarships.html ... See MoreSee Less

StL Surveyor

2 weeks ago

October 17th, 1803.
Wine With Col. Rodney.
Photo: The Clark's Home in Jefferson County, Kentucky. Colorized from an original image courtesy the Filson Historical Society, Louisville.
The Clark home known as “Mulberry Hill,” built under the supervision of Jonathan and George, William’s older brothers in 1783-84, by slaves who included Old York, the father of William Clark’s personal slave, who was also called York. The rest of the Clark family, including 14-year-old William, arrived here in March 1785. In 1799, William inherited the house from his father, and in 1803 sold it to Jonathan. It remained in the Clark family until its collapse in the early 1900s. This photo was taken about 1890.

VISITING COLONEL RODNEY
In the evening CAPTAIN LEWIS and his companion CAPTAIN CLARK, son of GENERAL CLARK, called at our boat to see us and took a glass of wine with us and bid us adieu. They do not go off till next week, yet as they have a better boat and will be strong handed they expect to overtake us tho we shall set off tomorrow.
—THOMAS RODNEY (17 October 1803)

In fact, LEWIS and CLARK would not overtake RODNEY'S batteaux. RODNEY turned down the Mississippi on 9 November, and LEWIS and CLARK arrived at Fort Massac—a few miles upstream from the Mississippi—on 11 November 1803.

OLD GENERAL CLARK
RODNEY'S assumption that GENERAL GEORGE ROGERS CLARK was the father—rather than the older brother—of WILLIAM (see above), can be understood in the context of this 1805 description of the older brother:

GENERAL CLARK has now become frail and rather helpless, but there, are the remains of great dignity and manliness in his countenance, person and deportment, and I was struck on seeing him with (perhaps) a fancied likeness to the great and immortal WASHINGTON.
—JOSIAH EPSY (1805)

#landsurveyorsunited #LifeOfASurveyor #SurveyorsHistoricalSociety #MissouriSocietyOfProfessionalSurveyors #surveyorsunited ... See MoreSee Less