Day two
Today we traveled
from near RMM 562 to RMM 811 currently camped at Gavins Point Dam near Yankton,
SD. This is the first dam of the Missouri
River. Today's route more closely follows the river banks than any other day of our travels.
Early today we
passed what they named Council Bluffs where they had their first council with
the local Indian tribes. Part of their
assignment was to council with the various tribes to ask for them to make peace
with other tribes as well as with white folks that will soon follow.
All tribes they
met along the way were amazed at the well trained, large, black dog of Capt.
Lewis, Seaman, and with Clark’s large, very strong, black man, York.
Capt. Lewis also
had an air rifle that he demonstrated which was a wonder to them. It didn’t make any noise yet sent a lead ball
capable of killing deer many yards away plus could rapid fire nearly 40 rounds
without needing new air. It had a
magazine that held 20 rounds but could replace that magazine with another
loaded one quickly. The entire stock was
an air container which was pumped up by a hand pump needing around 200 strokes
to obtain full pressure. Near the end of its charge I'm sure that the bullets would just dribble out the end of the barrel but he never demonstrated it that far so the Indians believed it to be a never empty rapid firing weapon.
Along our route today we passed Sioux City, IA where there is a monument to Sgt Floyd who was the only member of the troop to die on the whole trip and was burried here. It was in this area that he suffered a burst appendix for which they had no remedy.
Along our route today we passed Sioux City, IA where there is a monument to Sgt Floyd who was the only member of the troop to die on the whole trip and was burried here. It was in this area that he suffered a burst appendix for which they had no remedy.
the air gun
our path today
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