President’s Message Jane Randol Jackson Historic Trails & Communities 2011 Survey Results • Lewis• and Clark at the Falls of the• Ohio • Thomas Danisi Review Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation / www.lewisandclark.org November 2011 Volume 37, No. 4 Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation / www.lewisandclark.org May 2012 Volume 38, No. 2 THE SEARCH FOR CLARK’S ELUSIVE The Man Who Abandoned YELLOWSTONE CANOE CAMP Meriwether Lewis The nucleus of the Corps of Discovery, some of the famous Nine Young Men from Kentucky, leaving the Falls of the Ohio on October 26, 1803. Courtesy of the Falls of the Ohio Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Committee. Michael Haynes, www.mhaynesart.com David ThomasDouglas andJefferson, the Corps A Moose,of Discovery and “Easythe Theory and Expeditious of American Transport”: Degeneracy "Our Canoes on the River Rochejhone" by Charles Fritz, 19 inches by 16 inches, oil on board Horses of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Contents President’s Message: From the Great Falls of the Missouri to the Falls of the Ohio 2 Letters: The Location of Burning Bluffs 4 L&C Roundup: New LCTHF Executive Director; U.S. Supreme Court and Navigable Waters; L&C Art Kites; new Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in Washburn, North Dakota. 5 Trail Notes: Summary of 2011 Membership Survey 6 Clarkia, Douglas-Fir and Salal: David Douglas and the Corps of Discovery 8 How a young Scottish naturalist journeyed to America on the heels of Lewis and Clark expedition and deepened knowledge about the Pacific Northwest horticulture. By Jack Nisbet David Douglas, p. 9 Horses of the Lewis and Clark Expedition 13 Initially seen as unnecessary, horses soon became an essential part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. By A. G. Wesselius The Man Who Abandoned Meriwether Lewis 20 Major James Neelly, who reported Lewis’s death to President Thomas Jefferson on October 18, 1809, “I am sorry to say by suicide” has controlled the story of his death. But can the historical record rest on his account? By Tony L. Turnbow Review 32 Uncovering the Truth about Meriwether Lewis by Thomas Danisi. By Clay S. Jenkinson We Proceeded On, p. 15 Endnotes 36 Invitations to an Expedition, Nine Young Men from Kentucky, October 23, 1803: A few reasons why the Falls of the Ohio, the site of the 2012 annual meeting, was central to the Lewis and Clark story. By James H. Holmberg On the cover Capt. Meriwether Lewis by Michael Haynes Grinder’s Stand, p. 22 WPO_May12_PAGES_rev.indd 1 4/30/12 3:46 PM President’s Message From the Great Falls of the Missouri to the May 2012 • Volume 38, Number 2 WE PROCEEDED ON is the official publication Falls of the Ohio of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, Inc. Its name derives from n June 2, 1805, in present-day, future created an opportunity for a phrase that appears repeatedly in the collective journals of the expedition. © 2012 north-central Montana, the exploration. We are fortunate to have E. G. Chuinard, M.D., Founder Lewis and Clark Expedition members willing to provide input on ISSN 02275-6706 faced a defining moment when it the course we should take and then arrived at a fork in the Missouri cheerfully proceed on (see summary Editor and Designer Caroline Patterson, [email protected] River. The stream flowing from the of the 2011 member questionnaire in Eileen Chontos, Chontos Design, Inc. northwest was wide and muddy, this issue). This March, the Foundation Volunteer Proofreaders similar to the river they had ascended held its spring board meeting in Great H. Carl Camp • Jerry Garrett • J. I. Merritt for two thousand miles. A swifter, Falls, Montana. We renewed our clearer western branch flowed out of relationships with some of our friends Printed by Advanced Litho Great Falls, Mont. the mountains. The captains had not and partners, including the National known of this fork. They assumed the Park Service (especially the Lewis EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD western river was the true source; the and Clark National Historic Trail Jay H. Buckley Barb Kubik Provo, Utah Vancouver, Wash. rest of the party disagreed. led by Superintendent Mark Weekley H. Carl Camp Glen Lindeman The captains deliberated over their from Omaha, Nebraska), the USDA Omaha, Neb. Pullman, Wash. decision. To make a wrong choice Forest Service (especially Elizabeth Robert C. Carriker J. I. Merritt was unthinkable. It would Spokane, Wash. Pennington, N.J. use precious resources, delay Elizabeth Chew Robert Moore, Jr. Charlottesville, Virg. St. Louis, Mo. progress, demoralize the party, Carolyn Gilman Gary E. Moulton and thwart the expedition. St. Louis, Mo. Lincoln, Neb. Captain Meriwether Lewis James Holmberg Phillippa Newfield commented that “our Louisville, Ken. San Francisco, Calif. cogitating faculties [have] Wendy Raney Cascade, Mont. been busily employed Membership Information all day.” They sent search parties up both forks and had Membership in the Lewis and Clark Trail them return and report. The Heritage Foundation, Inc. is open to the public. Information and applications are inconclusive results prompted available by writing Membership Coordinator, the captains to examine it Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, themselves. Captain William P.O. Box 3434, Great Falls, MT 59403. Clark took a contingent of WE PROCEEDED ON, the quarterly magazine men 50 miles up the Missouri of the Foundation, is mailed to current members in February, May, August, and and noted its direction from November. Articles appearing in this journal the southwest. Lewis led a are abstracted and indexed in HISTORICAL larger reconnaissance group ABSTRACTS and AMERICA: HISTORY AND LIFE. that ascended the northern Annual Membership Categories: branch—which he named Jay H. Buckley at the Sherman breakfast in Great Falls, Mont. Student: $30 Maria’s River—about seventy Individual: $49 miles before he returned. Despite Casselli, director of the Lewis and Individual 3-Year: $133 field observations and reconnaissance, Clark Interpretive Center in Great Family/International: $65/$70 Trail Partner: $200 the proper course was still unclear. Falls), the Great Falls Honor Guard Heritage Club: $100 Nevertheless, the party indicated they (living history), and the Lewis and Explorer Club: $150 would cheerfully “follow us any wher Clark Foundation that supports the Jefferson Club: $250 we thought proper to direct.” Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. Discovery Club: $500 Lifetime: $995, $2,500 and $5,000 Just as choosing which branch of We also spent a delightful weekend the river created a difference of opinion with the Portage Route Chapter, The Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, Inc. is a tax-exempt nonprofit corporation. Individual among the members of the Lewis culminating in a breakfast honoring its membership dues are not tax deductible. The and Clark Expedition, so divergent former member William P. Sherman. portion of premium dues over $40 is tax deductible. thoughts about our Foundation’s Thank you, friends. 2 We Proceeded On May 2012 • WPO_May12_PAGES_rev.indd 2 4/30/12 3:46 PM President’s Message Like Lewis, who traveled ahead on Chapter for all of their preparations foot to the Great Falls of the Missouri, in hosting the event. Please join us and sent back the welcome information as we rediscover the stories and trail to the oncoming party to “settle in anew. Be sure to register before mid- their minds all further doubts as to June to receive the best rates at: http:// the Missouri,” we send back word lewisandclarkfallsoftheohio.com. of the strength and resiliency of our Highlights of the 44th annual organization and of the steadiness of meeting include: 1) eld trips to Lewis the course we are traveling together. and Clark sites and various Clark The board spent two hours reading homes in Indiana and Kentucky; 2) and discussing your responses and presentations by Joshua Bennett, Lee recommendations from the recent Alan Dugatkin, John Fisher, Carolyn member survey. From your input, Gilman, Jim Holmberg, Robert Owens, we decided to: 1) focus efforts on Albert Roberts, Bill Smith, Margaret direct bene ts to members, chapters, Wozniak, and myself; 3) living history partners, and the trail; 2) simplify encampment with the Discovery policies, procedures, and programs Expedition of Saint Charles; 4) camporee Available at Booksellers so they are clear and can be sustained for scouts and area youth and the Future Or Directly from the Publisher at through changes in leadership; 3) Explorers youth program; 5) excessive simplify by focusing on the basics: We amounts of food, friends and fun! We Or Call 877-462-8535 Proceeded On, annual and regional will also hear reports on the initial Thewww.FortMandan.com Dakota Institute Press meetings, trail stewardship and grants to $50,000 in grants given to 16 chapters chapters, chapter and member relations, in 12 states funded by the Lewis & empowered committees, living within Clark Trail Stewardship Endowment: our means, and fundraising. A National Council of the Lewis & We are pleased to announce the Clark Expedition Bicentennial Legacy hiring of our new executive director, Project that enables the Foundation to Lindy Hatcher, who will oversee the annually fund trail stewardship projects. trail stewardship grants to our chapters, The Bicentennial Trail Stewardship manage the office, and assist us in Advisory Committee will announce completing the above. We are grateful another round of grants to chapters and to Don Peterson, Cathie Erickson partners for trail stewardship projects and others who have continued to and will oversee trail stewardship help the of ce run smoothly during training at the annual meeting. the transition. We also are elated to Consider inviting a friend or family announce our new president-elect, Dan member to come along. Hand out some Sturdevant of Kansas City, who replaces of our new LCTHF brochures to your Bob Gatten, who reluctantly resigned acquaintances and local businesses (call due to unavoidable family concerns.