Seaman's Fate --- Pompey's Baptism --- Caspar Wistar The Official Publication of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, lnc. February 2000 Volume 26, No. 1 CHARBONNEAU RECONSIDERED Bumbling incompetent or valued member of the expedition? 4 The Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, Inc. P.O. Box 3434, Great Falls, MT 59403 Ph: 406-454-1234 or 1-888-701-3434 Fax: 406-771-9237 www.lewisandclark.org M ission Statement The mission of the Lewis and Clark Trail H eritage Foundation, Inc. is to stimulate public appreciation of the Lewis and Clark Expedition's contributions to America's heritage and to support education, research, development, and preservation of the Lewis and Clark experience. Officers Active Past Presidents Directo rs at large President David Borlaug Beverly Hinds C indy O rlando Washburn, North Dakota Sioux City, Iowa 1849 "C" St., N .W. Washington, DC 20240 Robert K. Doerk, Jr. James H olmberg Fort Benton, Montana Louisville, Kentucky President-Elect Barbara Kubik James R. Fazio Ron Laycock 10808 N.E. 27th Court Moscow, Idaho Benson, Minnesota Vancouver, WA 98686 Robert E. Gatten, Jr. Larry Epstein Vice-President Greensboro, North Carolina C ut Bank, Montana Jane Henley 1564 Heathrow Drive H. John Montague Dark Rain Thom Keswick, VA 22947 Portland, Oregon Bloomington, Indiana Secretary Clyde G. "Sid" Huggins Joe Mussulman Ludd Trozpek Mandeville, Louisiana Lolo, Montana 41 41 Via Padova C laremont, CA 9171 1 Donald F. Nell Robert Shattuck Bozeman, Montana Grass Valley, California Treasurer Jerry Garrett James M. Peterson Jane SchmoyerWeber 10174 Sakura Drive Vermillion, South Dakota Great Falls, Montana St. Louis, MO 651 28 William P. Sherman Frank Muhly Immediate Past President Portland, Oregon Philadelphia, Pennsylvania David Borlaug Washburn, ND 58577 L. Edwin Wang Minneapolis, Minnesota Executive Director Sammye Meadows Wilbur P. Werner Mesa, Arizona Stuart E. Knapp Bozeman, Montana Incorporated in 1969 under Missouri General NotForProfit Corporation Act. IRS Exemption Certificate No. 501(c)3, Identification N o. 5101877 15. Contents From the Publications Committee: Changes for WPO 2 From the Directors: Looking back - and ahead 3 From the Bicentennial Council: "Prepared for action" 3 A Lewis and Clark revival: Tourists descend on trail 4 Briefings: stolen medals, Camp Dubois, call for nominations 5 Passages: Blair Chicoine, Lillian Ruth Colter Frick 6 Seaman's Fate? 7 Lewis's dog probably survived him ByJ ames J. Holmberg Pompey, p. 10 Pompey's Baptism 10 The christening of Jean Baptiste Charbonneau ByBo b Moore Charbonneau Reconsidered 18 A revisionist look at the Corps's interpreter By Rita Cleary Bone Man 22 Lewis's mentor Caspar Wistar By Nancy M. Davis In Review 26 Charbonneau, p. 18 Passage of Discovery; The Meriwether Lewis Murder; HerbariumJournal of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Chapter News & Miscellany 33 L&C at the Great Divide; library goals; Weir collection on display; classifieds Soundings 36 The Mythic Lewis and Clark By Bob Moore On the cover This aquatint by Swiss artist Karl Bodmer depicts a meeting between the Minncrarees and Prince Maximilian de Wied at Fork Clark in 1833. The gesturing interpreter is probably Toussaint Charbonneau, the subject of our story beginning on page 18. Courtesy the Joslyn A rt Museum, Omah a, Nebraska. Herbarium, p. 30 From the Publications Committee "Drive On": Changes for WPO he twentieth century has to pull himself away from his fly fish­ Volume 26, Number 1 f' I drawn to a close, and not ing and writing projects to attend fu­ We Proceeded On is the official publication of . ~ only a new century, but a new ture annual meetings. We all hope to the Lewis and Clark Heritage Founda­ q; Trail C millennium, h as daw ned . The see him there or along the trail. tion, Inc. Its name derives froll;l a phrase that appears repeatedly in the collective journals world did not screech to a halt on The person who w ill be guiding of the expedition. January 1, 2000. No doubt being pre­ WPO into the new century and toward E.G. Chuinard, M.D., Founder pared for the anticipated needs and the bicentennial is Jim Merritt. Jim bas ISSN 02275-6706 demands of the new century and mil­ one career in editing and publishing Editor lennium helped smooth our transition behind him. Having recently taken J. 1. Me~ritt ,. ·~ ··i p ast this milestone. early retirement from Princeton Uni­ 51 N. Main Srreec '·,,,,, In just a few years another milestone versity as editor of its alumni maga­ Pennington, NJ OS534 of sorts will be reached- the two-hun­ zine, this nineteen-year member of the 609·818-0168 [email protected] dredth anniversary of the greatest ex­ Foundation answered the call to be­ Art Direction · ploring venture in the history of the come ou r publications editor. Jim Margaret Davis Design United States. The 2003-to-2006 bicen­ brings y ears of experience, many Princeton, New Je:sey tennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedi­ ideas, and enthusiasm to a growing Printed by Advanced,,Li}ko Printing tion presents the Lewis and Clark Trail job. That ability and experience is Great Falls, Montana • ,, apparent in this issue of WPO. Changes ·.$. Heritage Foundation with both oppor­ ·l, ·~ ':.; -~· tunities and responsibilities. We un­ are being made in the design of the doubtedly w ill play a major role in magazine. Other changes will be no­ :;;·. commemorating the bicentennial. The ticed in future issues. Not only is Jim Foundation will be a leader, with liter­ editing WPO, but he will be involved in ally millions of people looking to it for an increasingly active publications pro­ information and guidance. A major fo­ gram. Supplemental publications, re­ cal point of all that attention will be We prints of out-of-print Lewis and Clark­ Proceeded On. In many ways it is, and related books, and new publications will continue to be, our standard-bearer. will all be part of the Foundation's mis­ Thousands, perhaps millions, will judge sion as we head toward, into, and be­ us based on it. Therefore, it is impera­ yond the bicentennial. tive that we be prepared- just as the We all have the same goal for the Corps of Discovery was prepared two Foundation. We want to make it a vi­ hundred years ago-to accomplish our tal part in telling and commemorating m1ss1on. the Lewis and Clark saga. It is a re­ To that end changes are being made sponsibility we must shoulder, as well concerning WPO. The most important as an opportunity we must seize. change is in the position of editor. To Marty Erickson took We Proceeded meet current and anticipated demands, On through the home stretch of the the position has been expanded to that twentieth century, and for this we of publications editor and further thank him. Jim Merritt will take WPO professionalized. After nine years at and the Foundation's publications to­ the helm of wro, Marty Erickson is ward the bicentennial and into the stepping down. Marty will be missed. twenty-first century. One of William His folksy style and relaxed manner Clark's favorite expressions concern­ endeared him to many. His humor and ing the fortunes of his family and good nature made him a popular fig­ friends was "drive on." May we all­ ure at annual meetings. Marty deserves Marty, Jim, the Foundation, and the a share of the credit in helping to make commemoration of the Lewis and Lewis and Clark the national phenom­ Clark experience- "drive on" in good ena it is becoming. H e reflected in his fortune and success in this new year, November column that his time as edi­ new century, and new millennium. tor was an adventure, and indeed it -James J. Holmberg was. It is hoped that Marty will be able Chairman 2 - We Proceeded On February 2000 From the Directors Looking hack-and ahead ,,. ·write this as January, the first Article Project series and The Mystery tion on your accomplishments for the month of the new year, ap­ of Lost Trail Pass. past year, and look forward with us to proaches. The month was • The film project Who Was York?, the new year and its promise of new 1 named for Janus, the Roman god produced by filmmaker Ron Craig. discoveries and adventures. of gates, doors, and new beginnings. Ja- Traditionally, the new year was a time "Proceed On." nus was a god with two faces, one to remember friends and family, and -Cynthia Orlando looking backward, to the past, and one to say thank you to all. So, on behalf of President looking forward, to the future. It is the Foundation, here are my thanks to: an auspicious name that beckons us to • Each of our members. You have gen­ look back. in reflection over the past erously supported the Foundation's From the Bicentennial Council forty years. We can take great pride end eavors with your time, money, in our significant accomplishments as scholarship, and interest. an organization, evolving from the • Marty Erickson, our longtime edi­ "Prepared for action" dreams and vision of our Foundation tor of WPO. Marty leaves us for new ad­ elders, and before them, the courage ventures and trails. ~'Ji he National Lewis and of the Corps of Volunteers for • Megan Smith, our membership di­ f_ I Clark Bicentennial Council is Northwest Discovery. Today we look rector. Megan leaves us to follow her C honored to share our greetings forward to n ew beginnings, n ew husband, Captain Kevin Smith, to of the season and best wishes for all plans, an d n ew dreams in the new Winnipeg. Megan and the Captain are of our Foundation friends and associ­ century.