Meriwether Lewis, EDC 1803

[Eager]

Meriwether Lewis, Co-Captain of the Corps of Discovery, on the plains of Dakota, 1803 EDC:

• Knife
• Pistol

• Lead ball
• Horn of powder
• Compass
• Rifle (~8 lbs.)
• Spontoon http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/revwar/image_gal/morrimg/spontoonmorr.html a 6 ft. staff with spear point. That includes a cross bar that serves as a rifle rest.

Source: I'm reading Stephan E. Ambrose's "Undaunted Courage" about the Lewis and Clark expedition. Many soldiers in the Corps carried tomahawks. Many guns, ball and powder. The gun and knife is the history of America. All the Indians they encountered wanted powder, ball and guns first and foremost, followed by whiskey. The 50 ft keelboat had a swivel mounted cannon at mid-ship that could throw a 1 lb. ball or grapeshot and two (fore and aft) swivel mounted Blunderbusses.

 

[Frag]

Do you know what size or style the knife was that he carried? Was it a bowie or more like a skinner?

 

[Eager]

No. He doesn't say. Not yet anyway. Probably like on of these http://www.mountaintoptradingco.com/knives_trade.asp
He does say that Lewis and the blacksmith they had started making tomahawk heads out of an old stove, to the specs the the Mandan indians liked as a war tomahawk. Lewis didn't think much of the design caling it too thin and long in the blade, too short in the handle and too light. But maybe the indians knew better. Ambrose also says that knives were so valued that Lewis gave permission to one solidier to return many miles back along the Missouri to retreive a knife he said he left there. he soldier then tried to dissert.