The explorers began their journey home from the mouth of the Columbia River, Astoria, Oregon on March 23, 1806. On July 3, after crossing the Continental Divide, the Corps split into two teams so Lewis could explore the Marias River. Lewis and Clark stayed separated until they reached the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers on August 11. Once reunited, the Corps was able to return home quickly via the Missouri River. They reached St. Louis on September 23, 1806.
1804
1492
The main exploratory trip up the Missouri began near St. Louis. Puristswill tell you that the expedition began when Lewis left Pittsburgh with supplies .
2000 BC
The party of nearly 30 --including Lewis and Clark, three sergeants, 22 enlisted men, volunteers, interpreters, and Clark's slave -- departed St. Louis in May 1804 heading up the Missouri River.
In the Lewis and Clark journals it does not state specifically at what time Lewis and Clark left St. Louis. However, most of the time Lewis preferred to leave in the early morning to travel as far as possible. But it had rained during the first half of the day, so it can be supposed that Lewis and Clark left perhaps around 10:00 am rather than their usual 7:00 or 8:00 am.
St. Louis Missouri
The Lewis and Clark expedition left Fort Clatsop on March 23, 1806.
no were your face rocky mountains
First of all, it was Meriwhether Lewis who was assigned to explore the West. Clark would offer to join up with the Discovery Corps weeks after Meriwether Lewis started his journey in Pittsburgh (yes, that's right, Pittsburgh, not St. Louis. Check out the related link to the Lewis and Clark Journals for that TRUE fact) And Lewis began his journey in 1803.
In 1804 Toussaint Charbonneau was interviewed to interpret Hidatsa for the Lewis and Clark expedition, but Lewis and Clark (esp. Clark) were not overly impressed with him. However, Sacagawea his wife spoke Shoshone and Hidatsa, so they hired Charbonneau on November 4, and he and Sacagawea moved into Fort Mandan a week later. Sacagawea was 16 or 17 at this time. She was with the Corps of Discovery until they arrived back in St. Louis on September 23, 1806.
Contrary to popular belief, the expedition DID NOT begin in St. Louis, Missouri. The first entry in the Lewis and Clark Expedition Journals state that the journey began in Pittsburgh, PA on August 30, 1803. Lewis, who had been assigned by Jefferson sailed down the Ohio River with supplies towards St. Louis.William Clark would offer to join Lewis on the expedition weeks later on October 13, 1803 at Camp Dubois (in present-day Indiana). They then named their team the "Corps of Discovery." From there, they sailed down the Ohio River towards St. Louis. Meriwether Lewis had spent the time prior to their departure in St. Louis gathering information from mountain men returning from the west. They then departed St. Louis in May 1804 heading up the Missouri River.If you don't believe that the expedition began in Pittsburgh, please check the related link below. It leads to a copy of the original Lewis and Clark Journals online. If you click the first entry, you will see that this is true.