I'm reading Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose.  It's interesting the historical events that this author ties to the expedition.  While the pair were on their trip Burr killed Hamilton in their duel and the US Navy was in the Meditrean fighting the Barbary Pirates.  I've read about both events seperately but never made those connections. Also interesing was that General James Wilkinson, commanding general of the US Army was a secret spy for the Spanish which resulted in four unsucessful attempts to make Lewis and Clark turn back or capture them during their trip. I recommend this book if you are looking for something to read. I've only been in the midwest a few years and I see the Lewis & Clark route signs frequently.

They could have been wiped out several times but women saved them.

In case you'd like to read more in their own words:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Journals-Lewis-Clark-Expedition/dp/0395859964

The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls, Montana is a neat visit to learn more about the expedition.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/lcnf/recarea/?recid=61458

Should be required reading for anyone interested in the formation of this country, if not for the sake of the story itself.

terrible bears...

Love the story of the L&C air rifle.  No one knows for sure why they carried it.  Magazine capacity of twenty two shots, semi auto.  Fired a .40 caliber projectile that weighed approx. 180 grains, at around 900 fps.  Does that ring a bell?  
Some think that it was used to intimidate the Indians.  Supposedly did demonstrations where they fired shots with the Indians watching.  Every wonder why they made it all the way to the west coast and back without getting wiped out?   Tale was that they told the Indians it was a magic rifle that fired without limit.  
Austrian invented.  Had a reservoir in the butt stock.  Extra butt stocks could be carried and exchanged with just a twist.  Amazing story about the guy who bought a original one,  and could not trace the history of it.  The L&C diary talks about it being damaged and repaired on the trip with a "spring from a file"?  A friend of the owner borrowed it to make a reproduction.  Called the owner later and showed him where he had found the repair.  Most likely the L&C rifle, but without the documentation, cannot be proved.
Great story.

Good stuff.  Undaunted Courage is a great book but it left me wanting more.  I downloaded the free kindle version of their journals but I haven't read them yet, and the editing in your version sound like it's worth a few extra bucks.  



 

Great book...led me to get the Journals also.  

Amazing story!

Neat!

Looking online, what a lot of folks seem to think is the actual rifle is in the collection of the Army War College.

http://beemans.net/lewis-assault-rifle.htm

Currently reading that book too, it was on sale at BAM! for $5.

Excellent read.

I read Undaunted Courage not long after it came out and have been fascinated by Lewis and Clark ever since.  A few years ago whilst traveling through northern Idaho into Montana, I took a little time to tread some of the same ground those guys did and it was quite a feeling to do it knowing what it took to get it done.  One of these days I'm going to Ft Clatsop to finish up going through the areas they explored.

Beeman thought his was the actual Lewis & Clark girandoni.  We don't know for sure though and there's a similar gun in the National Firearms Museum.  Best way to check is to remove the lock and see if the spring is made from a file.  We know their blacksmith had to make a replacement spring and he fabricated it from a file.

Not much else to add. A good book indeed. I am impressed by the amount of work it took to get the job done.  I have to think it was a lot more work than the journals indicate. Not knowing for sure what was ahead of them or if they would be welcome.  An amazing story.

Undaunted Courage is a great book,  my wife and I visited Fort Clastop on the way to visit the goonies house in Astoria, we stopped there because I had read that book.  I am really glad we did because it was really fun and super informative.  They have a cool museum and a replica of the small fort they built.  It was a rainy and cold day and we got a great tour from the ranger who was bored.  He taught us how to make a window with a deer hide.  It would be tough to survive but these guys were pros and did an amazing job on that journey. The Oregon coast in winter is no joke, that was real wilderness  and still is in some ways.  I certainly enjoyed it much more than the goonie house... my wife, well she is a goonie but she enjoyed the fort also.  Wine, micro beer, sausage and cheese plus camping along the west coast on a road trip from Yosimite to Astoria is a great way make or break a realtionship.  It made ours.

Good thread, I was just thinking about what to read this winter. Thanks.