Lewis & Clark meet the grizzly bear

[Silver Bullet]

http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/899

It starts with being told by Indians before they started their trip about this gigantic bear they would see as they went west. 

"The Indians give a very formidable account of the strength and ferocity of this anamal, which they never dare to attack but in parties of six, eight or ten persons; and are even then frequently defeated with the loss of one or more of their party. "

Several harrowing encounters where the party would shoot repeatedly at a grizzly and just barely escape with their lives, in some cases diving into a river from an overhang to get away from it.

Towards the end:

"I find that the curiossity of our party is pretty well satisfied with rispect to this anamal, the formidable appearance of the male bear killed on the 5th added to the difficulty with which they die when even shot through the vital parts..."

[RoadKingLarry]

Anyone that has not read the journals of the Lewis and Clark expedition needs to do so. I'm pretty sure there are a couple of sources to download free PDF/Kindle versions of it.
Truly a awesome undertaking.

[JN01]

Clark shot one of the bears with his .36 caliber longrifle, no surprise that it didn’t drop the grizzly.

[Silver Bullet]

My favorite Lewis & Clark factoid is the preparations made by Thomas Jefferson to populate the expedition party.  He had a big to-do list consisting of various scientific data he wanted collected about the flora and fauna they would encounter along the trip.  He considered sending scientists, but decided they would not have the "right stuff" to endure and persist in a journey like this.  He decided it would be easier to take experienced woodsmen and military, and teach them the science needed, than try and teach academics the skills and mindsets to survive.

And THAT is why Jefferson is on the nickel and $2 bill.   

[Silver Bullet]

Truly a awesome undertaking

I've only read a little, but I'm surprised they survived some of the Indian encounters they had.  I think it was really fortuitous they brought along Sacagawea.

And THAT is why Sacagawea is on the $1 coin.   

[MechAg94]

Thanks for posting this.

[RoadKingLarry]

I've only read a little, but I'm surprised they survived some of the Indian encounters they had.  I think it was really fortuitous they brought along Sacagawea.

And THAT is why Sacagawea is on the $1 coin.   

Of serious note, the expedition lost only one member during the entire adventure. From descriptions of the symptoms it is believed that the man died from appendicitis.

[Andiron]

Can you imagine running into a griz, having only the roughest description of said creature and no frame of reference for them?  And then finding out your weapon just pisses it off?

Things are friggin' monstrous, and I've seen a dozen Discovery channel documentaries and all of the Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom.

I rate the the Louis and Clark expedition right up there with Shackleton's.  If you're into that,  Endurance is a fantastic read. 

https://www.amazon.com/Endurance-Shackletons-Incredible-Alfred-Lansing/dp/0465062881

[K Frame]

Stephen Ambrose wrote a really good book on the Lewis & Clark expedition. I don't recall specifically if the grizzly bear was talked about, but I'm sure that it was.

[Ben]

Stephen Ambrose wrote a really good book on the Lewis & Clark expedition. I don't recall specifically if the grizzly bear was talked about, but I'm sure that it was.

+1 on Ambrose's book. I have both it and the expedition chronicles (free at Gutenburg in multiple formats). I haven't read either in a long while, but I recall Ambrose's was a more fluid read, though it left stuff out.

[K Frame]

Undaunted Courage. Had to go look it up. I still have my copy around here somewhere; I need to find it and read it again.

What I just found, and it's really interesting, is information on the kind of rifles that L&C carried on their expedition. Most commonly referenced is the Model 1803 Harper's Ferry rifle, but apparently new research is casting doubt on that as the Model 1803 rifles were still in testing and development.

Really good discussion here: http://lewis-clark.org/article/2356

[Chester32141]

I read that an early air rifle was included on Lewis and Clarks expedition … 

https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2016/12/13/lewis-and-clarks-girandoni-air-rifle/

[freakazoid]

I had read maybe half way through it many years ago. I remember picking it up when I went with dad to visit Devils Tower. I need to find it again and start over reading it.
The Endurance book is a really good read.

[MechAg94]

Stephen Ambrose wrote a really good book on the Lewis & Clark expedition. I don't recall specifically if the grizzly bear was talked about, but I'm sure that it was.

Thanks for the tip.  His D-Day book was pretty good.  Reading up on that expedition has come up in my mind before, I just never did it.  I have seen other stories reference it. 

[kgbsquirrel]

In summary: The tales of this Bear were greatly unexaggerated.