CHASED BY A GRIZZLY BEAR
May 14, 1805
Captain Meriwether Lewis
... the bear pursued and had very nearly overtaken them before they
reached the river; ... in this manner he pursued two of them seperately
so close that they were obliged to throw aside their guns and pouches
and throw themselves into the river altho' the bank was nearly twenty
feet perpendicular; so enraged was this anamal that he plunged into
the river only a few feet behind the second man he had compelled
[to] take refuge in the water, when one of those who still remained
on shore shot him through the head and finally killed him; ... they
found eight balls had passed through him in different directions;
Sergeant Patrick Gass
About 4 in the afternoon we passed another small river on the South
side near the mouth of which some of the men discovered a large
brown bear, and six of them went out to kill it. They fired at it;
but having only wounded it, it made battle and was near seizing
some of them, but they all fortunately escaped, and at length succeeded
in dispatching it. These bears are very bold and ferocious; and
very large and powerful. The natives say they have killed a number
of their brave men.
(Note: Private Gass' journal was the first to be published after
the expedition in 1807. It was not until 1814 that the Captains'
journals were published in abridged form. Because people were eager
to read about the expedition, Gass' journal was very popular. Gass
was not highly educated, so his journal was edited by a schoolteacher
before publication. That is why the grammar and spelling are so
much improved over the other men's journals. Gass himself would
never have spoken this way.)
Sergeant John Ordway
... abt 4 oClock the men in the canoes Saw a large brown bear on
the hills on S. S. 6 men went out to kill it. they fired at it and
wounded it. it chased 2 of them into a canoe, and another into the
River and they Steady fireing at him. after Shooting eight balls
in his body Some of them through the lites [lungs], he took the
River and was near catching the Man he chased in, but he went up
against the Stream and the bear being wounded could not git to him.
one of the hunters Shot him in the head which killed him dead.
Private Joseph Whitehouse
... at 5 oC. we Saw a verry large brown bear on the hills on S.
S. Six men went from the cannoes to kill him they fired at him and
only wounded him he took after them and chased 2 men in to a cannoe.
they Shoved off in the River and fired at him Some of the men on
Shore wounded him worse he then chased one man down a Steep bank
in to the River and was near gitting hold of him, but he kept up
Stream So that the bear could not git up to him. one of the men
on Shore Shot the bear in the head, which killed him dead after
having nine balls Shot in him. we got him to Shore and butchered
him. his feet was nine Inches across the ball, and 13 in length,
... his nales was Seven Inches long &c. ...
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