A Near Miss Shot on the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Airgun similar to the one the Lewis and Clark Expedition used.

Have you ever avoided an accident through sheer dumb luck? Sometimes the difference between tragedy and a near miss comes down to luck and a few mere inches. Usually it’s best to avoid these situations altogether. Meriwether Lewis narrowly avoided a tragedy just as the Lewis and Clark Expedition left Pittsburgh. Had Lady Luck been less generous, the expedition might have looked very different.

Just after departing Pittsburgh with new boats and supplies for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Lewis went ashore for a short break. He wrote of the occasion:

August 30, 1803

Left Pittsburgh this day at 11 ock with a party of 11 hands 7 of which are soldiers, a pilot and three young men on trial they having proposed to go with me throughout the voyage. Arrived at Bruno's Island 3 miles below halted a few minutes. went on shore and being invited on by some of the gentlemen present to try my airgun which I had purchased brought it on shore charged it and fired myself seven times fifty five yards with pretty good success; after which a Mr. Blaze Cenas being unacquainted with the management of the gun suffered her to discharge herself accedentaly the ball passed through the hat of a woman about 40 yards distanc cuting her temple about the fourth of the diameter of the ball; shee fell instantly and the blood gusing from her temple we were all in the greatest consternation supposed she was dead by but in a minute she revived to our enespressable satisfaction, and by examination we found the wound by no means mortal or even dangerous; called the hands aboard and proceeded to a ripple of McKee's rock…

Meriwether Lewis avoided tragedy by mere inches. Had the bullet struck any closer to the woman’s head the wound would likely been fatal. The ensuing consequences might have derailed the Lewis and Clark Expedition right at the beginning. Sometimes accidents happen that we have no control over, but there are usually ways to avoid dangerous situations in the first place. How might Meriwether Lewis have handled his above experience differently? How can we avoid dangerous situations in our own lives?