[ Lewis and Clark / The Journals of Lewis and Clark ]
Seaman is mentioned many times in several of the journals kept by expedition members, primarily William Clark and Meriwether Lewis; the entries below constitute all the mentions of Seaman (who was for over a century believed to be named "Scannon," due to misreading of the handwritten originals) in the journals from the expedition proper. For a few mentions of Seaman in Lewis' pre-expedition journal, which inform us as to the breed and purchase price of Seaman, click here.
Six members of the expedition besides Lewis and Clark kept journals; of those, Seaman is referred to in only two others. One is the journal kept by Sgt. Charles Floyd, whose journal runs from 13 March 1804 until 18 August 1804, the day before he died (probably of a ruptured appendix). His journal proper never mentions Seaman, although a scrap of paper — it appears to be all that remains of a page that was torn out of the journal, prior to what is now the first page — contains the following cryptic reference (I am quoting here from an email sent to me by Michael Edmonds, the head of the Digital Collections & Web Services of the Library-Archives Division of the Wisconsin Historical Society, which owns Sgt. Floyd's journal; in response to my query, Mr. Edmonds and his colleagues graciously removed the journal from its display case so he could examine the fragment personally): " 'our dog and 2 miles island [could be: 'inland'] on the in the', the last four words being crossed out by Floyd. Beneath them I could make out the sole word 'the' entirely out of any context."
The other member of the Corp who mentioned Seaman is Sergeant John Ordway, whose entries referencing the dog are included below. In all cases, the frequent (and often quirky) misspellings of the journal keepers are retained.
There are, it may be noted, many other references to (other) dogs in the journals; the Corp often came across dogs belonging to the Native Americans they encountered, many of whom kept dogs for food. Members of the expedition purchased dogs a number of times from Native Americans to use for food — at one point [Oct. 18, 1805] buying 40 dogs for this purpose — eating the dog meat either cooked or dried as pemmican; Lewis reports he came to prefer it to venison, though Clark never learned to like it (he reports in a journal entry of October 1805, in the Rocky Mountains, that their food stores are low and the other members of the expedition have the advantage of him because they will eat dog meat.)
The first indirect reference to Seaman is in Clark's journal entry for Wednesday, July 4, 1804, at the end of a list of all personnel in the Corps of Discovery:
. . . . in all 46 men July 4th 4 horses & a Dog
This following entry contains the only direct reference to the name of Lewis' dog in either of the Captains' journals, although both Lewis and Clark mention "Seaman's Creek" (without relating that name to the dog) in later entries. Sargeant John Ordway's journal refers to Seaman by name several times.
[Clark] July the 5th 1804
Set out verry early this morning, Swam the horse across the river, proceeded on for two miles under the bank where the old Kansas town formerly stood . . . . passed Some verry bad Sand bars Situated parrelel to each other, the Boat turned three times once on the [ ] of a Drift wood. She recved no proceiviable damage, we came to for Dinner at a Beever house, Cap Lewis's Dog Seamon went in & drove them out.
[Ordway] Saturday July 14th 1804
Some hard Showers of rain accompanied with some wind which detained us untill about 7 oClock, we then Set out and proceeded on about a mile . . . . passed a handsome Sand beach on the South Side, where we Saw three large Elk the first wild ones I ever Saw. Capt. Clark & drewyer Shot at them, but the distance was too long, they Ran or trotted in to the River and Seamon Swam across after them, we proceeded on
[Clark] Augt. 25th Satturday 1804
This morning Capt Lewis & my Self G D. Sjt. Ouderway Shields J. Fields colter Bratten Cane Labeeche corp Wovington Frasure & York Set out to Visit this mountain of evel Spirits, we Set out from the mouth of the White Stone Creek, at 8 oClock, at 4 miles Cross the Creek in an open plain, at 7 ms. the dog gave out & we Sent him back to the Creek
[ Clark made a second entry on this day: ]
we left the river at 8 oClock, at 4 miles we Crossed the Creek 23 yards wide in an extensive Valley and continued on at two miles further our Dog was So Heeted & fatigued we was obliged Send him back to the Creek
Almost 8 months pass before the next reference to Seaman in any of the journals:
[Ordway] Thursday 18th April 1805
a clear pleasant morning. we Set off eairly.... The wind rose so high that we could not go with the cannoes without filling them with water. detained us about 3 hours. one man killed another goose Seamon b. out we then proceeded on.
[Lewis] Monday April 22nd 1805
walking on shore this evening I met with a buffaloe calf which attatched itself to me and continued to follow close at my heels untill I embarked and left it. it appeared allarmed at my dog which was probably the cause of it's so readily attatching itself to me.
[Lewis] Thursday April 25th 1805.
The wind was more moderate this morning, tho still hard; we set out at an early hour. the water friezed on the oars this morning as the men rowed. about 10 oclock A.M. the wind began to blow so violently that we were obliged to lye too. my dog had been absent during the last night, and I was fearfull we had lost him altogether, however, much to my satisfaction he joined us at 8 Oclock this morning.
[Ordway] Friday 26th April 1805
a Clear pleasant morning. Capt. Lewis Sent one man about 6 miles up the River Roshjone to See what discoveries he could make. one man killed a Goose another killed a buffaloe cow & calf. Saw a flock of Goats Swimming the river this morning near to our Camp. Capt. Lewises dog Seamon took after them caught one in the River. Drowned & killed it and Swam to Shore with it.
[Lewis] Monday April 29th 1805
Set out this morning at the usual hour . . . . game is still very abundant we can scarcely cast our eyes in any direction without percieving deer Elk Buffaloe or Antelopes. The quantity of wolves appear to increase in the same proportion; they generally hunt in parties of six eight or ten; they kill a great number of the Antelopes at this season; the Antelopes are yet meagre and the females are big with young; the wolves take them most generally in attempting to swim the river; in this manner my dog caught one drowned it and brought it on shore; they are but clumsey swimers, tho on land when in good order, they are extreemly fleet and dureable.
[Lewis] Sunday May 5th 1805
The party killed two Elk and a Buffaloe today, and my dog caught a goat, which he overtook by superior fleetness, the goat it must be understood was with young and extreemly poor.
[Clark] 5th of May Sunday 1805
we Camped on the Stard Side, our men killed three Elk and a Buffalow to day, and our Dog Cought an antilope a fair race, this animal appeared verry pore & with young.
[Lewis] Sunday May 19th 1805
one of the party wounded a beaver, and my dog as usual swam in to catch it; the beaver bit him through the hind leg and cut the artery; it was with great difficulty that I could stop the blood; I fear it will yet prove fatal to him.
[Clark] May 19th Sunday 1805
Capt Lewis's dog was badly bitten by a wounded beaver and was near bleading to death –.
[Ordway] Sunday 19th May 1805
a heavy diew fell last night. one of the party caught a beaver. we Set off about 7 oC Clear and pleasant. we proceeded on. about 10 oC. A. M. we killed a young brown bear, on the S. Shore. passed pitch pine hills on each Side of the River and timbred bottoms. Semon Capt Lewiss dog got bit by a beaver.
[Lewis] Wednesday May 29th 1805
Last night we were all allarmed by a large buffaloe Bull, which swam over from the opposite shore and coming along side of the white perogue, climbed over it to land, he then alarmed ran up the bank in full speed directly towards the fires, and was within 18 inches of the heads of some of the men who lay sleeping before the centinel could allarm him or make him change his course, still more alarmed, he now took his direction immediately towards our lodge, passing between 4 fires and within a few inches of the heads of one range of the men as they yet lay sleeping, when he came near the tent, my dog saved us by causing him to change his course a second time, which he did by turning a little to the right, and was quickly out of sight, leaving us by this time all in an uproar with our guns in or hands, enquiring of each other the case of the alarm, which after a few moments was explained by the centinel; we were happy to find no one hirt.
[Clark] May 29th Wednesday 1805
In the last night we were alarmed by a Buffalow which Swam from the opposit Shore landed opposit the Perogue in which Capt Lewis & my Self were in he Crossed the perogue, and went with great force up to the fire where Several men were Sleeping and was 18 inches of their heads, when one man Sitting up allarmed him and he turned his course along the range of men as they lay, passing between 4 fires and within a fiew Inches of Some of the mens heads as they lay imediately in a direction to our lodge about which Several men were lying. our Dog flew out & he changed his course & passed without doeing more damage than bend a rifle & brakeing hir Stock and injureying one of the blunder busts in the perogue as he passed through-
[Ordway] May 29th Wednesday 1805
in the course of last night we were alarmed by a Buffalow Swimming across from the opposite Shore & landed opposite the white perogue in which our Captains Stay. he crossed the perogue, & went with great forse up the bank to the fire where the men were Sleeping & was within 18 Inches of their heads when one man Setting up alarmed him and he turned his course along the range of men as they lay, passing between 4 fires & within a fiew Inches of Several mens heads, it was Supposed if he had trod on a man it would have killed him dead. the dog flew at him which turned him from running against the lodge, were the officers lay. he passed without doeing more damage than bend a rifle & breaking hir Stalk & injuring one of the blunder busses in the perogue as he passed through.
[Lewis] Wednesday June 19th 1805
After dark my dog barked very much and seemed extreemly uneasy which was unusual with him; I ordered the sergt. of the guard to reconniter with two men, thinking it possible that some Indians might be about to pay us a visit, or perhaps a white bear; he returned soon after & reported that he believed the dog had been baying a buffaloe bull which had attempted to swim the river just above our camp but had been beten down by the stream landed a little below our camp on the same side & run off.
[Lewis]
Thursday June 27th 1805
a bear came within thirty yards of our camp last night and eat up about thirty weight of buffaloe suit which was hanging on a pole. my dog seems to be in a constant state of alarm with these bear and keeps barking all night.
[Lewis] Friday June 28th 1805
The White bear have become so troublesome to us that I do not think it prudent to send one man alone on an errand of any kind, particularly where he has to pass through the brush. we have seen two of them on the large Island opposite to us today but are so much engaged that we could not spare the time to hunt them but will make a frolick of it when the party return and drive them from these islands. they come close arround our camp every night but have never yet ventured to attack us and our dog gives us timely notice of their visits, he keeps constantly padroling all night.
[Lewis] Monday July 15th 1805
we again crossed the river to the Stard. side and passed through a plain and struck the river at a Northwardly bend where there was timber here we waited untill the canoes arrived by which time it was so late that we concluded to encamp for the night. here Drewyer wouded a deer which ran into the river my dog pursued caught it drowned it and brought it to shore at our camp.
[Lewis] Sunday July 21st 1805
we daily see great numbers of gees with their young which are perfectly feathered except the wings which are deficient in both young and old. my dog caught several today, as he frequently dose.
[Lewis] Friday July 26th 1805
these barbed seed penetrate our mockersons and leather legings and give us great pain untill they are removed. my poor dog suffers with them excessively, he is constantly hinting and scratching himself as if in a rack of pain.
The next entry describes a meeting with a large group of Native Americans, whose reactions to the Corp and their equipment Lewis records:
[Lewis] Saturday August 17th 1805
every article about us appeared to excite astonishment in ther minds; the appearance of the men, their arms, the canoes, our manner of working them, the back man york and the segacity of my dog were equally objects of admiration. I also shot my air-gun which was so perfectly incomprehensible that they immediately denominated it the great medicine.
[Clark] August 17th Satturday 1805
[This entry is Clark's account of the same meeting described in Lewis' entry just above]
The Canoes arrived & unloaded- every thing appeared to asstonish those
people. the appearance of the men, their arms, the Canoes, the Clothing
my black Servent. & the Segassity of Capt Lewis's Dog.
Nearly 8 months pass before the next mention of Seaman in any of the journals.
[Lewis] Friday April 11th 1806
three of this same tribe of villains the Wah-clel-lars, stole my dog this evening, and took him towards their village; I was shortly afterwards informed of this transaction by an indian who spoke the Clatsop language, and sent three men in pursuit of
the theives with orders if they made the least resistence or difficulty in surrendering the dog to fire on them; they overtook these fellows or reather came within sight of them at the distance of about 2 miles; the indians discovering the party in pursuit of them left the dog and fled.
[Clark] Friday April 11th 1806
one other fellow attempted to Steal Capt. Lewis's dog, and had decoyed him nearly half a mile we were informed of it by a man who Spoke the Clatsop language and imediately Sent three men with their guns who over took the Indians, who on their approach ran off and lift the dog
[Lewis] Thursday May 8th 1806
by 11 A.M. all our hunters returned, Drewyer and Cruzatte brought each a deer, Collins wounded another which my dog caught at a little distance from the camp.
[Clark] Thursday 8th of May 1806
by 11 A.M. all our hunters returned Drewyer & P. Crusat brought in a Deer each & Collins wounded one which our Dog Caught near our Camp.
[Ordway] Thursday 8th of May 1806
a fair morning. we delay a while to hunt. Several of the hunters went out and killed 4 Deer one of the hunters wounded a deer only broke its leg Capt. Lewises dog Seamon chased it caught it killed it.
[Lewis] Friday May 23rd 1806
Sergt. Pryor wounded a deer early this morning in a lick near camp; my dog pursud it into the river; the two young Indian men who had remained with us all night mounted their horses swam the river and drove the deer into the water again; Sergt. Pryor killed it as it reached the shore on this side, the indians returned as they had passed over.
[Clark] Friday 23rd May 1806
a fair morning. Sergt. Pryor wounded a Deer at a lick near our Camp and our dog prosued it into the river. two Indians which happened to be at our Camp Mounted their horses and Swam across the river chased the deer into the water again and pursued it across to the Side on which we were, and as the Deer Came out of the Water Sgt. Pryor killed it.
[Lewis] July 5th 1806
East 3 m. to the entrance of a large creek 20 yds. wide Called 31 m. Seamans Creek passing a creek at 1 m. 8 yds. wide. this course with the river, the road passing through an extensive high prarie rendered very uneven by a vast number of little hillucks and sinkholes at the heads of these two creeks high broken mountains stand at the distance of 10 m. forming a kind of Cove generally of open untimbered country. – we encamped on the lower side of the last creek just above it's entrance. here a war party had encamped about 2 months since and conceald their fires. –
[Lewis] July 7 1806
deer are remarkably plenty and in good order. Reubin Fields wounded a moos deer this morning near our camp. my dog much worried.
[Lewis] Tuesday July 15th 1806
the musquetoes continue to infest us in such manner that we can scarcely exist; for my own part I am confined by them to my bier at least 3/4ths of my time. my dog even howls with the torture he experiences from them, they are almost insupportable, they are so numerous that we frequently get them in our thrats as we breath.
The Fate of Seaman
And that's the last we hear of Seaman from Lewis, Clark, and any other members of the Corp of Discovery themselves.
Some later commentators and authors (many of them authors of fiction for young adults who simply invent possible scenarios for Seaman's last days) have imagined that Seaman died, was traded, or was stolen, though there is some evidence suggesting Seaman returned with the Captains and remained with Lewis until Lewis' mysterious death (most likely suicide, according to many historians) in October of 1809.
The basis of the claim that Seaman survived is an entry in an 1814 book by the Rev. Timothy Alden, A Collection of American Epitaphs and Inscriptions, with Occasional Notes (New York: 1814):
ALEXANDRIA, D. COL.
[entry] 916. The greatest traveller of my species. My name is SEAMAN, the dog of captain Meriwether Lewis, whom I accompanied to the Pacifick ocean through the interior of the continent of North America.
Note. — The foregoing was copied from the collar, in the Alexandria Museum, which the late gov. Lewis's dog wore after his return from the western coast of America. The fidelity and attachment of this animal were remarkable. After the melancholy exit of gov. Lewis, his dog would not depart for a moment from his lifeless remains; and when they were deposited in the earth no gentle means could draw him from the spot of interment. He refused to take every kind of food, which was offered him, and actually pined away and died with grief upon his master's grave! (p. 98)
Unfortunately, Alden provides no source for the information in his note. The collar, it should be noted, was destroyed when the museum which owned it (actually part of a Masonic Lodge in Alexandria, VA) was destroyed by fire in 1871; no records of the Museum's acquisition of or ownership of the collar survive either.
Alden's discussion of the collar was first brought to light by author and historian James J. Holmberg; his essay on the collar and Seaman's fate, first published in the journal We Proceeded On (Feb. 2000), is available online. Holmberg's primary evidence for the claim that Seaman survived the expedition and died of grief when Lewis took his own life is the Alden book cited just above, though other (circumstantial) evidence and reasonable hypotheses are also part of Holmberg's case. Though he remarks, in his final paragraph, "Was it Seaman's fate to die keeping vigil at his master Lewis's grave? Perhaps we will never definitely know. . . .", Holmberg clearly believes the Alden account.
A fuller discussion of various scenarios regarding Seaman's fate — a discussion which enthusiastically accepts Holmberg's argument — may be found in the "Author's Note" which serves as an appendix to the children's poem The Saga of Seaman: The Dog Who Went with Lewis and Clark by Evertt C. Albers (Bismarck: Northern Lights ND Press, 2002). Albers examines a few other treatments, including some fictional ones, of Seaman's fate.
Larry Morris' The Fate of the Corps (New Haven: Yale UP, 2004), which traces the fate of all the members of the Corp of Discovery, follows Holmberg's argument and the Alden scenario of Seaman's last days uncritically.
The idea that Seaman survived the expedition is certainly plausible; the journals make clear that Lewis cared very much for his dog — he worried about Seaman's injuries and overnight absence; he refused to sell Seaman; when Seaman was stolen by Native Americans he immediately dispatched armed men to retrieve the dog; and when the Corp began routinely to purchase dogs from Native Americans in order to eat them (which they did regularly in the later stages of the expedition), there was absolutely no indication that Seaman was ever in danger of becoming dinner — so it seems highly unlikely that anything short of Seaman's death would have prevented the dog's return with Lewis. It also seems unlikely that something unfortunate did happen to Seaman and none of the Corp members — and there were a total of eight who kept journals, not just Lewis and Clark — felt compelled to comment on the event. (Though it is worth noting that the expedition proper had been underway for 11 months before Lewis himself first mentioned Seaman, though this may be due to an earlier journal being lost, or to Lewis being preoccupied with his other responsibilities.)
One circumstance occurring between the last journal reference to Seaman and the return to St. Louis is worth remarking on here. Two days after the last reference, Lewis and three other members of the expedition separated from their group (itself a subset of the Corp; Lewis and 9 others had separated from Clark and the rest of the expedition about 12 days before the last reference to Seaman) to explore the Marias River. They encountered a group of Indians with whom they parlayed and camped, although Lewis appeared not to fully trust them (they were associated with the Blackfeet, a tribe known for animosity toward white explorers.) In the morning, the Indians attempted to steal the horses and guns of the Corp members, and in the fight that followed one of the Indians was killed. Lewis and his men left hastily, wanting to rejoin the rest of their party before the Indians could regroup and attack. The men rode furiously and for almost twelve hours with only two brief rests. We do not know if Seaman had accompanied Lewis on this side trip or if he had remained behind with the larger part of Lewis' contingent, for no mention is made of the dog, but if Seaman had accompanied Lewis, it is, in the words of Martin Erikson, editor of We Proceeded On's supplemental publication "The Lewis and Clark Expedition's Newfoundland Dog," (1997), "impossible for him to keep up with the horses who were pushed to the limit of their endurance" (14). Erikson offers the possibility that Seaman may simply have been left behind, where he may have fallen prey to the grizzlies known to be in the area, but the conclusion of his essay notes the great affection for Seaman demonstrated by Lewis and others and the resultant unlikelihood that nothing would have been written, in any of the journals, of Seaman's loss. Erikson writes, in closing, "the evidence, such as it is, points to the conclusion that he [Seaman] was with the party when it arrived at St. Louis. Whatever his fate, Seaman is part of our country's history. With fidelity and courage, he participated in an historic event which had a profound effect on our nation's future. He had been true to the pact made eons ago between man and dog." This supplemental publication (which combines two earlier-printed essays regarding Seamon (Ernest Osgood's "Our Dog Scannon — Partner in Discovery" and Donald Jackson's "Call Him Good Old Dog, But Don't Call Him Scannon"), also features a "Guide to the journal entries of the expedition which relate to the dog 'Seaman,'" by Richard E. Lange; it overlooks several of the entries included in this "Cultured Newf" page about Seaman.
(An observation by historian David Lavender, in his The Way to the Western Sea [1988] may be relevant here. Writing of an earlier foray by Lewis and some men in search of Shoshone Indians: "Curiously, Lewis seems not to have taken his dog, Seaman, along on these exploratory expeditions, perhaps because of the difficulty of feeding the animal but more probably because of the foot-lacerating needle grass and prickly pear cactus that blanketed the ground away from the stream." [238]. Perhaps a similar consideration kept Seaman and Lewis separate during the encounter noted above?)
So what happened to Seaman? Alden's story of a loyal dog perishing on his master's grave is very moving and tempting to believe, and it may well be true, but it may also be the case that Seaman was abandoned on the plains of modern-day Montana, or that he simply passed away sometime between the return of the Corp in 1806 and Lewis' death three years later. In the final analysis, we just don't know for sure. None of the journals mention the dog arriving with the Corps in St Louis in September of 1806, and no newspaper accounts (as far as I have been able to determine) of the return mention the dog.
Alden's note offers a very touching scenario, certainly one that fits popular constructions of canine loyalty and fidelity, though without a source it is impossible to verify, and one can't help but wonder if Alden is simply reporting the early 19th century version of an "urban myth." It certainly is frustrating that, when it comes to the fate of arguably the most famous Newfoundland dog in history, we just don't know with certainty.
For more general discussion of Seaman, see Lewis's Dog Seaman" by Joseph Mussulman at the excellent "Discovering Lewis and Clark" website.
This page is part of
The Cultured Newf: Newfoundland Dogs in the Arts