Meriwether Lewis writes to William Linnard to arrange the shipment of the expedition’s supplies. Tools, hardware, and tailored goods are purchased from Philadelphia merchants, and in Washington City, President Thomas Jefferson‘s new secretary—Lewis’s replacement—arrives.
Expedition Stores
The effect of a full storeroom was generated by Kristopher K. Townsend from an original photograph with the assistance of artificial intelligence, © 2013 and 2023. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
The Philadelphia Shipment
Philadelphia June 6th 1803.
Sir [William Linnard],
Mr. Israel Wheelin [Israel Whelan], the Pur. of Pub. Supplies, has in charge certain stores, which have been prepared under my direction by order of the Secretary at War and which are to be transported from hence to Pittsburgh with all convenient dispatch. You will be informed by Mr. Wheelin when those stores are in perfect readiness for transportation; this will most probably happen in the course of six or seven days. You will be pleased to employ for this service a strong effective team, with a driver in whose fidelity, sobriety, and discretion you can place the necessary confidence: he must be instructed to take the rout by Lancaster & York in Pensya., & Fredericktown in Maryland to Harper’s Ferry in Virginia; and from thence to Pittsburgh by whatever way he may think best, presuming it will be that, by which he can perform the journey with the most ease and facility. At Lancaster he will call on Mr. Ellicott for any article that I may think proper to leave there with a view to be taken up by the waggon; he will in like manner call on Colo. Cushing at Fredericktown for the same purpose. At Harper’s Ferry, Mr. Perkin [Joseph Perkins], the Conductor of the Armory, is directed to deliver to the waggoner on application such stores as have been prepared for me at that place— The stores thus directed to be taken up by the way will most probably fall short of seven hundred #.—
A Box containing my Mathematical instruments which Mr. Wheelin will point out to the driver, is to be particularly attended to, nothing heavy is to be put on it in loading the waggon, and it must be placed in a situation the least liable to accidental injury, observing always to keep the proper side up.
You will be informed as early as possible after my arrival at Washington, to what act. you are to charge the expence incurred for transporting these goods, as well as preparing the Boat etc at Pittsburgh—
I have the honor to be with much regard
Your Obt. Humbl. Servt.Meriwether Lewis, Capt
1st US Regt. Infantry[1]Meriwether Lewis to William Linnard, Lewis and Clark materials on file at the Historical Society of Frederick County, Maryland.
Lewis’s Replacement
June 6
Mr. Harvie arrives.
—Thomas Jefferson[2]“Memorandum Books, 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives, founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/02-02-02-0013 accessed 15 May 2022. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas … Continue reading
Harvie could hardly been as impressive a courier as Meriwether Lewis, being of only average height and inclined to corpulency . . . . it need not be assumed that Harvie was arrogant in manner because a hyper critical British diplomat said he was, and no doubt he helped with the guests as Lewis had. Along with the two sons-in-law, he was regularly at the President’s bountiful table.[3]Dumas Malone, Jefferson and His Time, vol. 4, (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1970), 368–70.
Hardware and Tools
Israel Wheelen Esqr. Purveyor Public Supplies Bot. of Harvey & Worth 2 lb. Brass wire No. 20 4 / 8 9 4 5 ” ” ” ea. No. 21 4/10 & 23 5/ 2 9 2 14 Knitting Pins 2 / 1 1 9 2 2 C Millinery Needles 1 / 4 ½ 2 9 10 ” Glovers “ 1 / 3 12 6 1 ” Yarn “ 1 /6 1 6 1 ” Tabling “ 5/ 5 2 ” Old work “ 5/ 10 3 M White Chapel “ 13/9 2 1 3 2 1/12 doz. Packing “ 2/2 4 6¼ 2 ” Large Awls 2/ 4 3 C Fish Hooks 5 5/ 15 5 ½ M ” ” ea. 12 7/6 11 8/9 9 15/ 8 18/9 6 40/ 2 5 1 Gro. Iron Combs 21/ 1 1 2 ” Curtain Rings 263 3/3 6 6 1 ” ” ” ea. 3/6 & 4/ 7 6 1 ” Brass Thimbles 8/ 8 1 ” Taylors “ 16/3 16 3 1 ½ doz. Scissors 5109 7/ 10 6 8 ½ ” ” 67 7/6 3 3 9 2 ” ” 8853 14/6 1 9 2 ” Table Spoons 7/ 14 6 ” Knives 1 15/ 4 10 2 ” Knives 101 17/6 1 15 3 ” Knives 104 21/3 3 3 9 1/3 ” Drawing Knives 27/ 9 2 ” Gimblets 2/6 5 1 ” Spike “ 18/ 18 ½ ” flat Files ea. 6 5/ 7 in. 6/3 5 7½ 1/6 ” ” ” 12in 21/6 3 7 ½ ” handsaw files 9/ 4 6 1/6 ” Rasps 8in 8/4 1 4½ 1/12 ” ” 12 21/6 1 9½ 1 Shoe Flat 6 d 6 2 doz. Fish Lines 6/3 12 6 1 ¼ ” Bed Laces 10/9 13 5 1 hand Vise 2/6 2 6 1 Bench “ 10/ 10 1 pair Bright Plyers 4/6 4 6 1 ” Black “ 2/9 2 9 1 Sawsett 9 d 9 1 Socket Chessel ea. ½ 1/3 1 ½ 1/9 3 2 ” ” ea. ¾ ¼ ½ 1 ¾ 1/10 ½ 6 6 2 Mortice ” 1/4in. 1/3 2 6 1 ” ” ½ “ 1/3 1 3 2 Adzes 1 4/6 9 2 handsaws 11/6 1 3 1 Screw Auger ea. 1 1/2 5 2/11 4 2 ” ‘ ea. 3 1/9 4 2/4 8 2 2 Shingling hatchets 3/1 ½ 1 Whetstone 3/6 3 6 6 lb. 8 d Cut Brads
4 ” 10 ” “9 d 3 6 2 pair Pocket Steelyards 1/9 3 6 38 8 5½ Exd. B. M. $102 46/100[4]“Supplies from Private Vendors,” in Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783-1854, 2nd ed., ed. Donald Jackson (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), … Continue reading
This undated receipt was endorsed as paid by Israel Whelan on 6 June 1803.
Tailored Goods
Philada. 6 June 1803 The United States To Francis Brown Dr. For 28 3/8 yds S. fine Mill’d drab Cloth @ $7 $198.93 24 doz. Large Buttons @ 13 Cts. 3.12 8 doz. Small do. @ 7 .56 Silk Twist & thread 4.32 Making 16 Coatees 2.50 40.— $246.63[5]Ibid., 92.
Francis Brown was a Philadelphia tailor.
Notes
| ↑1 | Meriwether Lewis to William Linnard, Lewis and Clark materials on file at the Historical Society of Frederick County, Maryland. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | “Memorandum Books, 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives, founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/02-02-02-0013 accessed 15 May 2022. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Second Series, Jefferson’s Memorandum Books, vol. 2, ed. James A Bear, Jr. and Lucia C. Stanton. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1997, pp. 1089–1117.] |
| ↑3 | Dumas Malone, Jefferson and His Time, vol. 4, (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1970), 368–70. |
| ↑4 | “Supplies from Private Vendors,” in Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783-1854, 2nd ed., ed. Donald Jackson (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), 83–4. |
| ↑5 | Ibid., 92. |
