Leaving Fort Clatsop

By John Krist,
Senior reporter

When the Corps of Discovery left Fort Clatsop to begin the trip home, the commanders affixed the following note to door of their cabin and gave copies to local tribal leaders with instructions to pass them on to the cpatain of any American sailing vessel that arrived that spring. It summarized their achievements, listed the expedition's participants, and included a rough sketch of their route.

Tuesday March 18th 1806

The object of this list is, that through the medium of some civilized person who may see the same, it may be made known to the informed world, that the party consisting of the persons whose names are hereunto annexed, and who were sent out by the government of the U'States in May 1804. to explore the interior of the Continent of North America, did penetrate the same by way of the Missouri and Columbia Rivers, to the discharge of the latter into the Pacific Ocean, where they arrived on the 14th of November 1805, and from whence they departed the 23rd day of March 1806 on their return to the United States by the same rout they had come out.