N3829

Lewis & Clark Expedition - Bicentennial

Fred's Anecdotal Note

Chief Cameahwait - Shoshone

On August 12, 1805, Lewis spotted the rugged Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Mountains. The next day he and three men came upon three Indian women gathering berries. To the most elderly he gave beads, paint, and a mirror and asked her to "conduct them to their camp" so they could "become acquainted with the chiefs and warriors of their nation." She agreed but after only two miles, sixty fully armed and mounted warriors appeared and could have quickly overwhelmed the small scouting party of explorers.

Fortunately the chief in the lead stopped to speak to the old woman. She told him the white men were friendly and "exultingly shewed the presents which had been given. " He dismounted and warmly embraced Lewis who in turn lit and passed the pipe. Gifts of "blue beads and vermillion" were given and the Shoshones were "much pleased. " They retumed to the Indians' main camp where Lewis saw "a great number of horses feeding in every direction " Drouillard counted 400. That night the Indians gave a dance, and Lewis retired at midnight.

On the 17th the chief whose name was Cameahwait and 15 warriors were with Lewis and his men when Clark arrived with the rest of the Corps of Discovery. Now Sacajawea, Charbonneau, and LaBiche could form a translation line from Shoshone to Hidatsa to French to English. Then, in an astonishing moment in American history, Sacajawea arose excitedly. She had recognized Cameahwail as her brother! They had been separated when the Hidatsa captured her as a child. Lewis wrote "she jumped up, ran & embraced him & threw her blanket over him and cried profusely. " She told her brother they needed horses and a guide to cross the towering mountains. The chief agreed and, due to incredible fate and unbelievable luck, the wilderness reunification of sister and brother would enable the Corps of Discovery to ascend into the Rocky Mountains.

Collins Cover Announcement 

The Lewis and Clark Bicentennial

From the time that I began working on this project, I was determined that the Collins First Day Cover series for this important issue would be the finest produced by any cachetmaker. More than that, however, I wanted my hand painted cachets to portray an in-depth look at the remarkable achievement of Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery. It's incredible that this small military unit made its way westward from the very edge of our frontier at St. Louis across the vast uncharted and unknown North American continent to -the Pacific coast and back. It is a fascinating, true-life story of an epic achievement, and, from the beginning, my goal was to present an enduring philatelic tribute to the members of the Corps and to key individuals that they encountered along the way. Trust me when I say that you will treasure this series of Collins First Day Covers that convey the amazing story of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

The Cancels

From a philatelic viewpoint, this set will surely surpass any other First Day Cover set produced for the new Lewis and Clark stamps. Collins will be the only set of different cachets to include all of the stamp/state First Day city postmark possibilities. Add to that the great pictorial cancellations obtained by Oregon postal historian Bill White, and there can be no doubt that this set will become the "must own" crown jewel of all Lewis and Clark First Day Covers.

The Cachets

Each and every cachet in this set will be individually hand painted in beautiful watercolors. This ensures that each rendition can be presented in truly realistic tones and also that each can be accurately described as a miniature work of art. Every bit of magnificent color on each individual cachet that you receive will be the result of brushstroke after brushstroke.

To add to the collectibility of this set, for the first time, I have numbered each cachet in the series at the upper left of the compass. For example, "The Trail West" is cachet #1, "Private John Colter" is #4, "The Newfoundland Seaman" is #9, etc. As soon as this set is completed, the covers will be collected not only by Collins numbers but by their individual cachet numbers as well. Future generations of collectors that follow us in the hobby will be seeking out these Lewis and Clark numbered cachets with much enthusiasm and intensity. Your good fortune is that you are receiving this announcement to secure your set from the beginning. At this time, I'd like to share some of the cachet designs with you.

The Trail West 

A superb First Day Cover sets the tone for those that will follow. Thomas Jefferson had long envisioned a land expedition from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. Now, all was in place, and in the hand painted cachet, he sits at his desk writing final instructions to Captain Meniwether Lewis in Missouri where the Corps of Discovery would soon embark on its adventure. The Lewis stamp on this cover is postmarked in Missouri where he continued to ready his men and gather his supplies.

Most of the cachet is devoted to the trail west that the expedition traveled — from the Wood River camp up to Fort Mandan where they wintered over in 1804. Much of their journey westward in 1805 was across Montana, and the green stamp depicting Lewis and Clark is canceled at Great Falls, Montana, representing the trek toward the West Coast. Finally, the Clark stamp is postmarked at Astoria, Oregon which symbolizes the grand achievement of reaching the Pacific, From a philatelic standpoint, what a super cover this is to lead off the series — all three stamps — each with a different and pertinent First Day cancel. In his column of May 24, 2004, philatelic writer Lloyd de Vries noted that "The three stamps and a postmark will take up much of the unadorned area of a standard-size cacheted envelope...A cacheted FDC bearing all three stamps probably will look a little crowded " I admit it took quite a bit of thought, but this cover not only has all three stamps — but three different First Day postmarks as well. I've worked the cachet design to fit perfectly with the stamps and cancels, and I hope you'll agree that "crowding" is not an issue.

To add the crowning touch to this gem, the watercolored rendition of the map of the route west is lovely. Detailed references to important points on the trail are many. Animal and plant life discovered along the way are illustrated including Lewis's woodpecker and Clark's nutcracker, which were named after the expedition's leaders. The best thing about cover number 1 in this set is that it only marks the beginning of our First Day Cover trip to the Pacific in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark and the other individuals involved in this grand adventure. Meet them all on The Trail West.

"Ocian in View!"

On the afternoon of November 7, 1805, William Clark wrote in his journal the most famous single line of any recorded on the expedition "Ocian in view! 0! the joy." The Corps had come to the estuary where the waters of the Columbia River met the Pacific Ocean. That night he wrote, "Great joy in camp we are in view of the ocean, this great Pacific octean which we been so long anxious to see." As each member of the party went to sleep that night, it must have been with a wonderful feeling of happiness that their far-ranging and formidable goal had been reached.

This hand painted cachet of William viewing the ocean will be the first one I send you to start this outstanding set. The Clark stamp has the superb pictorial Day of Issue postmark from Astoria, Oregon. There is no doubt that this cover, both as a key part of this set and as a single collectible, will prove to be a most desirable item within the hobby. Please note that the spelling on all direct quotes recorded on my cachets will be as actually written in the various journals. As you place this envelope in your collection, you can be heartened by the fact that your Collins First Day Cover journey with Lewis and Clark has just begun, as each month you will travel further west via the cachets and First Day postmarks and, at the same time, meet new individuals who were involved in the historic and fascinating path to the Pacific.

The Vote 

At one point, Lewis and Clark had to decide if they would stay on the desolate north side of the Columbia River at Cape Disappointment in present-day Washington State for the winter of '05-'06 or move to the south side in present-day Oregon. In what has become known to historians as "the vote," all members were asked to decide upon the location of the permanent camp by expressing their opinion and choice. It was the first time that a woman (Sacajawea) and a black person (York) voted in an American democratic election. Not to be forgotten was the young teenaged George Shannon who, of course, also voted. The choice was the south side, and Fort Clatsop is now history. It is doubtful that any other cachetmaker recorded this incredible and important moment in American history. The Lewis stamp has a wonderful Cape Disappointment Station pictorial Day of Issue postmark from Ilwaco, Washington, which was the actual site of this historical event. "The Vote" will be the second cover I send to you.

You Will Also Meet 

Sacajawea — the young Shoshone woman who acted as guide and interpreter and, through a chance meeting that defied all odds, helped secure the horses needed to cross the Rocky Mountains.

York — the strong, good-natured slave who accompanied Clark on the journey and turned the indians' curiosity of his black skin and their recognition of his easy manner into ways to gain their good will toward the Corps of Discovery.

Sergeant Charles Floyd — the steady and trusted non-commissioned officer who tragically died shortly after the journey began. He is remembered as the first United States military man to die west of the Mississippi and the only person to be lost during the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Seaman — the lovable black Newfoundland dog that Lewis acquired before the Corps headed west and which was destined to accompany him to the Pacific Ocean and back. Seaman alerted the camp to danger many times — once to a raging bull buffalo.

The Three Sergeants — John Ordway, Nathaniel Pryor, and Patrick Gass (who was chosen to replace Charles Floyd) were the three non-commissioned officers who served under Lewis and Clark, providing discipline and leadership. Their contributions were invaluable and many.

Daniel Boone — Before departing into the unknown, Lewis and Clark put their boats into the small village of Boone's Settlement. As they took on final supplies, a handshake may have taken place between the aging 71-year old legendary explorer Daniel Boone, who had opened the way westward from Pennsylvania, and the two young explorers about to become legends in their own right for continuing the westward push to the Pacific. What an extraordinary historic moment that handshake which linked the continent would have been!

Members of the Corps — Throughout the set you will meet many of the military men who made history. * John Colter who was destined to become one of the most famous mountain men * John Shields who was a skilled gunsmith and blacksmith * Youngest member George Shannon who was only 18 when the expedition started * William Bratton who was the first to encounter a grizzly bear, and the action is captured in his cachet. * Stalwart brothers Joseph and Reuben Field * John Collins, who probably was not an ancestor — but who knows for sure? In view of this set, I'm pleased that a Collins was there.

Others Who Were There 

Old Toby — an elderly Shoshone brave and unheralded hero who by himself guided the Corps over the highest mountains as dangerous snows and freezing temperatures threatened the very survival of the expedition.

Chinook and Clatsop Tribes — Indians of the Pacific coast with whom the Corps had to deal. Members of one tribe supplied much needed food, while the other tribe tried to steal whatever it could, including Seaman, the black Newfoundland.

George Drouillar — a hunter and scout with almost unbelievable abilities who, in my opinion, was the most important contributor to the success of the expedition besides Lewis and Clark themselves.

Pierre "Peter" Cruzatte — a Frenchman who was hired as a translator and guide but also entertained the men of the Corps as well as various Indian tribes with his lively fiddle.

Special Cachets 

Other subjects will recall special moments on the trail or memorable events. * July 4, 1804 when William Clark reflected in his journal on the new land. Meriwether Lewis in the early Autumn of 1804 as he walked the bountiful plains of South Dakota recording his observations * July 4, 1805 when the Corps was totally exhausted from the portage around the Great Falls of Montana * Lewis in his sea otter and ermine jacket which he describes as "the most eligant peice of Indian dress I ever saw. " * Fort Clatsop which was the outpost the expedition built on the Pacific coast for protection during the winter of 1805-06.

All together, there will be 44 magnificent First Day Covers in this set that will trace the expedition from beginning to end with a main emphasis on the individuals who lived it. Two stunning covers will be devoted to the abundant plant and animal life that Lewis and Clark observed and discovered during their exploration. These two Collins FDCs by themselves are destined to become "key" collectibles in the hobby. And the final cover in the set will have all three stamps with a "First Day of Issue" slogan cancellation from Missouri — celebrating the triumphant return of the Corps of Discovery to St. Louis.