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11.LeadingMenTheyspentroughlyathousanddaysandnightstogether,fromtherainyOctobermorningtheyleftthefallsoftheOhiountiltheyfinallypulledtheircanoesoutoftheMississippithreeyearslaterinSt.Louis.Theysleptinimpossiblyclosequarters,oftensharingthesamebuffalo-skinteepeewithanIndianwoman,aFrench-Canadianinterpreterandtheirbaby.They,andseveralenlistedmen,keptjournalswhosepublishedthrowweightequals13volumes,30lbs.,18in.ofbookshelfandapproximately1millionwords.Allthatevidencenotwithstanding,themorewelearnaboutthetwocaptainswhogavetheirnamestotheLewisandClarkExpedition,themorepowerfulbecomestheirpullonourimagination.Historianstraditionallydistinguishthembycontrastingtheirpersonalities—thebroodingMeriwetherLewisplayedoffagainstthegenialWilliamClark-JeremyIronshittingtheroadwithJohnGoodman.GaryMoulton,editoroftheexplorers'journals,says,Thedifferencesexisted,buttheymayhavebeenexaggerated.Inreality,thetwomenhadfarmoreincommon.TheywerebothVirginians.TheywerebothArmyofficers,six-footersandexperiencedoutdoorsmen,whofirstmeteightyearsbeforetheexpeditionwhentheywereservinginIndiancampaignsintheOhioValley.TheysharedwiththeirfriendThomasJeffersonapassionforsuchEnlightenmentsciencesasethnology,paleontology,zoologyandbotany.Theywerebothfearlessspellers.ClarktookLoonerobservations,ateslicesofWatermillions,trackedbearfootedIndiansandwasproudtoservetheUntiedStates.Clark'sspellingismorefamouslyimaginative—hefound27differentwaystospellthewordSioux.(Infairness,eventhebest-educatedAmericansdisplayederraticspellinguntilNoahWebster'sdictionarystandardizedspellingtwodecadeslater.)OlderthanLewisbyfouryears—theywere33and29whentheexpeditionbegan—Clarkwasthemoreexperiencedsoldierandfrontiersman.HisfiveolderbrothershadfoughtintheAmericanRevolution.One,GeneralGeorgeRogersClark,hadledraidsthatkeptthelowerGreatLakesregionoutofBritishhands.AsanArmyofficer,WilliamhadtrekkedtheOhioValley,leadingtroopsatleastonceinaskirmishwithIndians.Heisayouthofsolidandpromisingparts,andasbraveasCaesar,reportedafamilymember.Butby1803Georgewassinkingintoalcoholism,andWilliamhadresignedhiscommissioninparttohelpsettlehisbrother'sdebts.ThetwowerelivingtogetheronapointoflandoverlookingtheOhioRiverjustbelowLouisvillewhenWilliamreceivedanastonishingletterfromhisoldArmybuddy.Fortheprevioustwoyears,LewishadbeenworkingintheWhiteHouseasJefferson'sprivatesecretary.LikeJefferson,Lewishadlosthisfatheratanearlyage;nowhewasindailycontactwiththePresident,whowaspracticallyasurrogatefatherstohim.LewistoldClarkthatJeffersonhadplacedhiminchargeofamissiontoexploretheinteriorofthecontinentofNorthAmerica,orthatpartofitborderingontheMissouri&ColumbiaRivers.Moreover,LewiswantedClarktobehisco-commander.JeffersonhadoncediscussedasimilarmissionwithGeorgeRogersClark.Butnow,leavingGeorgeinhisfamily'scare,Williamacceptedcheerfully,andwithmuchpleasure”—justintimetopreventLewisfromsigninguphisbackupchoice,anArmylieutenantnamedMosesHooke.LewisandClarkgotalongwellfromthestart.WhenClark'santicipatedcommissionasacaptaininsteadcamethroughassecondlieutenant—amisstepthatstillrankledyearslater—theynevertoldtheirmenandtreatedeachotherasequals—placingthemamongthefeweffectiveco-CEOSinorganizationalhistory.Theyapportionedtheiroperatingresponsibilities:Clarkwasthebetterboatmanandnavigator,Lewistheplannerandnaturalhistorian,oftenwalkingashorefaraheadofthevesselsbeinglaboriouslyhauledagainsttheMissouri'scurrent.Clarkclearlyhadthecoolerhead.HebrokeredthecrucialearlycompromisethatendedastaredownwiththeTetonSiouxThemoremercurialLewishurledapuppyintothefaceofanIndianwhoangeredhim,andkilledaBlackfeetinthecorps'sonlyviolentincident.DuringthelongwinteratFortMandan,neartoday’sBismarck,N.D.,LewisandClarkencounteredCharlesMcKenzie,aBritishtraderwholaterwrote,“[CaptainLewis]couldnotmakehimselfagreeabletous.Hecouldspeakfluentlyandlearnedlyonallsubjects,buthisinveteratedispositionagainsttheBritishstained,atleastinoureyes,allhiseloquence.[Clerk]wasequallywellinformed,buthisconversationwasalwayspleasant,forheseemedtodislikegivingoffenseunnecessarily.NothingrevealsthecaptainsmorethantheirtreatmentofSacagawea.Lewiscouldbealoof,dismissingtheirinterpreter'swifeastheIndianwoman,observingthatifshehasenoughtoeatandafewtrinketstowearIbelieveshewouldbeperfectlycontentanywhere.ButthelessformalClarknicknamedherJaneyandtreatedherwarmly.Sherepaidhimwithgifts,includingtwoDozenwhiteweazilstailsonChristmasDay1805.Attheexpedition'send,ClarkofferedtoeducatehersonPomp,abeautifulpromisingChild”Eithercaptaincouldassumesoleleadershipinapinch—andoftendid.WhenClarkwaswaylaidwithaboileronhisankleandabrasionsonhisfeetfromdraggingtheboatsuptheshallowBeaverheadRiver,LewisforgedaheadtofindtheShoshoneandthehorsestheydesperatelyneededtocrossthemountains.Butjustafewweekslater,whentheentirepartywasnearstarvationontheLoloTrail,itwasClark'sturntostrikeoutaheadtohuntforfood.Ifthereeverwastensionbetweenthemalongtheway,itwasnotrecorded.EachcaptainconsistentlyreferredtotheotherasmyfriendCapt.C.ormyworthyfriendCapt.Lewisandseemedtomeanit.Afterhewasaccidentallyshotinthebac