Lewis Departs Pittsburgh on the Ohio River

At last, Meriwether Lewis departed Pittsburgh with the keelboat and a crew of eleven hands, beginning the long journey down the Ohio River. The river was dangerously low — in many places barely six inches deep over the river’s gravel bars — requiring the crew to frequently wade alongside the boat and drag it over shallow spots.

Lewis also brought along his Newfoundland dog, Seaman, purchased in Pittsburgh for twenty dollars. Seaman would become a beloved companion throughout the entire expedition, traveling all the way to the Pacific and back.