Seaman Bitten by a Beaver — Nearly Dies

One of the most harrowing incidents involving Seaman occurred along the Missouri River in present-day Montana. Lewis recorded that Seaman was “badly bitten by a beaver” after apparently catching or cornering the animal near the water’s edge. The beaver severed an artery in one of Seaman’s hind legs, and the dog bled profusely.

“I feared he would bleed to death,” Lewis wrote, revealing the depth of his concern for the animal. The men worked to stop the bleeding, and Lewis tended to the wound himself. It was a tense night, but by the following morning Seaman had stabilized and began to recover, though he limped for several days afterward.

The incident highlighted both the dangers of the frontier and the genuine attachment the expedition members felt toward Seaman. Lewis’s detailed and emotional recording of the event—far more than a simple notation—reveals that Seaman was considered an essential member of the party, not merely an animal traveling with them. The dog’s recovery was noted with evident relief in subsequent journal entries.