Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain

Espontoon (Spontoon)

Corps Edged Weapons • c. 1790–1800

Type Pole Arm

Category Corps Edged Weapons

Era c. 1790–1800

Museum / Collection No confirmed expedition espontoons survive; period examples at various military museums

The espontoon was a traditional officer’s polearm, a descendant of the pike, carried as both a symbol of rank and a functional weapon. It featured an elaborate spear-like head, often with a pair of lugs or blades on each side giving it a trident-like appearance, mounted on a wooden shaft approximately 6-7 feet long.

Beyond its traditional military role, the espontoon proved remarkably versatile on the frontier: Lewis used it as a walking staff on rough terrain, a defensive weapon against grizzly bears, a tool for steadying himself while crossing streams, and a means of signaling commands to the men. The espontoon became an iconic symbol of Lewis’s personal leadership during the expedition.

Lewis used his espontoon to defend against grizzly bears on multiple occasions and carried it throughout the overland portage around the Great Falls of the Missouri.