Model 1799 Horseman’s Pistols

In 1803, Lewis requisitioned a pair of horse pistols from the Schuylkill Arsenal in Philadelphia. These were large-caliber, single-shot flintlock pistols designed to be carried in saddle holsters. Using the same .69 caliber ball as the standard military musket simplified ammunition logistics.

Lewis is believed to have carried one of these during the July 27, 1806 confrontation with the Piegan Blackfeet, during which he fatally shot a warrior who was attempting to steal the expedition’s horses and rifles. This was the only lethal confrontation of the entire expedition.