Lewis and Clark Air Rifle

Journals of Lewis and Clark

Lewis’ first journal entry, dated August 30, 1803

Left Pittsburgh this day at 11 ock with a party of 11 hands 7 of which are soldiers, a pilot and three young men on trial they having proposed to go with me throughout the voyage. Arrived at Bruno's Island 3 miles below halted a few minutes. went on shore and being invited on by some of the gentlemen present to try my airgun which I had purchased brought it on shore charged it and fired myself seven times fifty five yards with pretty good success; after which a Mr. Blaze Cenas being unacquainted with the management of the gun suffered her to discharge herself accedentaly the ball passed through the hat of a woman about 40 yards distanc cuting her temple about the fourth of the diameter of the ball; shee fell instantly and the blood gusing from her temple we were all in the greatest consternation supposed she was dead by [but] in a minute she revived to our enespressable satisfaction, and by examination we found the wound by no means mortal or even dangerous;

Journals of Lewis and Clark

That is an interesting aspect of the L&C journey I was not aware of. Nor did I know that any such weapon existed in the early 1800s.

Like the link says, too cool not to share.

I'm just curious to know where he got his cast iron bottle refilled. 😉

I see there is another video demonstrating the pump mechanism and firing of the rifle, Wiki says that there was also a wagon wheel pump attachment made for the rifle. I like the side loading mechanism. Thanks for sharing this bit of history.

Captain Lewis's Medicine Gun ...

http://lewis-clark.org/content/content-channel.asp?ChannelID=300

Pretty interesting account from the journals.