NavList:

Dear George,

I have been interested in the navigation methods of Lewis and Clark for some time. 

1. Would the common soldier have been accustomed to reading the time?  Lewis and Clark would have probably been accustomed to reading the time from a pocket watch or town clock; however, the common soldier would have gone more with time by the sun.  It is important to remember that Lewis was the secretary to President Jefferson so would have been very familiar with a clock and how to read it.  Soldiers would have gone by sunrise, get up and march, sun is at its highest point, eat; sunset make camp.

2. Would clocks and watches have been common?  My home town had its clock first clock in 1805, at a time when we had about 200 people in the town.  They were usually in various public buildings such as churches or town halls.  Both Pittsburg and St. Lewis would have had at least one and perhaps several.  However, once Lewis and Clark got out of St. Lewis and up the Missouri there would have not been any clocks.  Pocket watches would have been every expensive.  Lewis never makes mention of a clock or pocket watch on the trip.  If he or Clark had them they would probably have left them with friends or family, as watches would have been passed down from one generation to another.

3. Was it likely that an officer, or even a soldier, would possess a pocket-watch with a seconds-hand, and know how to read it?  Lewis and Clark may have both possessed pocket watches.  Remember that Lewis went through extensive training in science and astronomy when Jefferson gave him his mission.  The training was pretty intense and it included information on navigation.  One item that interested me, when I looked at the list of supplies, was the lack of a naval chronometer.  I also have looked at the journals of Lewis and Clark and it is recorded that Lewis was requested to simply take observations that the corresponding calculations would be performed later.  I read into this that Lewis had a difficult time with the calculations of latitude and longitude, also the necessity of taking several volumes of books to assist with the calculations may have been more weight then he wanted on the trip.  Bear in mind that following a river up stream or down stream, is a lot different then open ocean navigation.  As to watches having sweep second hands they were probably around but would have been more expensive then the watch with just the hour and minute hand. 

I hope this helps.

Andrew Corl