08/30/2026
Considered one of the youngest members of the expedition (born in 1785, presumably 18-19 upon departing Camp Dubois), George Shannon has a rather infamous reputation among the expedition members. He is probably most well-known for getting himself lost...twice. On August 27, 1804, Shannon was reported as missing, previously being sent alongside George Douillard to track down a lost horse (one of only two they initially brought with on the expedition).
He was not found until 16 days later, nearly starving. He had reportedly managed to survive on only grapes and a rabbit he killed. This was unsurprising as Clark had once described Shannon as, “Not being a first-rate Hunter…”
A year later, he would find himself lost again. In early August, several parties were out hunting along the various forks of the Jefferson River (located in present-day southwest Montana). When the parties reconverged around the Beaverhead River, they had found Shannon had not returned. Lewis had reported sounding off a horn and several gunshots as signal to return to camp, but there was still no response. Three days later, Shannon would find his way back to the party of his own accord.
Image Credit:
"Jefferson River, Madison County, Montana near Parrot Castle"
Mike Cline, Wikipedia (given permission for public domain use).
