Seaman, The Famous Dog Who Explored The American West With Lewis And Clark
Public DomainA painting of a Newfoundland (not Seaman, of whom no images exist) from around 1824.
The story of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark’s expedition is well-known. What’s less known is that the human party also included a canine companion, Lewis’ Newfoundland Seaman (also sometimes called Scannon).
Though Seaman only makes periodic appearances in the expedition members’ journals, he appears to have been a steadfast companion during the 8,000-mile journey. Though many initially referred to him as “Captain Lewis’ dog” or “the dog,” they started calling him “our dog” as time wore on.
Seaman made his first appearance in Lewis’ journals in September 1803, about two weeks after the explorer had set out from Pittsburgh. While near the Ohio River, Lewis saw swimming squirrels. He wrote: “I made my dog take as many each day as I had occation for, they wer fat and I thought them when fryed a pleasent food… my dog was of the newfoundland breed very active strong and docile, he would take the squirel in the water kill them and swiming bring them in his mouth to the boat.”
Along the way, Seaman also seemed to impress the Indigenous people Lewis and Clark encountered.
“They had indeed abundant sources of surprise in all they saw,” Lewis wrote of meeting some Lemhi Shoshone Native Americans. “The appearance of the men, their arms, their clothing, the canoes, the strange looks of the negro [an enslaved man named York was part of the expedition], and the sagacity of our dog, all in turn shared their admiration.”
Public DomainMembers of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Seaman is not depicted among them.
In fact, one Indigenous man was so impressed with Seaman that he tried to trade with Lewis for him on a different occasion.
“[O]ne of the Shawnees a respectable looking Indian offered me three beverskins for my dog with which he appeared much pleased,” Lewis wrote. “[O]f course there was no bargan, I had given 20$ for this dogg myself.”
Though Seaman’s fate is unknown, historical evidence seems to suggest that he survived the journey back east and that he spent his final days with Lewis, who died of either suicide or murder in 1809.
