Sixth Stop: Sandy Creek Forks
At the community of Iaeger is where the army crossed over the rain-swollen “East Fork” of Sandy Creek, called “Tug Fork” today (turn left onto U.S. Rt. 52 north) . This was the last major stream crossing the army made, for below this confluence, rain-swollen Sandy Creek could not be safely crossed.
Capt. Preston recorded the army spent the day crossing to the north side of this fork of Sandy Creek. The large elm trees that grew in the vicinity of the forks were stripped of their bark by the Cherokees to speed up the journey downstream.
Warrior swims the river, keeping powder dry.
As Capt. Preston recorded on March 6:
“The Cherrokees proposed to make bark canoes to cary themselves down the river which was imediatly put in practice. Major Lewis set men to work to make a large canoe to cary down the ammunition & the small remains of our flour which was thin [then] almost exhausted.”
Expedition Voices
Capt. Preston’s recorded on March 6:
“The Cherrokees proposed to make bark canoes to cary themselves down the river which was imediatly put in practice. Major Lewis set men to work to make a large canoe to cary down the ammunition & the small remains of our flour which was thin [then] almost exhausted.”
