On January 18, 1803 President Jefferson sent a confidential message to both house of Congress requesting funds for an expedition promoting commerce with the Indian tribes along the Missouri River. This message was recorded in confidence for the Members of Congress, and the printed proceedings of House and Senate note the delivery of the message, but it was not made available to the public in printed form till 1828.

This file includes copies of: Glazier reprint, Journal of the House of Representatives, 1801-1809, 2, 124f; Glazier reprint, Journal of the Senate, 1801-1809, 2, 44f; and American State Papers (1832), Class II. Indian Affairs, item 102, pp. 684-685.

See Literature of the Lewis and Clark Expedition for information on other versions of this text housed elsewhere.