Seargeant Patrick Gass was one of the few members of the Lewis and Clark expedition to keep a continuous log of the entire epic journey. His simple and direct wrting style, along with his emphasis on the daily activities of the trip, made Gass's journal more accessible to the general reader than other firsthand accounts and revealed the optimistic spirit of the expedition:
The determined and resolute character...of the corps, and the confidence which pervaded all ranks dispelled every emotion of fear, and anxiety for the present; while a sense of duty, and of the honour, which would attend the completion of the object of the expedition; a wish to gratify the expectations of the government, and of our fellow citizens, with the feelings which novelty and discovery invariably inspire, seemed to insure to us ample support in our future toils, suffering, and dangers."
In this new edition, Carol MacGregor's thorough annotation of the journal and the inclusion of Gass's recently discovered personal account ledger lend new insight into the life and work of Patirck Gass. The Journals of Patrick Gass represents a significant contribution to the study of the Lewis and Clark expedition, essential for everyone intersted in the history of Western expansion.