Lost Chapters Play free
Corps of Discovery card art from Lost Chapters (Emerald, Character)
Card art: Corps of Discovery

Corps of Discovery: Emerald Character

The Corps of Discovery was the expedition led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark from May 14, 1804, to September 23, 1806. President Thomas Jefferson sent it up the Missouri River and across the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean to map the land, study its plants, animals and peoples, and look for a water route to the Pacific.

Cost
3 crystals
Type
Character · Adventurer
Power / Health
2 / 2
Color
Emerald (Frontier & Explorers)
Rarity
Uncommon
Set
Liberty & Lightning (Set 1)

On play: search your deck for an Adventurer. If a character of yours charged this turn, gain 1 crystal this turn.

Government-funded expedition combining scientific discovery with frequent near-death experiences and extensive journaling.

Real history

The real history

Thomas Jefferson wrote detailed instructions for the expedition on June 20, 1803, the same year the United States bought the Louisiana Territory from France. He wanted to expand the fur trade, learn the geography of the West, assert American claims in the Pacific Northwest, map the Missouri River, and record the cultures of the Native peoples. He also hoped for a water route to the Pacific.

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led the group, which started with more than 45 people, including 27 unmarried soldiers, a French-Canadian interpreter, York, a man enslaved by Clark, and Lewis's Newfoundland dog, Seaman. About 33 people made the journey west of the Mandan villages. Sacagawea, a Shoshone woman, traveled with her husband, the interpreter Toussaint Charbonneau, and their infant son, and she helped the party.

The group left Camp River Dubois on May 14, 1804, and spent the first winter at Fort Mandan in what is now North Dakota. In 1805 they crossed the Continental Divide at Lemhi Pass, struggled over the Bitterroot Range, and floated down the Clearwater, Snake and Columbia rivers. They reached the Pacific by November 1805 and spent the next winter at Fort Clatsop, near present-day Astoria, Oregon.

The Corps held councils with many Native nations, and there was only one violent clash, with the Piegan Blackfeet. Only one member died, Sergeant Charles Floyd, on August 20, 1804. The party returned on September 23, 1806, after traveling over 8,000 miles, with new knowledge of animals, plants and peoples of the West.

Sources

  1. Corps of Discovery, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, National Park Service
  2. The Lewis and Clark Expedition, Missouri National Recreational River, National Park Service

Checked against these sources on October 3, 2026. Spot a mistake? Report an error. How we check facts.

How the card plays

Corps of Discovery costs 3 crystals and is a 2/2 Emerald Adventurer. When you play it, search your deck for an Adventurer. If a character of yours charged this turn, you also gain 1 crystal this turn.

That makes it a cheap way to turn one card into two. Attack first with anything that can charge, then play it to fetch your best Adventurer and pick up the extra crystal. Meriwether Lewis, Captain is a strong fetch because he draws a card whenever he charges. William Clark, Lieutenant gets +2/+2 and Explore while you control Lewis, and Sacagawea, River Guide gives your other Adventurers Explore and can search for yet another Adventurer if Lewis or Clark is on your field.

  • Playable in decks led by Amelia Earhart, and by any Traveler Leader whose colors include Emerald.
  • In the Earhart starter deck (1 copy). Deck code: LC2-Ax8CIAEhASIBIwIkAiUBJgEnASgCKQEqAisBLAEtAS4BLwEwATEBMgEzATQBNQE2ATcBOAE5AToBOwE8AT0BZQJ0Anuc
  • A deck holds up to 3 copies of this card.

Questions about Corps of Discovery

How long did the Lewis and Clark expedition last?

It lasted from May 14, 1804, to September 23, 1806, which is less than two and a half years. The party traveled more than 8,000 miles.

Related cards

Free in your browser. No download.

Play Corps of Discovery free