Day-by-Day / February 17, 1804

February 17, 1804

Manuel Lisa's engagés

In St. Louis, Clark negotiates with trader Manuel Lisa to hire some of his French engagés—mostly boatmen from St. Charles. Across the Mississippi at Wood River, Lewis records weather data.

Manuel Lisa (1772–1820)

Portrait of a gentleman wearing a suit

Artist unknown (1818). Oil on canvas, 28 x 21 inches.

Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis, Acc. No. 1979.97.1

Manuel Lisa’s Engagés

Camp at River Dubois.
Feby. 18th 1804.

My Dear Friend,

If Mr. Manuel will let us have the men you mention, pray engage them immediately, if you think from their appearance and characters they will answer the purpose.

. . . .

M. LEWIS. Capt. &c.[1]Lewis to Clark. Donald Jackson, ed. Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783-1854, 2nd ed., (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), 168.

Related: The Engagés | The Fur Trade | Manuel Lisa

 

Weather Diary

Therm at sun symbol rise weather wind Therm at 4 Oclk weather wind River
15 above 0 cloudy after rain S.W. 32 above 0 fair W. rise 2 in.

—Meriwether Lewis[2]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “day of month 1804” column, merged the “River” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.

Related: Thermometers and Temperatures | Weather Observations

 

Experience the Lewis and Clark Trail

The Lewis and Clark Trail Experience—our sister site at lewisandclark.travel—connects the world to people and places on the Lewis and Clark Trail.

Plan a trip related to February 17, 1804:

Logo: Lewis and Clark.travel
logo: Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail logo: National Park Service

Winter Camp at Wood River (Camp Dubois) is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The site, near Hartford, Illinois, is managed as Lewis and Clark State Historic Site and is open to the public.

 

Notes

Notes
↑1 Lewis to Clark. Donald Jackson, ed. Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783-1854, 2nd ed., (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), 168.
↑2 To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “day of month 1804” column, merged the “River” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.

Discover More

  • The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.

In St. Louis, Clark is negotiating with trader Manuel Lisa to hire some of his French workers. At winter camp at Wood River, Lewis records weather data.

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Unless otherwise noted, journal excerpts are from The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, edited by Gary E. Moulton, 13 vols. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001).