Day-by-Day / December 19, 1804

December 19, 1804

Raising pickets

At Fort Mandan below the Knife River Villages, the weather warms, and the men work outside in one-hour shifts. The enlisted men continue erecting the fort’s picket fence while inside, Clark updates his maps.

Clark’s Fort Mandan Maps

I engage my self in Connecting the Countrey from information. river rise a little
William Clark

Raising Pickets

the weather has moderated Some Since yesterday morning. So that we went about Setting up our pickets. half the men out at a time & relieved every hour, it being too cold to be out all the time.
John Ordway

 

Weather Diary

Ther. at sun symbol rise Weather Wind at sun symbol rise Thert. at 4 P.M. Weather Wind at 4 P.M. River
2 below cloudy S W 16 fair S. rise 1 in.

began to Piquet the Fort on the river side—
Meriwether Lewis[1]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “River” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.

Notes

Notes
1 To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “River” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.

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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.