After morning rain, the expedition sets out early paddling about eighty miles between present Huff, North Dakota and Pollock, South Dakota. Clark notices the river has changed in many places since the previous year. He also writes a letter to Toussaint Charbonneau offering him several job prospects and repeats his willingness to raise Jean Baptiste—his “little dancing boy.”
Jean Baptiste Charbonneau
Display at Pompeys Pillar, U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Photo 2017 by Kristopher K. Townsend.
Morning Rain
a violent hard rain about day light this morning. all wet except myself and the indians. we embarked a little after Sun rise wind moderate and ahead.
—William Clark
Paddling Eighty Miles
encamped on a Sandbar from the N. E. Side, having made 81 miles only, the wind blew hard all day which caused the waves to rise high and flack over into the Small Canoes in Such a manner as to employ one hand in throwing the water out.
—William Clark
Changing River
I observe a great alteration in the Corrent course and appearance of this pt. of the Missouri. in places where there was Sand bars in the fall 1804 at this time the main Current passes, and where the current then passed is now a Sand bar—
—William Clark
Clark’s Little Dancing Boy
On Board the Perogue Near the Ricara Village
August 20th 1806Charbono [Toussaint Charbonneau]
Sir
. . . . As to your little Son (my boy Pomp) you well know my fondness for him and my anxiety to take and raise him as my own child. I once more tell you if you will bring your son Baptiest [Jean Baptiste Charbonneau] to me I will educate hime and treat him as my own child . . . .
Charbono, if you wish to live with the white people, and will come to me I will give you a piece of land and furnish you with horses cows & hogs . . . .
Wishing you and your family great suckcess & with anxious expectations of seeing my little dancing boy Baptiest I shall remain your Friend,
WILLIAM CLARK[1]Clark to Toussaint Charbonneau. Donald Jackson, ed. Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783-1854, 2nd ed., (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), 315–16.
Weather Diary
State of the weather at Sun rise State of wind at Sunrise State of the weather at 4 P. M. Wind at 4 P. M. State of river cloudy after thunder lightning & rain S W. fair N. W fall 1 ¼ in. —William Clark[2]To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is omitted, some abbreviations have been spelled out, and the three river columns have been merged.
Notes
| ↑1 | Clark to Toussaint Charbonneau. Donald Jackson, ed. Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783-1854, 2nd ed., (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), 315–16. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is omitted, some abbreviations have been spelled out, and the three river columns have been merged. |
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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.
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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).