Day-by-Day / February 20, 1804

February 20, 1804

Lewis joins Clark in St. Louis

Winter Camp at Wood River, IL Lewis likely follows through on his promise of two days ago and travels to St. Louis to help Pierre Chouteau organize a delegation of Osage Chiefs bound for Washington City.

Lewis Joins Clark

Camp at River Dubois.
Feby. 18th 1804.

My Dear Friend,

. . . .

I am as anxious as Mr. C. [Pierre Chouteau] can be that he should set out on this mission as early as possible, and shall therefore be with you the day after tomorrow for the purpose of conscerting the necessary measures.

. . . .

M. LEWIS. Capt. &c.[2]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.

 

Weather Diary

Therm at sun symbol rise weather wind Therm at 4 Oclk weather wind River
10 above 0 fair N W 28 above 0 S.S.W fall 2 ½ in.

William Clark[3]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.

Notes

Notes
1 William R. Swagerty, The Indianization of Lewis and Clark (Norman, Oklahoma, The Arthur H. Clark Company, 2012), 2:620–21.
2 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.
3 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.

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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.