On or near this snowy day at Wood River, Clark estimates the time it will take to complete the expedition. He plans to reach the Mandan Nation by 5 September 1804. Lewis works “on business of importance to the enterprise”[1]William Clark, January 2, 1804. in Cahokia and St. Louis.
Snowing Fast
The Snow this morning is about 2½ Inches Deep, & Snowing fast, The Thermometer Stood at 7d abov 0
—William Clark
Clark’s Estimate of Trip Length
Undated Field Note (Detail)
(Osgood, Document 7). Digitized by Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University Library. Brightness and exposure adjusted for clarity.
Clark Estimates
mls months days 1804{ From Dubois to the Manden Nation 1500 miles at 10 mes. pr Day will be 150 days Viz: May June, July Augt. & Sept.— }1500 in 5 0 From Do. at 12 mes. pr. day—125 days Viz: May June July Augt. & 5 days in Septr 4 5 —William Clark, undated field note[2]This table has been created from Moulton, Journals, 2:159 and Ernest S. Osgood, The Field Notes of William Clark, 1803–1805, Document 7 (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1964), 19 and … Continue reading
Weather Diary
Therm. at rise
weather wind Therm. at 4 oClock weather wind River 7 above 0 cloudy & snowy N E 17 above 0 snow & hail N E fall Snow 2½ In Deep
—Meriwether Lewis and William Clark[3]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “River” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.
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 January 21, 1804:
- Winter Camp at Wood River (Camp Dubois)
- Old Cahokia Courthouse
- Along the Mississippi (Inspiration Trip)
- Around St. Louis (Inspiration Trip)
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
| ↑1 | William Clark, January 2, 1804. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | This table has been created from Moulton, Journals, 2:159 and Ernest S. Osgood, The Field Notes of William Clark, 1803–1805, Document 7 (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1964), 19 and 203. Table borders and shading have been added for clarity. |
| ↑3 | To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “River” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations. |
