At Wood River, work continues building huts, Mr. Morrison’s corn arrives, and a Lenape Delaware man known to Clark visits.
On or near this date, Lewis investigates potential problems with the French system of slavery as it relates to the future transfer of Louisiana to the United States.
Corn from Morrison’s Farm
Photo provided by Lewis & Clark State Historic Site, Hartford, Illinois. Used by permission. (Altered: An indoor display background is replaced with an early winter forest.)
Mr. Morrison’s Corn
continue to put up my huts the men much fatigued Carrying logs, I Send to Mr. Morrisons farm for a Teem & Corn, which arivd
—William Clark
Rainy and Disagreeable
a raney Desagreeable day Mr. Griffeth Came down from his farm with a Load of Turnips &c. as a present to me, Drewyear Came home to day after a hunt, he Killed three Deer, & left them in the woods
—William Clark
A Delaware Acquaintance
Several Deleaways pass, a chief whome I saw at Greenville Treaty, I gave him a bottle of whiskey
—William Clark
Slave State Free State (1849)
Engraving from Henry Bibb, Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, an American Slave, Written by Himself, (New York: self-published, 1849), 71.
Louisiana Slaves
Cahokia December 28th 1803.
Dear Sir,
I fear that the slaves will form a source of some unwillingness in the French to yeald to the wishes of the government. They appear to feel very sensibly a report which has been circulated among them on this subject, that the Americans would emancipate their slaves immediately on taking possession of the country, this however false, is sufficient to show the Opinions and disposition of the people on that subject; there appears to be a general objection not only among the French, but even among the Americans not slave holders, to relinquish the right which they claim relative to slavery in it’s present unqualifyed shape.
MERIWETHER LEWIS. CAPT.
1st. U.S. Regt. Infty.[1]Lewis to Jefferson. Donald Jackson, ed. Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783-1854, 2nd ed. (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), 153.
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 | Lewis to Jefferson. Donald Jackson, ed. Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783-1854, 2nd ed. (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), 153. |
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- 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).