On or near this date at Camp River Dubois, Clark estimates that the expedition will reach the Pacific Ocean by June or July 1805. The hunters bring in several rabbits and two deer and little ice runs in the river.
Mississippi, Missouri, and Cahokia Channel
Photo provided by Lewis & Clark State Historic Site, Hartford, Illinois. Used by permission.
Above: The Missouri River enters on the far side of the Mississippi which is flowing right to left. Cahokia Channel enters from the lower edge. The Cahokia Channel diverts Cahokia Creek and flows past today’s reconstruction of Camp River Dubois. The actual camp was near the confluence of the Missouri and Wood rivers. All these channels have since moved considerably. See The Mouth of the Missouri.
But Little Ice
a Cloudy morning but little Ice runig to day . . . . (I pen an Ordr to Corpl.) . . . . Cought 14 rabits & Killed 2 Deer—
—William Clark
Estimated Trip Times
[1805] [mls] [months] [days] From the mountains to the Ocean in Longtd. 123° W say 10° at 41 miles to a degree
of Longtd. add the windings 650 miles at 10 miles will take
May June and July, [85?] Days650 in 3 0 From the Same place at 12 ms. 54 days, May& June 2 [5?] The time to the Ocean @ 10 ms per Day 11 0 days The Time @ 12 ms. pr day 8 20 days —William Clark, undated field note[1]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 11 above 0 cloudy N E 17 above 0 cloudy N fall Ice Stoped
—Meriwether Lewis and William Clark[2]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 23, 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 | 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. |
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| ↑2 | To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “River” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations. |
