From St. Louis, the captains write letters to President Jefferson and Clark’s brother, Jonathan. They give them to George Drouillard to deliver to the postmaster in Cahokia.
The Palladium, Frankfort
Thursday, Oct 9, 1806
Courtesy The Filson Historical Society.
The news in Clark’s letter to his brother traveled east from Cahokia and was first published in Frankfort, Kentucky, the closest newspaper to Louisville. The story ran in Pittsburgh on 28 October, and then on 3 November, in the Washington National Intelligencer—in which the first three paragraphs are:
Frankfort, October 9
We congratulate the public at large and the particular friends of Messrs. Lewis and Clark and their companions, on the happy termination of an expedition, which will, doubtless, be productive of incalculable commercial advantages to the western country.
Whatever differences of opinion may exist on this point, we are persuaded all think and feel alike, on the courage, perseverance, and prudent deportment displayed by this adventurous party. They are entitled to, and will receive the plaudits of their countrymen.
By the mail of this morning we have received from an obliging friend, the following letter from capt. Clark to his brother, gen. Clark, near Louisville. Captain Clark, did not perhaps intend it for publication, but to gratify in some measure, the impatient wishes of his countrymen, the general was prevailed upon to permit its appearance in our paper of to-day.[1]The National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser, 3 November 1806 in “Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers,” Library of Congress accessed 17 August 2022, … Continue reading
Writing Letters
I sleped but little last night however we rose early and Commencd wrighting our letters Capt. Lewis wrote one to the presidend [Thomas Jefferson] and I wrote Govr. Harrison & my friends in Kentucky and Sent of George Drewyer with those letters to Kahoka & delivered them to Mr. Hays
—William Clark
Dining and Shopping
we dined with Mr. Chotoux to day, and after dinner went to a Store and purchased Some Clothes, which we gave to a Tayler and derected to be made. Capt Lewis in opening his trunk found all his papers wet, and Some Seeds spoiled
—William Clark
Dispatching the Boats
St. Louis September 24th 1806
Dear Brother
I wrote you a letter last night giveing you a Sumerey Sketch of our Journey & c. untill our return to the Rocky mountains . . . . Capt. Lewis and my Self will be detained here for the purpose of Settling with & Dischargeing our men which will delay us eight or ten days, when we Shall Set our with a Great Chief of the Mandan nation his family and an interpreter . . . .
Wm Clark
Note please to have my letter to you of yester
published if you think proper WC.[2]Holmberg, 115.
Weather Diary
State of the weather at Sun rise Course of the wind at Sun rise State of the weather at 4 oClock Course of wind at 4 P. M rain cloudy after rain rained moderately this morning and continued Cloudy with moderate rain at intervales all day
—William Clark[3]To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is not presented and some abbreviations have been spelled out.
Notes
| ↑1 | The National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser, 3 November 1806 in “Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers,” Library of Congress accessed 17 August 2022, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045242/1806-11-03/ed-1/seq-2/. For Clark’s letter, see James J. Holmberg, ed. Dear Brother: Letters of William Clark to Jonathan Clark (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002), 101–06 or Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783-1854, 2nd ed., ed. Donald Jackson (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), 325–29. |
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| ↑2 | Holmberg, 115. |
| ↑3 | To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is not presented and some abbreviations have been spelled out. |
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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).