At Wood River across from the mouth of the Missouri, Clark is sick all night yet manages to enjoy the winter scenery. At Cahokia and St. Louis, Lewis works” on business of importance to the enterprise”.[1]William Clark, January 2, 1804.
Camp River Dubois (reconstruction)
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
Photo provided by Lewis & Clark State Historic Site, Hartford, Illinois. Used by permission.
Clear Shiny Night
a verry Clear mon[moon?] Shiney night a fair morning, last night was a verry Cold one (I was Sick all night[)]
William Clark
Winter Scenes
The branch[es] of Trees and the Small groth ar gilded with Ice from the frost of last night which affords one of the most magnificent appearances in nature, the river began to Smoke at 8 oCLock
—William Clark
Estimated Trip Time
Months to Mandens Months to mountains Months to ocean Time lost winter &c. Total Time Ds D month Day [at 10] 5 – 0 = 3 – 0 = 2 – 0 = 5 – 28 = 15 – 28 Total going out [at 12] 4 – 5 = 2 – 15 = 2 – 0 = 5 – 12 = 14 – 2 10 or 12 miles return 2 – 0 = 1 – 15 = 2 – 5 = 0 – 0 = 5 25 Total returning (say to Decr 1805[)] Total 19 – 27 at 12 miles pr. Day progression Total 21 – 23 at 10 miles pr. Day progression —William Clark, undated field note[2]This table has been created from Moulton, Journals, 2:160 and Ernest S. Osgood, The Field Notes of William Clark, 1803–1805, Document 7 (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1964), 20 and … Continue reading
Weather Diary
Therm. at rise
weather wind Therm. at 4 oClock weather wind River 2 below 0 fair W N W 16 above 0 fair W fall Some ice
—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 25, 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, 2:160 and Ernest S. Osgood, The Field Notes of William Clark, 1803–1805, Document 7 (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1964), 20 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. |
