The expedition travels about thirteen miles up the Mississippi camping opposite present Chester, Illinois. Lewis describes the range of hills forming Cinque Hommes Cape and reports three grist mills and several settlers living in the area.
Up the Mississippi
Watercolor by Steve Ludeman
© 2023 by Steve Ludeman, www.steveludemanfineart.com. Used by permission.
Above: the three vessels under sail, ascending the Mississippi River. At this point in their journey, to accompany their barge, the Lewis and Clark Expedition had acquired two pirogue vessels: one white and one red. I did this painting on a beautiful September day, at a scenic overlook next to Fort Kaskaskia, Illinois. On November 28, 1803, they arrived at the Fort with about 24 men.—Steve Ludeman
A Bold Point of Rocks
This is a bold point of rocks forming the extremity of a range of hills which have continued on our Lard quarter for a considerable distance the Creek of the same name which puts in just above it is 20 miles in length and has a considerable number of inhabitants on it, and as many as three gristmills.—
—Meriwether Lewis
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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.
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.
This page was funded in part by the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, U.S. National Park Service.
This site is provided as a public service by the
Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance
with cooperation and funding from the following organizations:
- Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
- Montana Committee for the Humanities
- Idaho Governor's Lewis and Clark Trail Committee
- The Capital Gallery (Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation)
- Yellowstone Public Radio
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).