In his field notes, Clark records the hourly events at winter camp across from the mouth of the Missouri. Lewis has the advantage of more comfortable accommodations in Cahokia. Finally, the Spanish governor of Louisiana, Dehault Delassus, formally allows the expedition to proceed up the Missouri.
Camp River Dubois
Photo provided by Lewis & Clark State Historic Site, Hartford, Illinois. Used by permission.
The Day at Camp Dubois
a Cloudy morning verry cold wind from the N W Some floating Ice in the River
9 oClock 5° above 0, Snows
10 oClock 8° abov 0
11 oClock 10° abov 0, Sun Shines, 3 french men from Parare De Soue called
12 oClock 12° abov 0
at 1 oClock 14° abov 0, Mr. Bagley Came with Potatos fowls &— I trade him[.] Mr. Cummins Came with meel & Brandy from Contractor
2 oClock 18° abov 0, the Mr. Anty Coxe called toDay to inqure after his horses
3 oClock 20° above 0
4 oClock 18° abov 0, Some womin came to day
6 oClock 14° abov 0, Porter all frosed & several bottles broke, I Deliver out 12 flints & Some Canstr. Pow[d]er to hunters.
—William Clark[1]For clarity, Clark’s original, single paragraph is presented here in list format.
Spanish Obstacles Removed
[28 January 1804]
. . . you will not put any abstacle to impede Capt. Merry Weather Lewis entrance in the Missouri whenever he wishes . . . .
New Orleans, January 28, 1804[draft]
Señor Don Carlos de Lassus[2][Governor of Louisiana?] to Carlos Dehault Delassus, Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783-1854, 2nd ed. (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), 167.
Weather Diary
Therm. at rise
weather wind Therm. at 4 oClock weather wind River 5 above 0 Cloudy snow N W 18 above 0 cloudy after snow N W rise cold & Ice runing
—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 28, 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 | For clarity, Clark’s original, single paragraph is presented here in list format. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | [Governor of Louisiana?] to Carlos Dehault Delassus, Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783-1854, 2nd ed. (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), 167. |
| ↑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. |
