Day-by-Day / April 3, 1804

April 3, 1804

A Letter for Prairie du Chien

At sunrise, Nicholas Jarrot‘s trade boat leaves the expedition’s winter camp at the Wood River carrying a letter from Clark to John Campbell of Prairie Du Chien, an important fur trade center in present Wisconsin. Clark has the enlisted men pack corn meal, flour, and salted pork.

A Letter for Prairie du Chien

I wrote a letter to Mr. John Campbell, of Prarie De chaine by Mr. Hay & the Gentlemen bound to [t]hat place, those Gentlemen Set out at Sun rise
William Clark

Preserving Food

I have meal mad & the flour Packed & repacked, also Some porkie packed in barrels
—William Clark

 

Weather Diary

Thermometr. at sun symbol rise Weather Wind at Sunrise Thermometr. at 4 oClock Weather Wind at 4 oClock River
50 above 0 fair N E rain N E rise 3 ½ in.

Mr. Garrous [Nicholas Jarrot] Boat loaded with provisions pass up for Prarie de chien, to trade a cloudy day
—William Clark[1]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “Day of month” and “River feet” columns and spelled out some of the abbreviations.

Notes

Notes
1 To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “Day of month” and “River feet” columns and spelled out some of the abbreviations.

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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.