Day-by-Day / February 7, 1804

February 7, 1804

Rising 'River a Dubois'

At Wood River across from the mouth of the Missouri, River Dubois fills with mud, and the rising water takes away an Indian’s canoe. Sgt. Ordway returns to camp.

Cahokia Creek in Flood

Looking across the wide and icy Mississippi River from the mouth of the Wood River

Photo provided by Lewis & Clark State Historic Site, Hartford, Illinois. Used by permission.

The scene above is an approximation of what Clark described on 7 February 1804. The Cahokia Creek Diversion Channel flows past today’s reconstruction of Camp River Dubois. The actual camp was near the confluence of the Missouri and Wood rivers. All these channels have since moved considerably. See The Mouth of the Missouri.

Rising “River a Dubois”

The Creek or River a Dubois rasin fast, Swept off a Canoo belonging to a Maumies Indian from out its mouth. if the present fresh continus a fiew days, the water passing down this Small river [the Dubois] will Wash off all that immence quantity of mud which has filled up its mouth for 300 yards by the Missouris ooze or mud
—William Clark

Since 1804, the river’s name changed to Wood River, and the engineered Cahokia Channel, shown in the figure, has altered its course. The Indian may have been a Miami of the Illinois tribes, but Shawnee and Lenape Delaware are also possibilities.

Sgt. Ordway Returns

Sergt. Odway [Ordway] returned from Kohokia
—William Clark

 

Weather Diary

Therm at sun symbol rise weather wind Therm at 4 Oclk weather wind River
29 above 0 rain after clouds S.E. 30 above 0 rain & cloudy S.E. fall 2 ft. 8 in.

a small quantity of soft ice runing, Swans passing
—Meriwether Lewis[1]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “day of month 1804” column, merged the “River” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.

Related: Thermometers and Temperatures | Weather Observations

 

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 February 7, 1804:

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logo: Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail logo: National Park Service

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.

Old Cahokia Courthouse is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The site is managed by the State of Illinois and is open to the public.

 

Notes

Notes
↑1 To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “day of month 1804” column, merged the “River” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.

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
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Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance
with cooperation and funding from the following organizations:

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).