June 3, 1804
Mosquitoes and ticks
At the mouth of the Osage, mosquitoes and deer ticks vex Clark, and Lewis collects a specimen of ground plum. Late in the day, the boats move up to the mouth of the Moreau east of present Jefferson City.
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May 28, 1804
Drying wet cargo
At the Gasconade River, the expedition hunts and dries wet cargo. Having met with Captains Lewis and Clark on 25 May, trader Régis Loisel is now in St. Louis warning Spain of American encroachments.
May 25, 1804
Last 'White' village
The expedition reaches La Charrette—the last settlement of “white people on this River . . . .” Here the captains meet trader Régis Loisel who shares valuable information about where they are going.
May 21, 1804
Leaving St. Charles
Late in the afternoon, the swivel gun is fired, three cheers are raised, and the expedition leaves St. Charles bound for the Western Sea. Facing a strong wind, the three boats move only 3¼ miles.
May 20, 1804
Sunday in St. Charles
Lewis and a delegation of distinguished citizens leave St. Louis. During a thunderstorm, they shelter in a little cabin. Already in St. Charles, many of the enlisted men attend Catholic mass.
May 17, 1804
St. Charles court martial
Privates Hugh Hall and John Collins misbehaved in St. Charles the previous night and today face a court martial. Some visiting Kickapoos tell Clark that the Sauk and Osage are at war—a thing the captains have been trying to prevent.
May 16, 1804
St. Charles arrival
The boats set out early, pass the coal beds of Charbonier Bluff, and reach St. Charles, an early French settlement on the Missouri River. Many citizens come out to see the event and socialization commences.
May 14, 1804
Leaving Camp River Dubois
Clark and most of the men leave winter camp at the River Dubois and begin their journey up the Missouri. Several enlisted men begin their journals while in St. Louis, Lewis makes final preparations.
May 13, 1804
Ready for departure
Clark sends a message to Lewis in St. Louis that everything is ready to start up the Missouri. He worries that they may not have enough trade goods and gifts for the Indians.
May 12, 1804
Expenses mount
Charles Gratiot forwards about $1500 in bills of expedition purchases. At winter camp, Clark arranges the boats’ loads. In Massachusetts, Samuel Brazer commemorates the Louisiana cession.
May 10, 1804
First plant specimen
At winter camp on the present Wood River in Illinois, the enlisted men are ordered to carry 100 lead balls for their rifles. In St. Louis, Lewis collects the expedition’s first plant specimen.
May 9, 1804
Moving into tents
At winter camp on the River Dubois, Clark moves the enlisted men out of their cabins and into tents—their shelters for the upcoming voyage. Lewis continues working in St. Louis.
May 8, 1804
Shakedown cruise
The barge and a pirogue are taken for a shakedown cruise a few miles up the Mississippi. In New Orleans, the former governor of Spanish Louisiana urges his Commandant General to arrest Meriwether Lewis.
May 6, 1804
Clark's military rank
At winter camp, the expedition’s men win shooting contests with several of the country people. From St. Louis, Lewis sends Clark a commission for second lieutenant—not for captain as promised.
May 4, 1804
Officer of the Day
The day is rainy at winter camp across from the mouth of the Missouri. In his journal, Sgt. Ordway records detachment orders for Officer of the Day and leaving camp. Lewis continues working in St. Louis.
May 1, 1804
Heeling the barge
The month of May finds the expedition still at their winter camp at River Dubois across the Mississippi from St. Louis. An attempt is made to tilt the barge to one side so that its bottom can be inspected.
April 30, 1804
Indian goods nearly ready
At winter camp, fur trader John Hay and William Clark nearly finish packing the Indian trade goods into bundles—each designated to a specific tribe. Across the Mississippi, Lewis works in St. Louis.
April 29, 1804
Packing Indian goods
Several Kickapoo chiefs and a boat captain visit Clark at Winter Camp on the Wood River. Fur trader John Hay continues to pack goods, and Lewis continues his work in St. Louis.
April 28, 1804
Shooting for money
At winter camp on the Wood River, several local settlers lose their money in marksmanship contests with the enlisted men. All hands are otherwise busy packing and Lewis continues in St. Louis.
April 27, 1804
Preparing Indian goods
At winter camp on the Wood River, William Clark and fur trader John Hay organize the many goods that will be used as diplomatic gifts for the Indians the expedition will meet.
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).