Clark and most of the men leave winter camp at the River Dubois, cross the Mississippi, and begin their journey up the Missouri camping across from present-day Fort Belle Fontaine. Several enlisted men—John Ordway, Charles Floyd, Patrick Gass, and Joseph Whitehouse—begin their journals. In Mississippi Territory, Thomas Rodney writes about a mountain and river of salt in the unexplored west while in St. Louis, Lewis makes final preparations.
Departing from St. Louis!
by Yellowstone Public Radio[1]Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © … Continue reading
The Western Expedition
we fired our Swivel on the bow hoisted Sail and Set out in high Spirits for the western Expedition.
—Joseph Whitehouse
Voyage of Discovery
having crossed the Mississippi proceeded up the Missouri on our intended voyage of discovery, under the command of Captain Clarke. Captain Lewis was to join us in two or three days on our passage.
—Patrick Gass
Those involved with the expedition never called it the Corps of Discovery. In the journals, we find phrases such as Western Expedition, Voyage of Discovery, and Lewis’s corps of volunteers for North West Discovery.
Manning the Boats
a nomber of Citizens see us Start. the party consisted of 3 Sergeants & 38 Good hands, which maned the Batteaux and two pearogue
—John Ordway
Camp
we Sailed up the missouria 6 miles and encamped on the N. side of the River
—Charles Floyd
Weather Diary
Thermometer at rise
Weather Wind at Thermometer at 4 oCk. P.M. Weather Wind at 4 oCk. P.M River 42 above Cloudy S E 64 Fair N. 0 end of observations at the river Dubois Set out from the River Dubois up the Missouri
—Meriwether Lewis[2]This is the last available Weather Diary entry until 19 September 1804. To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “River” columns, and … Continue reading
Mountains of Salt
A Mr. Bullen tells what was reported to him and his father on a hunting trip on the Red River, and here, that story is relayed to Thomas Jefferson.
Washington Misisipi Territory May 14th 1804.
Dear President
After going up [the Red River] about seven hundred miles They came to where it passes Over, and partly through, the South End of a ridge of high Mountain, Which they were informed by the Indians, runs a great way Northward, and in some places was very high, and which the Indians called the back-bone of the world—That in passing over the first part of the Mountain, the River falls about fifty feet, and then Cuts through the remainder, where the Gap rises in pretty high bluffs on Each side, all of pure Rock Salt—That he frequently, with his Ax, knocked Off great blocks of Salt, from the Mountain, that would have Made a hundred bushels, to see them fall in the River—That the bed of the River at this place, is all a bed of Salt—That large Rocks of it grow up in the Middle of the River, in the form of Loves of Sugar—That he has several times knocked off the tops of them, that were above the water, and that they would soon grow up again. That all the neighbouring Tribes of Indians got Salt at that place; and that there is a general Law among them, even in war time, that no one shall be Mollested within Twelve Miles of that place—
Your Most Obedient
Thomas Rodney[3]“Founders Online, National Archives, founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-43-02-0324. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 43, 11 March–30 June 1804, ed. James P. … Continue reading
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.
Fort Belle Fontaine is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Located about twenty miles north of St. Louis on the Missouri River, this historic site is now a a St. Louis County Park with several buildings and a stone staircase from its current location on a bluff down to the original location on the river.
Notes
| ↑1 | Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © 2003 by Yellowstone Public Radio. |
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| ↑2 | This is the last available Weather Diary entry until 19 September 1804. To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “River” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations. |
| ↑3 | “Founders Online, National Archives, founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-43-02-0324. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 43, 11 March–30 June 1804, ed. James P. McClure (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2017), 428–435.] |
