Day-by-Day / March 12, 1805

March 12, 1805

Charbonneau quits

Fort Mandan, ND When his expectations cannot be met, Toussaint Charbonneau quits. Two men go to a Hidatsa village to trade for tobacco, and in Washington City, Spanish Minister Yrujo complains about Jefferson’s western expeditions.

Trading for Tobacco

two men of the party went up to the Grossvantares [Hidatsa] Village in order to Git Some tobacco from the tradors.
John Ordway

Charbonneau Quits

our Interpeter Shabonah [Charbonneau], detumins on not proceeding with us as an interpeter under the terms mentioned yesterday he will not agree to work let our Situation be what it may not Stand a guard, and if miffed with any man he wishes to return when he pleases, also have the disposial of as much provisions as he Chuses to Carrye

in admissable and we Suffer him to be off the engagement which was only virbal
William Clark

Yrujo Complains

He [Yrujo] means the commission and charge that the American government, without even knowing the true limits of Louisiana, has given to Meriwether Lewis and to Dunbar and Hunter to explore a country in the possession and under the sovereignty of the Spanish king . . . . It does not then seem correspondent with the rules of justice to exhibit so much sensibility for some military movements, dictated by necessity, and inspired by the conduct of a representative of the United States, when at the same time the rights of Spain have been treated with so little circumspection by sending out those explorers, in large part without Spain’s knowledge and all without its consent.
—Carlos Martínez de Yrujo, Spanish Minister to the United States[1]“To James Madison from Carlos Martínez de Yrujo (Abstract), 12 March 1805,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/02-09-02-0134. [Original … Continue reading

 

Weather Diary

State of Ther. at sun symbol rise Weather wind at sun symbol rise State of Thermt. at 4 OClock Weather at 4 Ock Wind at 4 OClock State of the River
2 [below 0] fair after snow N. 10 [above 0] fair N W rise 5 in.

snow but slight disappeared to day
—Meriwether Lewis[2]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “Day of Month 1805” column and spelled out some abbreviations.

Notes

Notes
1 “To James Madison from Carlos Martínez de Yrujo (Abstract), 12 March 1805,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/02-09-02-0134. [Original source: The Papers of James Madison, Secretary of State Series, vol. 9, 1 February 1805–30 June 1805, ed. Mary A. Hackett, J. C. A. Stagg, Mary Parke Johnson, Anne Mandeville Colony, Angela Kreider, and Katherine E. Harbury. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2011, pp. 129–131.]
2 To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “Day of Month 1805” column 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.