Day-by-Day / November 13, 1804

November 13, 1804

Ice water and frostbite

Fort Mandan, ND The day is cold and snowy. Lewis’s group gets into the icy water and tries to move a pirogue loaded with chimney stones across a sandbar. The barge must be unloaded, and an Assiniboine chief visits Clark.

Gathering Chimney Stones

Capt. Lewis & 6 men went in the pearogue [pirogue] up the River through the Ice to the first village of the Mandens [Mandans] after Stone for the backs of our Chimneys.
John Ordway

Unloading the Barge

Snowey morning the Ice run considerable fast in the river. we unlaoded the boat for fear the Ice would take it off. we put the loading in the Store house, all though it was not finished, but we continued the work
—John Ordway

The Assiniboines

The [Assiniboine] nation Consists of about 600 men, hunt in the Plains & winter and trade on the Ossiniboin River, they are Decendants of the Siaux [Sioux] and Speake their language, they Come to the nations to this quarter to trade or (make preasthts) for horses
William Clark

Ice and Frostbite

Capt. Lewis returned with his party towards evening much fatigued. they got fast on a Sand bar &l had to be out in the water abto. 2 hours. the Ice running against their legs. their close frooze on them. one of them got 1 of his feet frost bit. it hapned that they had Some whiskey with them to revive their Spirits.
—John Ordway

 

Weather Diary

Ther. at sun symbol rise Weather Wind at sun symbol rise Thert. at 4 P.M. Weather Wind at 4 P.M. River
18 snow S E 18 cloudy after snow S E fall 1 ft ½ in

large quanty of drift ice running this morning the river has every appearance of closing for winter
Meriwether Lewis[1]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “River” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.

Notes

Notes
1 To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date 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.