Day-by-Day / December 15, 1805

December 15, 1805

Packing elk meat

Fort Clatsop, Astoria, OR Clark and a large group are packing elk meat out of the dense woods. When darkness falls, several cannot find their way back to the canoes.

Bringing in the Meat[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

Packing Elk Meat

I Set out with 16 men in 3 Canoes for the Elk proced up the 1st right hand fork 4 miles & pack the meat from the woods to the Cano from 4 mile to 3 miles distance all hands pack not one man exempted from this labour I also pack my Self Some of this meat, and Cook for those out in packing
William Clark

Stranded Without a Fire

The woods at that place and under brush lay so thick, that the Men got scatter’d & some of them were lost.— Serjeant Ordway, three of the Men & myself were among those that had lost themselves. We were obliged to stay out during the Night. It rained all that night & the wind blew very cold & being without fire, we suffered considerably both from the Rain & wind.
—Joseph Whitehouse

The Captains’ Quarters

myself and 2 others were employed in fixing and finishing the quarters of the Commanding Officers, and 2 more preparing puncheons for covering the huts.
—Patrick Gass

Weather Diary

Day of the Month Winds State of the Weather
15th S W. Cloudy after rain

rained all last night and untill 8 A. M to day after which it was Cloudy all day.
Meriwether Lewis[2]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has spelled out some abbreviations.

 

Notes

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.
2 To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has 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.