Day-by-Day / February 20, 1805

February 20, 1805

Returning to the old village

Fort Mandan, ND Clark learns about the death of a very old Mandan Indian who is interned in a way that will return him to the “old village under ground.”

The Underground Village

I am informed of the Death of an old man whome I Saw in the Mandan Village. this man, informed me that he “was 120 winters old, he requested his grand Children to Dress him after Death & Set him on a Stone on a hill with his face towards his old Village or Down the river, that he might go Streight to his brother at their old village under ground
William Clark

Hunting Their Way Back

proceeded on a Short distance & took on 3 deer which the hunters had killed and halled on the Ice. we came about 8 miles further which took us above the Mandans Island as we call it. we heard the hunters Shooting on the S. Side. we camped on the South Side the hunters came in had killed five Elk we packed in three of them and night came on so that the hunters could not find the other 2.
John Ordway

 

Weather Diary

State of the Ther. at sun symbol rise Weather Wind at sun symbol rise Thermt. at 4 oCk. P.M. Weather Wind at 4 oCk. P.M. River
2 [above 0] fair S. 22 [above 0] fair S  

—William Clark[1]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “State of the River at sun symbol rise” 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 “State of the River at sun symbol rise” 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.