Day-by-Day / January 9, 1804

January 9, 1804

Visiting Cahokia Mounds

Winter Camp at Wood River, IL Clark visits ancient Indian mounds. On the way back, his wet feet freeze to his shoes. Lewis is working in either Cahokia or St. Louis.

Cahokia Mounds

went across a Prary to a 2nd Bank where I discovered an Indian Fortification . . . . this fortress is 9 mouns forming a Circle two of them is about 7 foot above the leavel of the plain on the edge of the first bank and 2 m from the woods & about the Same distance from the main high land, about this place I found great quantities of Earthen ware & flints— about ½ m. N. is a Grave on an Emenince
—William Clark

Stolen Hog Investigation

I took Collins & went to the place he found a Hog Skined & Hung up, the Crows had devoured the meet
William Clark

Frozen Feet

I returned before Sun Set, and found that my feet, which were wet had frozed to my Shoes, which rendered precaution necessary to prevent a frost bite
—William Clark

 

Weather Diary

Therm. at sun symbol rise weather wind Therm. at 4 oClock weather wind River
fair W N W 1 below 0 cloudy W N W

Snow last night
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark[2]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 “Cahokia Mounds (Monks Mounds,” National Register of Historic Places.
2 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.