September 22, 1806
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September 22, 1806

 

This morning being very wet and the rain Still Continueing hard, and our party being all Sheltered in the houses of those hospitable people, we did not [think?] proper to proceed on untill after the rain was over, and continued at the house of Mr. Proulx. I took this oppertunity of writeing to my friends in Kentucky &c. [1]    at 10 A M. it seased raining and we Colected our party and Set out and proceeded on down to the Contonemt. at Coldwater Creek about 3 miles up the Missouri on it's Southern banks, [2] at this place we found Colo. Hunt [3] & a Lieut Peters [4] 〈in Command of〉 & one Company of Artillerists    we were kindly received by the Gentlemen of this place. Mrs. Wilkinson the Lady of the Govr. & Genl. we wer Sorry to find in delicate health. [5]

we were honored with a Salute of [blank] Guns and a harty welcom— at this place there is a publick Store kept in which I am informed the U. S have 60000$ worth of indian Goods [6]

 

Monday 22nd Sept. 1806.    the hard rain continued this morning untill about 11 Oclock A. M. at which time the party was collected and we Set out & procd. on    towards evening we arived at Bell fountain a Fort or cantonement on South Side which was built since we ascended the Missouri & a handsome place.    we moovd. a short distance below and Camped, the Company of Artillery who lay at this fort fired 17 Rounds with the field peaces    the most of our party was Quartered in the Canonment. Several flat Boats are built at this place. Some rain this evening.    a number of these Soldiers are aquaintances of ours &C.

1. Probably not the letter that was eventually sent to Clark's relatives in Kentucky; see September 24, 1806. (back)
2. Fort Bellefontaine was in Saint Louis County, Missouri, near the mouth of Coldwater Creek. When established in 1805 by General Wilkinson, it was the first United States fort west of the Mississippi, and included a government Indian factory as well as a military post. The factory was moved to Fort Osage (see June 23, 1804) in 1808. The fort itself was moved to higher ground because of flooding in 1810, and was abandoned in 1826. Frazer, 68–70; Thwaites (LC), 5:392–93 n. 2. (back)
3. Thomas Hunt of Massachusetts served in the Revolutionary War from the Battle of Lexington and Concord on, and was twice wounded; he rose to the rank of captain and resigned in 1784. In 1791 he was appointed captain in the Second Infantry Regiment, promoted to major in 1793, transferred to the First Infantry in 1796, became lieutenant colonel in 1802 and colonel in 1803. He died in 1808. Heitman, 557. (back)
4. George Peter of Maryland was appointed second lieutenant in the Second Infantry Regiment in 1799 and discharged in 1800, rejoined the army as a lieutenant of artillery in 1801, was promoted to captain in 1807 and resigned in 1809. He died in 1861. Heitman, 786; Thwaites (LC), 5:393 n. 2. (back)
5. Ann Biddle Wilkinson, a distant relative of Nicholas Biddle, died in February 1807. (back)
6. The remaining half-page (p. 75 of Codex N) is blank. (back)