December 22, 1803
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Aug 30, 1803 Sep 30, 1806

December 22, 1803

 

a verry great Sleat this morning, the river Coverd with running Ice, and falls verry fast    15 Inches last night    the boat a ground in the Creek, I had pries [1] fixed along to Support the boat, and all the heavy articles taken out in Front & Center and Sto[r]ed under a guard on the bank—    mist of rain, which prevents our doeing much to our huts to day, at 3 oClock Drewyer & 8 men 2 horses arrive from Tennessee, [2] those men are not such I was told was in readiness at Tennessee for this Comd & &.    recved a Letter from Cap Lewis [3] also one from Mr. Gratiot [4] offering a horse and his Services to Cap L & my self in any way

1. Evidently wedges or props of some sort. (back)
2. Men detailed to the expedition from Captain John Campbell's company of the Second Infantry Regiment, stationed at South West Point, Tennessee. Among them were Corporal Richard Warfington and Privates Hugh Hall, Thomas P. Howard, and John Potts. The other four, whose names are unknown, were rejected. Clark's comment suggests that Campbell had sent some of his less desirable men. See Appendix A. Appleman (LC), 62, 366 n. 54. (back)
3. See Lewis to Clark, December 17, 1803, Jackson (LLC), 1:144. (back)
4. Born in Switzerland, Charles Gratiot came to Montreal in 1769 and engaged in the fur trade, establishing a store at Cahokia in 1777. During the Revolution he was of assistance to George Rogers Clark, and so was probably known to William Clark. In 1781 he moved to St. Louis, married into the prominent Chouteau family, and became himself a leading fur trader and citizen. The formal transfer of Upper Louisiana on March 10, 1804, took place on the portico of his home. He helped Lewis and Clark considerably in the months before the start of the expedition. (back)