Day-by-Day / September 16, 1804

September 16, 1804

A pleasant camp

The expedition moves 1¼ miles up the Missouri River and establishes a ‘pleasant’ camp to organize cargo and refresh the men. Because the barge is so heavily loaded, the captains decide to continue using the red pirogue rather than sending it and its crew back. Lewis remarks on the falling acorns, and Clark issues flannel shirts and powder to the men.

Lightening up the Load

by Yellowstone Public Radio[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

White and Red Pirogues

Large, wooden boats with shelters and sails

Courtesy Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

Drying Out and Resting

we Set out verry eairly this morning.— Cool & Clear, proceeded on in order to find a good place to Camp & dry & arange all afairs on board & refresh the party
—John Ordway

Keeping the Red Pirogue

[W]e concluded to ly by at this place the ballance of this day and the next, in order to . . . . lighten the boat by transfering a part of her lading to the red perogue [pirogue], which we now determined to take on with us to our winter residence wherever that might be;
—Meriwether Lewis

 

Bur (Burr) Oak

Quercus macrocarpa

Green acorns with fuzzy covering

© 2 August 2015 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Bur Oak Acorns

the acorns were now falling, and we concluded that the number of deer which we saw here had been induced thither by the acorns of which they are remarkably fond. almost every species of wild game is fond of the acorn, the Buffaloe Elk, deer, bear, turkies, ducks, pigegians and even the wolves feed on them
—Meriwether Lewis

Related: Bison Encounters | Birds of the Expedition

New Flannel Shirts

I gave out a flannel Shirt to each man, & powder to those who had expended thers
—William Clark

 

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.

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.

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Unless otherwise noted, journal excerpts are from The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, edited by Gary E. Moulton, 13 vols. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001).