Day-by-Day / July 2, 1804

July 2, 1804

An old French fort

Near present Leavenworth, Kansas, the expedition sets out early. At noon, they stop to construct a temporary mast to take advantage of a tailwind. They make 11½ miles and camp opposite an old Kansa village and French trading post.

Joe Field’s Snake Prairie

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

Missouri River at Weston Bend State Park

River bottoms thick with trees

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

Tough Going

passed a verry bad Sand bar on the L. S. the 20 Oars & Poals could with much dificuelty Stem the Current, passed a large Island on the S. S. Called by the Inds. Wau-car-ba war-con-da or the Bear Medison Island,
—William Clark

The island was named by the Omahas, apparently. It would later become Kickapoo Island.[2]Moulton, Journals, 2:343n4.

Temporary Mast

we Delayed at 12 o.C. for to put up a Temperary mast as the wind was fair, we passed a prarie on the South Side of the River called the old Village of the Kansars [Kansas] &C.
—John Ordway

Related: The Barge (called the ‘boat’ or ‘barge’ but never the ‘keelboat’)

Old Kansa Village

we Camped after dark on the S. S. above the Island & opposit the 1st old village of the Kanzes which was Situated in a valley, between two points of high Land, and imediatly on the river bank, back of the village and on a riseing ground at about one mile
—William Clark

Old Fort de Cavagnial

The french formerly had a Fort at this place, to protect the trade of this nation, the Situation appears to be a verry elligable one for a Town
—William Clark

Related: The Fur Trade

 

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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.
↑2 Moulton, Journals, 2:343n4.

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.

This page was funded in part by the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, U.S. National Park Service.

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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).