Day-by-Day / December 5, 1804

December 5, 1804

The sentinel's walkway

A platform atop the Fort Mandan meat house is completed enabling the guard to see beyond the fort’s walls. Two employees of the North West Company tell the captains that five of them will soon return to Fort Assiniboine.

North West Company Visitors

two of the N W. Companey Came to See us, to let us Know they intended to Set out for the establishment on the osinniboin River in two Days—& their party would Consist of 5 men
William Clark

The Sentinel’s Walkway

cloudy & cold. look likely for Snow. we continued the work as usal. we layed a platform upon the meat & Smoak house for a Sentnel to walk.
John Ordway

 

Weather Diary

Ther. at sun symbol rise Weather Wind at sun symbol rise Thert. at 4 P.M. Weather Wind at 4 P.M. River
14 cloudy N E. 27 snow N E  

Wind blew excessively hard this night from N W.
Meriwether Lewis[1]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 To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “River” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.

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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.