Winter at Fort Mandan

On 2 November 1804 below the Knife River Villages, work begins on the expedition’s winter fortification. The men’s quarters, storage rooms, and the 16-foot pickets, are designed for defense against hostile Indians, especially the Sioux, who would be quite troublesome, although they never attacked the fort directly. “This place we have named Fort Mandan,” Lewis recorded, “in honour of our Neighbours”—their kind and congenial Mandan Indians. Here they celebrate their second Christmas and New Year’s Day.

On 28 February 1805, sixteen enlisted men are assigned to hew six canoes from cottonwood logs, and they finish them in 22 days. Meanwhile, the rest of the men make rope, leather clothing and moccasins, cured meat, and battle axes to trade for corn. Lewis prepares botanical, zoological, and mineralogical specimens for shipping back to President Jefferson. Clark works on his Fort Mandan maps.

“All the party in high Spirits,” Clark wrote approvingly, “but fiew nights pass without a Dance they are helth. except the—vn. [venereal]—which is common with the Indians and have been communicated to many of our party at this place— those favores bieng easy acquired. all Tranquile.”

By the time they are ready to leave Fort Mandan, they add some key members to the permanent party: Toussaint Charbonneau, his wife and infant son—Sacagawea and Jean Baptiste, and French trader Jean-Baptiste Lepage. Each would play critical roles in the expedition’s journey to the Pacific Ocean.

October 1804

1. Oct 26, 1804 – A Big Welcome for the CorpsLeni HollimanDuration: 2:35
2. Oct 27, 1804 – Meeting Mr. JessoummeLeni HollimanDuration: 2:35
3. Oct 28, 1804 – Prairie Wind Cancels CouncilLeni HollimanDuration: 2:43
4. Oct 29, 1804 – Fire on the PrairieLeni HollimanDuration: 3:05
5. Oct 20, 1804 – First Encounter with a GrizzlyLeni HollimanDuration: 2:28

November 1804

1. Nov 1, 1804 – Looking for a Winter CampsiteLeni HollimanDuration: 2:15
2. Nov 2, 1804 – Beginning Fort MandanLeni HollimanDuration: 2:05
3. Nov 3, 1804 – Settling InLeni HollimanDuration: 2:30
4. Nov 4, 1804 – Meeting Toussaint CharbonneauLeni HollimanDuration: 2:33
5. Nov 5, 1804 – More About SacagaweaLeni HollimanDuration: 3:16
6. Nov 9, 1804 – How the Mandan LiveLeni HollimanDuration: 2:38
7. Nov 12, 1804 – A Mandan LegendLeni HollimanDuration: 2:48
8. Nov 16, 1804 – Winterizing Fort MandanLeni HollimanDuration: 2:11
9. Nov 17, 1804 – Chink-de-Chink, Daub DaubLeni HollimanDuration: 2:23
10. Nov 18, 1804 – Chief Black Cat Comes to VisitLeni HollimanDuration: 2:51
11. Nov 24, 1804 – The Work ContinuesLeni HollimanDuration: 2:25
12. Nov 26, 1804 – A North Dakota WinterLeni HollimanDuration: 2:29
13. Nov 8, 1804 – The Northern LightsLeni HollimanDuration: 2:11
14. Nov 10, 1804 – Geese Continue to Fly SouthLeni HollimanDuration: 2:48
15. Nov 11, 1804 – Not Much to Tell AgainLeni HollimanDuration: 2:11
16. Nov 15, 1804 – Missouri River Begins Icing UpLeni HollimanDuration: 2:28
17. Nov 19, 1804 – Finally, the Hunters ReturnLeni HollimanDuration: 2:34
18. Nov 22, 1804 – Stopping Domestic ViolenceLeni HollimanDuration: 2:44
19. Nov 23, 1804 – Fair Weather!Leni HollimanDuration: 2:26
20. Nov 25, 1804 – Two Gros Ventre Chiefs VisitLeni HollimanDuration: 2:02
21. Nov 29, 1804 – The Calculating Msr. LarocqueLeni HollimanDuration: 2:32
22. Nov 30, 1804 – Surprise Attack by the SiouxLeni HollimanDuration: 3:09

December 1804

1. Dec 1, 1804 – More Trouble BrewingLeni HollimanDuration: 2:47
2. Dec 2, 1804 – A Warning for the SiouxLeni HollimanDuration: 2:37
3. Dec 3, 1804 – More TrinketsLeni HollimanDuration: 2:37
4. Dec 6, 1804 – A Very Fancy ManLeni HollimanDuration: 3:04
5. Dec 7, 1804 – The Buffalo are Coming!Leni HollimanDuration: 2:49
6. Dec 8, 1804 – Frost BiteLeni HollimanDuration: 3:28
7. Dec 9, 1804 – A Bounty of Buffalo MeatLeni HollimanDuration: 1:53
8. Dec 10, 1804 – The Buffalo Move OnLeni HollimanDuration: 2:03
9. Dec 13, 1804 – Temperatures Keep DroppingLeni HollimanDuration: 2:01
10. Dec 14, 1804 – The Buffalo DisappearLeni HollimanDuration: 2:07
11. Dec 15, 1804 – A Soldier's Letter HomeLeni HollimanDuration: 2:40
12. Dec 16, 1804 – A Messenger from the TradersLeni HollimanDuration: 2:12
13. Dec 17, 1804 – Mr. Heney's Valuable InformationLeni HollimanDuration: 2:00
14. Dec 20, 1804 – A Little Horse RustlingLeni HollimanDuration: 1:59
15. Dec 21, 1804 – Making AmendsLeni HollimanDuration: 2:09
16. Dec 22, 1804 – The Big Horn SheepLeni HollimanDuration: 2:34
17. Dec 23, 1804 – A Little Home Cookin'Leni HollimanDuration: 1:59
18. Dec 24, 1804 – Christmas Eve at Fort MandanLeni HollimanDuration: 1:59
19. Dec 27, 1804 – Christmas Expedition StyleLeni HollimanDuration: 2:13
20. Dec 28, 1804 – Blacksmith John ShieldsLeni HollimanDuration: 2:46
21. Dec 29, 1804 – Blacksmith Alexander WillardLeni HollimanDuration: 2:59
22. Dec 30, 1804 – Blacksmith William BrattonLeni HollimanDuration: 2:45
23. Dec 31, 1804 – Blacksmiths Very PopularLeni HollimanDuration: 1:50

January 1805

1. Jan 3, 1805 – The New Year With a Bang!Leni HollimanDuration: 2:38
2. Jan 4, 1805 – Home on the PlainsLeni HollimanDuration: 2:34
3. Jan 5, 1805 – The Buffalo DanceLeni HollimanDuration: 2:44
4. Jan 6, 1805 – Cookin' up some CornLeni HollimanDuration: 2:34
5. Jan 7, 1805 – The River Roche JauneLeni HollimanDuration: 2:40
6. Jan 10, 1805 – Forty Degrees Below ZeroLeni HollimanDuration: 2:07
7. Jan 11, 1805 – A War Medicine DanceLeni HollimanDuration: 2:20
8. Jan 12, 1805 – A Recipe for Boudin BlancLeni HollimanDuration: 2:38
9. Jan 13, 1805 – A Major Buffalo HuntLeni HollimanDuration: 2:26
10. Jan 14, 1805 – An Eclipse of the MoonLeni HollimanDuration: 2:31
11. Jan 17, 1805 – Lewis & Clark: EthnographersLeni HollimanDuration: 2:45
12. Jan 18, 1805 – Messrs Laroque & MacKenzieLeni HollimanDuration: 2:32
13. Jan 19, 1805 – Laroque the EntrepreneurLeni HollimanDuration: 2:48
14. Jan 20, 1805 – Interpreters MisunderstandLeni HollimanDuration: 2:54
15. Jan 21, 1805 – A Case of the PoxLeni HollimanDuration: 2:22
16. Jan 24, 1805 – Cutting Coal WoodLeni HollimanDuration: 2:30
17. Jan 25, 1805 – A Visit from the AssiniboineLeni HollimanDuration: 2:37
18. Jan 26 1805 – A Case of Violent PleurisyLeni HollimanDuration: 2:22
19. Jan 27, 1805 – An AmputationLeni HollimanDuration: 2:38
20. Jan 28, 1805 – The Longitude of Fort MandanLeni HollimanDuration: 2:39
21. Jan 31, 1805 – Music and DancingLeni HollimanDuration: 2:48

February 1804

1. Feb 1, 1805 – Corn for a War HatchetLeni HollimanDuration: 2:32
2. Feb 2, 1805 – Mr. Larocque LeavesLeni HollimanDuration: 3:00
3. Feb 3, 1805 – All Boats Stuck in the IceLeni HollimanDuration: 3:16
4. Feb 4, 1805 – Clark Out HuntingLeni HollimanDuration: 2:47
5. Feb 7, 1805 – Locking the Gate at NightLeni HollimanDuration: 2:32
6. Feb 8, 1805 – Chief Black Cat VisitsLeni HollimanDuration: 2:31
7. Feb 9, 1805 – Pvt. Howard Court MartialedLeni HollimanDuration: 2:37
8. Feb 10, 1805 – Bringing in the GameLeni HollimanDuration: 2:31
9. Feb 11, 1805 – Little Pompy CharbeneauLeni HollimanDuration: 2:32
10. Feb 14, 1805 – Clark in from the ColdLeni HollimanDuration: 2:07
11. Feb 15, 1805 – Chasing the Sioux ThievesLeni HollimanDuration: 2:39
12. Feb 16, 1805 – Snow BlindLeni HollimanDuration: 2:29
13. Feb 17, 1805 – A Gift of MeatLeni HollimanDuration: 2:07
14. Feb 18, 1805 – Meat All GoneLeni HollimanDuration: 2:12
15. Feb 21, 1805 – The Medicine StoneLeni HollimanDuration: 3:08
16. Feb 22, 1805 – The Rivers to the WestLeni HollimanDuration: 2:37
17. Feb 23, 1805 – Icebound PirogueLeni HollimanDuration: 2:17
18. Feb 24, 1805 – Keelboat Loose from the IceLeni HollimanDuration: 2:23
19. Feb 25, 1805 – Rope BreaksLeni HollimanDuration: 2:46
20. Feb 28, 1805 – Indian Remedy SacacomisLeni HollimanDuration: 2:53

March 1804

1. Mar 1, 1805 – Allies, Enemies and ThreatsLeni HollimanDuration: 2:54
2. Mar 2, 1805 – River Ice Breaking UpLeni HollimanDuration: 2:20
3. Mar 3, 1805 – Ducks Flying NorthLeni HollimanDuration: 2:16
4. Mar 4, 1805 – 1,609 Miles from HomeLeni HollimanDuration: 2:30
5. Mar 7, 1805 – A Windfall for CharbonneauLeni HollimanDuration: 2:29
6. Mar 8, 1805 – A KidnappingLeni HollimanDuration: 2:26
7. Mar 9, 1805 – The Fearsome Chief One EyeLeni HollimanDuration: 2:46
8. Mar 10, 1805 – Bands of MinnetareLeni HollimanDuration: 2:31
9. Mar 11, 1805 – Charbonneau Quits!Leni HollimanDuration: 2:58
10. Mar 14, 1805 – Charbonneau Moves OutLeni HollimanDuration: 2:58
11. Mar 15, 1805 – Hulling CornLeni HollimanDuration: 2:31
12. Mar 16, 1805 – A Recipe for Making BeadsLeni HollimanDuration: 3:32
13. Mar 17, 1805 – Charbonneau RecantsLeni HollimanDuration: 2:27
14. Mar 18, 1805 – Charbonneau EnlistsLeni HollimanDuration: 2:30
15. Mar 21, 1805 – A Hill of Pumice StoneLeni HollimanDuration: 2:05
16. Mar 22, 1805 – Extra Visits from Chiefs, ClerksLeni HollimanDuration: 2:37
17. Mar 23, 1805 – Men Dance again this EveningLeni HollimanDuration: 2:20
18. Mar 24, 1805 – Preparing to Set OutLeni HollimanDuration: 2:07
19. Mar 25, 1805 – Canoes Near Destroyed by IceLeni HollimanDuration: 2:07
20. Mar 28, 1805 – Ice JamsLeni HollimanDuration: 2:17
21. Mar 29, 1805 – A Feast of Drowned BuffaloLeni HollimanDuration: 2:22
22. Mar 30, 1805 – Healthy Except for the VenerealLeni HollimanDuration: 2:00
23. Mar 31, 1805 – No Journal Entry TodayLeni HollimanDuration: 2:19

April 1805

1. Apr 1, 1805 – Boats in the Water and a Long Lost Journal EntryLeni HollimanDuration: 3:18
2. Apr 4, 1805 – Trying to Leave Fort MandanLeni HollimanDuration: 2:17
3. Apr 5, 1805 – High Winds Prevent TravelLeni HollimanDuration: 2:06
4. Apr 6, 1805 – An Arikara FarewellLeni HollimanDuration: 2:04

Originally aired by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial observance in 2004–2006, these 627 radio episodes parallel the expedition dates starting 14 May 1804 and ending 25 September 1806. They aired only on weekdays with four introductory vignettes and four episodes about events after the expedition. They are narrated by Hal Hansen, scripted by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson, and produced by Leni Holliman.