Winter Holidays on the Lewis and Clark Expedition December 1803 - January 1804

Starting during the holidays of 1803, the expedition was set up at Camp Dubois which is near present day Wood River, Illinois. Captain Meriwether Lewis was in St. Louis so only Captain William Clark was there. Overall, the holiday season of 1803 was not particularly celebrated by Corps of Discovery.

The day was pretty typical, beginning with gunfire at daybreak. However, Clark noted in his journals that a few men were fighting when he woke up saying,“[I] found that some of the party had got Drunk, the men frolicked and hunted all day”.

He also noted that they had some visitors stating, “Three Indians Come to day to take Christmas with us, I gave them a bottle of whiskey and they went off”. As New Year’s Day came along, things were still pretty normal with a few visitors. Clark noted in his journal,“ Several men Come from the Countrey to See us & Shoot with the men”.