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History of Christmas Traditions >> Did you Know?
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Christmas for the Corps
The Corps of Discovery spent their first Christmas and New Year at Camp Dubois in present day Illinois, Getting ready for the expedition. The next in the frigid cold of North Dakota and finally the rain of the west coast. The First holiday season was spent at Camp Dubois 1803 and 1804. Lewis and Clark were training and preparing the men to take on the upcoming challenge. Lewis was sharing the information he learned from his trip to Philadelphia with Clark, and their was a spirit of excitement in the air over the Louisiana Purchase . The Christmas and New Year holidays at the Mandan Villages in 1804 and 1805 showed that the men of the Corps were becoming good friends….Sergeant Ordway wrote: We fired the Swivels at day break and each man fired on round. Our officers gave the party a drink of rum. We had the best to eat that could be had and continued firing and dancing and frolicking during the whole day…. We enjoyed a merry Christmas during the day and evening until nine o’ clock…all in peace and quietness. New Years was spent at the Mandan Villages dancing to the music of Private Cruzatte’s Fiddle. The holiday spirits were not as high at Fort Clatsop, but the men made the most of it by giving each other gifts ….Capt Clark wrote “ I received presents of Capt Lewis and fleece hosiery, shirt draws and socks, Moccasins from Whitehouse a small Indian basket from Goodrich and two dozen white weasel tails of the Indian woman. We would have spent this day the nativity of Christ in feasting had we anything either to raise our spirits or even gratify our appetites." New Years day 1806 Lewis entered into his journal “This morning I was awoke at an early hour by the discharge of a volley of small arms, which were fired by our party in front of our quarters to usher in the New Year. This was the only mark of respect which we had it in our power to pay this celebrated day ." This is how the Corps of Discovery spent their Holidays on the Trail….please stay safe and Happy Holidays from LewisandClarkTrail.com….Where you can Re-live the Adventure of Lewis and Clark.
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