John Ordway: December 25, 1805
On Christmas Day 1805, the expedition moved into their newly built winter quarters, which the captains named Fort Clatsop after the neighboring Clatsop Indians. At daybreak the men saluted the officers by firing their guns outside their quarters. The officers distributed the last of the tobacco to those who used it and gave silk handkerchiefs to the others as Christmas gifts. Without liquor or salt, the party dined on lean elk meat, but the men remained in good health and high spirits, hopeful this would be their final winter on the journey.
weather, we all moved in to our new Fort, which our officers
name Fort Clatsop1 after the name of the Clatsop nation of
Indians who live nearest to us. the party Saluted our officers
by each man firing a gun at their quarters at day break this
morning, they divided out the last of their tobacco among
the men that used [it] and the rest they gave each a Silk hanker-
chief, as a Christmast gift, to keep us in remembrence of it as
we have no ardent Spirits, but are all in good health which we
esteem more than all the ardent Spirits in the world, we have
nothing to eat but poore Elk meat and no Salt t6 Season that
with, but Still keep in good Spirits2 as we expect this to be the
last winter that we will have to pass in this way.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Despite the weather, we all moved into our new fort, which our officers named Fort Clatsop after the Clatsop nation of Indians who live nearest to us. The party saluted our officers by each man firing a gun at their quarters at daybreak this morning. They divided out the last of their tobacco among the men who used it, and to the rest they gave each a silk handkerchief as a Christmas gift, to keep us in remembrance of it. We have no ardent spirits, but we are all in good health, which we value more than all the ardent spirits in the world. We have nothing to eat but poor elk meat and no salt to season it with, but we still keep in good spirits, as we expect this to be the last winter that we will have to pass in this way.
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