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MYTHS OF CAMP RIVER DUBOIS
by John J. Dunphy
"The mouth of the River Dubois is to be considered as the point of departure," Captain Meriwether Lewis wrote on May 14, 1804 as the Corps of Discovery left Camp River Dubois to begin its journey to seek the Northwest Passage. The party of explorers had spent the winter of 1803-04 in the Illinois country at the mouth of the River Dubois, which we know today as the Wood River.
Area residents are justifiably proud that one of history's greatest expeditions began here. We also take pride in the knowledge that Camp River Dubois played a vital role in ensuring the venture's success.
It was at Camp River Dubois that the expedition's three vessels were modified to ensure the men's safety on dangerous western waterways. In St. Louis, Lewis acquired four blunderbusses - heavy shotguns that fired buckshot - and had two of them mounted on swivels at the keelboat's stern. The keelboat's bow sported a small swivel-mounted cannon that could fire a one-pound lead ball or 16 musket balls. The other two blunderbusses were placed on swivels in the pirogues, which were essentially smaller versions of the keelboat.
It was also at Camp River Dubois that the expedition's volunteers were honed into the kind of outfit that could survive a journey fraught with danger. They were drilled daily in rifle marksmanship and sometimes held shooting competitions with neighboring residents.
However, the interval that the Corps of Discovery spent at Camp River Dubois is often clouded by misconceptions. Even area residents who think they are familiar with this chapter in the expedition's history tend to believe certain popular myths.
For instance, many people believe that the volunteers who wintered at Camp River Dubois consistently observed the highest standards of conduct. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Despite the many tasks that had to be performed, the rambunctious recruits still found time to engage in infractions of military discipline. In a brief note dated January 6, 1804, Clark mentioned disciplining men who fought, became drunk and neglected their duties. He punished the men by ordering them to build a hut for a local woman who had promised to do their washing and sewing.
Detachment orders written by Lewis and dated March 3, 1804 deplored the behavior of men who failed to obey the orders of Sergeant John Ordway when both commanders were away from camp. Lewis also reprimanded those men who left Camp River Dubois to visit neighboring whiskey shops under the pretext of hunting.
One might conclude from this episode that Lewis and Clark disapproved of drinking and would have preferred volunteers who were teetotalers. This is yet another myth of Camp River Dubois.
The commanders gave their volunteers a gill (four ounces) of whiskey as a reward for good conduct and work well done! Winners of marksmanship competitions were also awarded a gill of whiskey.
While life at Camp River Dubois probably alternated between boredom and rowdiness, there is no reason to believe that it was particularly dangerous. For decades there has been a myth in our region that at least two members of the Corps of Discovery died during the winter of 1803-04 and were buried in what is now the Milton Cemetery in Alton.
Articles published in the Alton Telegraph and Wood River Journal during the 1950s alluded to this belief. It was also referred to in W.D. Armstrong's "A Condensed History of Madison County" as well as George Thomas Palmer's "Historic Landmarks Along the Highways of Illinois." Palmer attributed the deaths to bilious fever.
There is no mention of a single death at Camp River Dubois in Clark's field notes, and it is difficult to believe that he would have failed to record such a tragic occurrence. Except for an occasional illness or inebriation, all the volunteers were likely well and in high spirits.
After enduring six months of cramped quarters, the men of the Corps of Discovery must have welcomed their departure from Camp River Dubois. Yet the skills and comaraderie acquired at the camp endured, enabling the recruits to successfully complete a perilous journey that many of their contemporaries thought impossible. And that's no myth.
This article was published in Springhouse magazine in 2004 to promote my book "Lewis and Clark's Illinois Volunteers" (Second Reading Publications, 2003, ISBN 0-9741642-0-8). Illinoisans comprised almost half the members of the Corps of Discovery, and this book profiles all 14 of them. "Lewis and Clark's Illinois Volunteers" also includes a chapter on life at Camp River Dubois, a map, over 25 color photos and much more. Drop me a line for ordering information.
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