Journal Entry
Sgt. Gass Describes Building Fort Mandan
November 2, 1804
Patrick Gass, the expedition’s skilled carpenter, provides the most detailed account of the construction of Fort Mandan — the expedition’s first winter quarters. Gass was elected sergeant after Floyd’s death and later published the first account of the expedition (1807).
“We continued to work at our fort. Six of the men were employed in making charcoal, and the rest in cutting timber and building. We named our fort, Fort Mandan, in honour of our friendly neighbours.”
The fort consisted of two rows of huts joined at an angle, with a stockade wall, forming a triangular enclosure. It was completed by Christmas 1804 and served as the expedition’s home through one of the coldest winters on record, with temperatures dropping as low as -40 degrees.
