University of Virginia Library

LXIX. LXIX

GRATUITIES TO THE OFFICERS AND MEN IN THE
EXPEDITION TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN, UNDER
LEWIS AND CLARK

LXIX. [From American State Papers, Military Affairs, i, no. 68, pp. 207–209.]

Sir: The committee to whom has been referred a resolution of the
House of Representatives, to inquire what compensation ought to be
made to Messrs. Lewis and Clarke, and their brave companions, for
their late service in exploring the Western waters, have instructed me
to request that you will furnish them with such information, in the
possession of the Department of War, as you may deem necessary to
guide the committee in establishing their rate of compensation; also a list
of the names of the officers, and their respective grades, and the names of
the soldiers under their command.

Sir: Agreeably to the request of the committee, as expressed in
your letter of the 12th inst., I herewith transmit a list of the officers,
non-commissioned officers, and privates, who formed the party recently
returned from an enterprise, which they commenced and prosecuted
with a degree of boldness, perseverance, judgment, and success, that has
rarely, if ever, occurred, in this or any other country.

The officers and soldiers will receive their usual compensations from
this Department, up to the time of their return to St. Louis.

The quantum of gratuity, either in land or money, or in both, to
which such meritorious and unusual services may be entitled, on the
score of national justice, or on the principles of sound policy and

national liberality, being principally a matter of opinion, it is with diffidence
I take the liberty of proposing, for the consideration of the committee,
a grant to each non-commissioned officer and private, of 320
acres of land; to Lieut. Clarke, of 1000; and to Captain Lewis, of
1,500; with the addition of double pay to each while engaged in the
enterprise; and that each one should have permission to locate his grant
on any lands that have been surveyed, and are now for sale by the
United States.

It may be proper for me to remark, that, in a conversation with
Captain Lewis, he observed, that whatever grant of land Congress might
think proper to make, to himself and Lieutenant Clarke, it was his wish
there should be no distinction of rank so noticed as to make a difference
in the quantity granted to each; and that he would prefer an equal
division of whatever quantity might be granted to them.

I also transmit, herewith, the letter from Captain Lewis to the Secretary
of War, which accompanied said list.

Sir: Herewith enclosed I transmit you the roll of the men who
accompanied me on my late tour to the Pacific Ocean, through the interior
of the continent of North America.

In addition to the men whose names are entered on this roll, there
are two others who have some claims to a gratuity, as connected with
the expedition; but as I cannot consider them, in all respects, as of the
permanent party, I have thought their pretensions more properly
the subjects of this detached communication, than of the roll which
accompanies it.

Richard Warfington was a corporal in the infantry of the United
States' army, whom I had occasion to take with me on my voyage as
far as the Mandan nation. His term of service expired on the 4th of
August, 1804, nearly three months previous to my arrival at that place.
Knowing that it would become necessary for me to send back my boat
in the spring of 1805, with a party of soldiers, whose terms of service
had not expired; that it was of some importance that the Government
should receive, in safety, the despatches which I was about to transmit
from thence; that there was not one of the party, destined to be returned
from thence, in whom I could place the least confidence, except himself;

and that, if he was discharged at the moment of the expiration of
his term of service, he would necessarily lose his military standing, and
thereby lessen the efficiency of his command among the soldiery; I was
induced, under these considerations, to make an arrangement with him,
by which it was agreed between us, that he should not receive his discharge
from the military service until his return to St. Louis, and that
he should, in the interim, retain his rank, and receive only for his services
the accustomed compensation. Accordingly, he remained with me
during the winter, and was, the next spring, in conformity to my plan,
placed in command of the boat, and charged with my despatches to the
Government. The duties assigned him on this occasion, were performed
with a punctuality which uniformly marked his conduct while
under my command. Taking into view the cheerfulness with which he
continued in the service after every obligation had ceased to exist from
his enlistment; the fatigues, labor, and dangers, incident to that service;
and, above all, the fidelity with which he discharged his duty; it would
seem, that when rewards were about to be distributed among those of
the party who were engaged in this enterprise, that his claim to something
more than his pay of seven dollars per month, as corporal, cannot
be considered unreasonable.

John Newman was a private in the infantry of the United States'
army, who joined me as a volunteer, and entered into an enlistment, in
common with others, by which he was held and mustered as one of the
permanent party. In the course of the expedition, or shortly before we
arrived at the Mandan village, he committed himself by using certain
mutinous expressions, which caused me to arrest him, and to have him
tried by a court martial, formed of his peers: they, finding him guilty,
sentenced him to receive seventy-five lashes, and to be discharged from
the permanent party. This sentence was confirmed by me, and the
punishment took place. The conduct of this man, previous to this
period, had been generally correct; and the zeal he afterwards displayed
for the benefit of the service, was highly meritorious. In the course of
the winter, while at Fort Mandan, from an ardent wish to atone for the
crime which he had committed at an unguarded moment, he exerted
himself, on every occasion, to become useful. This disposition induced
him to expose himself too much to the intense cold of that climate, and
on a hunting excursion, he had his hands and feet severely frozen, with
which he suffered extreme pain, for some weeks. Having recovered
from this accident by the 1st of April, 1805, he asked forgiveness for
what had passed, and begged that I would permit him to continue with
me through the voyage; but deeming it impolitic to relax from the sentence,

although he stood acquitted in my mind, I determined to send
him back, which was accordingly done. Since my return I have been
informed that he was extremely serviceable as a hunter, on the voyage
to St. Louis, and that the boat, on several occasions, owed her safety, in
a great measure, to his personal exertions, being a man of uncommon
activity and bodily strength. If, under these circumstances, it should
be thought proper to give Newman the remaining third which will be
deducted from the gratuity awarded Baptiste Le Page, who occupied his
station in the after part of the voyage, I should feel myself much
gratified.

I have the honor to be, with due consideration, and much respect,

A Roll of the men who accompanied Captains Lewis and Clarke on
their late tour to the Pacific Ocean, through the interior of the
continent of North America, showing their rank, with some remarks
on their respective merits and services.

                                                           

No.	Names.	Rank.	Remarks.
1	John Ordway,	Sergeant.
2	Nathaniel Pryor,	Do.
3	Charles Floyd,	Do.	{Deceased the 20th of August, 1804. A young man of much merit. His father, who now resides in Kentucky, is a man much respected, though possessed of but moderate wealth. As the son has lost his life whilst on this service, I consider his father entitled to some gratuity, in consideration of his loss; and also, that the deceased being noticed in this way, will be a tribute but justly due to his merit.
4	Patrick Gass,	Do.	{Promoted to sergeant, 20th of August, 1804, in the place of Charles Floyd, deceased; in which capacity he continued until discharged at St. Louis, November 10, 1806.
5	William Bratton,	Private,
6	John Collins,	Do.
7	John Colter,	Do.
8	Pierre Cruzatte,	Do.
9	Joseph Field,	Do.	{Two of the most active and enterprising young men who accompanied us. It was their peculiar fate to have been engaged in all the most dangerous and difficult scenes of the voyage, in which they uniformly acquitted themselves with much honor.
10	Reuben Field,	Do.
11	Robert Frazier,	Do.
12	Silas Goodrich,	Do.
13	George Gibson,	Do.
14	Thomas P. Howard,	Do.
15	Hugh Hall,	Do.
16	Francis Labuiche,	Do.	{He has received the pay only of a private, though, besides the duties performed as such, he has rendered me very essential services as a French and English interpreter; therefore, I should think it only just that some small addition to his pay, as a private, should be added, though no such addition has, at any time, been promised by me.
17	Hugh M'Neal,	Do.
18	John Sheilds,	Do.	{Has received the pay only of a private. Nothing was more peculiarly useful to us, in various situations, than the skill and ingenuity of this man as an artist, in repairing our guns, accoutrements, &c. and should it be thought proper to allow him something as an artificer, he has well deserved it.
19	George Shannon,	Do.
20	John Potts,	Do.
21	John Baptiste Le Page,	Do.	{Entitled to no peculiar merit: was enlisted at Fort Mandan, on the 2d of November, 1804, in order to supply the deficiency in my permanent party, occasioned by the discharge of John Newman. He performed the tour to the Pacific Ocean, and returned to St. Louis, where he was discharged, in common with others, on the 10th of November last. As he did not perform the labors incident to the summer of 1804, it would be proper to give him the gratuity only of two-thirds as much as is given to others of his rank.
22	John B. Thompson,	Do.
23	William Werner,	Do.
24	Richard Windsor,	Do.
25	Peter Wiser,	Do.
26	Alexander Willard,	Do.
27	Joseph Whitehouse,	Do.
28	George Drulyard,	Interpreter.	{A man of much merit; he has been peculiarly useful from his knowledge of the common language of gesticulation, and his uncommon skill as a hunter and woodsman; those several duties he performed in good faith, and with an ardor which deserves the highest commendation. It was his fate also to have encountered, on various occasions, with either Captain Clarke or myself, all the most dangerous and trying scenes of the voyage, in which he uniformly acquitted himself with honor. He has served the complete term of the whole tour, and received only 25 dollars per month, and one ration per day, while I am informed that it is not unusual for individuals, in similar employments, to receive 30 dollars per month.
29	Touisant Charbono,	Interpreter.	{A man of no peculiar merit; was useful as an interpreter only, in which capacity he discharged his duties with good faith, from the moment of our departure from the Mandans, on the 7th of April, 1805, until our return to that place in August last, and received, as a compensation, 25 dollars per month, while in service.

General Remark.

With respect to all those persons whose names are entered on this
roll, I feel a peculiar pleasure in declaring, that the ample support which
they gave me under every difficulty; the manly firmness which they
evinced on every necessary occasion; and the patience and fortitude
with which they submitted to, and bore, the fatigues and painful sufferings
incident to my late tour to the Pacific Ocean, entitles them to my
warmest approbation and thanks; nor will 1 suppress the expression
of a hope, that the recollection of services, thus faithfully performed,
will meet a just reward, in an ample remuneration on the part of our
Government.