University of Virginia Library

[Orderly Book; Lewis:]

Detatchment Order.
May 26th. 1804.

The Commanding Officers direct, that the three Squads
under the command of Sergts. Floyd Ordway and Pryor heretofore
forming two messes each, shall untill further orders constitute
three messes only, the same being altered and organized
as follows (viz)

Sergt. Charles Floyd.
Privates

• Hugh Mc. Neal

• Patric Gass

• Reubin Fields

• John B Thompson

• John Newman

• Richard Winsor

• Francis Rivet & (French)

• Joseph Fields

Sergt. John Ordway
Privates

• William Bratton

• John Colter

• Moses B. Reed (Soldier)

• Alexander Willard

• William Warner

• Silas Goodrich

• John Potts &

• Hugh Hall

Sergt. Nathaniel Pryor
Privates

• George Gibson

• George Shannon

• John Shields

• John Collins

• Joseph Whitehouse

• Peter Wiser

• Peter Crusat &

• Francis Labuche

The commanding officers further direct that the remainder
of the detatchmen[t] shall form two messes; and that the same
be constituted as follows. (viz)

Patroon, Baptist Dechamps
Engages.

• Etienne Mabbauf

• Paul Primaut

• Charles Hébert

• Baptist La Jeunesse

• Peter Pinaut

• Peter Roi &

• Joseph Collin

Corpl. Richard Warvington
Privates.

• Robert Frasier

• John Boleye

• John Dame

• Ebinezer Tuttle &

• Isaac White.

The Commanding officers further direct that the messes of
Sergts. Floyd, Ordway and Pryor shall untill further orders form
the crew of the Batteaux; the Mess of the Patroon LaJeunesse
will form the permanent crew of the red Perogue; Corpl.
Warvington's mess forming that of the white perogue.

Whenever by any casualty it becomes necessary to furnish
additional men to assist in navigating the Perogues, the same
shall be furnished by daily detale from the Privates who form
the crew of Batteaux, exempting only from such detale, Thomas
P. Howard, and the men who are assigned to the two bow
and two stern oars. For the present one man will be furnished
daily to assist the crew of the white perogue; this man must
be an expert boatman.

The posts and duties of the Sergts. shall be as follows (viz)—
when the Batteaux is under way, one Sergt. shall be stationed
at the helm, one in the center on the rear of the starboard
locker, and one at the bow. The Sergt. at the helm, shall steer
the boat, and see that the baggage on the quarterdeck is
properly arranged and stowed away in the most advantageous
manner; to see that no cooking utensels or loos lumber of
any kind is left on the deck to obstruct the passage between
the burths—he will also attend to the compas when necessary.

The Sergt. at the center will command the guard, manage the
sails, see that the men at the oars do their duty; that they
come on board at a proper season in the morning, and that the
boat gets under way in due time; he will keep a good lookout
for the mouths of all rivers, creeks, Islands and other remarkable
places and shall immediately report the same to the commanding

officers; he will attend to the issues of sperituous
liquors; he shall regulate the halting of the batteaux through
the day to give the men refreshment, and will also regulate
the time of her departure taking care that not more time than
is necessary shall be expended at each halt—it shall be his
duty also to post a centinel on the bank, near the boat whenever
we come too and halt in the course of the day, at the
same time he will (acompanied by two his guard) reconnoiter
the forrest arround the place of landing to the distance of at
least one hundred paces. When we come too for the purpose
of encamping at night, the Sergt. of the guard shall post two
centinels immediately on our landing; one of whom shal be
posted near the boat, and the other at a convenient distance
in rear of the encampment; at night the Sergt. must be always
present with his guard, and he is positively forbidden to suffer
any man of his guard to absent himself on any pretext whatever;
he will at each relief through the night, accompanyed by
the two men last off their posts, reconnoiter in every direction
around the camp to the distance of at least one hundred and
fifty paces, and also examine the situation of the boats and
perogues, and see that they ly safe and free from the bank.

It shall be the duty of the sergt. at the bow, to keep a good
look out for all danger which may approach, either of the
enimy, or obstructions which may present themselves to the
passage of the boat; of the first he will notify the Sergt. at
the center, who will communicate the information to the commanding
officers, and of the second or obstructions to the boat
he will notify the Sergt. at the helm; he will also report to
the commanding officers through the Sergt. at the center all
perogues boats canoes or other craft which he may discover
in the river, and all hunting camps or parties of Indians in
view of which we may pass. he will at all times be provided
with a seting pole and assist the bowsman in poling and
managing the bow of the boat. it will be his duty also to
give and answer all signals, which may hereafter be established
for the government of the perogues and parties on shore.

The Sergts. will on each morning before our departure relieve
each other in the following manner—(viz) The Sergt. at the

helm will parade the new guard, relieve the Sergt. and the old
guard, and occupy the middle station in the boat; the Sergt. of
the old guard will occupy the station at the bow, and the
Sergt. who had been stationed the preceeding day at the bow
will place himself at the helm.

The sergts. in addition to those duties are directed each to
keep a seperate journal from day to day of all passing occurrences,
and such other observations on the country &c as shall
appear to them worthy of notice.

The Sergts. are relieved and exempt from all labour of making
fires, pitching tents or cooking, and will direct and make
the men of their several messes perform an equal proportion
of those duties.

The guard shall hereafter consist of one sergeant and six
privates & engages.

Patroon Dechamp, Copl. Warvington, and George Drewyer, are
exempt from guard duty; the two former will attend particularly
to their perogues at all times, and see that their lading
is in good order, and that the same is kept perfectly free from
rain or other moisture; the latter will perform certain duties
on shore which will be assigned him from time to time: all
other soldiers and engaged men of whatever discription must
perform their regular tour of gua[r]d duty.

All detales for guard or other duty will be made in the evening
when we encamp, and the duty to be performed will be
entered on, by the individuals so warned, the next morning.
provision for one day will be issued to the party on each evening
after we have encamped; the same will be cooked on that
evening by the several messes, and a proportion of it reserved
for the next day as no cooking will be allowed in the day
while on the ma[r]ch.

Sergt. John Ordway will continue to issue the provisions and
make the detales for guard or other duty.

The day after tomorrow lyed corn and grece will be issued
to the party, the next day Poark and flour, and the day following
indian meal and poark; and in conformity to that rotiene
provisions will continue to be issued to the party untill further
orders. should any of the messes prefer indian meal to flour

they may recieve it accordingly —no poark is to be issued
when we have fresh meat on hand.

Labuche and Crusat will man the larboard bow oar alternately,
and the one not engaged at the oar will attend as the
Bows-man, and when the attention of both these persons is
necessary at the bow, their oar is to be maned by any idle
hand on board.