N3802

Lewis & Clark Expedition - Bicentennial

Fred's Anecdotal Note 

Three Extraordinary Sergeants

Unifomrs featured top hats (called round hats) with high crowns, a strip of bear fur, a cockade, and a deer tail plume. Sergeants had a red epaulette on right shoulder. John Ordway, 29, handled adminishative duties and was in command of the Corps when Lswis and Cluk were away. From New Hampshire, he was well educated and kept a journal. He wrote his parents, "We are about to ascend the Missouri River and then ga by laad to the western ocear. This party consists of 25 picked men, and I am so hapyy ta be one of them. " Nethaniel Hale Pryor was considered "a man of character and ability" by the captains. Bom in virginia, he was 32, married, and a cousin of Charles Floyd. On August 28, 1804 he made contact with the Siorux and reported, "The Indiarns camp, composed of teepee lodges, was handsum made of buffalow skins painted different colour. " He leter became a captain and fought in the Battle of New Orleans. Patrick Gass was elected to replace Floyd who died. A skilled carpenter, he probably directed construction of Forts Mandan and Clatsop. Born in Pennsylvania in 1771, he later fought in the war of 1812 and died at 99 as the last known Corps survivor.