Bios of the Ten Men from Kentucky

-Charles Floyd (Sergeant): Born in Kentucky in 1782; civilian; cousin of the Virginia governor (John Floyd) and of expedition member Nathaniel Pryor; quartermaster.

-John Ordway (Sergeant): Born in New Hampshire circa 1775; educated; tasked with “providing a detailed account and descriptions about Native American life, . . . issuing provisions, commanding the group while Lewis and Clark were away, keeping all records, and appointing guard duties.”

-Nathanial Pryor (Sergeant): Born in Virginia in 1772; cousin of expedition member Charles Floyd; family moved to Kentucky when he was eleven; had carpentry skills; later a trader on the Mississippi River; married an Osage woman and lived in an Osage village until his death.

-John Colter (Private): Born in Virginia circa 1775; moved to Kentucky with his family when he was five; excellent hunter.

-George Gibson (Private): Knew many languages; good hunter and woodsman; played fiddle (along with Pierre Cruzatte).

-George Shannon (Private): Born in Pennsylvania in 1785; family moved to Ohio in 1800; youngest member of the expedition at eighteen.

-John Shields (Private): Born in Virginia in 1769; oldest member of the expedition at thirty-four; could repair guns and blacksmith; good hunter; married (which was not allowed—Shields was granted special dispensation due to his valuable skillset).

-York (enslaved by William Clark): Born into slavery in the early 1770s; good hunter. There is no evidence apart from Clark’s personal account that suggests Clark ever freed York following the expedition.

-William E. Bratton (Private): Born in Virginia in 1778; moved to Kentucky in 1790; hunted and helped with blacksmithing and gunsmithing.

-Reuben Field (Private): Born in Virginia circa 1772; moved to Kentucky in 1784; brother to expedition member Joseph Field; good hunter and woodsman.

-Joseph Field (Private): Born in Virginia circa 1774; moved to Kentucky in 1784; brother to expedition member Reuben Field; good hunter and woodsman; worked for a fur trading company on the Missouri River.

About this article: This article is part of a series called “Pivotal Places: Stories from the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.”

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