Expedition Members / The Three Squads

The Three Squads

Three Stacking Kettles

A large kettle hangs from a tripod

© 2017 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Each squad formed a mess responsible for cooking and their own encampment. Privates reported to their sergeant and only sergeants communicated directly with captains Clark and Lewis. When Sergeant Floyd died, private Patrick Gass was elected to replace him.

The following individuals after being duly balloted for, have fallen in the Several Squads as hereafter stated, and are Accordingly placed under the derection of the Sergeants whose names preceeds those of his Squad.
—William Clark

First

Sergeant

Nathaniel Pryor

Privates

Second

Sergeant

Charles Floyd
Patrick Gass

Privates

Third

Sergeant

John Ordway

Privates

With such men, I feel every confidence necessary to insure success.
—William Clark, 31 March 1805.

 

Discover More

  • The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.

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Unless otherwise noted, journal excerpts are from The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, edited by Gary E. Moulton, 13 vols. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001).