John Ordway
Encyclopedia
Sergeant John Ordway the youngest of ten siblings, was an important part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
across the United States
. John Ordway was one of the sergeants from the United States Army
who stepped forward as a volunteer for the expedition. Ordway had many responsibilities on the trip, such as issuing the provisions, appointing guard duties, and keeping the registers and records. John Ordway also kept a journal during the expedition.
Sergeant John Ordway was probably born in 1775 in the town of Hebron, New Hampshire
. Sergeant Ordway was recruited for the journey at Fort Kaskaskia. He was 29 years old and one of the few educated men on the trip. The expedition lasted from May 1804 to September 1806.
Before the journey, John Ordway sent a message to his parents telling them of the purpose and determination of the expedition:
In February 1804, during the staging of the journey, while Ordway was in charge, some of the men became drunk while they were on their guard duty. In another incident on March 29, 1804, Privates John Shields
and John Colter
threatened Ordway's life. Both were put on trial for mutiny
. However, both of them pleaded for, and received, forgiveness.
On the trip back to St. Louis, Missouri
, where they started, John Ordway was asked to lead 10 men back to the head of the Jefferson River
, where the Corps had left their canoes before crossing the mountains. They were to follow the river and travel to the Missouri River
, where they would meet Lewis and Clark. This was done successfully. When Ordway returned, he married Gracy and became a successful landowner. He became the owner of two plantations, peach and apple orchards, which became very prosperous. Finally, in about 1817, Sergeant John Ordway and his wife Gracy died, leaving no survivors.
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. John Ordway was one of the sergeants from the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
who stepped forward as a volunteer for the expedition. Ordway had many responsibilities on the trip, such as issuing the provisions, appointing guard duties, and keeping the registers and records. John Ordway also kept a journal during the expedition.
Sergeant John Ordway was probably born in 1775 in the town of Hebron, New Hampshire
Hebron, New Hampshire
Hebron is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 602 at the 2010 census. Settlements include the town center and the village of East Hebron.- History :...
. Sergeant Ordway was recruited for the journey at Fort Kaskaskia. He was 29 years old and one of the few educated men on the trip. The expedition lasted from May 1804 to September 1806.
Before the journey, John Ordway sent a message to his parents telling them of the purpose and determination of the expedition:
In February 1804, during the staging of the journey, while Ordway was in charge, some of the men became drunk while they were on their guard duty. In another incident on March 29, 1804, Privates John Shields
John Shields
Private John Shields was, at 35, the oldest member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.- Early Life :John Shields was born in Rockingham County, VA in 1769. His parents were Robert Shields and Nancy Stockton, who were known as the "Parents of the Ten Brothers"...
and John Colter
John Colter
John Colter was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition . Though party to one of the more famous expeditions in history, Colter is best remembered for explorations he made during the winter of 1807–1808, when Colter became the first known person of European descent to enter the region now known...
threatened Ordway's life. Both were put on trial for mutiny
Mutiny
Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...
. However, both of them pleaded for, and received, forgiveness.
On the trip back to St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, where they started, John Ordway was asked to lead 10 men back to the head of the Jefferson River
Jefferson River
The Jefferson River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, in the U.S. state of Montana. The Jefferson River and the Madison River form the official beginning of the Missouri at Missouri Headwaters State Park near Three Forks...
, where the Corps had left their canoes before crossing the mountains. They were to follow the river and travel to the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
, where they would meet Lewis and Clark. This was done successfully. When Ordway returned, he married Gracy and became a successful landowner. He became the owner of two plantations, peach and apple orchards, which became very prosperous. Finally, in about 1817, Sergeant John Ordway and his wife Gracy died, leaving no survivors.