Nathaniel Hale Pryor
Encyclopedia
Nathaniel Hale Pryor served as Sergeant
in the Lewis and Clark Expedition
. He was born in Virginia
and was a cousin of fellow expedition member Charles Floyd
. His family moved to Kentucky
when he was eleven. He was married in 1798, though the marriage may have ended before he joined the expedition on October 20, 1803, in Clarksville, Indiana
; he was one of the "nine young men from Kentucky". Pryor was made sergeant in 1804, and led the First Squad of six privates. Lewis and Clark considered Pryor "a man of character and ability." In June, 1804 he presided over a court martial of privates John Collins and Hugh Hall, accused of theft of whiskey and drinking on duty; the men were found guilty and sentenced to a flogging.
In 2009 a genealogist pursued California mission records archived at The Huntington Library
1 to find that a man named Nathaniel "Miguel" Pryor born about 1806 in Kentucky claimed Nathaniel Pryor of Louisville and Mary Davis as his parents. This new information indicates that the elder Pryor returned to family life in Kentucky after his journey westward.
In 1807 he was put in charge of an expedition to return Mandan chief Sheheke to his tribe, but he was forced to turn back when attacked by Arikara
s. He resigned from the army in 1810 and was involved in the fur trade
on the Mississippi
for a time. He rejoined the army during the War of 1812
and, with help from Clark and Lewis, was commissioned a Captain, serving in the Battle of New Orleans
.
He returned to the fur trade after the war, and in 1820 established a trading post on present-day Grand River near Pryor Creek, Oklahoma
, where he married an Osage woman and had several children. With Sam Houston
in 1829 and 1830, Pryor met with Claremont the Osage chief, and Matthew Arbuckle to advert a war between the Osage and Delaware tribes.2 Houston was instrumental in recommending Pryor to President Andrew Jackson
for a government post as an Indian agent. He served briefly as government agent for the Osages, and represented the tribe in negotiations with the military
at nearby Forts Smith
and Gibson, from 1830 to his death in 1831. Pryor Creek, Oklahoma
, Pryor, Montana
, and the Pryor Mountains
are named for him.
21830 letter from Sam Houston to President Jackson
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
in the Lewis and Clark Expedition
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...
. He was born in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and was a cousin of fellow expedition member Charles Floyd
Charles Floyd (explorer)
Charles Floyd was a United States explorer, a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, and quartermaster in the Lewis and Clark Expedition. A native of Kentucky, he was a relative of William Clark, an uncle to the politician John Floyd, and a brother to James John Floyd...
. His family moved to Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
when he was eleven. He was married in 1798, though the marriage may have ended before he joined the expedition on October 20, 1803, in Clarksville, Indiana
Clarksville, Indiana
Clarksville is a town in Clark County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River as a part of the Louisville Metropolitan area. The population was 21,724 at the 2010 census. The town, once a home site to George Rogers Clark, was founded in 1783 and is the oldest American town in the Northwest...
; he was one of the "nine young men from Kentucky". Pryor was made sergeant in 1804, and led the First Squad of six privates. Lewis and Clark considered Pryor "a man of character and ability." In June, 1804 he presided over a court martial of privates John Collins and Hugh Hall, accused of theft of whiskey and drinking on duty; the men were found guilty and sentenced to a flogging.
In 2009 a genealogist pursued California mission records archived at The Huntington Library
The Huntington Library
The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens is an educational and research institution established by Henry E. Huntington in San Marino, in the San Rafael Hills near Pasadena, California in the United States...
1 to find that a man named Nathaniel "Miguel" Pryor born about 1806 in Kentucky claimed Nathaniel Pryor of Louisville and Mary Davis as his parents. This new information indicates that the elder Pryor returned to family life in Kentucky after his journey westward.
In 1807 he was put in charge of an expedition to return Mandan chief Sheheke to his tribe, but he was forced to turn back when attacked by Arikara
Arikara
Arikara are a group of Native Americans in North Dakota...
s. He resigned from the army in 1810 and was involved in the fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
on the Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
for a time. He rejoined the army during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and, with help from Clark and Lewis, was commissioned a Captain, serving in the Battle of New Orleans
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory the United States had acquired with the...
.
He returned to the fur trade after the war, and in 1820 established a trading post on present-day Grand River near Pryor Creek, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, where he married an Osage woman and had several children. With Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
in 1829 and 1830, Pryor met with Claremont the Osage chief, and Matthew Arbuckle to advert a war between the Osage and Delaware tribes.2 Houston was instrumental in recommending Pryor to President Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
for a government post as an Indian agent. He served briefly as government agent for the Osages, and represented the tribe in negotiations with the military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
at nearby Forts Smith
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
and Gibson, from 1830 to his death in 1831. Pryor Creek, Oklahoma
Pryor Creek, Oklahoma
Pryor Creek, usually known as simply Pryor, is a city in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 8,659 at the 2000 census, compared to 9,539 in the 2010 census....
, Pryor, Montana
Pryor, Montana
Pryor is a census-designated place in Big Horn County, Montana, United States. The population was 628 at the 2000 census. The area is named for Nathaniel Hale Pryor, a sergeant in the Lewis and Clark Expedition.-Geography:...
, and the Pryor Mountains
Pryor Mountains
The Pryor Mountains are a mountain range in Carbon County, Montana and Big Horn County, Montana. They are located on the Crow Indian Reservation and the Custer National Forest, and portions of them are on private land...
are named for him.
External links
- Short biography of Nathaniel Pryor from PBS
- Biographical sketches of Members of the Corps from the University of Nebraska
- Short biography of Nathaniel Pryor
- The Last Man Standing, article on Nathaniel "Miguel" Pryor
Footnotes
1Baptism record in Huntington Library archives21830 letter from Sam Houston to President Jackson