Bios of the Ten Men from Kentucky

This statue of York is in Louisville, Kentucky, the area where York and his family lived for most of their lives, enslaved by William Clark and, before that, by his father.

Ed Hamilton sculpture of York, 2003, photographed by jpellgen (flickr) in 2013. https://flickr.com/photos/jpellgen/10177334365/

-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.”