John Newman (Corps of Discovery)
Encyclopedia
Private John Newman was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
. He was born in Pennsylvania
and was a member of captain Daniel Bissell
's company of the First Infantry Regiment. During the expedition in October 1804, he ran into disciplinary problems and was confined for "having uttered repeated expressions of a highly criminal and mutinous nature." No records remain of the exact nature of his offense. He received a court-martial
, and was sentenced to seventy-five lashes
. In addition, he was removed from the expedition; however, since they were en route through the wilderness, he continued to travel with them to Fort Mandan
. He performed hard labor and tried to redeem himself in the eyes of the two captains, but was sent back east with the return party in April of 1805. After the expedition Lewis recommended that Congress grant Newman his pay for his period of service up to his expulsion; he received some pay and a land warrant as a member of the expedition. He settled in Missouri
and was married at least once but appears to have had no children. In the 1830s he did some trapping in the Dakotas; he was killed by the Yankton Sioux in 1838.
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 Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and was a member of captain Daniel Bissell
Daniel Bissell (general)
Daniel Bissell was an American soldier and administrator. Born in Connecticut, he was a fifer in the Connecticut militia during the American Revolutionary War. On May 20, 1809, he took command of Fort Belle Fontaine, the first military fort west of the Mississippi River. He served with distinction...
's company of the First Infantry Regiment. During the expedition in October 1804, he ran into disciplinary problems and was confined for "having uttered repeated expressions of a highly criminal and mutinous nature." No records remain of the exact nature of his offense. He received a court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
, and was sentenced to seventy-five lashes
Flagellation
Flagellation or flogging is the act of methodically beating or whipping the human body. Specialised implements for it include rods, switches, the cat o' nine tails and the sjambok...
. In addition, he was removed from the expedition; however, since they were en route through the wilderness, he continued to travel with them to Fort Mandan
Fort Mandan
Fort Mandan was the name of the encampment at which the Lewis and Clark Expedition wintered in 1804-1805. The encampment was located on the Missouri River approximately twelve miles from Washburn, North Dakota, though the precise location is not known for certain and may be under the nearby...
. He performed hard labor and tried to redeem himself in the eyes of the two captains, but was sent back east with the return party in April of 1805. After the expedition Lewis recommended that Congress grant Newman his pay for his period of service up to his expulsion; he received some pay and a land warrant as a member of the expedition. He settled in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
and was married at least once but appears to have had no children. In the 1830s he did some trapping in the Dakotas; he was killed by the Yankton Sioux in 1838.