Patrick Gass
Encyclopedia
Patrick Gass served as sergeant
in the Lewis and Clark Expedition
(1801-1806). He was important to the expedition because of his service as carpenter and he published the first journal of the expedition in 1807, seven years before the first publication based on Lewis and Clark's journals.
), Pennsylvania
, of Scots-Irish ancestry.
His parents were Benjamin and Mary McLene Gass. Benjamin Gass and his father, William, were prominent citizens and members of the local Presbyterian Church in the small frontier town.
He began his military career in 1792, with a Virginia militia or ranger company stationed in Wheeling
fighting against Indians. In 1794 he helped build the house of James Buchanan, Sr. near Mercersburg Pennsylvania and became acquainted with the young future U.S. President James Buchanan
, Jr.,http://www.vcdh.virginia.edu/lewisandclark/biddle/biographies_html/gass.html
He joined the U.S. Army in 1799, serving under General Alexander Hamilton
until 1800. He rejoined the army in 1803 and served in Kaskaskia, Illinois
, near St. Louis.
's death from appendicitis
on August 22, 1804. His skill as a carpenter was important to the expedition— he led the construction of the Corps' three winter quarters, hewed dugout canoes, and built wagons to portage the canoes 18 miles around the falls of the Missouri
. On the return trip, Gass was given command of the majority of the party for a short period while Clark and Lewis led smaller detachments on separate explorations.
He remained in the army after the expedition returned, serving in the War of 1812
, in which he lost an eye, and fighting in the battle of Lundy's Lane
. At the age of sixty he married Maria Hamilton, aged 22. She bore 7 children (5 surviving to adulthood) over the remaining 15 years of her life. They settled in Wellsburg, West Virginia
where he died, 99 years of age, the last surviving member of the expedition.
He kept a journal that was published in 1807, the first published journal from the expedition. In it, he coined the term “Corps of Discovery”. The book was first printed and sold by subscription in Pittsburgh at $1.00 per copy. It was later reprinted in England, and translated into French and German. A reprint is currently being sold by the University of Nebraska Press
http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/bookinfo/3054.html and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln online version of the Lewis and Clark journals http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/namesindex/index.php?name=G give 222 entries from Gass's journal.
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...
(1801-1806). He was important to the expedition because of his service as carpenter and he published the first journal of the expedition in 1807, seven years before the first publication based on Lewis and Clark's journals.
Early life
Gass was born in Falling Springs (present day ChambersburgChambersburg, Pennsylvania
Chambersburg is a borough in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is miles north of Maryland and the Mason-Dixon line and southwest of Harrisburg in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley. Chambersburg is the county seat of Franklin County...
), 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...
, of Scots-Irish ancestry.
His parents were Benjamin and Mary McLene Gass. Benjamin Gass and his father, William, were prominent citizens and members of the local Presbyterian Church in the small frontier town.
He began his military career in 1792, with a Virginia militia or ranger company stationed in Wheeling
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
fighting against Indians. In 1794 he helped build the house of James Buchanan, Sr. near Mercersburg Pennsylvania and became acquainted with the young future U.S. President James Buchanan
James Buchanan
James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....
, Jr.,http://www.vcdh.virginia.edu/lewisandclark/biddle/biographies_html/gass.html
He joined the U.S. Army in 1799, serving under General Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
until 1800. He rejoined the army in 1803 and served in Kaskaskia, Illinois
Kaskaskia, Illinois
Kaskaskia is a village in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. In the 2010 census the population was 14, making it the second-smallest incorporated community in the State of Illinois in terms of population. A major French colonial town of the Illinois Country, its peak population was about...
, near St. Louis.
Expedition and later life
He joined the Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery as a private on January 1, 1804 and was promoted to sergeant by vote of the Corps members after Charles FloydCharles 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...
's death from appendicitis
Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...
on August 22, 1804. His skill as a carpenter was important to the expedition— he led the construction of the Corps' three winter quarters, hewed dugout canoes, and built wagons to portage the canoes 18 miles around the falls of the Missouri
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...
. On the return trip, Gass was given command of the majority of the party for a short period while Clark and Lewis led smaller detachments on separate explorations.
He remained in the army after the expedition returned, serving in 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...
, in which he lost an eye, and fighting in the battle of Lundy's Lane
Battle of Lundy's Lane
The Battle of Lundy's Lane was a battle of the Anglo-American War of 1812, which took place on 25 July 1814, in present-day Niagara Falls, Ontario...
. At the age of sixty he married Maria Hamilton, aged 22. She bore 7 children (5 surviving to adulthood) over the remaining 15 years of her life. They settled in Wellsburg, West Virginia
Wellsburg, West Virginia
Wellsburg is a city in and the county seat of Brooke County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the Weirton–Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. The 2000 Census recorded a population of 2,891, down from a count of 3,385 in the 1990 Census...
where he died, 99 years of age, the last surviving member of the expedition.
He kept a journal that was published in 1807, the first published journal from the expedition. In it, he coined the term “Corps of Discovery”. The book was first printed and sold by subscription in Pittsburgh at $1.00 per copy. It was later reprinted in England, and translated into French and German. A reprint is currently being sold by the University of Nebraska Press
University of Nebraska Press
The University of Nebraska Press, founded in 1941, is a publisher of scholarly and popular-press books. It is the second-largest state university press in the United States and, including private institutions, ranks among the 10 largest university presses in the United States...
http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/bookinfo/3054.html and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln online version of the Lewis and Clark journals http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/namesindex/index.php?name=G give 222 entries from Gass's journal.
Sources
, available at Sergeant Patrick Gass- Biographical sketches of Members of the Corps from the University of Nebraska
- Short biography of Patrick Gass
- Virginia Center for Digital History, from Jacob, John G., Life and Times of Patrick Gass. Wellsburg, VA: Jacob & Smith, 1859.
- Pennsylvania Historical Marker
- University of Nebraska at Lincoln online edition of the Lewis and Clark Journal, including 222 entries from Gass's journal