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Which German-born man was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition?

Question #151102. Asked by pehinhota.
Last updated Jul 03 2024.
Originally posted May 14 2024 2:01 PM.

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elburcher star
Answer has 2 votes
elburcher star
24 year member
1537 replies avatar

Answer has 2 votes.
Private John Potts
Private John Potts (ca. 1776-1808)
Born about 1776 in Dillenburg, Hessen, Germany.
Enlistment date: 22 July 1800; location: Winchester; term: 5 years; age: 24; height: not given;
rank: private;
hair: black; complexion: fair; eyes: black;
occupation: miller.
Expedition service from 1 January 1804 to 10 October 1806; pay-$166.66 2/3.
Killed by Blackfeet in 1808 near Three Forks, Gallatin County, Montana, at about age thirty-two.
Estate probate proceedings began 6 January 1810 in St. Louis; Rufus Easton, William Russell, and William Massy executors; File 69.
No known marriages or children.

link https://lewisandclark.org/learn/members.php

Response last updated by elburcher on May 14 2024.
May 14 2024, 2:23 PM
wellenbrecher star
Answer has 0 votes
wellenbrecher star
20 year member
650 replies

Answer has 0 votes.
John Potts, a hardy hunter, initially worried William Clark at Camp Dubois during the expedition's first winter, but became a trusted hand in later years. He died tragically shortly after the expedition, killed by Blackfeet Indians, a common fate for mountain men.

Potts, a black-haired, black-eyed Hessian miller, enlisted in the army in 1800 and joined the Lewis and Clark expedition from South West Point, Tennessee. He was one of the expedition's hunters, often traveling in small groups. Notably, he accompanied Clark, York and Joseph Field in search of the Shoshones in July 1805, enduring the harsh Montana terrain.

After the expedition, Potts worked for fur trader Manuel Lisa and helped establish Fort Raymond. In 1808, while trapping with John Colter, they were ambushed by Blackfeet warriors. Potts was killed after refusing to surrender, preferring to fight until the end rather than face likely torture.

link https://lewis-clark.org/members/john-potts/

link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Potts_(American_frontiersman)

Jul 03 2024, 2:31 AM
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