The Death of Sergeant Floyd

The Death of Sergeant Floyd. Lewis and Clark Expedition. Sgt. Floyd's Burial , On Monday, August 20, 1804 this was written in the journal of Lewis and Clark: "...I am Dull and heavy been up the greater Part of last night with Serjt. Floyd, who is as bad as he can be to live...We set out under a jentle Breeze from the S.E…. We came to make a warm bath for Sergt. Floyd hoping it would brace him a little, before we could get him into his bath he expired, with a great deel of composure, having Said to me before his death that he was going away and wished me to write a letter...We buried him to the top of a high round hill overlooking the river and Countrey for a great distance situated just below a small river without a name to which we name and call Floyds river, the Bluffs Sergts. Floyds Bluff ...we buried him with all the honors of War, and fixed a Ceeder post at his head with his name title and Day of the month and year...we returned to the Boat and proceeded to the Mouth of the little river 30 yd wide and camped a butifull evening.", Revisiting the Grave , On September 4, 1806, Clark wrote: "...and at the meridian we came too at Floyds Bluff...and ascended the hill, with Capt. Lewis and several men...we had the grave completely filed up and returned to the canoes and proceeded on to the sand bar on which we had encamped from 13th - 20th August 1804…", Lewis and Clark 1803 - 1806 , In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson sent an expedition commanded by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase, to seek an all-water route to the Pacific Ocean, and to make peaceable contact with the natives peoples. On may 14, 1804, the explorers headed up the Missouri. They reached the Pacific in November, 1805. They returned to St. Louis on September 23, 1806, having traveled more than 8000 miles in two years, four months and nine days.