Private John Colter

Quick Facts

Significance:

Private on Lewis and Clark Expedition; First American to see Yellowstone; Mountain Man

Place of Birth:

Virginia

Date of Birth:

1775

Place of Death:

Sullen Springs, St. Louis County, Missouri Territory

Date of Death:

May 7th, 1812

Place of Burial:

Unknown

Cemetery Name:

Unknown

" we were disposed to be of Service to any one of our party who had performed their duty as well as Colter had done" - Clark, August 15th, 1806

John Colter would become known as an American Legend, not solely off his expertise on the Expedition however. Many know Colter not for his service as a Private but instead for his exploits post expedition. From becoming one of America's first mountain men to the first American to see Yellowstone, his adventures have been recorded and told throughout the ages.

On the expedition he was well renowned for his scouting, hunting, speed, survival skills, and his sense of direction that aided with map making.

On the Expedition

Colter was enlisted on October 15th, 1803, and is frequently counted amongst the nine (ten) young men from Kentucky. Immediately his skills were put to good use as he is often listed as hunting and bringing back lots of game alongside the renowned hunter George Drouillard. Out of the over 200 times his name comes up in the journals the vast majority is in regards to his hunting kills, making him one of the top written hunters in the journals.

Alongside hunting, when messages were to be sent between separated parties Colter would be trusted to deliver these messages, occasionally over long distances. When members of the Expedition go missing, it was commonly Colter who was sent to scout and find them. 

He was frequently involved in small expeditions alongside Captain Lewis, and was even brought along with both Captains alongside a few others of their party on August 25th to find Spirit Mound, or the "mountain of evel Spirits" as Clark would write.

On June 18th, 1806, Colter manages to survive a long fall. Best described by Lewis on that day: " Colter's horse fel with him in passing hungry creek and himself and horse were driven down the creek a considerable distance rolling over each other among the rocks. he fortunately escaped without injury or the loss of his gun. " An impressive feat to avoid not only injury but not letting go of his gun.

Colter's final days on the expedition provided a unique circumstance. On August 15th, 1806, Colter made it known to the Captains he wished to join a band of fur trappers and leave the expedition early. The Captains both agreed, noting that Colter had been one of their top members and "allowed him the privilidge" of leaving early as long as every other member of the party agreed to stay until they arrived back at St. Louis. A condition that all other members agreed to. Despite still needing to make it back home, the expedition would furnish Colter with powder, lead, and other small supplies. The next day, August 16th, he was officially discharged.
 

After the Expedition

Although Colter had left early, the Captains seemed to honor and believe Colter was deserving of extra pay. His service was listed until October 10, 1806, and he was paid $178.33 which is more than the average of $166 many other members received.

His service to the expedition was noteworthy, but to Colter it was just the beginning of his adventures. 

Colter remained with Forrest Hancock and Joseph Dickson, the fur trappers met near the Mandans, for some time before becoming an indepedent trapper working under Manuel Lisa. He had found other members of the expedition had also begun working for Lisa's Missouri Fur Company including John Potts. 

Potts would be with Colter during an encounter with the Blackfeet in 1808 that would leave Potts dead and Colter returning to Fort Raymond naked.

Earlier that year Colter had been among the first Americans to see Yellowstone. The description of the sights and smells quickly earned it the nickname "Colter's Hell." Though, perhaps ironically, George Drouillard  of the expedition had seen it even earlier.

Resources:

Morris, Larry E. The Fate of the Corps. Yale University Press, 2004. Print.

Moulton, Gary. The Journals of the Lewis & Clark Expedition: August 30, 1803 - August 2, 1804 . University of Nebraska Press, 1986. Print.

Moulton, Gary. Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. University of Nebraska Press. Web.

Further Reading:

Learn more about John Colter at Lewis-Clark.org.