Private John Shields

Quick Facts

Significance:

Private and blacksmith on the Lewis and Clark expedition

Place of Birth:

Harrisonburg, Augusta County, Virginia

Date of Birth:

1769

Place of Death:

Corydon, Harrison County, Indiana Territory

Date of Death:

December, 1809

Place of Burial:

Corydon

Cemetery Name:

Little Flock Baptist Church Cemetery

"Nothing was more peculiarly useful to us... than the skill and ingenuity of this man as an artist, in repairing our guns, accoutrements, etc." - Lewis

John Shields was a man of impressive talent. He was an excellent carpenter and occasional, successful, hunter. His main contribution to the expedition was his skill as a blacksmith and gunsmith. He acted as the main smith of the expedition alongside Privates Alexander Willard and William Bratton.

Smith was listed as one of the "young men from Kentucky," ironically he was the oldest of the original party members until Toussaint Charbonneau joined at Fort Mandan. Similarly he was one of the few men to be married at the time of the expedition, having married in 1790.

A Rocky Start

John Shields, though later receiving high praise, was involved early in the expedition in a case of extreme disobedience against Sergeant Ordway. 

On February 20th, 1804, both Captains Lewis wrote detachment orders to be followed during their absence from Camp River Dubois. In these the camp would be left under the command of Sergeant Ordway. During this time frame Reubin Field was assigned guard detail and promtly argued against it, Shields, to the captains suprise, joined in and supported the rebellious talk. 

On March 3rd, 1804, Lewis would write in further Detachment Orders: "The Commanding officer feels himself mortifyed and disappointed at the disorderly conduct of Reubin Fields, in refusing to mount guard when in the due roteen of duty he was regularly warned; nor is he less suprised at the want of discretion in those who urged his oposition to the faithfull discharge of his duty, particularly Shields, whose sense of propryety he had every reason to beleive would have induced him reather to have promoted good order, than to have excited disorder and faction among the party, particularly in the absence of Capt. Clark and himself"

Experience on the Expedition

After their rocky start Shields would recover his reputation through his invaluable service as a blacksmith and carpenter all throughout the journey, some examples of which are included below.

During the 1804-05 winter at Fort Mandan, Shields' blacksmith work became a commodity among the Mandan and Hidatsa people – especially the unique war hatchets he created.

When they aquired horses from the Shoshone he was put in charge of shoeing the horses.

He was trusted on multiple outings with Captain Lewis as a small scouting party and to make first contact with the Shoshone.

Perhaps most important was his ability to repair the weapons of the expedition, as not only did he keep guns in working condition he was able to repair Lewis' Air Rifle, a unique weapon brought on the expedition.
 

After the Expedition

For his service to the expedition Shields was awarded $178.50. Lewis had recommended Congress give him a bonus for his service to the expedition but this was not included. 

He spent a short period of time as a fur trapper, a position that would often pay much higher than his military service, and even trapped alongside Daniel Boone.

He would pass away in December of 1809 of a nonviolent, but unknown, cause.

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 Shields at Lewis-Clark.org.