Patrick Gass and the Corps of Discovery-- Part 1: Elected to Expedition Sergeant

From the Discovering Lewis & Clark site.

Along with this in formation on Patrick Gass, they have a day-by-day chronology on the Expedition, often written in William Clark's interesting spelling.

It says Gass was the Expedition's carpenter and the last surviving member.

He also became the sergeant of it by election.  A nominating  vote for replacement of Sergeant Charles Floyd was held at present-day Elk Point, South Dakota and nineteen of the group's 25 enlisted men voted for Gass as the replacement.  He must have been held in high esteem.

Pennsylvania-born Irishman Patrick Gasswas a career soldier signing up in 1799 at age 28 and wanted to join the Expedition when they arrived at his post at Fort Kaskaskia in Illinois, but his commander, Captain Russell Bissell wanted to keep him for his services as a carpenter, so Gass went to Meriwether Lewis who persuaded Bissell to let him join.

Gass had previously served in the Army Rangers and now was the expedition's third oldest member after John Shields (b. 1769) and Captain Clark (b. 1770)

--Brock-Perry

New United States Daughters 1812 Forming in Montana-- Part 2

Membership to the organization is open to all women who can prove lineal  descent to an ancestor, who, between 1794 and 1815, provided civil, military, naval service to our country, gave material aide to the U.S. Army or Navy, or who  participated in the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

If you live in Montana, Idaho, North and South Dakota, and descended from such an ancestor, and'or would like to be a charter member of the Montana State Society, send an e-mail to MontanaUSD1812@ gmail.com.

The purpose of the Society is to promote patriotism and preserve and increase the knowledge of the history of the American people.  The group preserves documents and relics, marks historic places, records family histories and traditions, celebrates patriotic anniversaries, and  teaches and emphasizes historic deeds of the civil military, and naval life of those  who molded our government between  the close of the American Revolution and the close of the War of 1812, from 1784 to 1815, inclusive.

They also locate and mark the graves of the people from those years.

Again, so happy to have a new history group on board.

Congratulations.  --Brock-Perry

New United States Daughters of 1812 Forming in Montana-- Part 1

From the August 17, 2020,   KPVI 6 NBC News (Pocatello, Idaho)  "Daughters of 1812 organizing in Montana."

The National Society United States Daughters of 1812, a lineage group, is organizing a Montana  State Society.  Women from Butte, Hamilton, Corvallis, Bozeman, Lewistown, , Jefferson City, Havre,  Helena, Great Falls and Red Lodge are joining women  from Couer d' Alene, Nampa, idaho and South Dakota to form the organization.

The initial organizational  meeting will be held Saturday, September 26, at the Jefferson Community Center in Jefferson City.  Attendance can either be in person or by Zoom.

I am always happy to see am organization devoted to history forming, but I can see a definite problem with a group that spread out.  Meetings are always going to be difficult as it involves a whole lot of travel for many of the members.

This is a big problem with a group I belong to, the Sons of Confederate Veterans which has a camp in Chicago, the Camp Douglas Camp, #516.  The members are just spread too far apart for attendance at meetings.

But, anyway, I'm happy to see this group forming and hope they find a way to overcome the distance problem.

--Brock-Perry

National Anthem's Roots Reach to South Dakota

From the August 2nd Rapid City (SD) Journal "Kent: Anthem's roots reach Fort Meade" by Jim Kent.

Most Americans know the story of the Star-Spangled Banner, but mot its connection to Fort Meade many years later. 

In 1892, Colonel Caleb Carlton became the fort's commander.  He and his wife Sadie had long been saddened by the lack of a United States national song.  They wanted something that could be played at the Retreat Ceremony in the evening when the flag is lowered.

They felt Francis Scott Key's "Star-Spangled Banner" would fill the bill and pushed for it, though it did not become the official anthem until 1931 with the help of urging from John Philip Sousa.

"Oh Say Can You See..."  --Brock-Perry