William Clark (1770-1838)
William Clark assisted Meriwether Lewis on the successful expedition which traveled from the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers to the Pacific Coast in 1804-06. Clark was born in Virginia, and his older brothers all fought as officers in the American Revolution. Brigadier General George Rogers Clark, one of his brothers, led forces into the Illinois territory during the war. William served in the Kentucky militia and in the U.S. Army but was tending his parents' plantation in Kentucky when Lewis asked him to assist with the exploration of the Missouri River. He and Lewis and members of the party left Wood River, Illinois on May 14, 1804, traveling up the Missouri River. They reached the Pacific coast in mid-November 1805 and returned to St. Louis in September 1806. After the expedition, Clark was appointed Indian agent and brigadier general of the militia of the Louisiana Territory. For 30 years he negotiated treaties with the Indians of the upper Mississippi and Missouri rivers, relocating many to the Kansas territory.
Additional Information Can Be Found At...
William Clark - A Historic Frontiersman
William Clark - American Explorer
Lewis and Clark expedition trail maps...