John Collins (abt. 1780 - 1823)

Born about 1780 in Frederick County, Maryland

Died 2 Jun 1823 at about age 43 in South Dakota

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John Collins was involved in the westward expansion of the USA. Westward Ho! Join: Lewis and Clark Expedition Project Discuss: lewis_and_clark

Biography

John Collins was born in Frederick County, Maryland. His parents are not known.

He served with the expedition from Jan. 1, 1804 to Oct. 10, 1806. It is believed that he transferred from Capt. Russell Bissell's Company.

Along with Joseph and Reubin Field and George Drouillard, John Collins was one of the main five hunters for the company.

While they were at Camp du Bois, however, Capt. Clark made note that he was a "blackguard" because he killed a farmer's pig and then claimed it was bear meat.

In June 1804, John Collins was the defendant in the first disciplinary trial held by Captain Clark. One evening, while on guard duty, Collins tapped a whiskey barrel and got drunk with Private Hall. The day, they were placed under arrest and tried later that morning. Collins pleaded not guilty to the charge of “getting drunk on his post this morning out of whiskey put under his Charge as a Sentinel and for Suffering Hugh Hall to draw whiskey out of the Said Barrel intended for the party.”

Despite his plea, Collins was found guilty and sentenced to one hundred lashes on his bare back, which was carried out immediately. Later that day, he was back to rowing the oars.

This unfortunate beginning seemed to put an end to his misconduct, as he served the company well throughout the remainder of the voyage.

After his return from the expedition, he sold his land warrant to George Drouillard in Sep. 1806 for $300. Then he and fellow corps member, Pierre Cruzatte, headed back up the Missouri to join John McClellan's trapping party. Most of the men in the group, including McClelland and Pierre Cruzatte,, were killed in Montana. It is believed that John Collins returned to St. Louis and informed William Clark what had happened to Cruzatte.

Collins then settled down in the Missouri Territory, apparently married and had a son named John. Some believe he is the John Collins who married Elizabeth Yager of Madison County, Virginia and who later returned to Missouri.

In 1823, Collins went back up the Missouri, this time with Gen. Ashley of the Missouri Militia and lieutenant governor of the state who had also entered the fur trade. They pulled their boats ashore at what is now Mobridge, South Dakota and were attacked on Jun. 2, 1823 by the Arikara Indians. Fifteen men were killed, including John Collins.

He was the last member of the Corp of Discovery to meet a violent death.

Sources

• The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. 2005. U of Nebraska Press / U of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries-Electronic Text Center. 5 Oct. 2005 <http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu>.

• Staff. “The People - Corps of Discovery.” Corps of Discovery - United States Army, U.S. Army Center of Military History, 12 Jan. 2019, https://history.army.mil/LC/the_people.htm.