Charles Floyd (1782 – August 20, 1804) was an American

explorer Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...

, a non-commissioned officer in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

, and the

quartermaster Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land armies, a quartermaster is generally a relatively senior soldier who supervises stores or barracks and distributes supplies and provisions. In ...

of the

Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gr ...

. A native of

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

, he was a son of Robert Clark Floyd, a nephew of

James John Floyd James John Floyd (1750–1783) was an early settler of St. Matthews, Kentucky and helped lay out Louisville. In Kentucky he served as a Colonel of the Kentucky Militia in which he participated in raids with George Rogers Clark and later became one ...

, a cousin of Virginia governor John Floyd, and possibly a relative of

William Clark William Clark (August 1, 1770 – September 1, 1838) was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. A native of Virginia, he grew up in pre-statehood Kentucky before later settling in what became the state of Miss ...

. He was one of the first men to join the expedition, and the only member of the Corps of Discovery to die during the expedition.

Lewis and Clark Expedition

While exploring the

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...

with Lewis and Clark, he took ill at the end of July 1804. On July 31, Floyd wrote in his diary, "I am very sick and have been for sometime but have recovered my health again." However, this apparent recovery was soon followed by a severe turn for the worse. William Clark described Floyd's death as one "with a great deal of composure" and that before Floyd died he said to Clark, "I am going away. Please write me a letter." A funeral was held and Floyd was buried on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River. The expedition named the location

Floyd's Bluff Floyd's Bluff is a hill in southern Sioux City, Iowa that is named for Sergeant Charles Floyd. Floyd, who was the quartermaster for the Lewis and Clark Expedition's Corps of Discovery, was the only fatality during the expedition. The bluff ...

in his honor. They camped that night at the mouth of Floyd River, "about 30 yards wide, a beautiful evening.--" Clark diagnosed the condition which led to Floyd's demise as bilious colic, though modern doctors and historians believe Floyd's death was more likely to have been caused by a ruptured appendix. The brief "recovery" Floyd described may have represented the temporary relief afforded by the bursting of the organ, which would have been followed by a fatal

peritonitis Peritonitis is inflammation of the localized or generalized peritoneum, the lining of the inner wall of the abdomen and cover of the abdominal organs. Symptoms may include severe pain, swelling of the abdomen, fever, or weight loss. One part o ...

. If that were the case, because there was no known cure for

appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these typical symptoms. Severe complications of a ru ...

at that time, he would have been no better off had he been with the best

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

s of the day.

Legacy

is currently within the city limits of

Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iowa. The bulk of the city is in Woodbury County ...

. The

Sergeant Floyd Monument The Sergeant Floyd Monument is a monument on the Missouri River at Floyd's Bluff in Sioux City, Iowa, US. The monument honors Charles Floyd, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, who died on the upstream voyage in 1804 and was buried h ...

was declared a U.S.

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1960. This monument is now located in a park that offers visitors a view of the Missouri River valley. Floyd's final resting place is located on old

U.S. Highway 75 U.S. Route 75 is a major north–south U.S. Highway that extends in the central United States. The highway's northern terminus is in Noyes, Minnesota, at the Canadian border, where it once continued as Manitoba Highway 75 on the other sid ...

, in the southern part of Sioux City,

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

, in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. After Floyd's expedition journal was published in 1894, new interest was taken in him and his grave-marker was stolen by thieves. He was re-buried once more on August 20, 1895, with a monument. A marble cornerstone three feet wide and seven feet long was placed in 1900. When the obelisk of white sandstone standing high was completed on May 30, 1901, Floyd's grave was moved for the fourth time to rest nearby. It was designated a

on June 30, 1960.. Charles Floyd is the namesake of

Floyd County, Iowa Floyd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,627. The county seat is Charles City. History Floyd County was established in 1854 and was named for Sergeant Charles Floyd of the Lewis ...

. The

Interstate 129 Interstate 129 (I-129) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway which connects South Sioux City to I-29 in Sioux City, Iowa. Opened in 1976, I-129 is a route, running in Nebraska. At , I-129 is the shortest highway in the state of Iowa. All of ...

bridge between Sioux City and

South Sioux City, Nebraska South Sioux City is a city in Dakota County, Nebraska, United States. It is located immediately across the Missouri River from Sioux City, Iowa, and is part of the Sioux City, IA-NE- SD Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the ...

is named the Sergeant Floyd Memorial Bridge in his honor.

Notes

References

* George H. Yater and Caroline Denton, "Nine Young Men from Kentucky," We Proceeded On Publication No. 11, May 1992 (Lewis and Clark Heritage Foundation) pp. 4–6. * James J. Holmberg, Curator of Special Collections of the Filson Historical Society, Annual Sally Keith Lecture, Beargrass—St. Mathews Historical Society, October 19, 2003. * ''The Definitive Journals of Lewis and Clark: John Speedway and Charles Floyd''

External links

Lewis and Clark Trail: Sioux CityGeorge Catlin's 1832 painting of "Floyd's Bluff"Floyd Biography
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Floyd, Charles 1782 births 1804 deaths People from Kentucky American people of Welsh descent Lewis and Clark Expedition people Quartermasters Woodbury County, Iowa Deaths from peritonitis