Nathaniel Hale Pryor
See Nathaniel Pryor. This is an alternate reference using his full name, Nathaniel Hale Pryor (1772–1831), who served as one of three sergeants in the Corps of Discovery and later became a noted Indian agent among the Osage.
Biography
Nathaniel Pryor (1772-1831) was one of the three sergeants of the Corps of Discovery and a cousin of William Clark. He was among the most trusted and capable members of the expedition.
Pryor was given several important independent commands during the journey, including leading the horse herd during the return trip. When Crow warriors stole the horses near the Yellowstone, Pryor improvised by building bullboats — circular hide boats — and descended the river to rejoin Clark.
After the expedition, Pryor led the ill-fated 1807 attempt to return Chief Sheheke to the Mandan villages, which was repelled by the Arikara. He served with distinction in the War of 1812, reaching the rank of captain, and later settled among the Osage in present-day Oklahoma as a trader and Indian agent.
Pryor married an Osage woman and was adopted into the nation. He died in 1831 and was buried with Osage honors near present-day Pryor, Oklahoma — the town later named for him.
