Thomas Howard Archives - Lewis & Clark Research Database https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/key-figure/thomas-howard/ A digital archive of treaties, documents, artwork, and 360° trail panoramas from the Corps of Discovery Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:42:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Thomas Howard https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/research/thomas-howard/ Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:42:23 +0000 https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/research/thomas-howard/ From Massachusetts. Court-martialed in February 1805 for climbing the Fort Mandan wall after hours rather than using the gate, potentially compromising the fort's security. Completed the entire journey.

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]]> Thomas Proctor Howard (1779-after 1806) was a private from Massachusetts, one of the few New Englanders in the predominantly frontier-raised Corps of Discovery. He was recruited from the regular Army to join the expedition.

Howard was court-martialed in February 1805 at Fort Mandan for climbing over the fort wall after hours rather than using the gate. The incident seems minor, but the captains enforced strict discipline to maintain military order. He received 50 lashes — though the sentence was forgiven at the request of the court-martial panel.

After the expedition, Howard collected his pay and land warrant, then disappeared from the historical record. His story is typical of many Corps members: they served honorably but their lives before and after the expedition remain largely undocumented.

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