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.
