York, a Little-Known Black Hero

Ann Keefe

One of the real heroes of the Lewis and Clark expedition was a black man. He was a slave owned by William Clark and at the beginning of the expedition he was given a servant's work. Soon, though, it became obvious to everyone that he was one of the most valuable members of that Corps of Discovery. Before long, he was trusted with the vital job of trading with the Indians. When the expedition returned, he emerged from his trials a free man.

His last name was York but his first name was never mentioned. In fact, very little has been written about him except for his deeds, recorded (with primitive spelling) in the Original Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Actions, though, speak louder than words. Knowing what York did helps us to draw a character sketch of the kind of man he was.

First of all, we know that he must have been tall and very impressive looking. He was probably proud of his great strength. Clark recorded the Indians' amazement when York danced. They would not believe a man that large could be so active. York was amused by their curiosity. He had great fun giving exaggerated demonstrations of his strength.

York had a good sense of humor. For a joke, York told the Indians that he had once been a wild animal, caught and tamed by his master. "This nation never saw a black man before," Clark wrote. " .?.?. all flocked around him and examin him from top to toe, he carried on the joke and made himself more turribal than we wished him to doe."

We can tell a lot about a person by what is not said. Like all the expedition members, York endured many hardships during those two and a half years. But there is no record of his ever complaining or using his suffering as an excuse. Here is a partial list of what he had to put up with.

In winter, his feet were frostbitten. In summer, he was worn out by mosquito attacks fierce enough to drive even the horses wild. He almost lost an eye when sand was thrown into it. A starvation diet of roots gave him bad digestive problems. He suffered severe strain from lifting heavy logs and hauling game from the woods. He and the other expedition members caught colds, diarrhea, fevers, and stomach aches from each other. Perhaps worse, they had to endure being dosed with primitive, foul-tasting medicines.

We know from the journals that York had many skills. He could swim to a sandbar to gather greens for dinner, canoe up a river to find fish and fowl, or shoot a buffalo for the tongue and marrow bones. He was a sharp-eyed scout who knew what he was doing whether he was sighting a rare bird or pointing out a tiny tobacco worm to Clark.

Despite his intelligence, he was not a superman. He made his share of mistakes. One night, while everyone was asleep, a huge buffalo bull swam from the opposite bank of the river. It climbed ashore and rampaged through the camp. Attracted by the campfires, it trampled across the earth only inches away from the heads of the sleeping men. Finally, Lewis's dog chased it away but not before it had mangled a rifle that York had forgotten about and carelessly left in a boat.

Nevertheless, York's abilities went far beyond swimming, shooting, and foraging. By the time the expedition headed home York had been chosen to conduct the vital trading with the Indians. Food had to be obtained for the dreaded crossing of the frozen Rocky Mountains.

Early one morning, Lewis and Clark both cut the buttons off their coats. York and another member of the expedition carried these buttons off to the Indians, together with a collection of tiny bottles, small tin boxes, and some sweet-smelling ointment. When they returned that evening they had traded these things for enough bread and edible roots to get the expedition safely over the Rockies.

At the end of the 28-month journey Clark rewarded York with his freedom. It is clear that he had more than earned it.

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