Lewis: July 8, 1804
On July 8, 1804, at Nadawa Island, Captains Lewis and Clark issued detachment orders appointing John B. Thompson, William Warner, and John Collins as provision superintendents for the messes of Sergeants Floyd, Ordway, and Pryor, respectively. These men were made responsible for receiving, cooking, and rationing food across morning, noon, and night meals, and for managing cooking utensils. In exchange, they were exempted from guard duty, tent pitching, and gathering firewood, with those tasks reassigned to other mess members. The order aimed to ensure prudent, regular, and equal distribution of provisions among the crew.
Detachment Orders Nadawa Island July 8th 1804.- In order to insure a
prudent and regular use of all provisions issued to the crew of the
Batteaux in future, as also to provide for the equal distribution of the
same among the individuals of the several messes, The Commanding Officers
Do appoint the following persons to recieve, cook, and take charges of the
provisions which may from time to time be issued to their respective
messes, (viz) John B. Thompson to Sergt. Floyd’s mess,
William Warner to Sergt. Ordway’s mess, and John Collins to Sergt. Pryor’s
Mess.These Superintendants of Provision, are held immediately
respon sible to the commanding Officers for a judicious consumption of the
provi sion which they recieve; they are to cook the same for their several
messes in due time, and in such manner as is most wholesome and best
calculated to afford the greatest proportion of nutriment; in their mode
of cooking they are to exercise their own judgment; they shall allso point
out what part, and what proportion of the mess provisions are to be
consumed at each stated meal (i. e.) morning, noon and night; nor is any
man at any time to take or consume any part of the mess provisions without
the privity, knowledge and consent of the Superintendant. The
superintendant is also held responsible for all the cooking eutensels of
his mess. in considera tion of the duties imposed by this order on
Thompson, Warner, and Collins, they will in future be exempt from guard
duty, tho they will still be held on the royster for that duty, and their
regular tour-shall be per formed by some one of their rispective messes;
they are exempted also from pitching the tents of the mess, collecting
firewood, and forks poles &c. for cooking and drying such fresh meat
as may be furnished them; those duties are to be also performed by the
other members of the mess. M. Lewis Wm. Clark
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Detachment Orders, Nadawa Island, July 8th, 1804. In order to ensure a prudent and regular use of all provisions issued to the crew of the Batteaux in the future, and also to provide for the equal distribution of the same among the individuals of the several messes, the Commanding Officers do appoint the following persons to receive, cook, and take charge of the provisions which may from time to time be issued to their respective messes, namely: John B. Thompson to Sergeant Floyd's mess, William Warner to Sergeant Ordway's mess, and John Collins to Sergeant Pryor's mess.
These Superintendents of Provision are held immediately responsible to the commanding Officers for a judicious consumption of the provisions which they receive. They are to cook the same for their several messes in due time, and in such manner as is most wholesome and best calculated to afford the greatest proportion of nutriment. In their mode of cooking, they are to exercise their own judgment. They shall also point out what part, and what proportion, of the mess provisions are to be consumed at each stated meal (that is, morning, noon, and night); nor is any man at any time to take or consume any part of the mess provisions without the privity, knowledge, and consent of the Superintendent. The Superintendent is also held responsible for all the cooking utensils of his mess.
In consideration of the duties imposed by this order on Thompson, Warner, and Collins, they will in the future be exempt from guard duty, though they will still be kept on the roster for that duty, and their regular tour shall be performed by someone of their respective messes. They are exempted also from pitching the tents of the mess, collecting firewood, and gathering forks, poles, etc., for cooking and drying such fresh meat as may be furnished them; those duties are to be performed by the other members of the mess. M. Lewis, Wm. Clark
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