William Werner
Private William Werner served as one of the Corps of Discovery's cooks and was a dependable member of the expedition throughout the entire journey. He was court-martialed once for disobedience but otherwise served without notable incident. Werner participated in the full journey from Camp Dubois to the Pacific Ocean and back. Little is recorded about his life after the expedition's return to St. Louis in September 1806.
Biography
William Werner was a private in the Corps of Discovery who served as the party’s cook at various points during the journey. He was a steady, reliable member of the expedition who is rarely mentioned in the journals — often a sign of a soldier who simply did his job without incident.
Werner was part of the salt-making detail at the Oregon coast during the winter at Fort Clatsop. He also participated in the overland journey and the various portages that tested the endurance of every member.
After the expedition, Werner settled in Virginia and is believed to have lived there for some years, though the details of his later life remain obscure.
Related Locations
Note: the longest gap between tagged appearances is about 7 months (May 10, 1805 → Dec 11, 1805). William Werner may have been present in the corps during that span but is not named in the journals.
Journal Entries (25)
From the Heacock Memorial Archive
1 lewis-clark.org articles that mention William Werner, preserved here for Robert Heacock’s photography. The articles were written by that site’s contributing authors.
Researcher or educator?
Get help using the archive in your work, suggest sources we should include, or talk with us about collaboration and classroom use.
