Louis Lorimier Jr.: His early life and military service

When the Lewis and Clark Expedition returned in 1806, they brought a diplomatic representative, the Mandan chief Sheheke (White Coyote); his wife, Yellow Corn; and son. After his visit to Washington, the First Regiment of Infantry escorted the Mandans home in 1807. The group included 14 soldiers, an interpreter and a trading party of 22. Nathaniel Pryor, a former member of the Corps of Discovery, commanded the infantry.

The Arikara, located further downstream on the Missouri River than the Mandan, had just received news of the death of their chief, who had also traveled to Washington, D.C. They had allied with Sioux warriors to form an armed force of 650. The Arikara-Sioux warriors fired on the group when they beached their boats on Sept. 9, killing four of the traders. George Shannon, another former Corps of Discovery member, lost his leg to an infected wound, and an ensign received wounds in the hip and arm. The group retreated downstream, and Sheheke would not return to his people until 1809.

The wounded ensign was Louis Lorimier Jr., son and namesake of Louis Lorimier. Louis Jr. was the first native American appointed to West Point. He was a quarter Shawnee through his mother, Charlotte. President Jefferson appointed Louis, his brother, Auguste B., and Charles Gratiot of St. Louis as a good-will gesture toward leaders of Louisiana. Upon graduation in 1806, Louis received an appointment as ensign in the First Regiment of Infantry on Nov. 14, 1806, deploying to the western frontier in Missouri.

Louis Lorimier Jr. was probably born in Ohio in the mid-1780s –the exact date is unknown. Both Louis Jr. and his brother, Auguste B., received land concessions Dec. 28, 1799. Louis's 1006 arpens and 32 perches, later Survey 2200, lie on Scism Creek, also known earlier as Caney Creek, or Rocky Fork of Flora Creek.

After Louis Jr.'s recovery, he became a second lieutenant in January 1808. His next assignment was leading an escort of a boat and 25 men to accompany Indian Agent Nicholas Boilvin in apprehending a member of the Sac and Fox who had committed a murder. By Oct. 2, the First Infantry journeyed up the Missouri River to the site of Fort Osage (later Fort Clark) to establish the fort among the Osage. The U.S. negotiated a treaty at Fort Osage, which Lt. Lorimier signed as a witness on Nov. 10.

Lorimier's service continued as a member of a board to inspect and report on the condition of buildings at Fort Bellefontaine, St. Louis County, which reported on June 1, 1809. Lt. Lorimier resigned from the Army on Dec. 30, 1809.

The Cape Girardeau District Militia recognized his military experience by appointing him a major in 1810. Early in the War of 1812, a Louis Lorimier enlisted as a private and was quartermaster for Col. McNair's Mounted Regiment of Illinois-Missouri Militia. The unit existed July to October 1812, and Louis Jr. would almost immediately embark on the next major phase of his life.

Bill Eddleman, Ph.D. Oklahoma State University, is a native of Cape Girardeau County who has conducted genealogical research for over 25 years.