George Drouillard
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George Drouillard was a civilian interpreter for the Lewis and Clark's Voyage of Discovery.
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[edit] Biography
George Drouillard grew up in the Detroit River region, son of Pierre Drouillard and a Shawnee woman of the Flat Head sept named Asoundechris[1]. His father Pierre was employed by the British Indian Department as an interpreter of the Huron language at the time of the Revolutionary War, and is credited with saving the life of Simon Kenton, a prisoner of the Indians at Sandusky, in 1778[2].
[edit] Lewis and Clark
George Drouillard, a hunter, trapper, cartographer, and a master of many languages (Indian as well as French and English) was hired by Captain Lewis for the expedition into the newly acquired Louisiana Territory in early 1804. Lewis, who referred to him as "Drewyer," praised him highly as the most skilled hunter among the men. During the expedition's stay at Fort Clampet Drouillard hunted and killed elk for food. He often brought in six elk a day and one day he killed eleven elk[3]. Hunting was the main food supply for the group at the fort since they could not farm and had no trade with the local tribes.
Drouillard was one of the non-military members of the Corps to complete the Lewis and Clark Expedition from Camp Dubois to the Pacific Ocean and back.
[edit] After the Corps
Drouillard was tried for the murder of a deserter from Fort Lisa whom he mortally wounded while trying to capture him[4]
While trapping in 1810 he was killed by Blackfeet in reprisal for having led Lewis and Clark through Blackfoot territory many years previous. Drouillard had mistakenly assumed that they had forgotten/forgiven him over this matter. He was burned at the stake.
Mount Drouillard (formerly Mount Drewyer) in Pondera County, Montana, is named in his honor.
[edit] External links
[edit] Further reading
Thom, James Alexander. (2000). Sign-Talker. New York, Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-345-39003-2. (A novelized biography of George Drouillard.)
[edit] References
- ^ Denissen, Christian. (1987). Genealogy of the French Families of the Detroit River Region. Detroit Society for Genealogical Research. ISBN 0-943112-02-8
- ^ http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/explore/magazine/fallwin2003/simonkenton.htm
- ^ Ambrose, Steven. Undaunted Courage, p. 327
- ^ Keogh, X. (1998) "The American Federal Interpreter and How the West Was Won". Proteus. VII(3). Summer.