What were the names of the two men who tried to desert the Lewis and Clark expedition?

Answer 1

The first man was La Liberte, a French engage' who was sent to find the Oto natives with a Missouri native and deserted, taking a public horse with him. He escaped as he was being returned to camp, but no further effort was made to apprehend him because he was a French hired man.

Next was Private John Newman (d. 1838), Pennsylvania-born, who was recruited from Captain Bissell's First Infantry Company. On October 13, 1804 near Stone Idol Creek, Captain Clark recorded, "Newmon confined for Mutinous expressions." He was tried by a jury of nine of his peers, sentenced to seventy-five lashes, and discharged from the Corps. Several times, Newman tried to prove himself useful so as to redeem himself, and even in Lewis' mind he was acquitted, but Lewis had to send him away.

Lewis wrote, "In the course of the expedition, or shortly before we arrived at the Mandan villages he committed himself by using certain mutinous expressions which caused me to arrest him and have him tryed by a Court Martial formed of his peers; they finding him guilty sentenced him to receive seventy five lashes and to be discharged from the permanent party, this sentence was enforced by me, and the punishment took place."

A third man was Private Moses Reed, a deserter along with La Liberte. He was court martialed in August 1804, according to Captain Clark, after he "Confessed that he 'Deserted & Stold a public Rifle-Shot pouch Powder & Bals' and requested that we would be as favourable with him as we Could consistantly with out Oathes - which we were and only Sentenced him to run the Gauntlet four times through the Party & that each man with 9 Swichies Should punish him and for him not to be considered in future as one of the Party -." In October 1804, he was confined after John Newman.