Sergeant Charles Floyd died on August 20, 1804—the only member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition to perish during the journey. Likely suffering from a ruptured appendix, Floyd faced his final hours with remarkable composure, requesting a last letter to William Clark before being buried atop a bluff overlooking the Missouri River.
Erosion consumed his original grave by 1857, prompting local residents to recover his remains and rebury them nearby. Renewed interest after the 1894 publication of Floyd’s journal—one of the earliest primary sources from the expedition—led to a third burial on August 20, 1895. In 1901, a 100‑foot white‑sandstone obelisk was erected above his resting place, later becoming the first National Historic Landmark designated by the Department of the Interior. His triple burial reflects the nation’s evolving desire to honor the human cost of continental exploration.
Image from John David Bert • CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
