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Newman Courts Martialed, Discharged

By: Phil Scriver, LC200 Historian

Although several members of the Corps of Discovery were courts martialed during the early part of the journey John Newman became the only Expedition member to be removed from the Corps and sent home. He was courts martialed for insubordination, and although he worked hard to get back into the Captains' good graces and be allowed to remain with the Expedition, he did not succeed. When the Expedition left Fort Mandan Newman was in the group that returned to ST. Louis. However he regained some measure of respect since Capt Lewis recommended he get half the regular land grant authorized and Capt Clark included him on his list of Expedition members he made years after the journey where he tracked what happened to everyone.