Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 58 B ORN TO SACAGAWEA AND TOUSSAINT CHARBONNEAU at Fort Mandan in 1805, Jean Baptiste, often called Pomp or Pompey by Captain Clark, un- knowingly played one of the most important roles on the Lewis and Clark expedition. The presence of a mother and her young child among the group helped to per- suade the Native people they would meet of the expedition's peaceful intentions. Clark's interest in Jean Bap- tiste did not wane after the ex- pedition ended, as the captain implored Charbonneau Sr. and Sacagawea to bring the boy to live with him. By 1807 Jean Baptiste's parents obliged, and the family traveled to St. Louis. While under Clark's care, Jean Baptiste learned from the captain's extensive collection, essentially an in-house natural history museum. William Clark sent young Charbonneau to what is now St. Louis University High School at no small expense; it can be said that Clark most certainly had affection for the youngest expedition member. After completing his education in St. Louis, Char- bonneau got a job at a trading post. His ability to speak French connected him with Duke Friedrich Paul Wilhelm of the historical German territory Württemberg. The duke was impressed by then 18-year-old Charbonneau and in- vited him to return with the royal travelers to Europe, to which Jean Baptiste agreed. They set sail in late 1823, and Jean Baptiste would reside in the duke's palace for ap- proximately six years. He was already multilingual upon arriving in Europe, as he spoke multiple Native American languages, English, and French, yet he also took it upon himself to learn German and Spanish while abroad. Jean Baptiste Charbonneau returned to St. Louis in 1829, with his linguistic skills proving to be quite help- ful. He spent the next 11 years across the West while he worked the fur trade, guided a Scottish nobleman's "lav- ish" expedition, and served as a guide again during the Mexican-American War. General Kearny instructed Char- bonneau to join a march known as the Mor- mon Battalion, which traveled over 1,000 miles to construct the first wagon road to southern California and guide as many supply wagons as possible to Mission San Luis Rey de Francia near the sea. Only eight of the twenty-some wag- ons made it to their intended destina- tion, but it was considered a success, and parts of the trail built by the bat- talion would become U.S. Route 66 and the Southern Pacific Railroad. Some members of the battal- ion stayed at the Mission, and in November of 1847, Jean Baptiste was appointed alcalde (mayor) of the district. The job made him the only civilian authority in the region of 225 square miles, and he resigned less than a year later after being accused of bias when defending poor workers against the power of lo- cal landowners. Two months lat- er, he appeared in Placer County, California, at the beginning of the state's famous gold rush. There he mined for approximately 16 years at a site known as Secret Ravine and was very successful, as Charbonneau could afford the inflated cost of living near what is now Auburn, California. By 1860 he was working in the Orleans Hotel and had undoubtedly watched many fellow miners pass through town as the gold eventually ran out. He remained in the area for an- other six years, told the editor of the local newspaper that he "was about returning to familiar scenes," and headed north to an unknown destination. Historians speculate that Jean Baptiste Charbonneau was headed toward richer gold deposits, such as Bannack or Virginia City, Montana, or possibly the Owyhee Moun- tains of Oregon and Idaho. An accident occurred during a river crossing in southeastern Oregon, and somehow Charbonneau fell into the freezing water. He was taken to Inskip Station, where he was possibly given contaminated well water. He died there on May 16th, 1866. Charbonneau's gravesite and memorials therein are recorded in the National Register of Historic Places and can be visited just outside the quiet town of Jordan Valley, Oregon. J E A N B A P T I S TE ' P O M P E Y ' C H A R M O N NE A U 1 8 05 - 1 8 6 6 THE PRESENCE OF A MOTHER AND HER YOUNG CHILD AMONG THE GROUP HELPED TO PERSUADE THE NATIVE PEOPLE THEY WOULD MEET OF THE EXPEDITION'S PEACEFUL INTENTIONS.

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