Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-05-30
FLOYD MoNUMENT.
Dedicated Today at sioux city.


at the discovery of Sergeant Charles
Floyds journal and DIR. S. p. Yeomans.
of Marshalltown will speak.
Floyd was a member of the Lewis and
Clark expedition, which explored the:
Louisiana purchase in 1s04-lsO6. Floyd
died near Sioux City Aug. 20, 1904. and
was buried on bluff on the Missouri
river.
There is more real history represented
in the monument erected above the
bones of Sergeant Floyd than in almost
any other ten monuments in the world.
Prophetic visions of the vast empire
west of the Mississippi prompted Thorn
as Jefferson when president, to send out
the expedition of which Floyd WAS but
chance member. His personal services
We're but an incident. his death uniml-
portant to the party. and it is TO the
Lewis and Clark explorers that the
monument is In fact set up where the
people of three states may see 1t.
Charles Floyd was one of nine young
men from Kentucky who Joined the
Lewis and Clark expedition, organized
for the purpose of exploring the vast
tract Of land west of the Mississippi riv-
|er. commonly known as the Louisiana
purchase Bonaparte, acting for
France, bad sold this wide territory to
the Unitkd States for SIS, 0O0, coo in order
that England might not come into pos
session of it. and 1t was with desire to
know what sort of territory he had
bought that President Thomas Jefferson
called upon Capt. Meriwether Lewis of
Virginia, to organize an expedition to
explore it.
Charles Floyd joined the expedition at
ST. Louis in 1903 The members of the
party camped in the vicinity of ST.
Louis for a few months, and on May IA,
1904, started on their long journey up
the Missouri. which was to take them
across the continent to the Pacific ocean
by circuitous route. From records of
the journey 1t is gathered that sergean.
Floyd was highly thought of by those
who were associated with him in the en-
terprise.
On Aug. 90, 1904. at point a short
distance below where Sioux City now
stands, Floyd died. His remains We're
buried at the top of bluff half mile
below the stream that now bears his
name, Floyd river. In all probability he
was the first citizen soldier of the Unit
ed States to have been buried west of
the Mississippi river. The records of the
expedition state that he was buried with
military honors, and that his grave was
marked with a cedar post. The explor-
| ing party proceeded up the river. On its
return it visited the grave and fund
| that 1t had been disturbed, either by In
dams or wolves. The members filed up
the grave again and continued on their
way to St. Louis.
Floyd's remains lay in their first
grave for more than half a century
until 1s57-until 1t was discovered that,
as result of the falling, away of the
bluff, there was danger OF the coffin an
the remains falling into the Missouri
river. Pioneer settlers of Sioux City
visited the place on May IS. 1857, and
rescued the remains from their perilous
position. They were reinforced on an
other bluff not far away, and 1t was
generally understood at that timeithat d
fitting shaft should be erected In time.
In the excitement of the founding and
growth of as typical q western city az
Sioux City. however. sentiment cut but
little figure, and the explorers grave
i was neglected.