John Ordway was 1 of 10 children. During the expedition, some of his jobs were, guard duty and to keep a journal about the Natives. At Camp Wood while Ordway was in charge, (Lewis had business in St. Lewis) some of the men had gone to a tavern and gotten drunk. After a while some of the men got impatient. "they all got in fites," said Ordway in his journals. Right before the journey was to begin Ordway wrote to his parents, "We are to ascend the Missouri River with a boat as far as it is navigable and then go by land, too the western ocean, if nothing prevents, &c. This party consists of 25 pick'd Men of the armey & country and I am So happy as to be one of them pick'd Men... We are to start in ten days up the Missouri River... We expect to be gone 18 months or two years... If we make great Discoveries as we expect, the united States, has promised to make us Great Rewards more than we are promised, &c." After the expedition John returned to New Hampshire. He got married and later moved to Missouri on the 320 acres of land that he was given for being in the Corps.