RALEIGH – A 22-year-old Cpl. Richard Warfington, born in Louisburg, N.C., set out from St. Louis on a breath-taking adventure with the Lewis and Clark “Corps of Discovery” in April 1804. Warfington served with distinction and beyond the call of duty. His exploits will be recognized with the dedication of a North Carolina Highway Historical Marker on Saturday, June 6, at 1:30 p.m., on Main Street at the Tar River bridge, just south of the Franklin County Courthouse in Louisburg. There will be a self-pay luncheon and presentation preceding the dedication at noon at the Cola Café.
Warfington was an exceptional soldier who signed on to travel the first leg of the expedition, to the land of the Mandan Indians along the Missouri River in present day North Dakota. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark entrusted the young corporal with command of the smallest of their three boats for the journey from St. Louis, Mo., to the Mandan villages. The party endured a terrible North Dakota winter, and in the spring Lewis and Clark continued on to the Pacific Ocean, while Warfington and 10 others returned to St. Louis. Warfington was given command of the largest vessel for the return trip, and the responsibility of transporting the captains’ journals of travels to unseen lands, the first draft of Clark’s map of the West, and numerous animal, mineral and plant specimens. He also transported Chief Eagle Feather of the Piahito tribe, Oto headman Petit Voleur, and a total of 45 native ambassadors for a meeting with President Thomas Jefferson in Washington, D.C.
Lewis and Clark found their trust well placed in Cpl. Warfington, who remained in the Army beyond his release date to complete the mission. Clark wrote in his style that Warfington “acquitted himself verry will,” and Lewis observed that his duties “were performed with a punctuality which uniformly characterized his conduct while under my command.”
Warfington reached St. Louis on May 22, 1805, after the six week, 1,600 mile return trip. He was rewarded with 320 acres and pay of $100. It is unknown when he left the army, or what course his life took. He will be remembered with a highway marker more than 200 years after his adventure.
For additional information about the dedication, contact Trent Strickland, (910) 582-0085, or Aubrey Gay, (919) 269-7060. For information about the N.C. Highway Historical Marker program, contact Mike Hill, (919) 807-7290. The highway marker program, within the Office of Archives and History, is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Now podcasting 24/7 with information about the Department of Cultural Resources, all available at www.ncculture.com.