The dependable and matter-of-fact John Ordway was one of the mainstays of the Corps of Discovery, promoted early on to sergeant and serving as an able leader during the captains' absence. Fascinated by the peoples and places he encountered, Ordway became the most faithful journalist on the expedition recording information not found elsewhere and making an entry for every day during the expedition. Ordway later married and became a prosperous owner of two plantations in Missouri. His honest and informative account, which remained undiscovered for a century, offers an unforgettable glimpse of...