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T Charboneau
And His Own Name On The Census
This is what the Lewis and Clark Journey of Discovery says about Toussaint Charbonneau, n'er do well husband of Sacagawea and an interpreter for the expedition, is said by some to be buried in Richwoods, Missouri, about 40 miles southwest of St. Louis. Most Lewis and Clark scholars do not believe that the headstone marked "Toussaint Charboneau, 1781-1866" [sic] in Richwoods is the man who was hired by Lewis and Clark as an interpreter in 1805. The dates on the headstone are simply wrong for Sacagawea's husband. It is known that the Charbonneau who accompanied Lewis and Clark was born about 1758 in Canada and died in 1843, when his will was probated. Many in Richwoods, however, say they are descendants of the Charbonneau of Lewis and Clark fame. Perhaps they are, and perhaps Charbonneau is buried in the St. Stephens Catholic Cemetery in Richwoods. No other place in America claims to have his grave. Further genealogical and historical research may someday settle the mystery of the Richwoods gravesite.
Here is a copy of the 1860 census with Charboneau entry included. This is a great example of how difficult it is to read someone's handwriting. If you read down the listing, you find people with the same last name almost seem to be spelled differently. Some of the other names on this census sheet, are:
Devier, Bequette, Roussin, Mara, Amily, Mifsee, Mara, Felty, Rulo, Courtois, Soucier.
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