Zebulon Montgomery Pike was appointed an ensign and 2nd lieutenant of infantry in March of 1799 and in
November, 1799, was promoted to 1st lieutenant. In July, 1801, he was paymaster. When the Army was reduced
in size (1802) he was retained and assigned to the First Infantry Regiment. Pike was promoted to captain in
August of 1806. He lead an expedition to New Mexico and Rio del Norte (part of the new Louisiana Purchase)
in 1806 and 1807. He was promoted to Major and transferred to the Sixth Infantry in 1808 and promoted to
lieutenant colonel and assigned to the 4th Infantry in December of 1809.

Pike was appointed Quartermaster General in April of 1812 and promoted to colonel (15th Infantry) in July of
1812. He was promoted to brigadier general in March, 1813, and assigned to the principal army (War of 1812)
as Adjutant and Assistant Inspector General. He was in command of an attack on York, Upper Canada, during
which he was killed (27 April, 1813) when a powder magazine exploded.

Pikes Peak: Discovered in 1806 during the expedition to New Mexico and Rio del Norte. Pike named the peak,
which now bears his name, Grand Peak.

It was after a trip to the top of Pike's Peak in 1893 that Massachusetts teacher and author, Katherine Lee Bates,
wrote the lyrics to what would become the song

America the Beautiful