John Potts was a member of the Lewis & Clark Expedition.
Subsequent to the Expedition, Potts frequently teamed up with John Colter, another former Expedition member, to explore Montana. In 1808, he and Potts were both injured fighting the Blackfoot Indians as they led a party of Crow Indians to Fort Raymond. In 1809, another altercation with the Blackfoot resulted in John Potts' death and Colter's capture. While going by canoe up the Jefferson River, Potts and Colter encountered several hundred Blackfoot who demanded they come ashore. Colter went ashore and was disarmed and stripped naked. When Potts then refused to come ashore he was shot and wounded. Potts in his turn shot one of the Indian warriors and died riddled with bullets fired by the Indians on the shore. His body was brought ashore and hacked to pieces.
A rock on the Martian Endeavour Crater was named for Potts.