Meriwether Lewis, born August 18, 1774, was an American explorer. His life and achievements were acknowledged and some in the audience shed tears as the tragedy of his death was noted. He was related to George Washington by marriage: his first cousin once removed was Fielding Lewis, Washington's brother-in-law. The U.S. Army was also present through the 101st Airborne Infantry Band and its Army chaplain. The mission of the Corps was to explore the territory of the Louisiana Purchase, establish trade and sovereignty over the natives near the Missouri River, and claim the Pacific Northwest and Oregon territory for the United States before European nations. His deathby a gunshot wound to the head and another to the abdomenis a mystery. You try to reach out but you can never get a hold of it. Even minor features of the story fluctuate. She never explained why, at the time, she didn't investigate further concerning Lewis's condition or the source of the gunshots. They came inside and found Lewis on his pallet He had been [shot] in the side and once in the head. Single Family Residence - Monroe, NC 3004 Meriwether Lewis Trail, Monroe, NC 28110 This lovely single-story home features 3 spacious bedrooms and 2 modern bathrooms. Later in his life, he was a captain in the military and served as Jefferson's . Though the Corps of Discovery had traversed thousands of miles of wilderness with few casualties, Lewis and Clark did not find the Northwest Passage to the Pacific, the missions primary goal; the system of trading posts that theyd established began to fall apart before the explorers returned home. It is generally reckoned as one of the most successful and significant expeditions of its kind in modern history, and Lewis has . More information is available at her website: abigailtucker.com, 2023 Smithsonian Magazine Meriwether Lewis, (born Aug. 18, 1774, near Charlottesville, Va. [U.S.]died Oct. 11, 1809, near Nashville, Tenn., U.S.), American explorer, who with William Clark led the Lewis and Clark Expedition through the uncharted American interior to the Pacific Northwest in 1804-06. Lewis was a good administrator, but due to quarreling local political leaders, approval of trading licenses, land grant politics, Indian depredations, and a slow-moving mail system, it appeared that Lewis was a poor administrator who failed to keep in touch with his superiors in Washington. After returning from the expedition, Lewis received a reward of 1,600 acres of land. On August 11, 1806, near the end of the expedition, Lewis was shot in the left thigh by Pierre Cruzatte, a near-blind man under his command, while both were hunting for elk. These sources are attached to each ancestor so that you can personally judge their reliability. After his father died of pneumonia, he moved with his mother and stepfather Captain John Marks to Georgia in May 1780. Meriwether moved to Georgia with his mother and her second husband, Capt. Lewis never married. That night, Mrs. Grinder, the innkeepers wife, heard several shots. In reply to: Re: Meriwether Lewis/Woodson Connection. She gave the property to her daughter as a wedding gift. Meriwether Lewis became an American hero upon his return from his expedition across what is now the Northwestern half of the United States. Sitemap; Home Dashboard; Records . Lewis was a poor administrator, often quarreling with local political leaders and failing to keep in touch with his superiors in Washington. As a nonprofit, we offer free help to those looking to learn the details of their family story. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Meriwether Lewis, John Ordway, George Shannon, John Shields, Peter Weiser, Peter Willard, and Joseph Whitehouse. Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis & Clark's Exp. Marks raised Meriwether and his two siblings along with his own two children with Lucy, John Hastings Marks and Mary Garland (Marks) Moore (1787-1864). Lewis had known president Jefferson since he was a boy, "he had grown up on a plantation in virginia a few miles from Monticello, and they had went on to make a relationship working together in the White House." Maybe there is an answer beneath the monument to help us understand, says James Holmberg, curator of Special Collections at the Filson Historical Society in Louisville, Ky., who has published work on Lewiss life and death. Their other children included Jane Meriwether (Lewis) Anderson (1770-1845), Reuben Lewis, and Lucinda Lewis (1772-) (who died as an infant). Categories: This Day In History October 11 | This Day In History August 18 | Pioneer Cemetery, Hohenwald, Tennessee | Explorers | Whiskey Rebellion | American Heroes | Missouri Territory Governors | Namesakes US Counties | Example Profiles of the Week | Lewis and Clark Expedition | Albemarle County, Virginia | Virginia, Notables | Notables, WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. [9] These maladies delayed his arrival in St. Louis to take his position as Governor until a year after being named as such. Before he left St. Louis, Lewis had given several associates the power to distribute his possessions in the event of his death; while traveling, he composed a will. Jefferson believed the former, while his family continually maintained the latter. When Jefferson began to formulate and to plan for an expedition across the continent, he chose Lewis to lead the expedition. Meriwether Lewis died on his way to Washington, DC in October, 1809. Son of Lt. William Lewis and Lucy Lewis {Benson}) They settled in the Goose Pond community in the Broad River area of northeast Georgia, where the boys enjoyed plentiful hunting and fishing. Why was he chosen to lead the expedition? Lewis died under mysterious circumstances of two gunshot wounds in 1809 at a tavern called Grinder's Stand, about 70 miles (110 km) from Nashville, Tennessee, on the Natchez Trace, while in route to Washington to answer complaints about his actions as governor. By the age of eight, he was already showing the characteristics of courage and resourcefulness that stood him in good stead when he later commanded Jeffersons great expedition to explore the Missouri and Columbian Rivers from 1804 to 1806. Though Lewiss mother is said to have believed he was murdered, that idea didnt have much traction until the 1840s, when a commission of Tennesseans set out to honor Lewis by erecting a marker over his grave. She married William Lewis of Locust Hill; he died in 1779 and she married Captain John Marks six months later. Famous Connections The Meriwether family has intertwined with many of the most prominent families of America, especially in the early South. One of these was Parson Matthew Maury, an uncle of Matthew Fontaine Maury. After he retired for the evening, Mrs. Grinder continued to hear him talking to himself. In later years a court of inquiry explored whether they could charge the husband of the tavern-keeper with Lewis' death. One of his traveling companions, who arrived later, buried him nearby. But due to quarreling with local political leaders, approval of trading licenses, land grant politics, Indian depredations, excessive drinking and a slow-moving mail system, it appeared that Lewis was a poor administrator who failed to keep in touch with his superiors in Washington. Parson Maury was a son of Charles Goodyear Maury who was Thomas Jefferson's teacher for two years. The Natchez Trace was the old pioneer road between Natchez, Mississippi and Nashville, Tennessee. About the age of 13 he returned to Virginia and to the household of his uncle Nicholas Lewis, his formal education beginning at this time. It covers the descendants of Robert Lewis (1607-ca.1645) and his wife, Elizabeth, who emigrated from Wales to Gloucester County, Virginia in 1635. Everyone who knows anything about Meriwether Lewis beyond that he was one half of the famous exploring duo knows that he died a violent death at the age of 35, just three years after the completion of the most successful exploration mission in American history. A year and a half after the shooting, ornithologist Alexander Wilson, a friend of Lewiss, interviewed Mrs. Grinder, becoming one of the first among many people who have investigated the case. Viva tuos (I died young: but thou, O Good Republic, live out my years for me with better fortune.) Lewis never married he killed himself in 1809, three years after the expedition ended so he has no known direct descendants. Father of Joseph "De Smet" Lewis As a member of Virginian high society, the Lewis family could claim ties to both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. Lucy Meriwether was well known in Albemarle County throughout her adult life. Library of Congress, http://international.loc.gov/service/mss/mtj/mtj1/028/028_0636_0639.pdf, Letter to Thomas Jefferson, Oct 3, 1803, He and William Clark, born August 1, 1770, accompanied each other on a dangerous expedition. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. In June 1803, Jefferson provided Lewis with basic objectives for the mission, focusing on the exploration of the Missouri river and any related streams which might provide access to the Pacific Ocean. Ft. 11 Betsy Ross Cv, Ruther Glen, VA 22546. The trip had many perilous moments for Meriwether; who managed to survive falls, gun shot wounds, and accidental poisoning. After his wife's death, Robert Lewis married Elizabeth Thornton, Lucy's mother . It was in Georgia that he met Eric Parker, who was the first to introduce him to the idea of traveling. His wound hampered him for the rest of the journey. The 14 different profiles you use on Facebook all sound like royal linage societies, but anyone can see that is all the same person ,Janice Lynn Lewis, selling the same false narrative .please don't do that here. A reenactment of Lewis' entry into Grinder's Stand was an official concluding event of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. The account given by the the innkeeper's wife was inconsistent, and with each telling becoming further muddled. A valuable member of the expedition party, his working dog attributes were essential to daily life along the route. Enter a grandparent's name. After returning from the expedition, Lewis's life had the potential to become that of a politician and stateman, and in 1807 President Jefferson appointed him as Governor of the Louisiana Territory. Lewis also brought along a Newfoundland dog named Seaman. He was also a second cousin once removed of Washington's on his father's side. This page has been accessed 22,092 times. For many years, Lewis' legacy was overlooked, inaccurately assessed, and even tarnished by his alleged suicide. Retail Stores ; Book Vault ; Merchandise ; Login; $0.00 (0 Items) View Cart. This project came to be known as the Lewis and Clark Descendants Project. discoveries. Meriwether Lewis was born in Albemarle County, Virginia, to Captain William Lewis (1712 1781) who was of Welsh ancestry, and Lucy Meriwether (1751 1837). Lewis was introverted and moody while Clark was extroverted, even-tempered and gregarious. Leave a message for others who see this profile. Theres a certain amount of stress to reentering the world. Captain Meriwether Lewis was President Thomas Jefferson's chosen leader for the Corps of Discovery Expedition into the expansive territory of Louisiana, acquired from France in 1803. Wrong username or password. He had an older sister, Jane, and later a little brother, Reuben, would be born into the family. He was considered fiercely loyal, disciplined, and flexible, while also prone to being moody, speculative, and melancholic. People who think the Lewis and Clark expedition was a family affair research through birth, death and marriage certificates, census, probate and Bible records, wills, deeds, diaries and old letters. Most historians agree that he committed suicide; others are convinced he was murdered. In April 1801, he was appointed personal secretary to President Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). Includes index of interrelated names at bottom of pedigree chart. At first, Pierre blamed Blackfeet Indians for the injury, but after the Corps found no sign of Indians, he admitted the accident. 44 in Albemarle, VA, between 1796 and 1797. Generation No. 1. She married William Lewis of Locust Hill; he died in 1779 and she married Captain John Marks six months later.
