Meriwether Lewis was born in Albemarle County, Virginia, in the present-day community of Ivy. They settled along the Broad River in the Goosepond Community within the Broad River Valley in Wilkes County (now Oglethorpe County). Interestingly, John Guice, one of the most prominent critics of the suicide theory, uses a very different astronaut comparison. Complex and often contradictory, the incarnations of Meriwether Lewis provide insight into the man behind the titles. She never explained why, at the time, she didn't investigate further concerning Lewis's condition or the source of the gunshots. In 1795 he joined the U.S. Army, as a Lieutenant, where he served until 1801, at one point in the detachment of William Clark, who would later become his companion in the Corps of Discovery. He married Amanda Cosby on 15 December 1827. . Jane Brereton , Richard Cotton, Blanche de BRIENNE , Guillaume de FIENNES, Isabel PERT , Robert CONYERS. Describe the background of Meriwether Lewis. Thanks so much for sharing! Some of the most recognized names in American history are direct descendants of Warner Hall's founder, Augustine Warner - George Washington, the first president of the United States, Robert E. Lee, the most famous Civil War General and Captain Meriwether Lewis, renowned American explorer of the Lewis and Clark expedition. More Replies: Re: Meriwether Lewis/Woodson Connection. Four years after Lewis' death, Thomas Jefferson wrote: The alpine plant Lewisia (family Portulacaceae), popular in rock gardens, is named after Lewis, as is Lewis's Woodpecker. Many people in Oregon say they inherited the adventurous spirit of the Lewis and Clark expedition, but third-grader Shaun Stice is a direct descendant. He attempted marriage but never followed through, and started drinking excessively, which negatively affected his relationship with Jefferson. . (He had had one brother who died while serving in the Confederate Army.) According to K. Edward Lay, a professor in the Architecture School at the University of Virginia, the present-day structure was probably built around 1900, perhaps incorporating a stone chimney from 1825. They dropped the inquiry for lack of evidence or motive. However, the subsequent inhabitants of the home have made so many changes that the structure does not really resemble the original house. Whether Lewis death was suicide, as was widely believed, or murder, as contended by his family, is still an open question. He commissioned this the Corps of Discovery Expedition . Lewis departed St. Louis for the Louisiana Purchasevia the Ohio River in the summer of 1803, gathering supplies, equipment, and personnel along the way. He also initially made arrangements to publish the Corp of Discovery journals but for some unknown reason never hired an editor or provided any text for the promised publications. . Lewis and Clark were accompanied on most of the trip by a young Shoshone woman named Sacagawea. Death of Capt. His life and achievements were acknowledged and some in the audience shed tears as the tragedy of his death was noted. He was also a second cousin once removed of Washington's on his father's side. He was never married, but family legend shares that he courted Theodesia Burr, the daughter of Aaron Burr. It was like coming back from the moon.. As with any good genealogical research, if you discover a link to your own family tree, consider it a starting point for further research. Parson Maury was a son of Charles Goodyear Maury who was Thomas Jefferson's teacher for two years. Generation No. In other accounts, the dog was never there at all. A year after his death, John Grinder, in whose home Lewis died, was brought before a grand jury on a warrant of murder. Several years after Lewis's death, Thomas Jefferson wrote: Jefferson also stated that Lewis had a "luminous and discriminating intellect.". People want ownership of the story, and then they feel a part of it.. The men of the family from the time when they first settled in the colony, about the middle of the seventeenth century, have been men of action and distinction; they have won for themselves the most remarkable record as soldiers. When Meriwether Lewis Sr. was born on 11 September 1802, in Buckingham, Virginia, United States, his father, Edward Lewis, was 31 and his mother, Mary Freeland, was 31. The group returned to St. Louis in 1806 to start reporting their findings and accomplishments.[7]. She was instrumental to the success of their mission as her presence let the Native American tribes they met along the way know that their intentions were peaceful. With Jefferson's consent, Lewis offered the post of co-captain of the expedition to William Clark. Parson Maury was a son of Charles Goodyear Maury who was Thomas Jefferson's teacher for two years. HOHENWALD, Tenn.Collateral descendants of Meriwether Lewis have unveiled a Web site as part of their campaign to exhume and examine the American explorer's remains in hopes of determining conclusively how he died. Son of Lt. William Lewis and Lucy Lewis [4] Six months later, his mother married another Army officer, Captain John Marks (abt.1750-1800), who managed a 1,000 acre plantation about 10 miles from Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home. The US Navy Polaris nuclear submarine USS Lewis and Clark was named for him and William Clark. Because of bureaucratic delays in the U.S. Army, Clark officially only held the rank of Second Lieutenant at the time, but Lewis concealed this from expedition members and shared the leadership of the expedition, always referring to Clark as "Captain".[4]. They had 9 children: Anne Eliza, Meriwether Lewis Anderson and 7 other children. About 1725, Jane married Robert Lewis (abt 1704-1765), son of Councilor John Lewis (1669-1725) of Warner Hall and his wife Elizabeth Warner (1672-1719) the daughter . He had so much to live for, says Guice, professor emeritus of history at The University of Southern Mississippi and the editor ofBy His Own Hand? Two hundred years later, debate continues over whether the famous explorer committed suicide or was murdered. It was in Georgia that he met Eric Parker, who was the first to introduce him to the idea of traveling. ISBN 978-0275990114. On the way, he stopped at an inn called Grinder's Stand, about 70 miles (110 km) from Nashville, Tennessee on the Natchez Trace on October 10, 1809. Lewis never married. p. 108. She could not afford many books, but collected a small library throughout her life. Name: Meriwether Lewis Birth Year: 1774 Birth date: August 18, 1774 Birth State: Virginia Birth City: near Ivy Birth Country: United States Gender: Male Best Known For: Meriwether Lewis teamed. William Douglas Meriwether became his legal guardian and his Uncle Nicholas Lewis exercised unofficial oversight (Bakeless). Even at his early age he was interested in natural history, which would develop into a lifelong passion. Whether Lewis committed suicide or was murdered remains a mystery to this day. Mrs. John Grinder who served as his landlady on the last night of his life reported: heard the sound of a gunshot and then the sound of something heavy falling to the floor followed by the words, Oh Lord! heard the sound of another gunshot and in a few moments, Lewis voice Oh, Madame, give me some water and heal my wounds. [she] refused to leave the room where she had been sleeping she waited nearly two hours before [rousing] the servants. Lucy Meriwether gave birth to Jane Meriwether Anderson, Meriwether Lewis, Lucinda Lewis (who died in childhood) and Dr. Reuben Lewis while married to William Lewis and John Marks and Mary Garland Marks while married to Captain John Marks. It is known that he visited at least twice. His wound hampered him for the rest of the journey. The bicentennial celebration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition to the Pacific Ocean has spurred interest in the descendant project, which was launched in 1999. Meriwether Lewis was the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition that was commissioned by President Jefferson to explore the Louisiana Territory. Login to find your connection. However, the two men were quite different in education and temperament. Due to his shy personality, Lewis never married. Lewis, who had not been publicly mourned when he died, was honored on that occasion with his first public memorial service. Library of Congress, https://memory.loc.gov/service/mss/mtj/mtj1/029/029_0175_0184.pdf. These combined skills would later be useful in his expeditions. Today, the grave site is maintained by the Natchez Trace Parkway. Lewis' descendants have asked the National Park Service to exhume the body for clues. The Meriwether Lewis Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation will host the event, called Courage UndauntedThe Final Journey., On June 4, 2009, collateral descendants of Lewis launched a Web site aimed at garnering public support for exhumation and scientific study of the explorer's remains to determineonce and for allthe cause of his death. In 1793, Lewis graduated from Liberty Hall (now Washington and Lee University), joined the Virginia militia, and in 1794 he was sent as part of a detachment involved in putting down the Whiskey Rebellion. That night, Mrs. Grinder, the innkeepers wife, heard several shots. Who was he? The expedition started in St. Charles, Missouri. The Lewis and Clark families, along with representatives of St. Louis Lodge #1, past presidents of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, and the Daughters of the American Revolution carried wreaths and led a formal procession to Lewis' grave. Browse Retail Locations . He is best known for his role as the co-leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, a pioneering expedition that explored the western portion of the Louisiana Purchase in 1804-1806. He lived in Fredericksburg, Virginia and also owned a plantation in Spotsylvania County, which later became known as Kenmore. Although he died without legitimate heirs, he does have the putative DNA model haplotype for his paternal ancestor's lineage, which was that of the Warner Hall. He died, apparently of bullet wounds to the head and abdomen, shortly before sunrise the next day. It is believed that he committed suicide. It is always preferable to locate primary records where possible. Lucy Meriwether was well known in Albemarle County throughout her adult life. He also showed an interest in plant knowledge, and his mother, an herbalist, encouraged that interest. People cant just call and say, Im a descendant, she said. As Thomas Jefferson's letter to Meriwether Lewis said, "It may better those who may endeavour to civilise and instruct them." . He was the son of Lt. William Lewis of Locust Hill (1733 November 17, 1779), who was of Welsh ancestry, and Lucy Meriwether (February 4, 1752 September 8, 1837), daughter of Thomas Meriwether and Elizabeth Thornton. Abigail Tucker 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. Sitemap; Home Dashboard; Records . The original house burned down but it was rebuilt in the same style as the original. In the predawn hours of October 11, the innkeeper heard gunshots. Because of bureaucratic delays in the U.S. Army, Clark officially only held the rank of Second Lieutenant at the time, but Lewis concealed this from expedition members and shared the leadership of the expedition, always referring to Clark as "Captain". History is about finding the truth, he adds. Meriwether Lewis, John Ordway, George Shannon, John Shields, Peter Weiser, Peter Willard, and Joseph Whitehouse. Activists take issue with Sacagawea's posture: she crouches behind Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, a positioning some say is demeaning for depicting the appearance of subservience. 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. The District of Columbia and governors of twenty states sent flags flown over state capital buildings to be carried to Lewis' grave by residents of the states associated with the Lewis and Clark Trail. Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer and military officer born on August 18, 1774, in Virginia. Of courage undaunted, possessing a firmness and perseverance of purpose which nothing but impossibilities could divert from its direction, honest, disinterested, liberal, of sound understanding and a fidelity to truth so scrupulous that whatever he should report would be as certain as if seen by ourselves, with all these qualifications as if selected and implanted by nature in one body for this express purpose, I could have no hesitation in confiding the enterprise to him. Ex-partner of Ikpsapewin "Winona" Garrett Lewis Minor: 14 MAR 1744 -- 8 MAY 1799: Mary Overton . Besides being the mother of the famed . Gen. Lucian King Truscott, Jr.; married a Meriwether descendant. His opportunity for the graceful exit arrived when Jefferson asked Lewis to command an expedition to find an all-water route to the Pacific Ocean, and study the land along that route.