Sucked into the tempest, their canoes pitched and rolled in the thrashing water and thumped over jagged rocks, but the men kept paddling. His father became a Revolutionary War officer and died when Meriwether was 5. On October 7, 2009, about 2,500 people (Park Service estimate) from more than twenty-five states met at Lewis' grave on the 200th anniversary of his death. Whether Lewis committed suicide or was murdered remains a mystery to this day. Nearby homes similar to 7134 John Marshall Mews have recently sold between $252K to $396K at an average of $245 per square foot. He was also related to Robert E Lee and Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, among others. Thomas Jefferson is credited with the inscription on Lewis' tombstone: Immaturus obi: sed tu felicior annos Vive meos, Bona Republica! 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. Here his heavy drinking persisted.[6]. Several years after his biggest accomplishment, Lewis was dead. They also collected scientific data and information on indigenous nations. On August 2, 1808, Lewis and several of his acquaintances submitted a petition to the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania in which they requested a dispensation to establish a lodge in St. Louis. The second oldest . 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. Supposedly, Theodesia pleaded with Meriwether to decline the journey and marry her, heavily encouraged by her father. Record information. 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. He kept in touch with his mother and family through long, chatty letters (Anderson, p. 501, Bakeless). Geographic names that honor him include Lewis County, Idaho, Lewis County, Tennessee; Lewisburg, Tennessee; Lewiston, Idaho; Lewis County, Washington; the U.S. Army fort Fort Lewis, Washington, the home of the US Army 1st Corps (I Corps), and especially Lewis and Clark County, Montana, the home of the capital city, Helena. While modern historians generally accept his death as a suicide, there is some debate. Lewis never married. These combined skills would later be useful in his expeditions. Captain Meriwether Lewis was born August 18, 1774, at the Lewis family estate, Locust Hill, in Albemarle County, Va. His family had many decorated soldiers, including his father, William Lewis, who served in the Continental Army as a lieutenant. The map below shows the places where the ancestors of the famous person lived. 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. (He had had one brother who died while serving in the Confederate Army.) Lewis was introverted and moody while Clark was extroverted, even-tempered and gregarious. Why is this image showing up as a background image ? The progenitor of a prominent colonial family, and great-great grandfather of President George Washington, he was born in Norwich, Norfolk, the son of Thomas Warner and Elizabeth Sotherton. (There is a question about whether Meriwether did move to Georgia with his family. That night, Mrs. Grinder, the innkeepers wife, heard several shots. Originally, he was to provide information on the politics of the United States Army, which had seen an influx of Federalist officers as a result of John Adams's "midnight appointments". Theyve been coming out of the woodwork, Hargrove said. 3 Beds. Please note: The ancestor reports on this website have been compiled from thousands of different sources, many over 100 years old. He was related to George Washington by marriage: his first cousin once removed was Fielding Lewis, Washington's brother-in-law. Father of Joseph "De Smet" Lewis Between 1804 and 1806, the Corps of Discovery explored thousands of miles of the Missouri and Columbia River watersheds, searching for an all-water route to the Pacific Ocean. But the science of autopsies has come a long way since then, says James Starrs, a George Washington University Law School professor and forensics expert who is pressing for an exhumation. It is known that he visited at least twice. Explorer and U.S. Army officer, Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809) has been saluted as America's foremost explorer. His deathby a gunshot wound to the head and another to the abdomenis a mystery. Lewis, who had a better education, possessed a philosophical and speculative outlook and was at home with abstract ideas. Meriwether Lewis never married. They came inside and found Lewis on his pallet He had been [shot] in the side and once in the head. Despite warnings that they would all be drowned, the men of the Lewis and Clark expedition paddled toward the ferocious rapids. Now in his new role, Governor Lewis was soon embroiled in quarrels with his territorial secretary Frederick Bates (1777-1825). I am so glad you like it. Jane Meriwether Lewis (March 31, 1770 - March 13, 1845) The daughter of William Lewis and Lucy Meriwether Lewis, Jane was born on March 31, 1770 and died March 13, 1845. His mother taught him how to gather wild herbs for medicinal purposes. At thirteen, he was sent back to Virginia for education by private tutors. As a member of Virginian high society, the Lewis family could claim ties to both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. It was there that he met Eric Parker, who was the first to introduce him to the idea of traveling. . John Marks, along with his brother Reuben, in 1784. This was the apex of a heros career. SOLD JUN 15, 2022. Lewis resided in the presidential mansion, and frequently conversed with various prominent figures in politics, the arts and other circles. 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. His father was of Welsh descent and his mother was of . The US Navy Polaris nuclear submarine USS Lewis and Clark was named for him and William Clark. Some scholars arent so sure that an exhumation will clarify matters. He was the second child and first son of William Lewis (abt.1738-1779) and Lucy Meriwether (1752-1837). Both Reuben and John (II) grew up to become doctors, taking after their mother's medicinal abilities. With Jefferson's consent, Lewis offered the post of co-captain of the expedition to William Clark. Born Meriwether LEWIS American explorer, soldier, and 2nd Governor of Louisiana Territory Born on August 18, 1774 in Ivy, Colony Of Virginia, USA , United States Died on October 11, 1809 in Hohenwald, Tennessee, USA Born on August 18 64 Deceased on October 11 39 Explorer - 19th century 31 Family tree Report an error Lewis John 1669 - 1725 Warner Many geographic locations are named for Lewis, including counties in six U.S. states have been named in Meriwether Lewis's honor: Idaho, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Tennessee, and Washington. A cave, Lewis and Clark Caverns between Three Forks and Whitehall, Montana. It was also in the Broad River Valley that Lewis first dealt with a native Indian group. PORTSMOUTH, Va - Puller Chronicles Volume 1, Second Edition, by Meriwether Ball, is a fascinating look at LtGen Lewis B. Puller's family and faith which made him an American and Marine Corps icon. When explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark blazed a trail through the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific . Library of Congress, http://international.loc.gov/service/mss/mtj/mtj1/028/028_0636_0639.pdf, Letter to Thomas Jefferson, Oct 3, 1803, Meriwether Lewis died on his way to Washington, DC in October, 1809. Death of Capt. The Lewises also won a gallant record in the War of 1812, the Mexican War and in the Confederate States Army. He gave the Grinders money to maintain Lewiss grave and visited the site himself. He would often venture out in the middle of the night in the dead of winter with only his dogs to go hunting. Meriwether Lewis was a famous explorer who became famous as the co-leader of the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804-06, which explored the territory of the Louisiana Purchase after the United States acquired it from France in 1803, as well as the Pacific Northwest.. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. Lewis' descendants have asked the National Park Service to exhume the body for clues. ), In 1882, the house was sold to Mrs. Bearley, releasing the house from Lewis family descendents for the first time. However, the subsequent inhabitants of the home have made so many changes that the structure does not really resemble the original house. 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. Robert Lewis and 5 . Letter from Thomas Jefferson to Paul Allen with a biography of Meriwether Lewis, 1813The explorer was buried near present day Hohenwald, Tennessee, near his place of death. Meriwether Lewis, born August 18, 1774 in Virginia, is best known as the co-captain of the historic Lewis and Clark Expedition. At thirteen, he was sent back to Virginia for education by private tutors. 44 in Albemarle, VA, between 1796 and 1797. A deer however had been cornered onto the grounds of Locust Hill by the party hounds, and Mrs. Lewis-Marks shot it and turned it into a succulent dinner before the party even returned. Meriwether Lewis was the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition that was commissioned by President Jefferson to explore the Louisiana Territory. 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. In October of 1809, while en route to Washington, D.C., Lewis died of violence at a wayside inn called Grinder's Stand outside Nashville, Tennessee. Upon the Corps successful return, Jefferson appointed Lewis governor of the Louisiana Territory and granted him a reward of 1500 acres. Lewis and Clark were respectful . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meriwether_Lewis. William Lewis and 3. Two hundred years later, debate continues over whether the famous explorer committed suicide or was murdered. As governor, Meriwether was traveling to Washington, D.C. to meet with officials when he died in 1809. {Benson}) They settled in the Goose Pond community in the Broad River area of northeast Georgia, where the boys enjoyed plentiful hunting and fishing. President Jefferson asked him to be his private secretary; the president then appointed him commander of the Lewis and Clark expedition at the age of 30. William Lewis and 3. Your Privacy Rights He died on October 11, 1809, at the age of 35, under mysterious circumstances that have been the subject of much speculation and debate. The Certificate says Shaun is related to Sgt. His older brother Nicholas Lewis became his guardian. In the predawn hours of October 11, the innkeeper heard gunshots. But in addition to his role as a famed explorer, he was a young plantation owner, a committed military man, a controversial politician, and a confidant of President Jefferson. Meriwether Lewis Pedigree Chart | Meriwether Lewis | Ahnentafel No: 1 (4953) Master Surname Index Home > Meriwether Lewis Genealogy > Pedigree Chart Ancestry of Meriwether Lewis Lewis and Clark Expedition Look Click or tap a name to see more details including sources or famous kin. Lucy Meriwether was well known in Albemarle County throughout her adult life. . Complex and often contradictory, the incarnations of Meriwether Lewis provide insight into the man behind the titles. Lewis, who had a better education, possessed a philosophical and speculative outlook and was at home with abstract ideas. Anyone closer than 14 degrees from Meriwether Lewis? (Lay, 2002). If you click the change tab you can see that this is an excellent example of collaboration! Theres a certain amount of stress to reentering the world. Jefferson commissioned a two year expedition to explore these lands and chose Meriwether Lewis as the leader. After he retired for the evening, Mrs. Grinder continued to hear him talking to himself. After returning from the expedition, Lewis received a reward of 1,600 acres of land. ExplorerBorn in 1774 - Died in 1809. What were his experiences? Jane had 4 siblings: Lucinda McFarlane and 3 other siblings. Meriwether was the firstborn son of Lucy Meriwether and William Lewis. Why Did Meriwether Lewis Die. )," and his mother's name as "Winona. The Lewis and Clark expedition is often called America's national epic of exploration. Clark graciously accepted, having remembered his time spent with Meriwether during their previous Army service.[5]. Between 1804 and 1806, the Corp of Discovery explored thousands of miles of the Missouri and Columbia River watersheds, searching for an all-water route to the Pacific Ocean. Meriwether Lewis, in addition to being a great explorer and trailblazer, was the Governor of Louisiana. The Cherokee lived in antagonistic proximity to the white settlers, but Lewis seems to have been a champion for them amongst his own people. She returned to Albemarle for good, and Locust Hill became her property after Meriwether's mysterious death in 1809. In reply to: Re: Meriwether Lewis/Woodson Connection. The Web site is SolvetheMystery. Lewis also brought along a Newfoundland dog named Seaman. In 1882, the house was sold to Mrs. Bearley, releasing the house from Lewis family descendents for the first time. Meriwether Lewis was born in Albemarle County, Va., on Aug. 18, 1774. With regards to her cooking, Thomas Jefferson reportedly remarked "Merriwether Lewis' mother made very nice hams-better than even Monticello could produce." He died, apparently of bullet wounds to the head and abdomen, shortly before sunrise the next day. Meriwether moved to Georgia with his mother and her second husband, Capt. Lewis was nominated and recommended to serve as the first Master of the proposed Lodge, which was warranted as Lodge No. Meriwether Lewis After the Louisiana Purchase Treaty was made, Jefferson initiated an exploration of the newly purchased land and the territory beyond the "great rock mountains" in the West. The death of Meriwether Lewis in the fall of 1809 has long been a subject shrouded in mystery and controversy. There were songs and poems written about him. [citation needed] Yet his contributions to science, the exploration of the Western U.S., and the lore of great world explorers, are considered incalculable. 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 . After his wife's death, Robert Lewis married Elizabeth Thornton, Lucy's mother . Our Family Tree: Branch: Ray's Extended Family Tree : View. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. As a nonprofit, we offer free help to those looking to learn the details of their family story. Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 October 11, 1809). But, in early October 1809, Meriwether Lewis was found shot in the head in a room of an inn on the old Natchez Trace near present-day Hohenwald, Tennessee. Wrong username or password. . Several years after Lewis's death, Thomas Jefferson wrote: Jefferson also stated that Lewis had a "luminous and discriminating intellect.". Jefferson selected Captain Meriwether Lewis to lead the proposed expedition, afterward known as the Corps of Discovery. Letter Dated April 20 1803, Meriwether Lewis to Thomas Jefferson, Locust Hill, Ivy, Albemarle County, Colony of Virginia, Grinder's Stand, Lewis, Tennessee, United States, Meriwether Lewis in Indian Dress (Shoshone), Jane Meriwether (Lewis) Anderson (1770-1845), Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements & Rosters, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Meriwether-Lewis, http://www2.vcdh.virginia.edu/lewisandclark/biddle/biographies_html/lewis.html, Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery, Meriwether Lewis and His Son: The Claim of Joseph DeSomet Lewis and the Problem of History. Who was he? Obviously, Theodesia's pleas fell on deaf ears. Parson Maury was a son of Charles Goodyear Maury who was Thomas Jefferson's teacher for two years. Descendents of the family point to this legend as a reason why Meriwether men take a long time to get married. . He and William Clark, born August 1, 1770, accompanied each other on a dangerous expedition. He died shortly after sunrise. 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. Lewis was a Freemason, initiated, passed, and raised in Door To Virtue Lodge No. Now Lewiss descendants and some scholars are campaigning to exhume his body, which is buried on national parkland not far from Hohenwald, Tenn. This controversy has existed since his death, says Tom McSwain, Lewiss great-great-great-great nephew who helped start a Web site, Solve the Mystery, that lays out family members point of view. Servants found Lewis badly injured from multiple gunshot wounds. Meriwether Lewis, John Ordway, George Shannon, John Shields, Peter Weiser, Peter Willard, and Joseph Whitehouse. President Thomas Jefferson appointed him Governor of Upper Louisiana in 1806. It was in Georgia that he met Eric Parker, who was the first to introduce him to the idea of traveling. Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 - October 11, 1809). They settled along the Broad River in the Goosepond Community within the Broad River Valley in Wilkes County (now Oglethorpe County). The verdict: Suicide. An American icon, Lewis was also a human being, and the expedition was the pinnacle of Lewiss life, Newman says. On September 3, 1809, Lewis set out for Washington D.C. where he hoped to resolve issues regarding the denied payment of drafts he had drawn against the War Department while serving as the first American governor of the Louisiana Territory. By some accounts, Lewis arrived at the inn with servants; by others, he arrived alone. Shaun proudly stood in front of his class at Candalaria Elementary School and offered a framed certificate to prove it. [3] 111 on September 16, 1808. Thomas Jefferson recruited Lewis as his secretary-aide that same year and he soon became involved in the planning of the Corps of Discovery expedition across the Louisana Purchase. He died of gunshot wounds in what was a murder. [3] When Jefferson began to formulate and to plan for an expedition across the continent, he chose Lewis to lead the expedition. Due to her knowledge and hard work, the expedition was a success. (Davis, 1951). Sadly, William Lewis died of pneumonia when his son was five, and so Meriwether spent most of his formative years in Georgia with his mother Lucy and stepfather John Marks. Meriwether Lewis was born in Albemarle County, Virginia, in the present-day community of Ivy. Gen. Lucian King Truscott, Jr.; married a Meriwether descendant. (He had had one brother who died while serving in the Confederate Army. Jane (M128), born abt 1705 in New Kent County, is the eighth child and fourth daughter of Nicholas Meriwether II and Elizabeth Crafford/Crawford. William Douglas Meriwether became his legal guardian and his Uncle Nicholas Lewis exercised unofficial oversight (Bakeless). When theres so much uncertainty and doubt, we must have more evidence. He was the governor of a huge territory. After his father died of pneumonia in November 1779, he moved with his mother and stepfather Captain John Marks to Georgia. Meriwether Lewis never married and never had any children. In her will, she was careful to address the dispersion of the books among her offspring; appraisers valued the total collection at the modern equivalent of several hundred dollars. The expedition was the first point of Euro-American contact for several Native American tribes; through translators and sign language, Lewis conducted rudimentary ethnographic studies of the peoples he encountered, even as he laid the groundwork for a trade economy to ensure American hegemony over its vast new interior territory. Meriwether Lewis at Natchez Trace Par Hohenwald, Lewis County, Tennessee, United States, American explorer, soldier, and public administrator, co-leader of Lewis and Clark Expedition also known as the Corps of Discovery, with William Clark, whose mission was to explore the territory of the Louisiana Purchase., explorer, BIRTH 18 Aug 1774, Ivy, Albemarle County, Virginia, USA, DEATH 11 Oct 1809 (aged 35), Hohenwald, Lewis County, Tennessee, USA, BURIAL Pioneer Cemetery, Hohenwald, Lewis County, Tennessee, USA Show Map. The next morning, she sent for Lewis's servants, who found him weltering in his blood but alive for several hours. Yet even now, precious little is known about the events of October 10, 1809, after Lewis armed with several pistols, a rifle and a tomahawk stopped at a log cabin lodging house known as Grinders Stand. More information is available at her website: abigailtucker.com, 2023 Smithsonian Magazine Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer and military officer born on August 18, 1774, in Virginia. He came back and he just could not readjust. Clark was a devoted family man and a valued friend. Lewis was introverted and moody while Clark was extroverted, even-tempered, and gregarious. 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. On April 1, 1801, he was appointed as an aide by President Thomas Jefferson, whom he knew personally through Virginia society in Albemarle County. The alpine plant Lewisia (family Portulacaceae), popular in rock gardens, is named after Lewis, as is Lewis's Woodpecker. The National Park Service, which controls the land where Lewis is buried, repeatedly has stalled the Lewis family's efforts to exhume the remains for scientific examination and to provide a proper Christian reburial. He was also a second cousin once removed of Washington's on his father's side. 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". Following his return from the West, he visited President Jefferson at the White House where he became ill probably in late 1807. His party affiliation didn't hurt, either. The original house burned down but it was rebuilt in the same style as the original. 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. 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. 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. We could do the DNA to find out the color of his hair.. Obviously, Theodesia's pleas fell on deaf ears. As Thomas Jefferson's letter to Meriwether Lewis said, "It may better those who may endeavour to civilise and instruct them." . More than 400 descendants have been documented so far, and about 100 have applications pending. Lewis and Clark descendants and family members, along with representatives of St. Louis Lodge . Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 - October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, with William Clark. After he excused himself from dinner, he went to his bedroom. Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774-October 11, 1809) was a soldier, an explorer, and a personal secretary to Thomas Jefferson. 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. Lucy Meriwether was well known in Albemarle County throughout her adult life. 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. The Web site, www.SolvetheMystery.org , explains the Lewis family's more than decade-long quest to gain federal permission for the exhumation as well as a Christian reburial. In some versions, Seaman, Lewiss loyal Newfoundland who guarded his master against bears on the long journey West, remained by his grave, refusing to eat or drink. He later served as governor of Upper Louisiana Territory. [5], Lewis joined the Army in 1794 and spent six years in the militia, serving during the "Whiskey Rebellion". Browse Retail Locations . There, reflecting on the adventure-loving young man who had mapped the gloomy and savage wilderness which I was just entering alone, Wilson broke down and wept. When Clark and Jefferson were informed of Lewis' death, both accepted it as suicide, but his family contended it was murder. At some point in the night she heard multiple gunshots, and what she believed was someone asking for help. Read more on Genealogy.com! In 1795 he joined the regular army and for a brief period, he was attached to a sub-legion of General Anthony Wayne commanded by Lieutenant William Clark. 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. On August 2, 1808, Lewis and several of his acquaintances submitted a petition to the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania in which they requested a dispensation to establish a lodge in St. Louis. In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson acquired from France's Napoleon Bonaparte territory that became known as the Louisiana Purchase. Have you taken a DNA test? Greenwood Publishing Group. Examples of plants Lewis discovered on the expedition were also brought from the Trail states and laid on his grave to honor him.
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