He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Missouri governor and corps of discovery expedition leader, William Clark of Lewis and Clark fame. - If the inscription on the. After returning from the expedition, Lewis received a reward of 1,600 acres of land. 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. No completely satisfactory explanation for his death has ever been found. . There are many more. Meriwether Lewis - Death, William Clark & Family - Biography 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. Explorer. Although he died without legitimate heirs, he does have the putative DNA model haplotype for his paternal ancestors' lineage, which was that of the Warner Hall. Some scholars arent so sure that an exhumation will clarify matters. Lewis and Clark were respectful . He died just as the sun was rising. Lewis was buried there on the property. His wound hampered him for the rest of the journey. | READ MORE, A frequent contributor to Smithsonian, Abigail Tucker is the author of The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed Us and Took Over the World and Mom Genes: Inside the New Science of Our Ancient Maternal Instinct. The US Navy Polaris nuclear submarine USS Lewis and Clark was named for him and William Clark. (Anderson, 1984) Together, they had nine children. Although he died without legitimate heirs, he does have the putative DNA model haplotype for his paternal ancestors' lineage, which was that of the Warner Hall. They dropped the inquiry for lack of evidence or motive. John Marks, along with his brother Reuben, in 1784. President Thomas Jefferson appointed him Governor of Upper Louisiana in 1806. Meriwether Lewis - Genealogy.com James Waddell, a blind parson, and Parson Matthew Maury. Generally sharing leadership responsibilities with William Clark, although technically the leader, Lewis led the expedition safely across the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific and back, with the loss of just one man, Charles Floyd, who died of apparent appendicitis. After returning from the expedition, Lewis received a reward of 1,600 acres of land. Mrs. Grinder, the tavern-keeper's wife, claimed Lewis acted strangely the night before his death. When the contentious election of 1800 had been decided and Thomas Jefferson prepared to assume the presidency, he knew whom he wanted as his private secretary. He was never married, but family legend shares that he courted Theodesia Burr, the daughter of Aaron Burr. However the two men were quite different in education and temperament. One of these was Parson Matthew Maury, an uncle of Matthew Fontaine Maury. We could do the DNA to find out the color of his hair.. Jane Brereton , Richard Cotton, Blanche de BRIENNE , Guillaume de FIENNES, Isabel PERT , Robert CONYERS. The exact details of his death have never been learned because the early morning events were not directly witnessed by anyone. Meriwether Lewis Achievements - 1168 Words | Cram Supposedly, Theodesia pleaded with Meriwether to decline the journey and marry her, heavily encouraged by her father. After his wife's death, Robert Lewis married Elizabeth Thornton, Lucy's mother . He and William Clark, born August 1, 1770, accompanied each other on a dangerous expedition. Meriwether Lewis was born August 18, 1774, on Locust Hill Plantation in Albemarle County, Colony of Virginia, in the present-day community of Ivy. President Thomas Jefferson appointed Lewis and Clark to explore the territory that was acquired in the "Louisiana Purchase". Captain Meriwether Lewis - Virginia Lewis and Clark Legacy Trail It is believed that he committed suicide. 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. Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer and military officer born on August 18, 1774, in Virginia. Advertising Notice Jefferson commissioned a two year expedition to explore these lands and chose Meriwether Lewis as the leader. The year after his wife's death in 1820, Clark married Harriet Kennerly Radford, a widow with three children, and . [8] However, his life degraded, as did his relationships. Descendents of the family point to this legend as a reason why Meriwether men take a long time to get married. Son of Lt. William Lewis and Lucy Lewis South Dakotan says he is descendent of Meriwether Lewis South Dakotan says he is descendent of Meriwether Lewis The Associated Press Jul 13, 2003 0 LOWER BRULE, S.D. 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. Brother of Jane Meriwether Anderson; Lucinda McFarlane; Dr. Ruben Lewis and Lewis When Jefferson began to formulate and to plan for an expedition across the continent, he chose Lewis to lead the expedition. Other murder theories range from the scandalous (the innkeeper discovered Lewis in flagrante with Mrs. Grinder) to the conspiratorial (a corrupt Army general named James Wilkinson hatched an assassination plot.). His brother-in-law was George Washington . After crossing the Rocky Mountains, the expedition reached the Pacific Ocean in the area of present-day Oregon (which lay beyond the nation's new boundaries) in November 1805. He was the second child and first son of William Lewis (abt.1738-1779) and Lucy Meriwether (1752-1837). See details for 17912 MERIWETHER LEWIS ST, Ruther Glen, VA 22546, 4 Bedrooms, 2 Full/1 Half Bathrooms, 2902 Sq Ft., Single Family, MLS#: VACV2003024, Status: Pending . 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. Library of Congress, http://international.loc.gov/service/mss/mtj/mtj1/028/028_0636_0639.pdf, Letter to Thomas Jefferson, Oct 3, 1803, Jane had 4 siblings: Lucinda McFarlane and 3 other siblings. Meriwether Lewis Sr. (1802-1882) FamilySearch Why is this image showing up as a background image ? $252,000 Last Sold Price. Marshall, Fielding, Merriweather, Daingerfield, Taliaferro and others. Lewis was born in Albermale County, Virginia on August 18, 1774, to Lt. William Lewis and Lucy Meriwether. Anchored in the East: Genealogy: Meriwethers - University of Virginia He would often venture out in the middle of the night in the dead of winter with only his dogs to go hunting. In 1793, Lewis graduated from Liberty Hall (now Washington and Lee University), joined the Virginia militia, and in 1794 was sent as part of a detachment involved in putting down the Whiskey Rebellion. He was the son of William Lewis, of Welsh ancestry, and Lucy Meriwether, of English ancestry. They settled along the Broad River in the Goosepond Community within the Broad River Valley in Wilkes County (now Oglethorpe County). Have you taken a DNA test? In 1807, Jefferson appointed him governor of the Louisiana Territory; he settled in St. Louis. Despite warnings that they would all be drowned, the men of the Lewis and Clark expedition paddled toward the ferocious rapids. Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and the Opening On April 1, 1801, he was appointed as an aide by President Thomas Jefferson, whom he knew personally through Virginia society in Albemarle County. He commissioned this the Corps of Discovery Expedition . "[12] This claim and another by a Joseph DeSmet descendant, Martin Charger, are explored in some detail on the Joseph DeSmet Lewis documents WikiTree page. Meriwether Lewis died on his way to Washington, DC in October, 1809. ), 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, Virginia, in the present-day community of Ivy. At the end of his life he was a horrible drunk, terribly depressed, who could never even finish his [expedition] journals, says Paul Douglas Newman, a professor of history who teaches Lewis and Clark and The Early American Republic at the University of Pittsburgh. The Lewis family of Virginia is one of the most distinguished families in the State. Lewis and Clark descendants and family members, along with representatives of St. Louis Lodge . After he excused himself from dinner, he went to his bedroom. (Henley, 2002) She lived there until her death in 1837 with her widowed daughter Jane Meriwether Anderson. Jane Meriwether Lewis (March 31, 1770 - March 13, 1845) Descendents of the family point to this legend as a reason why Meriwether men take a long time to get married. Library of Congress, https://memory.loc.gov/service/mss/mtj/mtj1/029/029_0175_0184.pdf. More information is available at her website: abigailtucker.com, 2023 Smithsonian Magazine Meriwether Lewis | American Battlefield Trust In 1801, he was appointed as an aide by President Thomas Jefferson, whom he knew personally through Virginia society in Albemarle County. He lived in Fredericksburg, Virginia and also owned a plantation in Spotsylvania County, which later became known as Kenmore. This profile is managed by the Virginia Project. The land is now the Meriwether Lewis State Park in Tennessee. In 1801, Meriwether Lewis left the army due to an invitation to serve as Thomas Jefferson's secretary while Jefferson was in office. In the course of the journey, Lewis observed, collected, and described hundreds of plants and animal species previously unknown to science. It was during this time in the Army that he met William Clark (1770-1838) for the first time. And now Lewis, the consummate adventurer, suddenly found himself stuck in a desk job. Lewis descendants suffer setback in ongoing bid to exhume body [3], The new family soon moved to Georgia and Meriwether spent his time learning outdoorsman skills. So Richard Ashcraft's mother was a Great aunt to Meriwether Lewis. Meriwether Lewis - Lewis & Clark National - National Park Service By some accounts, Lewis arrived at the inn with servants; by others, he arrived alone. [9], During the first half of the journey east, it is reported that on the riverboat he twice attempted to take his own life before becoming the victim of gunshot wounds, at a Natchez Trace inn, in what was either a murder or suicide. In 1793, Lewis graduated from Liberty Hall (now Washington and Lee University). 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". Native America, Discovered and Conquered: Thomas Jefferson, Lewis & Clark, and Manifest Destiny. 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. William Douglas Meriwether became his legal guardian and his Uncle Nicholas Lewis exercised unofficial oversight (Bakeless). He was also a second cousin once removed of Washington's on his father's side. His father served in the Continental Army as a lieutenant and died of pneumonia in November 1779 while his mother was a famous herb doctor. Please try again. After he excused himself from dinner, he went to his bedroom. 111 on September 16, 1808. Meriwether Lewis, John Ordway, George Shannon, John Shields, Peter Weiser, Peter Willard, and Joseph Whitehouse. They had nine children. A broken column, symbol of a life cut short, marks his grave. 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. Meriwether was the firstborn son of Lucy Meriwether and William Lewis. At home in Albemarle County, he pursued his studies with Dr. Charles Everitt, a physician, and then Rev. The details of the case are so sketchy that its like trying to grab a shadow, Holmberg says. Both President Jefferson and Meriwether showed support in adding William Clark to the group, the president offering Lewis and Clark both a permanent rank of Captain as part of his proposal. 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 . Both Reuben and John (II) grew up to become doctors, taking after their mother's medicinal abilities. I am so glad you like it. Conflicting information from sources indicate he was either rather ill (speculation runs from alcoholism to syphilis or possible psychological issues) or had trouble with hypochondria, and visited his mother in hopes of some care. Even into old-age, she thought nothing of riding several miles to go treat an ill acquaintance. A cave, Lewis and Clark Caverns between Three Forks and Whitehall, Montana. While modern historians generally accept his death as a suicide, there is some debate. Family & Relationships; Fiction; Games; Gardening; Health & Fitness; History; See Full Categories List. Meriwether Ball MSc, MA - President/CEO - LinkedIn As a member of Virginian high society, the Lewis family could claim ties to both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. (Thornton was the daughter of Francis Thornton and Mary Taliaferro). Lucy Meriwether. 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. Meriwether was drawn to army life and at the age of 20, he joined the Virginia Militia to help defeat the Whiskey Rebellion which began in Western Pennsylvania but spread through other western states. Lewis never married. 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. What did Clark and Lewis discover? - BIO-Answers.com Servants found Lewis badly injured from multiple gunshot wounds. It was in Georgia that he met Eric Parker, who was the first to introduce him to the idea of traveling. - Meriwether Lewis was an honorable man before taking on his role as a significant explorer.-Before fame, he spent his childhood in Georgia hunting and spending most of his time outdoors. She never explained why, at the time, she didn't investigate further concerning Lewis's condition or the source of the gunshots. Lewis and Clark were accompanied on most of the trip by a young Shoshone woman named Sacagawea. Mrs. Grinder, the tavern-keeper's wife, claimed Lewis acted strangely the night before his death. His mother taught him how to gather wild herbs for medicinal purposes. Lewis departed Pittsburgh for St. Louisthe capital of the new Louisiana Territoryvia the Ohio River in the summer of 1803, gathering supplies, equipment, and personnel along the way. 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. http://rs5.loc.gov/service/mss/mtj/mtj1/028/028_0177_0182.pdf, http://international.loc.gov/service/mss/mtj/mtj1/028/028_0636_0639.pdf, https://memory.loc.gov/service/mss/mtj/mtj1/029/029_0175_0184.pdf.

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