http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_and_Clark_Expedition. It was there that he met Eric Parker, who was the first to introduce him to the idea of traveling. After returning from the expedition, Lewis received a reward of 1,600 acres of land. 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. In reply to: Re: Meriwether Lewis/Woodson Connection. Username and password are case sensitive. Lewis resided in the presidential mansion, and frequently conversed with various prominent figures in politics, the arts and other circles. Help. We could do the DNA to find out the color of his hair.. The State of Tennessee erected a monument over his grave in 1848. Meriwether Lewis dies along the Natchez Trace, Tennessee Captain Meriwether Lewis - Virginia Lewis and Clark Legacy Trail 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, whose mission was to explore the territory of the Louisiana Purchase. Meriwether Lewis - Historical records and family trees - MyHeritage Includes index of interrelated names at bottom of pedigree chart. Meriwether moved to Georgia with his mother and her second husband, Capt. A day use campground at Gates of the Mountains Wilderness, north of Helena, Meriwether Picnic site. FamilySearch Catalog: Lewis family tree : showing many of the 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. 17912 MERIWETHER LEWIS ST, Ruther Glen, VA 22546 | MLS VACV2003024 He was related to George Washington by marriage: his first cousin once removed was Fielding Lewis, Washington's brother-in-law. She gave the property to her daughter as a wedding gift. Clark and Lewis were both relatively young and adventurous and had shared experience as woodsmen-frontiersmen and Army officers. SOLD JUN 15, 2022. 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 . While modern historians generally accept his death as a suicide, there is some debate. 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. Howell Lewis George Washington's Mount Vernon It is believed that he committed suicide. That rifle came in handy as well when a hunting party from Locust Hill failed to kill a deer. As governor, Meriwether was traveling to Washington, D.C. to meet with officials when he died in 1809. Meriwether Lewis | Military Wiki | Fandom After his father died of pneumonia in November 1779, he moved with his mother and stepfather Captain John Marks to Georgia. Meriwether Lewis Suicide or Assassination | Omaha Magazine John and Elizabeth Lewis were parents of Elizabeth (mother of Captain Richard Ashcraft) and Colonel Robert (father of Captain William Lewis who fathered Meriwether Lewis). This wasnt just anybody who kicked the bucket. Besides, how could an expert marksman botch his own suicide and be forced to shoot himself twice? 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. After his father died of pneumonia, he moved with his mother and stepfather Captain John Marks to Georgia in May 1780. Surprisingly, he may also have felt like something of a failure. Create a FREE Account. [3] When Jefferson began to formulate and to plan for an expedition across the continent, he chose Lewis to lead the expedition. 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. They dropped the inquiry for lack of evidence or motive. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. 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. He attempted marriage but never followed through, and started drinking excessively, which negatively affected his relationship with Jefferson. Purchased for $20 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Seaman accompanied Lewis during the expedition and afterward. 200+ Years After He Died, Meriwether Lewis's Death May - BrainSharper (Thornton was the daughter of Francis Thornton and Mary Taliaferro). The intrigue surrounding the famous explorers untimely death has spawned a cottage industry of books and articles, with experts from a variety of fields, including forensics and mental health, weighing in. Meriwether Lewis was the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition that was commissioned by President Jefferson to explore the Louisiana Territory. He had at least 1 son with Ikpasarewin Sara Windwalker. 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." 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. His father became a Revolutionary War officer and died when Meriwether was 5. A year after his death, John Grinder, in whose home Lewis died, was brought before a grand jury on a warrant of murder. 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. It was also in the Broad River Valley that Lewis first dealt with a native Indian group. Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and the Opening She claimed to be able to see Lewis through the slit in the door crawling back to his room. Our Family Tree: Branch: Ray's Extended Family Tree : View. Parson Maury was a son of Charles Goodyear Maury who was Thomas Jefferson's teacher for two years. What did Clark and Lewis discover? - BIO-Answers.com For many years, Lewis's legacy was overlooked, inaccurately assessed, and even tarnished by his alleged suicide. By some accounts, Lewis arrived at the inn with servants; by others, he arrived alone. Meriwether Lewis was born in Albemarle County, Virginia, in the present-day community of Ivy. One of his traveling companions, who arrived later, buried him nearby. Descendants Push to Exhume Explorer Meriwether Lewis to Find - WSJ 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. 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. Allrightsreserved. In 1882, the house was sold to Mrs. Bearley, releasing the house from Lewis family descendents for the first time. In 1807, Jefferson appointed him governor of the Louisiana Territory; he settled in St. Louis. History is about finding the truth, he adds. He died shortly after sunrise. The group he was with was called the Corps of Discovery. Meriwether Lewis Biography - Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline He later served as governor of Upper Louisiana Territory. Lewis was a Freemason, initiated, passed, and raised in Door To Virtue Lodge No. Garden of Praise: Meriwether Lewis Biography 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. However, those closest to Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and William Clark, fully accepted the reports of suicide. Meriwether Lewis died on his way to Washington, DC in October, 1809. 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. (Anderson, 1984) Together, they had nine children. When Clark and Jefferson were informed of Lewis' death, both accepted it as suicide, but his family contended it was murder. Sacagawea's Role In The Lewis And Clark Expedition | ipl.org Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 - October 11, 1809). Scholars have reconstructed lunar cycles to prove that the innkeepers wife couldnt have seen what she said she saw that moonless night. The original house burned down but it was rebuilt in the same style as the original. Library of Congress, https://memory.loc.gov/service/mss/mtj/mtj1/029/029_0175_0184.pdf. 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 So Richard Ashcraft's mother was a Great aunt to Meriwether Lewis. 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 relationship between Lewis and Clark and Sacagawea and her family was an example of respect between the two groups. Lewis became intimately involved in planning the expedition and was sent by Jefferson to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for instruction in cartography and other skills for making scientific observations. Her daughter and son-in-law put the house for sale on the market at $255,000 in 1982. 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". His life and achievements were acknowledged and some in the audience shed tears as the tragedy of his death was noted. Supposedly, Theodesia pleaded with Meriwether to decline the journey and marry her, heavily encouraged by her father. Among the families are direct descendants of William Clark and collateral descendants of Meriwether Lewis. Today, the grave site is maintained by the Natchez Trace Parkway. The year after his wife's death in 1820, Clark married Harriet Kennerly Radford, a widow with three children, and . Born on a plantation in Albemarle County, Virginia, he and his family moved to Georgia when he was ten but by thirteen he was sent back to Virginia for education by private tutors. On April 1, 1801, he was appointed as an aide by President Thomas Jefferson, whom he knew personally through Virginia society in Albemarle County. Around the time that the expedition commenced, they had arrived at the point in the relationship where Lewis either had to marry Theodesia or find a respectable way to exit the relationship. More information is available at her website: abigailtucker.com, 2023 Smithsonian Magazine Re: Meriwether Lewis/Woodson C - Genealogy.com 2 Baths. Whether Lewis committed suicide or was murdered remains a mystery to this day. As a nonprofit, we offer free help to those looking to learn the details of their family story. The expedition was tasked with exploring the Missouri River and its tributaries, mapping the western territories, and making contact with Native American tribes. Jane had 4 siblings: Lucinda McFarlane and 3 other siblings. Lewis and Clark were respectful . But I dont know if it would change anybodys mind one way or the other.. That night, Mrs. Grinder, the innkeepers wife, heard several shots. At thirteen, he was sent back to Virginia for education by private tutors. 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. More Replies: Re: Meriwether Lewis/Woodson Connection. Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774October 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, whose mission was to explore the territory of the Louisiana Purchase. Examples of plants Lewis discovered on the expedition were also brought from the Trail states and laid on his grave to honor him. Her family is said to be descendents of Sir Roland Crawford, the grandfather of Sir William Wallace (the subject of Mel Gibson's 1994 epic movie Braveheart.) It was during this time in the Army that he met William Clark (1770-1838) for the first time. Famous Connections | The Meriwether Society, Inc. | JMO - j777.org There were five colonels in the RevolutionColonel Nicholas, Colonel Fielding, Colonel William, Colonel Charles and Colonel Joeland quite a number of majors and captains. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. 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. Captain Meriwether LewisWilliam Clark's expedition partner on the Corps of Discovery's historic trek to the Pacific, Thomas Jefferson's confidante, governor of the Upper Louisiana Territory. Some scholars arent so sure that an exhumation will clarify matters. On April 1, 1801, he was appointed as an aide by President Thomas Jefferson, whom he knew personally through Virginia society in Albemarle County. I am so glad you like it. He was the oldest of five children. They would get to the Pacific Ocea. Login to find your connection. Both Reuben and John (II) grew up to become doctors, taking after their mother's medicinal abilities. Son of Lt. William Lewis and Lucy Lewis This much we know: on September 4, 1809, Lewis, then governor of Louisiana Territory, left St. Louis for Washington, D.C., to take care of some personal and professional business.