He and Clark had finished their expedition three years earlier; Lewis, who was by then a governor of the large swath of land that constituted the Upper Louisiana Territory, was on his way to Washington, D.C. to settle financial matters. 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. But rather than feeling alienated, he would have been busy enjoying a level of Buzz Aldrin-like celebrity. Lewis was nominated and recommended to serve as the first Master of the proposed Lodge, which was warranted as Lodge No. View entire list of famous kin for Meriwether Lewis. They would get to the Pacific Ocea. 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. In April 1801, he was appointed personal secretary to President Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). Lewis also had the responsibility for making arrangements to publish the Corps of Discovery journals, but had difficulty completing his writing. This project came to be known as the Lewis and Clark Descendants Project. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. 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. Meriwether Lewis Clark, Sr. (January 10, 1809 - October 28, 1881) was an architect, civil engineer, politician, and a general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. 44 in Albemarle, Virginia, between 1796 and 1797. The Web site is SolvetheMystery. Jefferson had mentored Meriwether in his youth and was a friend, as well as appreciative of Meriwether's unique skills. The last item in the side bar to the left contains links to some that we have identified. As Thomas Jefferson's letter to Meriwether Lewis said, "It may better those who may endeavour to civilise and instruct them." . This was the apex of a heros career. 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. Due to her knowledge and hard work, the expedition was a success. Examples of plants Lewis discovered on the expedition were also brought from the Trail states and laid on his grave to honor him. (Davis, 1951). She even scared away a crowd of rowdy British soldiers during the time that she lived at Locust Hill, her husband's family's home, with a rifle. It was also in the Broad River Valley that Lewis first dealt with a native Indian group. (Lay, 2002). Nicholas Lewis, who inherited "The Farm" from his grandfather Nicholas Meriwether, married Lucy's first cousin, Mary Walker, daughter of Dr. Thomas Walker and Lucy's aunt, Mildred Thornton Of the remaining nine children, six of them married other Lewises. He attempted marriage but never followed through, and started drinking excessively, which negatively affected his relationship with Jefferson. (804) 448-4664. A day use campground at Gates of the Mountains Wilderness, north of Helena, Meriwether Picnic site. 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. 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. However the two men were quite different in education and temperament. Home > Forum > Surnames > Woodson. ExplorerBorn in 1774 - Died in 1809. 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. 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". For many years, Lewis' legacy was overlooked, inaccurately assessed, and even tarnished by his alleged suicide. 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. (He had had one brother who died while serving in the Confederate Army.) When Clark and Jefferson were informed of Lewis' death, both accepted it as suicide, but his family contended it was murder. (Thornton was the daughter of Francis Thornton and Mary Taliaferro). She returned to Albemarle for good, and Locust Hill became her property after Meriwether's mysterious death in 1809. Explorer and U.S. Army officer, Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809) has been saluted as America's foremost explorer. 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. The Certificate says Shaun is related to Sgt. Jefferson commissioned a two year expedition to explore these lands and chose Meriwether Lewis as the leader. [3], The new family soon moved to Georgia and Meriwether spent his time learning outdoorsman skills. Lewis never married. In the course of the journey, Lewis observed, collected, and described hundreds of plants and animal species previously unknown to science. Meriwether was the firstborn son of Lucy Meriwether and William Lewis. 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. Two hundred years later, debate continues over whether the famous explorer committed suicide or was murdered. The explorer was buried not far from where he died, honored today by a memorial along the Natchez Trace Parkway. (Anderson, 1984) Together, they had nine children. Thirty-nine years later, in 1848, an effort was launched to locate Lewis's grave and provide a proper memorial. 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. 1 1.Meriwether Lewis, born August 18, 1774; died October 17, 1809 in Lewis County, Tennesse.He was the son of 2. Lewis concluded the expedition would benefit from a co-commander and, with Jefferson's consent, offered the assignment to his friend and former commanding officer, William Clark. He was considered fiercely loyal, disciplined, and flexible, while also prone to being moody, speculative, and melancholic. 111 on September 16, 1808. Why is this image showing up as a background image ? In addition to his role as naturalist, Meriwether also served to represent the new government, which had purchased the area, to the native peoples living there. WIKITREE PROTECTS MOST SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT STATED IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY. 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. | 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. 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. Despite warnings that they would all be drowned, the men of the Lewis and Clark expedition paddled toward the ferocious rapids. Virginia gentleman: Born in 1774, in Albemarle County, Virginia, Meriwether Lewis was the first child of Lucy Meriwether and William Lewis. A valuable member of the expedition party, his working dog attributes were essential to daily life along the route. The Charlottesville City Council convened on Wednesday to continue discussing plans for relocating the Lewis & Clark and Sacagawea statue.. 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. In the 1990s, descendants of the explorer petitioned the government to exhume his body again from the national monument site now covering the property of Grinder's Stand. 1. 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 moved with his mother and stepfather Captain John Marks to Georgia in May of 1780. Among the families are direct descendants of William Clark and collateral descendants of Meriwether Lewis. Jane Brereton , Richard Cotton, Blanche de BRIENNE , Guillaume de FIENNES, Isabel PERT , Robert CONYERS. Jane married Edmund Anderson in 1785, at age 14 at marriage place, Virginia. Lewis resided in the presidential mansion, and frequently conversed with various prominent figures in politics, the arts and other circles. However, the subsequent inhabitants of the home have made so many changes that the structure does not really resemble the original house. But I dont know if it would change anybodys mind one way or the other.. 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. Allrightsreserved. Lewis and Clark did follow through with this promise. President Thomas Jefferson appointed Lewis and Clark to explore the territory that was acquired in the "Louisiana Purchase". She could not afford many books, but collected a small library throughout her life. 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. 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. 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. 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. Shaun proudly stood in front of his class at Candalaria Elementary School and offered a framed certificate to prove it. Just one grandparent can lead you to many 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.. [9] He was related to George Washington by marriage: his first cousin once removed was Fielding Lewis, Washington's brother-in-law. Meriwether Lewis was born on the family plantation in Virginia. William Clark is known for his expedition to explore and discover the land west of the Mississippi River, the land that the United States brought from the French in 1803. People want ownership of the story, and then they feel a part of it.. He died shortly after sunrise. It was there that he met Eric Parker, who was the first to introduce him to the idea of traveling. These two Captains shared a common progenitor and were second cousins once removed. 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. His friends assumed it was suicide. They had nine children. ISBN 978-0275990114. Explorer. In the early 1790s, Lewis briefly served as President Washington's personal secretary and manager of Mount Vernon. He was related to George Washington by marriage: his first cousin once removed was Fielding Lewis, Washington's brother-in-law. Lewis became intimately involved in planning the expedition and was sent by Jefferson to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for additional instruction in cartography and other skills for making scientific observations. Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer and military officer born on August 18, 1774, in Virginia. (Bakeless, 1947) A male acquaintance once described her as having a perfect person and complimented her on having "activity beyond her sex." At the time of his death Lewiss depressive tendencies were compounded by other problems: he was having financial troubles and likely suffered from alcoholism and other illnesses, possibly syphilis or malaria, the latter of which was known to cause bouts of dementia. 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. 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. . The relationship between Lewis and Clark and Sacagawea and her family was an example of respect between the two groups. Lewis resided in the White House, and frequently conversed with various prominent figures in politics, the arts, and other circles. After he retired for the evening, Mrs. Grinder continued to hear him talking to himself. The US Navy Polaris nuclear submarine USS Lewis and Clark was named for him and William Clark. He would often venture out in the middle of the night in the dead of winter with only his dogs to go hunting. She later said she saw a wounded Lewis crawling around, begging for water, but was too afraid to help him. 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. Lewis and Clark were accompanied on most of the trip by a young Shoshone woman named Sacagawea. Half brother of Dr. John Hastings Marks and Mary Garland Moore, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/623/meriwether-lewis. 1,420 Sq. 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. Meriwether Lewis's death has been a source of speculation for many years, often with the mistaken notion that "great men" do not take their own lives, and that suicide blights the memory of a great life. And now Lewis, the consummate adventurer, suddenly found himself stuck in a desk job. 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. 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. A cave, Lewis and Clark Caverns between Three Forks and Whitehall, Montana. She never explained why, at the time, she didn't investigate further concerning Lewis's condition or the source of the gunshots. For many years, Lewis' legacy was overlooked, inaccurately assessed, and even tarnished by his alleged suicide. Jane (M128), born abt 1705 in New Kent County, is the eighth child and fourth daughter of Nicholas Meriwether II and Elizabeth Crafford/Crawford. Lewis died and was buried near the Grinder's Stand roadhouse (modern Hoenwald, Lewis Co., TN) on the Natchez Trace, October 11, 1809. These combined skills would later be useful in his expeditions. Meriwether Lewis was a soldier, public administrator, and famed explorer as co-leader of the Corps of Discovery, commonly referred to as the Lewis and Clark Expedition. 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. He died in 1862, leaving the home to his children Charles and Mary Anderson. 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. Today, the grave site is maintained by the Natchez Trace Parkway. [3] When Jefferson began to formulate and to plan for an expedition across the continent, he chose Lewis to lead the expedition. She observed his face to flush as if it had come on him in a fit. Meriwether moved to Georgia with his mother and her second husband, Capt. After he excused himself from dinner, he went to his bedroom. In 1792, after the death of his step-father the year before, he traveled to the Broad River community to accompany his mother and his two half-siblings, John and Mary, back to Locust Hill. Both Reuben and John (II) grew up to become doctors, taking after their mother's medicinal abilities. 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. Certificates are awarded only to families proving their lineage to one of 33 members of the expedition that traveled the full distance from what is now North Dakota to the coast and back, including the Shoshone Indian woman Sacagawea and the black slave York. [6], It was at Jefferson's suggestion that the Corps of Discovery expedition was undertaken and the plan was approved by Congress in 1803. Theres a certain amount of stress to reentering the world. The Department of Interior granted . After he retired for the evening, Mrs. Grinder continued to hear him talking to himself. 3 Beds. Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis & Clark's Exp. Please note: The ancestor reports on this website have been compiled from thousands of different sources, many over 100 years old. 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. 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. Lewis was nominated and recommended to serve as the first Master of the proposed Lodge, which was warranted as Lodge No. There were five colonels in the RevolutionColonel Nicholas, Colonel Fielding, Colonel William, Colonel Charles and Colonel Joeland quite a number of majors and captains. The murder advocates point to five conflicting testimonies as evidence that her testimony is fabricated and the suicide advocates point to her testimony as proof of suicide. Describe the background of Meriwether Lewis. In 1807, Jefferson appointed him governor of the Louisiana Territory; he settled in St. Louis. So Richard Ashcraft's mother was a Great aunt to Meriwether Lewis. His older brother Nicholas Lewis became his guardian. Lewis was a Freemason, initiated, passed, and raised in Door To Virtue Lodge No. They settled along the Broad River in the Goosepond Community within the Broad River Valley in Wilkes County (now Oglethorpe County). Lucy Meriwether. His position was to protect the western lands from encroachers which was not favorable to the rush of settlers looking to open new lands for settlements. Governor Meriwether Lewis was on his way from St. Louis to Washington in September, 1809 to protest the federal government's refusal to reimburse him for expenses. They dropped the inquiry for lack of evidence or motive. On April 1, 1801, he was appointed as an aide by President Thomas Jefferson, whom he knew personally through Virginia society in Albemarle County.