This project came to be known as the Lewis and Clark Descendants Project. 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. Meriwether Lewis - Ancestry.com He attempted marriage but never followed through, and started drinking excessively, which negatively affected his relationship with Jefferson. In later years a court of inquiry explored whether they could charge the tavern-keeper with Lewis' death. Why Did Meriwether Lewis Die - 915 Words | Internet Public Library Lewis, who had not been publicly mourned when he died, was honored on that occasion with his first public memorial service. 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. He established roads and was a strong proponent of the fur trade. An error has occured while loading the map. 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. Theres a certain amount of stress to reentering the world. Wrong username or password. Record information. 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? During his time in Georgia, Lewis enhanced his skills as a hunter and outdoorsman. Lewis was nominated and recommended to serve as the first Master of the proposed Lodge, which was warranted as Lodge No. 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. 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. At thirteen, he was sent back to Virginia for education by private tutors. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Fielding Lewis (July 7, 1725 - December 7, 1781) was an American merchant, member of the House of Burgesses and a Colonel during the American Revolutionary War. (Thornton was the daughter of Francis Thornton and Mary Taliaferro). Geographic names that honor him include Lewis County, Idaho, Lewis County, Kentucky; 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. Lewis never married. [citation needed] Yet his contributions to science, the exploration of the Western U.S., and the lore of great world explorers, are considered incalculable. These are fantastic!!! A valuable member of the expedition party, his working dog attributes were essential to daily life along the route. 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. He moved with his mother and stepfather Captain John Marks to Georgia in May of 1780. Native America, Discovered and Conquered: Thomas Jefferson, Lewis & Clark, and Manifest Destiny. American explorer, best known as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. There were songs and poems written about him. The second oldest . Meriwether Lewis was born in Albemarle County, Virginia, to Captain William Lewis (1712 1781) who was of Welsh ancestry, and Lucy Meriwether (1751 1837). As documented by the Descendants Project this group produced 58 . The explorer was buried not far from where he died, honored today by a memorial along the Natchez Trace Parkway. 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. They could also potentially learn about his nutritional health, what drugs he was using and if he was suffering from syphilis. However, the subsequent inhabitants of the home have made so many changes that the structure does not really resemble the original house. Some scholars arent so sure that an exhumation will clarify matters. Jane, Meriwether was born on month day 1770, at birth place, to William Lewis and Lucy Lewis. 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. 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 came back from this trip with new knowledge of the Louisiana Territory proving that the Louisiana Purchase benefitted the whole country. He would often venture out in the middle of the night in the dead of winter with only his dogs to go hunting. That night, Mrs. Grinder, the innkeepers wife, heard several shots. Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer and military officer born on August 18, 1774, in Virginia. 1. She later said she saw a wounded Lewis crawling around, begging for water, but was too afraid to help him. 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. It is connected by marriage with many of the best-known names, such as Washington. William Douglas Meriwether became his legal guardian and his Uncle Nicholas Lewis exercised unofficial oversight (Bakeless). [5], Lewis joined the Army in 1794 and spent six years in the militia, serving during the "Whiskey Rebellion". Sitemap; Home Dashboard; Records . He withdrew from public circles for several months, staying with his mother in Albemarle County, where he was probably treated by her and his physician [sic] brother Reuben. (Dary, p. 80) By March 1808, he had arrived in St. Louis to assume his duties as governor of the Louisiana Territory. Obviously, Theodesia's pleas fell on deaf ears. Enter a grandparent's name. Explorer and U.S. Army officer, Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809) has been saluted as America's foremost explorer. It is known that he visited at least twice. Among the families are direct descendants of William Clark and collateral descendants of Meriwether Lewis. Clark graciously accepted, having remembered his time spent with Meriwether during their previous Army service.[5]. "[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. (Henley, 2002) She lived there until her death in 1837 with her widowed daughter Jane Meriwether Anderson. [2] 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. The expedition also collected scientific data, and information on indigenous nations. I am so glad you like it. Meriwether Ball MSc, MA - President/CEO - LinkedIn Jane had 4 siblings: Lucinda McFarlane and 3 other siblings. Lewis was indeed like a man coming back from the moon, Guice notes. Death of Capt. She married William Lewis of Locust Hill; he died in 1779 and she married Captain John Marks six months later. Historians still dispute whether the explorer and then-governor of Louisiana committed suicide or was murdered. 111 on September 16, 1808. Meriwether moved to Georgia with his mother and her second husband, Capt. The death of Meriwether Lewis in the fall of 1809 has long been a subject shrouded in mystery and controversy. She never explained why, at the time, she didn't investigate further concerning Lewis's condition or the source of the gunshots. 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. (804) 448-4664. Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer and military officer born on August 18, 1774, in Virginia. - If the inscription on the. What were his experiences? There were five colonels in the RevolutionColonel Nicholas, Colonel Fielding, Colonel William, Colonel Charles and Colonel Joeland quite a number of majors and captains. Scholars have reconstructed lunar cycles to prove that the innkeepers wife couldnt have seen what she said she saw that moonless night. 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. 7134 John Marshall Mews, Ruther Glen, VA 22546 - Redfin Re: Meriwether Lewis/Woodson C - Genealogy.com Meriwether Lewis Gov. She returned to Albemarle for good, and Locust Hill became her property after Meriwether's mysterious death in 1809. (He had had one brother who died while serving in the Confederate Army. In reply to: Re: Meriwether Lewis/Woodson Connection. Family tree of Meriwether LEWIS - Geneastar Descendents of the family point to this legend as a reason why Meriwether men take a long time to get married. In 1882, the house was sold to Mrs. Bearley, releasing the house from Lewis family descendents for the first time. 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. Meriwether Lewis never married and never had any children. 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. Lucy Meriwether Lewis Marks was widowed a second time in 1791. Library of Congress, http://rs5.loc.gov/service/mss/mtj/mtj1/028/028_0177_0182.pdf, Letter of Instructions to Meriwether Lewis from Thomas Jefferson, June 20, 1803 The mission of the Corps was to explore the territory of the Louisiana Purchase, establish trade and sovereignty over the natives near the Missouri River, and claim the Pacific Northwest and Oregon territory for the United States before European nations. Reenactors who participated in the official bicentennial marched to Lewis' grave in period uniform accompanied by drum and fife. She started the Locust Hill Graveyard in 1810, probably on the hopes that she could have Meriwether's body re-interred there from Tennessee, and because her son-in-law Edmund Anderson and a neighbor died that year and needed to be buried. In the predawn hours of October 11, the innkeeper heard gunshots. 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. . Lewis was nominated and recommended to serve as the first Master of the proposed Lodge, which was warranted as Lodge No. 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. [2] Their other children included Jane Meriwether (Lewis) Anderson (1770-1845), Reuben Lewis, and Lucinda Lewis (1772-) (who died as an infant). At thirteen, he was sent back to Virginia for education by private tutors. FamilySearch Catalog: Lewis family tree : showing many of the He was also related to Robert E. Lee and Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, among others. By 1794 he had joined the Virginia militia and was sent as part of a unit involved in putting down the Whiskey Rebellion. An American icon, Lewis was also a human being, and the expedition was the pinnacle of Lewiss life, Newman says. 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]. One of these was Parson Matthew Maury, an uncle of Matthew Fontaine Maury. 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 was the second child and first son of William Lewis (abt.1738-1779) and Lucy Meriwether (1752-1837). Garrett Lewis Minor: 14 MAR 1744 -- 8 MAY 1799: Mary Overton . On August 11, 1806, near the end of the expedition, Lewis was shot in the left thigh by Pierre Cruzatte, a near-blind man under his command, while both were hunting for elk. At first, Pierre blamed Blackfeet Indians for the injury, but after the Corps found no sign of Indians, he admitted the accident. Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 - October 11, 1809). Lewis resided in the presidential mansion, and frequently conversed with various prominent figures in politics, the arts and other circles. PDF Lewis and Clark Descendant Project Papers 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. Meriwether Lewis, born August 18, 1774, was an American explorer. People who think the Lewis and Clark expedition was a family affair research through birth, death and marriage certificates, census, probate and Bible records, wills, deeds, diaries and old letters. 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.
