Have you taken a DNA test? 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. In the course of the journey, Lewis observed, collected, and described hundreds of plants and animal species previously unknown to science. Please try again. Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer and military officer born on August 18, 1774, in Virginia. Meriwether Lewis never married and never had any children. They settled along the Broad River in the Goosepond Community within the Broad River Valley in Wilkes County (now Oglethorpe County). 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. Why is this image showing up as a background image ? 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. It has absolutely rekindled interest in family history, said Carol Bronson, executive director of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation in Great Falls, Mont. The expedition also collected scientific data, and information on indigenous nations. His mother taught him how to gather wild herbs for medicinal purposes. Miller, Robert J. 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. Meriwether Lewis was born in Albemarle County, Virginia, in the present-day community of Ivy. The account given by the the innkeeper's wife was inconsistent, and with each telling becoming further muddled. Clark graciously accepted, having remembered his time spent with Meriwether during their previous Army service.[5]. He married Amanda Cosby on 15 December 1827. . For many years, Lewis' legacy was overlooked, inaccurately assessed, and even tarnished by his alleged suicide. (Henley, 2002) She lived there until her death in 1837 with her widowed daughter Jane Meriwether Anderson. 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. Her daughter and son-in-law put the house for sale on the market at $255,000 in 1982. William Lewis and 3. Lewis and Clark were accompanied on most of the trip by a young Shoshone woman named Sacagawea. Lewis resided in the presidential mansion, and frequently conversed with various prominent figures in politics, the arts and other circles. Lewis was a Freemason, initiated, passed, and raised in Door To Virtue Lodge No. 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. Jane (M128), born abt 1705 in New Kent County, is the eighth child and fourth daughter of Nicholas Meriwether II and Elizabeth Crafford/Crawford. A year and a half after the shooting, ornithologist Alexander Wilson, a friend of Lewiss, interviewed Mrs. Grinder, becoming one of the first among many people who have investigated the case. [4] Six months later, his mother married another Army officer, Captain John Marks (abt.1750-1800), who managed a 1,000 acre plantation about 10 miles from Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home. 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. The expedition was tasked with exploring the Missouri River and its tributaries, mapping the western territories, and making contact with Native American tribes. However, the subsequent inhabitants of the home have made so many changes that the structure does not really resemble the original house. Meriwether Lewis was born August 18, 1774 in Albemarle County, Virginia. In 1795 he joined the U.S. Army, as a Lieutenant, where he served until 1801, at one point in the detachment of William Clark, who would later become his companion in the Corps of Discovery. Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 - October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, 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 . Lewis was a Freemason, initiated, passed and raised in Door To Virtue Lodge No. 15th cousin 6 times removed via Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 13th cousin 6 times removed via Katherine Pabenham, 13th cousin 7 times removed via Sir Reynold de Grey, 11th cousin 6 times removed via Sir Henry Percy, 12th cousin 6 times removed via Sir Reynold Grey, 16th cousin 5 times removed via Margaret of France, 15th cousin 5 times removed via Sir Robert de Holland, 14th cousin 7 times removed via Sir Maurice de Berkeley, 12th cousin 5 times removed via Sir Humphrey Stafford, 12th cousin 5 times removed via Sir Reynold Grey, 13th cousin 6 times removed via Sir Richard FitzAlan, 10th cousin 7 times removed via Sir Lionel de Welles, 20th cousin 1 time removed via Henry I, King of England, 20th cousin 1 time removed via Muitchertach O'Toole, 20th cousin 1 time removed via Enna MacMurrough, 20th cousin 1 time removed via Sir Robert de Beaumont, 20th cousin 1 time removed via Richard Fitzgilbert, 10th cousin 2 times removed via Sir Reynold Grey, 20th cousin 1 time removed via Simon I de St. Liz, 20th cousin 1 time removed via Robert FitzHamon, 20th cousin 1 time removed via Ranulf de Briquessart, 20th cousin 1 time removed via Ralph de Gael, 17th cousin 1 time removed via Alan of Galloway, 20th cousin 1 time removed via Walter of Salisbury, 20th cousin 1 time removed via William Talvas III. Born 18 August 1774 - Albemarle Co., VA Deceased 11 October 1809 - Hohenwald, Lewis Co., TN,aged 35 years old Explorer 2 files available Parents William Lewis, Lt. 1733-1779 Lucy Meriwether 1752-1837 Paternal grand-parents, uncles and aunts Robert Lewis, Col. 1701..1702-1765 Jane Meriwether 1705-1755 She married William Lewis of Locust Hill; he died in 1779 and she married Captain John Marks six months later. At first, Pierre blamed Blackfeet Indians for the injury, but after the Corps found no sign of Indians, he admitted the accident. This project came to be known as the Lewis and Clark Descendants Project. His life and achievements were acknowledged and some in the audience shed tears as the tragedy of his death was noted. Lewis suggested that 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. 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. Lewis was introverted and moody while Clark was extroverted, even-tempered and gregarious. [9] These maladies delayed his arrival in St. Louis to take his position as Governor until a year after being named as such. A day use campground at Gates of the Mountains Wilderness, north of Helena, Meriwether Picnic site. In the predawn hours of October 11, the innkeeper heard gunshots. Just one grandparent can lead you to many He died shortly after sunrise. Meriwether Lewis, in addition to being a great explorer and trailblazer, was the Governor of Louisiana. Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis & Clark's Exp. [3] 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? Lewis was born in Albermale County, Virginia on August 18, 1774, to Lt. William Lewis and Lucy Meriwether. Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer and military officer born on August 18, 1774, in Virginia. They could also potentially learn about his nutritional health, what drugs he was using and if he was suffering from syphilis. [10] He was also a second cousin once removed of Washington's on his father's side. Lewis was a poor administrator, often quarreling with local political leaders and failing to keep in touch with his superiors in Washington. His deathby a gunshot wound to the head and another to the abdomenis a mystery. 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". Guice believes that bandits roaming the notoriously dangerous Natchez Trace killed Lewis. Jane Brereton , Richard Cotton, Blanche de BRIENNE , Guillaume de FIENNES, Isabel PERT , Robert CONYERS. Library of Congress, https://memory.loc.gov/service/mss/mtj/mtj1/029/029_0175_0184.pdf. He was the son of William Lewis, of Welsh ancestry, and Lucy Meriwether, of English ancestry. Maybe there is an answer beneath the monument to help us understand, says James Holmberg, curator of Special Collections at the Filson Historical Society in Louisville, Ky., who has published work on Lewiss life and death. Descendents of the family point to this legend as a reason why Meriwether men take a long time to get married. In the predawn hours of October 11, the innkeeper heard gunshots. Gen. Lucian King Truscott, Jr.; married a Meriwether descendant. The explorer was buried not far from where he died, honored today by a memorial along the Natchez Trace Parkway. He was also a second cousin once removed of Washington's on his father's side. Library of Congress, http://international.loc.gov/service/mss/mtj/mtj1/028/028_0636_0639.pdf, Letter to Thomas Jefferson, Oct 3, 1803, After returning from the expedition, Lewis received a reward of 1,400 acres (5.7 km) of land. Meriwether was the firstborn son of Lucy Meriwether and William Lewis. Even at his early age he was interested in natural history, which would develop into a lifelong passion. Marks raised Meriwether and his two siblings along with his own two children with Lucy, John Hastings Marks and Mary Garland (Marks) Moore (1787-1864). Historians still dispute whether the explorer and then-governor of Louisiana committed suicide or was murdered. 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. [9] He was related to George Washington by marriage: his first cousin once removed was Fielding Lewis, Washington's brother-in-law. 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. Categories: This Day In History October 11 | This Day In History August 18 | Pioneer Cemetery, Hohenwald, Tennessee | Explorers | Whiskey Rebellion | American Heroes | Missouri Territory Governors | Namesakes US Counties | Example Profiles of the Week | Lewis and Clark Expedition | Albemarle County, Virginia | Virginia, Notables | Notables, WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. Lewis resided in the White House, and frequently conversed with various prominent figures in politics, the arts, and other circles. 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 was born on August 18, 1774 in Albemarle County, Virginia, in the Lewis family estate in Locust Hill to Lt. William Lewis and Lucy Meriwether Lewis as their first son and second child. The buffalo robe that he lay on was soaked with blood and Lewis was barely hanging on to life. His friends assumed it was suicide. But due to quarreling with local political leaders, approval of trading licenses, land grant politics, Indian depredations, excessive drinking and a slow-moving mail system, it appeared that Lewis was a poor administrator who failed to keep in touch with his superiors in Washington. Black powder pistols have been test-fired, forgeries claimed and mitochondrial DNA extracted from living relatives. 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. Now in his new role, Governor Lewis was soon embroiled in quarrels with his territorial secretary Frederick Bates (1777-1825). The alpine plant Lewisia (family Portulacaceae), popular in rock gardens, is named after Lewis, as is Lewis's Woodpecker. Interestingly, John Guice, one of the most prominent critics of the suicide theory, uses a very different astronaut comparison. He came back and he just could not readjust. Greenwood Publishing Group. On the way, he stopped at an inn called Grinder's Stand, about 70 miles (110 km) from Nashville, Tennessee on the Natchez Trace on October 10, 1809. Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774-October 11, 1809) was a soldier, an explorer, and a personal secretary to Thomas Jefferson. Lewis, who had not been publicly mourned when he died, was honored on that occasion with his first public memorial service. Generation No. Lewis, who had a better education, possessed a philosophical and speculative outlook and was at home with abstract ideas. His father fought in the Revolutionary War and died when Meriwether was only five years old. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. 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. They settled along the Broad River in the Goosepond Community within the Broad River Valley in Wilkes County (now Oglethorpe County). Lucy Meriwether Lewis Marks was widowed a second time in 1791. 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. After his father died of pneumonia, he moved with his mother and stepfather Captain John Marks to Georgia in May 1780. Their other children included Jane Meriwether (Lewis) Anderson (1770-1845), Reuben Lewis, and Lucinda Lewis (1772-) (who died as an infant). By 1794 he had joined the Virginia militia and was sent as part of a unit involved in putting down the Whiskey Rebellion. 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. Lewis was introverted and moody while Clark was extroverted, even-tempered, and gregarious. The second oldest . His father was of Welsh descent and his mother was of . Meriwether Lewis was born in Albemarle County, Va., on Aug. 18, 1774. As a young boy Meriwether enjoyed hunting in the woods . (He had had one brother who died while serving in the Confederate Army.) (804) 448-4664. Despite warnings that they would all be drowned, the men of the Lewis and Clark expedition paddled toward the ferocious rapids. $252,000 Last Sold Price. William Lewis and 3. At thirteen, he was sent back to Virginia for education by private tutors. So Richard Ashcraft's mother was a Great aunt to Meriwether Lewis. 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. On the mission it was how do we stay alive and collect information? Then suddenly youre heroes. 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. 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. 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. Descendants and relatives lived in Virginia and elsewhere. Lewis, Meriwether, 1774-1809 Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806) Clark, William, 1770-1838 James Waddell, a blind parson, and Parson Matthew Maury. Today, the grave site is maintained by the Natchez Trace Parkway. A bronze bust of Lewis commissioned for the event was dedicated to the Natchez Trace Parkway for a planned visitor center at the grave site area. Clark and Lewis were both relatively young and adventurous and had shared experience as woodsmen-frontiersmen and Army officers. [2] 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. 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. | 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. And now Lewis, the consummate adventurer, suddenly found himself stuck in a desk job. 111 on September 16, 1808. 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's record as an administrator is mixed. A broken column, symbol of a life cut short, marks his grave. She later said she saw a wounded Lewis crawling around, begging for water, but was too afraid to help him. Explorer. Explorer and U.S. Army officer, Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809) has been saluted as America's foremost explorer. The State of Tennessee erected a monument over his grave in 1848. The expedition took almost three years and solidified the United States claims to land across the continent, and acquainted the world with new species, new people, and new territory. 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. Mrs. Grinder, the tavern-keeper's wife, claimed Lewis acted strangely the night before his death. He died in 1862, leaving the home to his children Charles and Mary Anderson. At some point in the night she heard multiple gunshots, and what she believed was someone asking for help. At that young age, he hunted alone at night in the mountains and dark woods of Albemarle County. What were his experiences? Record information. (Bakeless, 1947) 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. 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. He was also related to Robert E. Lee and Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, among others. 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. After he retired for the evening, Mrs. Grinder continued to hear him talking to himself. Their oldest, Jane Meriwether married Colonel Robert Lewis; they became Meriwether Lewis' paternal great-grandparents. 2 2.William Lewis, born 1733; died November 17, 1781.He was the son of 4. 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. He commissioned this the Corps of Discovery Expedition . Everyone in the Lewis DNA project told you this before started spamming the group with advertisements for your books and became so abusive that you were banned from the Lewis DNA project, I know you create the false find a grave memorials to give credence to the narrative in the books you try to sell on Facebook. 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 who were both of English ancestry. 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. Theyve been coming out of the woodwork, Hargrove said. 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. In 1807, Jefferson appointed him governor of the Louisiana Territory; he settled in St. Louis. Lewis had reportedly attempted to take his own life several times a few weeks earlier and was known to suffer from what Jefferson called sensible depressions of mind. Clark had also observed his companions melancholy states. The alpine plant Lewisia (family Portulacaceae), popular in rock gardens, is named after Lewis, as is Lewis's Woodpecker. Purchased for $20 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Seaman accompanied Lewis during the expedition and afterward. Some scholars arent so sure that an exhumation will clarify matters. He moved with his mother and stepfather Captain John Marks to Georgia in May of 1780. 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. 1. Lewis resided in the presidential mansion, and frequently conversed with various prominent figures in politics, the arts and other circles. He was the second child and first son of William Lewis (abt.1738-1779) and Lucy Meriwether (1752-1837). John Marks, along with his brother Reuben, in 1784. 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. 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. The National Park Service is currently reviewing the exhumation request. He had an older sister, Jane, and later a little brother, Reuben, would be born into the family. When Clark and Jefferson were informed of Lewis' death, both accepted it as suicide, but his family contended it was murder. Theres a certain amount of stress to reentering the world. Without her help, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark might not have been successful on their expedition. Following his return from the West, he visited President Jefferson at the White House where he became ill probably in late 1807. Half brother of Dr. John Hastings Marks and Mary Garland Moore, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/623/meriwether-lewis. Captain Meriwether LewisWilliam Clarks expedition partner on the Corps of Discoverys historic trek to the Pacific, Thomas Jeffersons confidante, governor of the Upper Louisiana Territory and all-around American herowas only 35 when he died of gunshot wounds sustained along a perilous Tennessee trail called Natchez Trace. Historians would hold such details dear, Starrs says: Nobody even knows how tall Meriwether Lewis was. To resolve these issues, Lewis began a trip to Washington City to plead his case to the administration in person. 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 1803 President Thomas Jefferson acquired from France's Napoleon Bonaparte territory that became known as the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson had mentored Meriwether in his youth and was a friend, as well as appreciative of Meriwether's unique skills. [3] When Jefferson began to formulate and to plan for an expedition across the continent, he chose Lewis to lead the expedition. If so, login to add it. Complex and often contradictory, the incarnations of Meriwether Lewis provide insight into the man behind the titles. View entire list of famous kin for Meriwether Lewis. John Lewis married Elizabeth Warner (GGGGG-granddaughter to King James IV Stewart of England).

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