She advocated an assassination theory in Meriwether Lewis: A Historic Crime Scene Investigation (co-authored with James E. Starrs), . 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. In April 1801, he was appointed personal secretary to President Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). 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. The US Navy Polaris nuclear submarine USS Lewis and Clark was named for him and William Clark. Meriwether Lewis Sr. (1802-1882) FamilySearch 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. Lewis never married. He moved with his mother and stepfather Captain John Marks to Georgia in May of 1780. (Thornton was the daughter of Francis Thornton and Mary Taliaferro). It is always preferable to locate primary records where possible. He died of gunshot wounds in what was a murder. (2006). 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. Lewis was introverted and moody while Clark was extroverted, even-tempered, and gregarious. Meriwether Lewis never married and never had any children. Obviously, Theodesia's pleas fell on deaf ears. He gave the Grinders money to maintain Lewiss grave and visited the site himself. His father became a Revolutionary War officer and died when Meriwether was 5. Nothing is known of her childhood. 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 requested a glass of whiskey almost as soon as he climbed down from his horse. John Marks, along with his brother Reuben, in 1784. [9] He was related to George Washington by marriage: his first cousin once removed was Fielding Lewis, Washington's brother-in-law. 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. The Lewis family of Virginia is one of the most distinguished families in the State. IE 11 is not supported. Meriwether Lewis - Genealogy.com The National Park Service is currently reviewing the exhumation request. He was also a second cousin once removed of Washington's on his father's side. Now Lewiss descendants and some scholars are campaigning to exhume his body, which is buried on national parkland not far from Hohenwald, Tenn. This controversy has existed since his death, says Tom McSwain, Lewiss great-great-great-great nephew who helped start a Web site, Solve the Mystery, that lays out family members point of view. He died, apparently of bullet wounds to the head and abdomen, shortly before sunrise the next day. 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. ExplorerBorn in 1774 - Died in 1809. 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. Enter a grandparent's name. 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. On the mission it was how do we stay alive and collect information? Then suddenly youre heroes. She claimed to be able to see Lewis through the slit in the door crawling back to his room. Single Family Residence - Monroe, NC 3004 Meriwether Lewis Trail, Monroe, NC 28110 This lovely single-story home features 3 spacious bedrooms and 2 modern bathrooms. 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 Department of Interior granted . Jefferson commissioned a two year expedition to explore these lands and chose Meriwether Lewis as the leader. 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. Families trace Lewis and Clark links - NBC News Meriwether Ball MSc, MA - President/CEO - LinkedIn 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.. At thirteen, he was sent back to Virginia for education by private tutors. Meriwether Lewis, John Ordway, George Shannon, John Shields, Peter Weiser, Peter Willard, and Joseph Whitehouse. About the age of 13 he returned to Virginia and to the household of his uncle Nicholas Lewis, his formal education beginning at this time. A broken column, symbol of a life cut short, marks his grave. 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. 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. After he retired for the evening, Mrs. Grinder continued to hear him talking to himself. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_and_Clark_Expedition. (Bakeless, 1947) 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. The Natchez Trace was the old pioneer road between Natchez, Mississippi and Nashville, Tennessee. His mother taught him how to gather wild herbs for medicinal purposes. 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. Library of Congress, http://international.loc.gov/service/mss/mtj/mtj1/028/028_0636_0639.pdf, Letter to Thomas Jefferson, Oct 3, 1803, 111 on September 16, 1808. That night, Mrs. Grinder, the innkeepers wife, heard several shots. Edward J. Lanham 2/07/05. (Thornton was the daughter of Francis Thornton and Mary Taliaferro). More information is available at her website: abigailtucker.com, 2023 Smithsonian Magazine Patrick Gass, a carpenter and architect of wooden forts, and one of the 33 members of the Corps of Discovery. Her daughter and son-in-law put the house for sale on the market at $255,000 in 1982. We could do the DNA to find out the color of his hair.. John Lewis married Elizabeth Warner (GGGGG-granddaughter to King James IV Stewart of England). Meriwether Lewis' Mysterious Death - Smithsonian Magazine Meriwether Lewis Gov. For many years, Lewis' legacy was overlooked, inaccurately assessed, and even tarnished by his alleged suicide. After his father died of pneumonia, he moved with his mother and stepfather Captain John Marks to Georgia in May 1780. Yet his contributions to science, the exploration of the Western U.S., and the lore of great world explorers are considered incalculable. There were songs and poems written about him. Allrightsreserved. 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. An American icon, Lewis was also a human being, and the expedition was the pinnacle of Lewiss life, Newman says. Who Is William Clark A Hero - 633 Words | Internet Public Library The last item in the side bar to the left contains links to some that we have identified. In 1807, Jefferson appointed him governor of the Louisiana Territory; he settled in St. Louis. 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. Browse Retail Locations . - If the inscription on the. This profile is managed by the Virginia Project. By 1794 he had joined the Virginia militia and was sent as part of a unit involved in putting down the Whiskey Rebellion. Sucked into the tempest, their canoes pitched and rolled in the thrashing water and thumped over jagged rocks, but the men kept paddling. 111 on September 16, 1808. 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 Parson Maury was a son of Charles Goodyear Maury who was Thomas Jefferson's teacher for two years. . After his wife's death, Robert Lewis married Elizabeth Thornton, Lucy's mother . Following his return from the West, he visited President Jefferson at the White House where he became ill probably in late 1807. The Mysterious Death of Meriwether Lewis. Read more on Genealogy.com! I am so glad you like it. Thanks so much for sharing! In later years a court of inquiry explored whether they could charge the husband of the tavern-keeper with Lewis' death. Besides being the mother of the famed explorer, she had medical skills and often rode throughout the county to treat the sick. When Jefferson began to formulate and to plan for an expedition across the continent, he chose Lewis to lead the expedition. The Death of Meriwether Lewis: Suicide or Murder? 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. 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? With Jefferson's consent, Lewis offered the post of co-captain of the expedition to William Clark. Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and the Opening 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. Although he died without legitimate heirs, he does have the putative DNA model haplotype for his paternal ancestor's lineage, which was that of the Warner Hall. discoveries. By the age of eight, he was already showing the characteristics of courage and resourcefulness that stood him in good stead when he later commanded Jeffersons great expedition to explore the Missouri and Columbian Rivers from 1804 to 1806. The next morning, she sent for Lewis's servants, who found him weltering in his blood but alive for several hours. Meriwether Lewis' Immediate Family and their Descendents Lucy Meriwether was born at Cloverfields on February 4, 1752. ISBN 978-0275990114. She claimed to be able to see Lewis through the slit in the door crawling back to his room. The group returned to St. Louis in 1806 to start reporting their findings and accomplishments.[7]. 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. 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. Geni requires JavaScript! 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. Create a FREE Account. )," and his mother's name as "Winona. Robert Lewis and 5 . Lewis was a poor administrator, often quarreling with local political leaders and failing to keep in touch with his superiors in Washington. $252,000 Last Sold Price. ), In 1882, the house was sold to Mrs. Bearley, releasing the house from Lewis family descendents for the first time. The next morning, she sent for Lewis's servants, who found him weltering in his blood but alive for several hours. Wrong username or password. Meriwether moved to Georgia with his mother and her second husband, Capt. Charlottesville City Council Moves Forward with Relocating Sitemap; Home Dashboard; Records . President Thomas Jefferson appointed Lewis and Clark to explore the territory that was acquired in the "Louisiana Purchase". Fielding Lewis - Wikipedia [10] He also faced financial issues after a personal outlay for a trip that the War Department refused to reimburse. 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. 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. Geographic names that honor him include 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 had known president Jefferson since he was a boy, "he had grown up on a plantation in virginia a few miles from Monticello, and they had went on to make a relationship working together in the White House." Lewis was a Freemason, initiated, passed, and raised in Door To Virtue Lodge No. 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. In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson acquired from France's Napoleon Bonaparte territory that became known as the Louisiana Purchase. . She returned to Albemarle for good, and Locust Hill became her property after Meriwether's mysterious death in 1809. Augustine Warner, Sr. (September 28th 1611 - December 24th, [1] 1674), was an English planter and politician. Meriwether Lewis Family Tree (4953) - Famous Kin 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. 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. 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. The expedition started in St. Charles, Missouri. It was during this time in the Army that he met William Clark (1770-1838) for the first time. FamousKin.com cannot and does not guarantee the accuracy and reliability of these sources. The second oldest . Lewis and Clark descendants and family members, along with representatives of St. Louis Lodge . Lewis and Clark were accompanied on most of the trip by a young Shoshone woman named Sacagawea. It is connected by marriage with many of the best-known names, such as Washington. 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. 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). Please note: The ancestor reports on this website have been compiled from thousands of different sources, many over 100 years old. Lewis also had the responsibility for making arrangements to publish the Corps of Discovery journals, but had difficulty completing his writing. When theres so much uncertainty and doubt, we must have more evidence. Meriwether Lewis was born in Albemarle County, Virginia, to Captain William Lewis (1712 1781) who was of Welsh ancestry, and Lucy Meriwether (1751 1837). One of these was Parson Matthew Maury, an uncle of Matthew Fontaine Maury. It is known that he visited at least twice. [7], At the time, Meriwether Lewis was described as a lean man of six feet in stature. [9] These maladies delayed his arrival in St. Louis to take his position as Governor until a year after being named as such. Meriwether Lewis - First Baptist Church of Atlanta - OverDrive Marshall, Fielding, Merriweather, Daingerfield, Taliaferro and others. (Lay, 2002). Miller, Robert J. (There is a question about whether Meriwether did move to Georgia with his family. Please try again. Lewis and Clark did follow through with this promise. People cant just call and say, Im a descendant, she said. At thirteen, he was sent back to Virginia for education by private tutors. 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. Before he left St. Louis, Lewis had given several associates the power to distribute his possessions in the event of his death; while traveling, he composed a will.