ISBN 978-0275990114. The National Park Service is currently reviewing the exhumation request. Create a FREE Account. Jane married Edmund Anderson in 1785, at age 14 at marriage place, Virginia. Death of Capt. After he excused himself from dinner, he went to his bedroom. 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 . No completely satisfactory explanation for his death has ever been found. Besides being the mother of the famed . 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. After his wife's death, Robert Lewis married Elizabeth Thornton, Lucy's mother . The National Park Service, which controls the land where Lewis is buried, repeatedly has stalled the Lewis family's efforts to exhume the remains for scientific examination and to provide a proper Christian reburial. 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. Lewis was a Freemason, initiated, passed, and raised in Door To Virtue Lodge No. Historians still dispute whether the explorer and then-governor of Louisiana committed suicide or was murdered. Purchased for $20 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Seaman accompanied Lewis during the expedition and afterward. Lewis departed St. Louis for the Louisiana Purchasevia the Ohio River in the summer of 1803, gathering supplies, equipment, and personnel along the way. As documented by the Descendants Project this group produced 58 . The group returned to St. Louis in 1806 to start reporting their findings and accomplishments.[7]. Historians still dispute whether the explorer and then-governor of Louisiana committed suicide or was murdered. 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. Surprisingly, he may also have felt like something of a failure. Terms of Use Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 October 11, 1809). Their oldest, Jane Meriwether married Colonel Robert Lewis; they became Meriwether Lewis' paternal great-grandparents. Lucy Meriwether. 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". 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. Home > Forum > Surnames > Woodson. He chose Meriwether Lewis to lead an expedition, who in turn solicited the help of William Clark. At first, Pierre blamed Blackfeet Indians for the injury, but after the Corps found no sign of Indians, he admitted the accident. They had nine children. Lucy Meriwether Lewis Marks was widowed a second time in 1791. Hundreds of people have traced their family ties to members of the Corps of Discovery, two centuries after the historic journey. 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. Username and password are case sensitive. Besides being the mother of the famed explorer, she had medical skills and often rode throughout the county to treat the sick. At the end of his life he was a horrible drunk, terribly depressed, who could never even finish his [expedition] journals, says Paul Douglas Newman, a professor of history who teaches Lewis and Clark and The Early American Republic at the University of Pittsburgh. Geni requires JavaScript! (He had had one brother who died while serving in the Confederate Army.) p. 108. The expedition was tasked with exploring the Missouri River and its tributaries, mapping the western territories, and making contact with Native American tribes. However, those closest to Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and William Clark, fully accepted the reports of suicide. They also collected scientific data and information on indigenous nations. 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. He was also related to Robert E Lee and Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, among others. She never explained why, at the time, she didn't investigate further concerning Lewis's condition or the source of the gunshots. Clark bandaged and treated Lewis's wound, and the Corps continued the long way back to St. Louis. 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. 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). While modern historians generally accept his death as a suicide, there is some debate. (Lay, 2002). He also initially made arrangements to publish the Corp of Discovery journals but for some unknown reason never hired an editor or provided any text for the promised publications. The relationship between Lewis and Clark and Sacagawea and her family was an example of respect between the two groups. 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 served until 1801 achieving the rank of captain. Several years after his biggest accomplishment, Lewis was dead. Jefferson commissioned a two year expedition to explore these lands and chose Meriwether Lewis as the leader. [9] These maladies delayed his arrival in St. Louis to take his position as Governor until a year after being named as such. (Lay, 2002). Meriwether Lewis was born in Albemarle County, Va., on Aug. 18, 1774. However, the subsequent inhabitants of the home have made so many changes that the structure does not really resemble the original house. The State of Tennessee erected a monument over his grave in 1848. But rather than feeling alienated, he would have been busy enjoying a level of Buzz Aldrin-like celebrity. It was in Georgia that he met Eric Parker, who was the first to introduce him to the idea of traveling. Retail Stores ; Book Vault ; Merchandise ; Login; $0.00 (0 Items) View Cart. 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. In April 1801, he was appointed personal secretary to President Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). He moved with his family to Georgia when he was ten. He is best known for his role as the co-leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, a pioneering expedition that explored the western portion of the Louisiana Purchase in 1804-1806. Please try again. It is known that he visited at least twice. The explorer was buried not far from where he died. Lewis was a good administrator, but due to quarreling local political leaders, approval of trading licenses, land grant politics, Indian depredations, 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. Lewis was a Freemason, initiated, passed and raised in Door To Virtue Lodge No. He was the governor of a huge territory. 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. 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. Jane Brereton , Richard Cotton, Blanche de BRIENNE , Guillaume de FIENNES, Isabel PERT , Robert CONYERS. [6], It was at Jefferson's suggestion that the Corps of Discovery expedition was undertaken and the plan was approved by Congress in 1803. As a nonprofit, we offer free help to those looking to learn the details of their family story. 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]. Here his heavy drinking persisted.[6]. 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. A cave, Lewis and Clark Caverns between Three Forks and Whitehall, Montana. An error has occured while loading the map. Yet his contributions to science, the exploration of the Western U.S., and the lore of great world explorers, are considered incalculable.[3]. Complex and often contradictory, the incarnations of Meriwether Lewis provide insight into the man behind the titles. Record information. 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. Meriwether Lewis was born August 18, 1774, on Locust Hill Plantation in Albemarle County, Colony of Virginia, in the present-day community of Ivy. Clark was more pragmatic and practical. Descendants and relatives lived in Virginia and elsewhere. In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson acquired from France's Napoleon Bonaparte territory that became known as the Louisiana Purchase. - Meriwether Lewis was an honorable man before taking on his role as a significant explorer.-Before fame, he spent his childhood in Georgia hunting and spending most of his time outdoors. | 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. If so, login to add it. It was there that he met Eric Parker, who was the first to introduce him to the idea of traveling. He kept in touch with his mother and family through long, chatty letters (Anderson, p. 501, Bakeless). Ex-partner of Ikpsapewin "Winona" 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. 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. Guice believes that bandits roaming the notoriously dangerous Natchez Trace killed Lewis. After Jane's death in 1845, her son, Dr. Meriwether Lewis Anderson, inherited Locust Hill. View entire list of famous kin for Meriwether Lewis. There were songs and poems written about him. 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. On September 3, 1809, Lewis set out for Washington D.C. to answer complaints about his actions as governor. Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer and military officer born on August 18, 1774, in Virginia. Descendents of the family point to this legend as a reason why Meriwether men take a long time to get married. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. 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 was born at Cloverfields on February 4, 1752. 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. But in addition to his role as a famed explorer, he was a young plantation owner, a committed military man, a controversial politician, and a confidant of President Jefferson. 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. Captain Meriwether Lewis was President Thomas Jefferson's chosen leader for the Corps of Discovery Expedition into the expansive territory of Louisiana, acquired from France in 1803. She gave the property to her daughter as a wedding gift. 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. Cookie Settings, Kids Start Forgetting Early Childhood Around Age 7, Archaeologists Discover Wooden Spikes Described by Julius Caesar, 5,000-Year-Old Tavern With Food Still Inside Discovered in Iraq, Artificial Sweetener Tied to Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke, Study Finds, The Surprisingly Scientific Roots of Monkey Bars. In 1882, the house was sold to Mrs. Bearley, releasing the house from Lewis family descendents for the first time. 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. Historians would hold such details dear, Starrs says: Nobody even knows how tall Meriwether Lewis was. His brother-in-law was George Washington . You try to reach out but you can never get a hold of it. Even minor features of the story fluctuate. [citation needed] Yet his contributions to science, the exploration of the Western U.S., and the lore of great world explorers, are considered incalculable. The year after his wife's death in 1820, Clark married Harriet Kennerly Radford, a widow with three children, and . But I dont know if it would change anybodys mind one way or the other.. It covers the descendants of Robert Lewis (1607-ca.1645) and his wife, Elizabeth, who emigrated from Wales to Gloucester County, Virginia in 1635. Meriwether Lewis' Immediate Family and their Descendents Lucy Meriwether was born at Cloverfields on February 4, 1752. Supposedly, Theodesia pleaded with Meriwether to decline the journey and marry her, heavily encouraged by her father. This was the apex of a heros career. He was the oldest of five children. 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. Meriwether is 15 degrees from Jennifer Aniston, 16 degrees from Drew Barrymore, 17 degrees from Candice Bergen, 18 degrees from Alexandre Dumas, 13 degrees from Carrie Fisher, 27 degrees from Whitney Houston, 18 degrees from Hayley Mills, 15 degrees from Liza Minnelli, 13 degrees from Lisa Presley, 19 degrees from Kiefer Sutherland, 14 degrees from Bill Veeck and 21 degrees from Brian Nash on our single family tree. Meriwether Lewis was born August 18, 1774 in Albemarle County, Virginia. Greenwood Publishing Group. 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. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meriwether_Lewis. In 1795 he joined the regular army and for a brief period, he was attached to a sub-legion of General Anthony Wayne commanded by Lieutenant William Clark. 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 deadline for applications is Dec. 31. Explorer and U.S. Army officer, Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809) has been saluted as America's foremost explorer. A valuable member of the expedition party, his working dog attributes were essential to daily life along the route. The U.S. Army was also present through the 101st Airborne Infantry Band and its Army chaplain. The Mysterious Death of Meriwether Lewis. There, reflecting on the adventure-loving young man who had mapped the gloomy and savage wilderness which I was just entering alone, Wilson broke down and wept. He established roads and was a strong proponent of the fur trade. 1,420 Sq. . The original house burned down but it was rebuilt in the same style as the original. For many years, Lewis' legacy was overlooked, inaccurately assessed, and even tarnished by his alleged suicide. I fear the weight of his mind has overcome him, he wrote after receiving word of Lewiss fate. A broken column, symbol of a life cut short, marks his grave. She married William Lewis of Locust Hill; he died in 1779 and she married Captain John Marks six months later. The verdict: Suicide. It is always preferable to locate primary records where possible. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meriwether_Lewis. So Richard Ashcraft's mother was a Great aunt to Meriwether Lewis. His mother, Lucy Meriwether was his father's cousin. To resolve these issues, Lewis began a trip to Washington City to plead his case to the administration in person. Her daughter and son-in-law put the house for sale on the market at $255,000 in 1982. []http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meriwether_Lewis Wikipedia article on Meriwether Lewis]. American politician, Explorer - 19th century, 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, This form allows you to report an error or to submit additional information about this family tree: Meriwether LEWIS (1774), Copyright Wikipdia authors - This article is under licence CC BY-SA 3.0. I am so glad you like it. The next morning, she sent for Lewis's servants, who found him weltering in his blood but alive for several hours. After the expedition, Lewis served as governor of the Louisiana Territory and as a commander of Fort Pickering in Tennessee. Among the families are direct descendants of William Clark and collateral descendants of Meriwether Lewis. 111 on September 16, 1808. He was the second child and first son of William Lewis (abt.1738-1779) and Lucy Meriwether (1752-1837). 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. The group he was with was called the Corps of Discovery. More Replies: Re: Meriwether Lewis/Woodson Connection. On the mission it was how do we stay alive and collect information? Then suddenly youre heroes. After William's death in 1781, Lucy remarried and moved the family to Georgia. [2] Their other children included Jane Meriwether (Lewis) Anderson (1770-1845), Reuben Lewis, and Lucinda Lewis (1772-) (who died as an infant). Lewis started out with the intention of traveling to Washington by ship from New Orleans but changed his plans while en route down the Mississippi and decided to make an overland journey via the Natchez Trace instead. Augustine arrived in Virginia in 1628 at the . 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. Lewis and Clark descendants and family members, along with representatives of St. Louis Lodge . Obviously, Theodesia's pleas fell on deaf ears. A monument erected in 1848 now stands in his honor near the place the tavern occupied, and is under the care of the National Parks Service.[11]. Read more on Genealogy.com! She claimed to be able to see Lewis through the slit in the door crawling back to his room. Black powder pistols have been test-fired, forgeries claimed and mitochondrial DNA extracted from living relatives. (Bakeless, 1947) 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. His life and achievements were acknowledged and some in the audience shed tears as the tragedy of his death was noted. Descendants of Slaveholder . )," and his mother's name as "Winona. Jefferson selected Captain Meriwether Lewis to lead the proposed expedition, afterwards known as the Corps of Discovery. 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. Library of Congress, https://memory.loc.gov/service/mss/mtj/mtj1/029/029_0175_0184.pdf. Controversy surrounded the circumstances of his sudden death along the Natchez Trace in Tennessee a controversy that continues to this day. He was never married, but family legend shares that he courted Theodesia Burr, the daughter of Aaron Burr. He is honored today by a memorial along the Natchez Trace Parkway. 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. Lewis, who had not been publicly mourned when he died, was honored on that occasion with his first public memorial service. The next morning, she sent for Lewis's servants, who found him weltering in his blood but alive for several hours. Lewis also brought along a Newfoundland dog named Seaman. William Lewis and 3. Augustine Warner, Sr. (September 28th 1611 - December 24th, [1] 1674), was an English planter and politician. She never explained why, at the time, she didn't investigate further concerning Lewis's condition or the source of the gunshots. Other murder theories range from the scandalous (the innkeeper discovered Lewis in flagrante with Mrs. Grinder) to the conspiratorial (a corrupt Army general named James Wilkinson hatched an assassination plot.). Nothing is known of her childhood. Ancestors of Meriwether Lewis Generation No. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. At some point in the night she heard multiple gunshots, and what she believed was someone asking for help. With Jefferson's consent, Lewis offered the post of co-captain of the expedition to William Clark. In 1793, Lewis graduated from Liberty Hall (now Washington and Lee University), joined the Virginia militia, and in 1794 was sent as part of a detachment involved in putting down the Whiskey Rebellion. He had an older sister, Jane, and later a little brother, Reuben, would be born into the family. Explorer. 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.