Meriwether Lewis was born on the family plantation in Virginia. Meriwether Lewis never married. As governor, Meriwether was traveling to Washington, D.C. to meet with officials when he died in 1809. 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. Lewis also brought along a Newfoundland dog named Seaman. If you click the change tab you can see that this is an excellent example of collaboration! The last item in the side bar to the left contains links to some that we have identified. When Jefferson began to formulate and to plan for an expedition across the continent, he chose Lewis to lead the expedition. PORTSMOUTH, Va - Puller Chronicles Volume 1, Second Edition, by Meriwether Ball, is a fascinating look at LtGen Lewis B. Puller's family and faith which made him an American and Marine Corps icon. You try to reach out but you can never get a hold of it. Even minor features of the story fluctuate. 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. To resolve these issues, Lewis began a trip to Washington City to plead his case to the administration in person. He then joined the regular army and achieved the rank of captain at the age of 23. Even into old-age, she thought nothing of riding several miles to go treat an ill acquaintance. These are fantastic!!! 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. After resigning from his post at Mount Vernon for financial reasons, Lewis managed his own land holdings in Virginia until he passed away in 1822. Jefferson selected Captain Meriwether Lewis to lead the proposed expedition, afterward known as the Corps of Discovery. Please try again. )," and his mother's name as "Winona. Besides being the mother of the famed . Conflicting information from sources indicate he was either rather ill (speculation runs from alcoholism to syphilis or possible psychological issues) or had trouble with hypochondria, and visited his mother in hopes of some care. South Dakotan says he is descendent of Meriwether Lewis South Dakotan says he is descendent of Meriwether Lewis The Associated Press Jul 13, 2003 0 LOWER BRULE, S.D. Lewis was born in Albemarle County, Virginia, to Lt. William Lewis of Locust Hill (1733 November 17, 1779),[1] who was of Welsh ancestry, and Lucy Meriwether (February 4, 1752 September 8, 1837), daughter of Thomas Meriwether and wife Elizabeth Thornton, in turn daughter of Francis Thornton and wife Mary Taliaferro. . 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]. In 1807, Jefferson appointed him governor of the Louisiana Territory; he settled in St. Louis. Lewis' descendants have asked the National Park Service to exhume the body for clues. Nearby homes similar to 7134 John Marshall Mews have recently sold between $252K to $396K at an average of $245 per square foot. 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. His mother taught him how to gather wild herbs for medicinal purposes. Item(s) successfully added to the cart! During his time in Georgia, Lewis enhanced his skills as a hunter and outdoorsman. Clark graciously accepted, having remembered his time spent with Meriwether during their previous Army service.[5]. Descendents of the family point to this legend as a reason why Meriwether men take a long time to get married. Clark bandaged and treated Lewis's wound, and the Corps continued the long way back to St. Louis. FamousKin.com cannot and does not guarantee the accuracy and reliability of these sources. At thirteen, he was sent back to Virginia for education by private tutors. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Clark and Lewis were both relatively young and adventurous and had shared experience as woodsmen-frontiersmen and Army officers. She never explained why, at the time, she didn't investigate further concerning Lewis's condition or the source of the gunshots. He established roads and was a strong proponent of the fur trade. Jane had 4 siblings: Lucinda McFarlane and 3 other siblings. The Web site is SolvetheMystery. 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 1803 Congress appropriated funds for the Expedition, and Lewis was commissioned as its leader. Why is this image showing up as a background image ? Lewis was a Freemason, initiated, passed and raised in Door To Virtue Lodge No. At first, Pierre blamed Blackfeet Indians for the injury, but after the Corps found no sign of Indians, he admitted the accident. It was in Georgia that he met Eric Parker, who was the first to introduce him to the idea of traveling. At thirteen, he was sent back to Virginia for education by private tutors. The details of the case are so sketchy that its like trying to grab a shadow, Holmberg says. 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. 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, who had a better education, possessed a philosophical and speculative outlook and was at home with abstract ideas. Lucy Meriwether was well known in Albemarle County throughout her adult life. It is always preferable to locate primary records where possible. Thomas Meriwether, b.24 APR 1763, St James Northam Parish, Goochland Co, VA, son of Nicholas Meriwether + Margaret Douglas; + Ann Minor, b.abt 1771, Louisa Co, VA . 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. He died shortly after sunrise. Several years after Lewis's death, Thomas Jefferson wrote: Jefferson also stated that Lewis had a "luminous and discriminating intellect.". If so, login to add it. The land is now the Meriwether Lewis State Park in Tennessee. 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. Due to her knowledge and hard work, the expedition was a success. Lewis, Meriwether, 1774-1809 Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806) Clark, William, 1770-1838 That night, Mrs. Grinder, the innkeepers wife, heard several shots. Her family is said to be descendents of Sir Roland Crawford, the grandfather of Sir William Wallace (the subject of Mel Gibson's 1994 epic movie Braveheart.) A reenactment of Lewis' entry into Grinder's Stand was an official concluding event of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. 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. After William's death in 1781, Lucy remarried and moved the family to Georgia. Nothing is known of her childhood. His wound hampered him for the rest of the journey. He was the governor of a huge territory. Lewis never married. [2] Originally, he was to provide information on the politics of the United States Army, which had seen an influx of Federalist officers as a result of John Adams's "midnight appointments." Ancestors of Meriwether Lewis Generation No. William Lewis and 3. The Certificate says Shaun is related to Sgt. 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. Among the families are direct descendants of William Clark and collateral descendants of Meriwether Lewis. I fear the weight of his mind has overcome him, he wrote after receiving word of Lewiss fate. (Thornton was the daughter of Francis Thornton and Mary Taliaferro). Theyve been coming out of the woodwork, Hargrove said. People want ownership of the story, and then they feel a part of it.. (Bakeless, 1947) A male acquaintance once described her as having a perfect person and complimented her on having "activity beyond her sex." He served until 1801 achieving the rank of captain. See details for 17912 MERIWETHER LEWIS ST, Ruther Glen, VA 22546, 4 Bedrooms, 2 Full/1 Half Bathrooms, 2902 Sq Ft., Single Family, MLS#: VACV2003024, Status: Pending . He attempted marriage but never followed through, and started drinking excessively, which negatively affected his relationship with Jefferson. After Jane's death in 1845, her son, Dr. Meriwether Lewis Anderson, inherited Locust Hill. Home > Forum > Surnames > Woodson. [3] When Jefferson began to formulate and to plan for an expedition across the continent, he chose Lewis to lead the expedition. 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. Lewis was a poor administrator, often quarreling with local political leaders and failing to keep in touch with his superiors in Washington. Abigail Tucker History is about finding the truth, he adds. [10] He also faced financial issues after a personal outlay for a trip that the War Department refused to reimburse. Advertising Notice The Natchez Trace was the old pioneer road between Natchez, Mississippi and Nashville, Tennessee. 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. (Henley, 2002) She lived there until her death in 1837 with her widowed daughter Jane Meriwether Anderson. 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Generation The men of the family from the time when they first settled in the colony, about the middle of the seventeenth century, have been men of action and distinction; they have won for themselves the most remarkable record as soldiers. 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. Name: Meriwether Lewis Birth Year: 1774 Birth date: August 18, 1774 Birth State: Virginia Birth City: near Ivy Birth Country: United States Gender: Male Best Known For: Meriwether Lewis teamed. 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. In the predawn hours of October 11, the innkeeper heard gunshots. discoveries. It was during this time in the Army that he met William Clark (1770-1838) for the first time. The US Navy Polaris nuclear submarine USS Lewis and Clark was named for him and William Clark. Re: Meriwether Lewis/Woodson Connection By Gary Stella February 06, 2005 at 12:59:36. Father of Joseph "De Smet" Lewis After he retired for the evening, Mrs. Grinder continued to hear him talking to himself. [3], Meriwether's father, who served in the Continental Army, died from pneumonia after his horse fell into an icy stream in 1779. He was related to George Washington by marriage: his first cousin once removed was Fielding Lewis, Washington's brother-in-law. Login to find your connection. He was also related to Robert E Lee and Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, among others. Lewis also had the responsibility for making arrangements to publish the Corps of Discovery journals, but had difficulty completing his writing. Mrs. Grinder's testimony is held as a point of contention from both sides of the murder-suicide debate. Supposedly, Theodesia pleaded with Meriwether to decline the journey and marry her, heavily encouraged by her father. 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. On October 10, 1809 he stopped at an inn on the Natchez Trace called Grinder's Stand, about 70 miles (110 km) from Nashville, Tennessee. By some accounts, Lewis arrived at the inn with servants; by others, he arrived alone. [2] Their other children included Jane Meriwether (Lewis) Anderson (1770-1845), Reuben Lewis, and Lucinda Lewis (1772-) (who died as an infant). . After returning from the expedition, Lewis received a reward of 1,600 acres of land. In 1801, Meriwether Lewis left the army due to an invitation to serve as Thomas Jefferson's secretary while Jefferson was in office. Lewis resided in the presidential mansion, and frequently conversed with various prominent figures in politics, the arts and other circles. People cant just call and say, Im a descendant, she said. Lewis's record as an administrator is mixed. 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. He was the second child and first son of William Lewis (abt.1738-1779) and Lucy Meriwether (1752-1837). In the predawn hours of October 11, the innkeeper heard gunshots. 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. 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. On September 3, 1809, Lewis set out for Washington D.C. where he hoped to resolve issues regarding the denied payment of drafts he had drawn against the War Department while serving as the first American governor of the Louisiana Territory. 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. 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. 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. Jane Brereton , Richard Cotton, Blanche de BRIENNE , Guillaume de FIENNES, Isabel PERT , Robert CONYERS.