Sunday, June 07, 2009
Meriwether Lewis, one half of the famed Lewis and Clark expedition that mapped vast stretches of the unexplored American West in the early 1800s, was said to have committed suicide only a few years after completing his journey. But current descendants of Lewis believe their famous forefather may have been the victim of foul play, and have lobbied the federal government several times to allow Lewis’ remains to be exhumed and analyzed using modern forensic technology.
After completing his three-year exploration in 1806 with his partner, William Clark, Lewis was appointed the governor of the Louisiana Territory. In September 1809, Lewis set out from St. Louis on a trip, during which he fell ill with a recurrence of malaria, forcing him to rest at Fort Pickering (now Memphis, TN). During his recovery rumors began to spread of Lewis feeling suicidal, which helped explain why people of the time easily accepted the story that Lewis shot himself after leaving Fort Pickering.
Lewis’ descendants argue that there are conflicting accounts surrounding the explorer’s death, including reports indicating Lewis may have been shot more than once, and perhaps in the back of the head. Relatives have launched a website, www.SolveTheMystery.org, to broaden awareness of their efforts to learn the truth about Lewis’ death. The problem is that Lewis was buried in Tennessee on land that’s now under the control of the National Park Service, which has refused requests to exhume the body, conduct a scientific study on the remains, and then conduct the “proper Christian burial” Lewis never received.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Descendants of Meriwether Lewis Launch ‘Solve the Mystery’ Web Site (History News Network)
The Mysterious Death of Meriwether Lewis (by Kathryn Moore, History News Network)
The Death of Meriwether Lewis: A Historic Crime Scene Investigation (by Kira Gale and James E. Starrs)
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