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In the early hours of October 11, 1806, while en-rout to Washington to defend himself against accusations made on him in accordance to the financial decisions made by him as goober of the Louisiana territory, Meriwether Lewis shot himself in the head with his own pistol at Natchez Trace. 1 However, the ball only grazed his skull. Of course, after doing so he fell to the floor in pain. After this, Lewis drew his second pistol, and shot himself in the chest, this passing through his body and exiting at his lower back bone. However, once again, he survived this blow. By now he had aroused Mrs. Grinder, the innkeeper at Natchez Trace, who sent for the servants in the barn.
After entering Meriwether's room she saw Lewis cutting himself with a razor. At this point he exclaimed, I am no coward; but I am so strong, [it is] so hard to die. At this point Lewis pleaded with the servants to take his rifle and kill him; he even offered them money and the assurance that no ill fate would come to them. After dawn, Meriwether Lewis hart stopped beating. 3 To understand why such a well respected man, and explorer took his own life we must examine what composed his life, this being his upbringing and major events and influences in his life. 4 Meriwether Lewis was born August 18, 1774, the same year of the Boston Tea Party, in Rockfish Gap, Virginia, in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Here the East met the West. 5 Lewis had the advantages of living in the wilderness to sharpen his hunting and wilderness skills, but when the availability of schooling from the East. 6 Meriwether Lewis was born on the eve of the revolution. He was brought up with a very anti- British attitude.
Meriwether also was brought up knowing of what his ancestors had accomplished. For instance Robert Lewis, a Welshman, was one who moved from Britain to the wilderness of Virginia, on a grant from the King of England of thirty-three thousand thirty three and a third arcs of land. However, the most substantial Lewis, other than Meriwether, was Thomas Lewis. Thomas Lewis accompanied Peter substantial Lewis, other than Meriwether, was Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson's father exploring the Northern Neck between the Potomac and the Rappahannnock. He was also the first to keep a very accurate log of all that they saw and did while on their expedition. Thus, this led on to his predisposition to ramble in the woods for hours. 8 Progressing into Meriwether Lewis life we find that he is acutely a rather average person.
In the field of education he had not learned a substantial amount of Latin to use well, nor orthography ever to be completely capable of spelling. However, Meriwether did excel in biology along with a solid base in mathematics, natural history, geometry, philosophy and the classics. 9 After his upbringing and schooling Lewis fit the perfect Virginian stereotype. He was hospitable and generous, courteous in relation to his peers, chivalrous, and kind to his inferiors, though he did separated them as his inferiors. Along with this he had the less admirable part of the stereotype, he was an alcoholic. However, to compensate for this Meriwether was extraordinarily honest.
In this he prided himself in, his word was his bond whether written or spoken. 10 As a plantation owner, Lewis found himself rater good at managing his farm, though he never worked a single day doing physical work, Lewis did a very good job of managing his plantation. 11 The next step in Meriwether Lewis life becoming a soldier. Meriwether was inspired to become a soldier in response to the presidents call for troops to put down the Whisky Rebellion. As Private Lewis entered the army, he was subjected to many hardships of this carrier choice, however, he was not the only one. Most of the privates on the march to the West endured the lack of rations and clothing. After, the rebellion was put down Lewis received a commission to the Virginia militia. However, Lewis alcoholism got him into trouble.
Lewis was brought before general courts-martial at Wayne's headquarters. Charges against Meriwether were that of braking the first and second Articles of the seventh section of the Rules and Articles of War. 12 These were as to the effect of No officer or soldier shall use any reproachful or provoking speeches or gestures to another. Article two was that of disallowing a challenge to a duel. 13 In reply to these charges Lewis replied with the plea of Not Guilty. General Wayne decided to transfer twenty-one year old Lewis to Chosen Rifle Company of elite riflemen-sharpshooters. Here Meriwether Lewis met William Clark. Over the next four years, Meriwether's army life gave him enough travel to satisfy his rambling nature.
As time continued, Lewis eventually achieved the rank of captain. Around the time of Lewis being promoted Lewis friend Thomas Jefferson is elected to the presidency. Thomas Jefferson, who wishes to expand the United States to the west charges Lewis and Clark with the great expedition to the Pacific Ocean and back. 14 On this expedition Lewis took the commanding role. In fact, Lewis so demanded authority that when one of his troops left he sent a regiment of four men to find him, once found he was made to run by his fellow Compatriots while they switched him. Though when a man was told to scout up stream, and never returned, Lewis did nothing. 15 After Lewis returned from the great expedition, he, among other things, eventually became governor of Louisiana. Here Meriwether was somewhat a decent governor, however, thing did not fall his way.
In between a few bad deals and a jealous Mr. Bates, who was after his job, Lewis did not help Louisiana at all. In fact this rather blemished his name. 16 Meriwether Lewis physiological profile was very interesting. His mind was made of very many, very intriguing traits. One of the most noticable and destructive traits was that of his alcohol and possible sustenance abuse. Though he met the stereotypical Virginian in that he drank, Lewis Abused alcohol regularly.
Along with this Lewis was somewhat a loner. He never married; he enjoyed time with himself in the woods and had an engrossed ego. Some of Meriwether's more positive attributes was he did have a very good sense of honor, his word his bond 13. He also wished to live up to everyones expectations. This, however, he did not do. He failed his adored friend, Thomas Jefferson, in that he did not immediately publish his journals, thus slowing the United States appeal to advance to the West.
He also did not come through with his financial dealings in Louisiana, when he was governor. In light of these conditions, Lewis suffered great depression. In fact, he may have been self-medicating with his medicines to become change how he felt. 17 However, most likely these pills he took were most like opiate derivative, thus brought him down even further. A combination between all these thing; the fact of his failure as governor, the falling of his good friend, a Mr. Bates after his job, and the sense of he had accomplished everything he was to do in his life. Thus he decided to end it. 18 The death of Meriwether Lewis has been widely accepted as a suicide.
However, Starr's believes it to have been that of an assassination. His reasoning is that of Lewis being an accurate mark man. This was heavily debated and the solution was that of excavating Meriwether Lewis grave. The team, which included a doctor, said, "it seems more probable that he died by the hands of an assassin. " 19 Bibliography: Bibliography Undaunted Courage, Stephen E. Ambrose Simon and Schuster, NY 1996 Dr. David Ensminger In the Footsteps of Lewis and Clark, Gerald S.
Snyder U. S. News & World Report, Jan 12, 1998 v 124 n 1 p 11 Richard Dillon, Meriwether Lewis (1965, reprinted 1988). Lewis and Clark, Chidsey, crown Publishers, inc. , NY 1990
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Research essay sample on Lewis And Clark Meriwether Lewis
