Lewis and Clark in murder mystery 200 years after their final expedition

Telegraph ^ | Jun 27, 2009 | Jacqui Goddard

[decimon]

When explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark completed a trailblazing expedition across the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean in 1806, they were revered as American heroes and their journals as literary classics.

But Lewis's death three years later, at the age of 35, is now turning into a historical whodunnit as academics, scientists and generations of his descendants question whether he really committed suicide, as was accepted at the time, or whether he may have been felled by an assassin's bullets.

[JoeProBono]

Portrait of Meriwether Lewis wearing a fur shawl given to him by the Shoshone Tribe.

[shadeaud]

I’d be looking for either a one armed man or a relative of O.J.’s mysterious murderer.

[kalee]

ping

[Oatka]

But at the height of his fame, the young explorer was found dead - shot through the head and the chest - in a room in an inn, where he had been lodging for the night while en route to see the president in Washington.

Definitely suicide. (cough)

[pepsionice]

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were two unique men. Lewis sat and organized this “tour”...proving himself to be probably the most capable jack-of-all trades men of American history. So when Jefferson went down the manpower listing, and noted that Lewis gave the same rank of Captain to William Clark....he felt it was a mistake. Lewis assured, it was not a mistake and that the two men were of the same mind and capability.

Based on everything written...there was never a single serious argument between the two...they were completely comfortable with this co-captain arrangement...as were the entire team.

So when the end came for Meriwether Lewis, and some speculation existed on whether it was murder or suicide....William Clark came to assess the situation and came to the conclusion that nothing more than suicide had occurred. Had there been any other possibility....Capt Clark was more than capable of tracking the culprit down to the ends of the earth.

I will add that fortunes of Meriwether Lewis after the expedition....went downhill and he basically could not climb out of this pit of economic woes and personal turmoil. He was geared for the wild open range....and not as a government employee or governor. He should have taken a year off and gone right back to mapping the entire region.

[Publius]

Some 35 years ago, I dated a lady who was descended from Meriwether Lewis on her father's side and Presiddent John Tyler on her mother's side.

She always said that Lewis was murdered.

[mass55th]

I’d read about this in a couple of books on the history of The Natchez Trace. Funny that the article didn’t mention that the inn he died in was on the Trace, which was known to be the prowling grounds for bandits and thieves. If I recall correctly, there were also some questions about Priscilla Knight Grinder, the wife of the owner, as over the years her versions of the event repeatedly changed.

[wagglebee]

Ping.

This isn’t quite Revolutionary War era, but it’s pretty close.

[AmericanVictory]

Some years ago there was a documentary on this that was very well done.

[Professional Engineer]

ping

[decimon]

Some years ago there was a documentary on this that was very well done.

As will this be: "So large do their exploits loom, that a television mini-series starring Edward Norton as Lewis and Brad Pitt as Clark is currently under production in the US."

[preacher]

A brief clip from the Ken Burns documentary “Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery” describing the death of Lewis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAb-2BDGvAc

[jla]

The article states that Lewis and Clark undertook their expedition upon the orders of Thomas Jefferson. While true it is only half of the story.
Yes, Thomas J recruited them to do this but the entire expedition was Jefferson's idea in the first place.
Jefferson never restricted his thoughts and visions to the current time. He always looked ahead.
And I will take this opportunity to remind everyone of another, later, President who was alike in this manner, that being Ronald Reagan. Another, future President, shares the same trait as our two greatest Presidents, and she has the potential to outdo both of these men and become the greatest. Of course I refer to Sarah Palin. And everything I have ever read about Jefferson and Reagan, leads me to confidently state that those two gentlemen wouldn't have minded at all at being bested by the grand lady of Alaska. There is no doubt whatsoever they both would have much admired and respected her as well have felt a deep political, and even non-political, kinship towards her.

[investigateworld]

I admire many things about her and hope she is Alaska's Governor for a long - long time. I simply won't vote for anyone who supports Amnesty.

Convince me her support of McTraitors position was an error to be forgiven and I'll 'come over'.

Remember -I'm the type of "R" who sent money to Duncan Hunter - but didn't vote for McTraitor.

[jla]

"So, back to the Veepstakes. Sarah Palin: I like her. She’s a beautiful woman, but she’s also a conservative. Her husband, he’s a fisherman. I’m not kidding you, and they go out and fish on the weekends. He’s a commercial fisherman. I’m telling you, I think that sells. That sells a lot more than “my friends” and comprehensive immigration reform. And she’s not for comprehensive reform, I can tell you that right now. She’s sick to death of this immigration nonsense in the United States."

Source: Laura Ingraham radio show Mar 10, 2008

[pray4liberty]

Capt Clark was more than capable of tracking the culprit down to the ends of the earth.

Unless he was the one whodunit!

[Peanut Gallery]

ping

[fso301]

He wasn't heading to Washington to attend a party or, receive an award but rather to answer questions regarding his governorship.

The innkeepers account of that night is odd but nobody indicates any kind of struggle took place and Lewis did have staff accompanying him. Presumably, evidence of a struggle would have existed or, one of the staff would have heard something had it been a case of banditry.

All that having been said, my sister-in-law did research on her family history and discovered that some of them operated a 19th century "Inn from hell" where they would rob and kill guests from farther East passing through to the West.

[Peanut Gallery]

LOL, just pinged you. That’s what I get for not reading through the comments before posting.