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Lewis’ Death Shrouded in Mystery by Jeff Carlson, Interpretive Coordinator
9/30/2009
After all of the research and scholarship that has been produced prior to and during the bicentennial of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, there are still questions that remain unanswered. One of those questions surrounds the circumstances of the death of Meriwether Lewis.
On October 11, 1809, Meriwether Lewis died as a result of gunshot wounds at a small remote inn in rural Tennessee. In due part due to the remoteness of the location and the time required to summon legal officials, Lewis was buried on-site without an investigation or autopsy. Within days of his death, numerous stories emerged. Some early reports argued that Lewis had committed suicide, yet others argued that Lewis had been murdered.
Since his death, rumor has run rampant and countless theories have been proposed to explain the expedition leader’s untimely demise. As there were no known witnesses to his death, nearly all of those theories have relied on pieces of circumstantial evidence that amateur and professional historians have been able to uncover. Several pieces of circumstantial evidence are so inconclusive that they have been used to support both the murder and suicide arguments.
Today, even as more evidence is uncovered, many questions still remain. Many, including a number of Lewis family members, have even called for an exhumation of his body to search for evidence that, with the benefit of forensic science, may help put the question to rest. That being said, there are still many hurdles to be crossed before an exhumation could be approved.
To commemorate the 200th anniversary of Lewis’ death, our own Jeff Turning Heart will be exploring some of these questions further with interpretive programs offered on Saturday and Sunday, October 10 and 11. Programs will be offered at the Headwaters Fort Mandan Visitor Center at 11:00am and 2:00 pm on Saturday and at 2:00 pm on Sunday.
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