70 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 6-No. 9. 



Suicide of Gov. Lewis. 



We are indebted to the immortal Wilson 

 for the following touching description of 

 the death of Lewis, of the ever memorable 

 expedition of Lewis & Clark across the 

 American continent to the Pacific, during 

 which so many new birds were discovered. 

 It is extracted from a letter written by Al- 

 ex. Wilson, and addressed to Miss Sarah 

 Miller, Philadelphia, Pa., and dated at 

 Natchez, Miss. Territory, May i8, 1810. 



" Next morning, Sunday, I rode six miles 

 to see a man of the name of Grinder, where 

 our poor friend Lewis perished.* In the 

 same room where he expired I took down, 

 from Mrs. Grinder, the particulars of that 

 melancholy event, which affected me ex- 

 tremely. This house or cabin is seventy-two 

 miles from Nashville, and was the last white 

 man's cabin as we entered the Indian 

 country. Governor Lewis, she said, came 

 hither about sunset alone, and inquired if 

 he could stay for the night, and, alighting, 

 brought the saddle into the house. He was 

 dressed in a loose gown, white, striped with 

 blue. On being asked if he came alone, he 

 replied that there were two servants behind 

 who would soon be up. He called for some 

 spirits, and drank a very little. When the 

 servants arrived, one of whom was a negro, 

 he inquired for his powder, saying he was 

 sure he had some in a canister. The ser- 

 vant gave no distinct reply, and Lewis in the 

 meanwhile walked backwards and forwards 

 before the door, talking to himself. Some- 

 times, she^said, he would seem as if he were 

 walking up to her, and would suddenly 

 wheel round, and walk back as fast as he 

 could. Supper being ready he sat down, 

 but had eaten only a tew mouthfuls when he 

 started up, speaking to himself in a violent 

 manner. At these limes, she says, she ob- 

 served his face to flush as if it had come on 

 him in a fit. He lighted his pipe, and draw- 

 ing a chair to the door sat down, saying to 



Mrs. Grinder, in a kind tone of voice, 'Mad 

 am, this is a very pleasant evening.' He 

 smoked for some time, but quitted his seat 

 and traversed the yard as before. He 

 again sat down to his pipe, seemed again 

 composed, and casting his eyes wistfully 

 towards the west, observed what a sweet eve- 

 ning it was. Mrs. Grinder was preparing a 

 bed for him, but he said he would sleep on 

 the floor, and desired the servant to bring 

 the bear-skins and buffalo robe, which were 

 immediately spread out for him; and it be- 

 ing now dusk, the woman went off to the 

 kitchen, and the two men to the barn, which 

 stands about two hundred yards off. The 

 kitchen is only a few paces from the room 

 where Lewis was, and the woman being con- 

 siderably alarmed by the behavior of her 

 guest could not sleep, but listened to him 

 walking backwards and forwards she thinks 

 for several hours, and ta Iking aloud, as she 

 said, like a lawyer. She then heard the 

 report of a pistol, and something fall heavi- 

 ly on the floor, and the words, 'O Lord !' 



"Immediately afterwards she heard anoth- 

 er pistol shot, and in a few minutes she 

 heard him at her door calling out, 'O mad- 

 am ! give me some water, and heal my 

 wounds.' Tile logs being open, and un- 

 plastered, she saw him stagger back and fall 

 against a stump that stands between the 

 kitchen and room. He crawled for some 

 distance, and raised himself by the side of a 

 tree, where he sat about a minute. He 

 once more got to the room; afterwards he 

 came to the kitchen door, but did not speak. 

 She then heard him scraping the butket with 

 a gourd for water, but it appeared that this 

 cooling element was denied the dying man. 



"As soon as day broke and not before — the 

 terror of the woman having permitted him 

 to remain for two hours in this most deplor- 

 able situation — she sent two of her children 

 to the barn, her husband not being at 

 home, to bring the servaints, and on going 



*It is hardly necessary to state, that this was the brave and enterprising traveller , whose jour" 

 ney across the Rocky Mouniains, In the Pacific Ocean, lias obtained for him well-meriled celebrity 

 The true cause of him committing the rash deed, so feelingly detailed above, is not yet ki)Ovvn to 

 the public; but his friends Aiil not soon forget the base imputations and cruel neglect, whicli the 

 honourable mind of the gaiianl soldier knew not how to brook. -Ord. 



