# National Intelligencer (Washington), Monday 27 November 1809, p. 3: editorial notice on Lewis's death, with "Extract of a letter from a gentleman, dated Nashville, Tennessee, 18th October, 1809" and "Extract of a letter from Governor M. Lewis, dated Chickasaw Bluffs, 22d Sept. 1809"

CITATION: The National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser (Washington City), vol. X, Monday, 27 November 1809, p. 3, cols. 4-5 (Library of Congress, Chronicling America, sn83045242, 1809-11-27, ed. 1, seq. 3).
URL fetched: https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045242/1809-11-27/ed-1/?sp=3 (page JSON: ...&fo=json); OCR full text: https://tile.loc.gov/text-services/word-coordinates-service?segment=/service/ndnp/... (see ca_fetch.py); page PDF: https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/sgp/sgpbatches/batch_dlc_forest_ver01/data/sn83045242/print/1809112701/0003.pdf; IIIF crops of cols. 4-5 read visually.
DATE FETCHED: 2026-09-14
TRANSCRIPTION: transcribed from high-resolution IIIF crops of the page image (facsimile-checked), with the LoC OCR as a first draft. Line breaks of the newspaper not preserved; hyphenation joined; original spelling/punctuation kept. The "gentleman" of the Nashville letter is not named by the paper; its wording closely parallels John Brahan's letter to Jefferson of the same date (18 Oct. 1809) and it mentions the letters Pernier ("John Purney") was to carry to Jefferson. The second extract is Lewis to Amos Stoddard, Fort Pickering, 22 Sept. 1809 (cf. Jackson, Letters, 2d ed., 2:466-7).

---- VERBATIM TEXT (facsimile-checked) ----

[col. 4, under the dateline "WASHINGTON CITY. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27.", after paragraphs on Congress and the French minister:]

We some time since republished from a Western print a circumstantial statement of the circumstances attending the unfortunate death of Governor M. Lewis. Information, which we have since received, induces us to think that statement in several respects incorrect. Perhaps the two following letters will explain the particulars of his death in a more satisfactory manner than any thing hitherto published. It is, however, necessary to notice, that Governor Lewis descended the Mississippi from St. Louis early in September. His object was to repair to this city by way of New-Orleans. On his way down the Mississippi, he became deranged in his mind, and made some attempts on his life; but the people in the boat secured him, and landed him at the Chickasaw Bluffs. It seems that he soon recovered, and proceeded on his journey over land.

Extract of a letter from a gentleman, dated Nashville, Tennessee, 18th October, 1809.

" I am sorry to inform you of the death of Governor Lewis, which took place on the morning of the 11th instant, at the house of a Mr. Grinder, about seventy-five miles from here, on the Natchez road. He arrived there the evening before; the man of the house was from home. The Governor went to bed in a room alone. About three o'clock, the woman of the house, who slept in a house near the other, heard two pistols fired. She awoke the servants, who pushed into the room, and found the unfortunate Governor weltering in his blood. He had shot himself in the head, and just below his heart; he died in about three hours. Major Neely, agent to the Chickasaws, who had remained behind to hunt two horses, which they had lost the night before, soon after came up; he had him interred, and took into his care and possession two trunks, said to contain his valuable papers; among which is said to be his journal to the Pacific Ocean, and perhaps some vouchers, which he was taking on for settlement. Major Neely has his pistols, rifle, watch, &c. His servant, John Purney, will proceed on early in the morning with letters to Mr. Jefferson from Major Neely, communicating to him the particulars of this unhappy affair. I lament extremely the unfortunate fate of this worthy character."

Extract of a letter from Governor M. Lewis, dated Chickasaw Bluffs, 22d Sept. 1809.

" I must acknowledge myself re-[col. 5]miss in not writing you in answer to several friendly epistles, which I have received from you since my return from the Pacific ocean. Continued occupation in the immediate discharge of the duties of a public station will, I trust, in some measure plead my apology.

" I am now on my way to the city of Washington, and had contemplated taking Fort Adams and Orleans in my route; but my indisposition has induced me to change my route, and shall now pass through Tennessee and Virginia. The protest of some bills, which I have lately drawn on public account, form the principal inducement for my going forward at this moment. An explanation is all that is necessary, I am sensible, to put all matters right. In the mean time the protest of a draft, however just, has drawn down on me at one moment all my private debts, which have excessively embarrassed me."

[next item:] It is with great regret that we state, on the authority of the Whig of Baltimore, the death of General WADE HAMPTON.

---- NOTE ON THE EARLIER NOTICES IN THE SAME PAPER ----
13 Nov. 1809, p. 3 (col. 3, Washington City, "Monday, November 13"; OCR, not image-checked): "So many concurring accounts reach us of the death of Meriwether Lewis, Esq. Governor of Louisiana, by suicide, that we can no longer refuse giving credit to it. His death appears to have taken place on the night of the 10th ult. at the house of Mr. Grinder, near the Indian line in Tennessee. Every one acquainted with his worth will feel a deep regret at this unfortunate event." [OCR reads "by sui that we can no longer refuse; giv ing credit tq it" - the word "suicide" is broken across a line.]
15 Nov. 1809, p. 1: reprint of the Lexington (Ky.) item of 28 Oct. 1809 (Russellville letter of 20 Oct. + Democratic Clarion of 20 Oct.) - see the file 1809-10-20_democratic_clarion_reprints.md.