OCR Text |
Show :Xxii IAje of UalJLain I.~ewis. of body and mind, suspended these distressing atlcctious; but after his establishment at St. Louis in sedt·nt~u·y occupations. they returned upon him with redoubl('(l vigour. and began seriously to alarm his ft·iends. lfe was in a pat·oxysm of one of these, when ltis atfait·s rendered it nencs~ar·y for him to go to Washington. lie proceeded to the Chieliasaw 'Bluffs, wbere he art·ived on the sixteenth or September, 1809, with a view of continuing his jout·ney thent·c by water. )lr. Neely, agent of the United States with the Chicl\asaw Indians, arriving thet·e two days arter, found him t.'Xll'('ffi{'ly indisposed, and bett·aying at times some symptoms of a derangement of mind. The rumonl's of a wat· with England, and apprehensions that he might lose the p~pcr·s he wa ~ bringing on, among whidt Wf're the vouehct·s of his public accounts, and the journals and papet·s of his wt•stct·n expc· dition, induced him het·e to change his miml. ~111d to tako his course by land through the Chickasaw country. Although he appeared somewhat relieved. ~Ir. N ~·dy kindly determined to accompany and wa.lch ovet· him. U ufot·tu· nately. at theiL· encampment, aftct· having pa~:, cd the T ennessee one day's journey, they lo!Jt two hot·scs. "l1ich ohliging Mr. Neely to 11alt for thrit· t·eco"t'I'Y• the govcr·nm· ps·oceeded, under a promise to wait f'or lai m at tlw house of the first white inhabitant on his road. He stoppccl nt the house of a ~lr. Gr·intlm·, who not being at home, his wi l'l!, a.lat·mcd at the symptoms of derangement she tliscovert.·d, gave him Ul, the house and r·etired to rest hel'self in an out-house, the gove~·nor's and Neely's scr"a.uts lodging in anot hcl' . .Auout three o'clock in the night he did the deed which plunged his friends into affiiction, and de1wived his countt·y nf one of her most valued citizens, whose valour an<l intclligencr. would haYc been now t'mploycd in avenging the wrongs of his eoun· try, and in emulating by land the splendid deeds which have l10nourell her arms on the ocean. It lost too to the nation "the benefit of rC<'·t·iving from hjs own hand the nart•atire Life of Captain Lewis.. xxiii now offered them of hi~ sufferings and successes, in endeavouring to extend fot· tlat"m the boundaries of science, and to J~rcsent. to thci1• knowledge that vast and fertile country, 'v luch thru· sons at·e destined to fill with arts, with science, with fr·eedom and happiness. To this melancholy close of the life of one, whom poste .. rHy will declare not to have lived in vain, I have only to add, that all the facts I have stated arc either ]mown to myself, or communic:ated by his family or othe1·s, for whose truth 1 have no hesitation to make mysc:r r esponsible; and 1 conclude with tcmlcl'ing you the assurances of my respect and con side ration. Tl I. .JEFFERSON. 1\lr. PAuL ALLEN, Pltiladclphb. |