BOLD BUT FLAWED AMERICAN HERO

He was 35 years of age and in poor health. He suffered from malaria, syphilis, and depression. He was a drug addict and an alcoholic. He had only 2 friends and never married. He was alone in a room on the Natchez Trace when he committed suicide. With two pistols he shot himself in the head and in the chest but continued to live until he repeatedly cut himself with a razor. The poor, miserable man died on October 18, 1809. Who was this man and how did he come to such a sad end?



He was the first American to cross the Continental Divide. He was a famous contemporary of Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. He was a close friend of Thomas Jefferson and served as his personal secretary during Jefferson’s presidency. He was a man of high energy and great self-discipline. He was unique, truly gifted as an explorer and as a leader of men. He was a near perfect army officer who led the Corps of Discovery with his other friend, William Clark. Yes, I am describing the greatest of all American explorers, Captain Meriwether Lewis.


If you would like to understand how Captain Lewis went from such glory to such a sad ending, you should read, “UNDAUNTED COURAGE” by Stephen E. Ambrose. Ambrose brilliantly reconstructs the Lewis and Clark Expedition from Lewis’s point of view. It is a sweeping adventure story that was a thrilling read for me. The book is proof that history can be entertaining and interesting. I highly recommend this book.