Letter signed Meriwether Lewis, Charlottesville, Virginia, to his cousin, Mr. Nicholas Johnson, Wilks County, Georgia. He has received leave of absence from the army for the purpose of settling his domestic concerns. His mother is in compliance with his wish and that of the legatees. He has determined to bring the Negroes belonging to the estate to Virginia. A wagon and gun[?] with two horses will be necessary and Lewis proposes sending two of his own by his overseer who will take charge. He will set out for Kentucky to settle some land matters for the children and himself and will go to Georgia before he joins the army again. (2 pages, transcript included), 1797 May 2

Item — Box: 1, Folder: 5

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The Meriwether Lewis Papers is an artificial, or subject-based, collection gathered to record the Lewis and Clark Expedition. During the re-processing of the Meriwether Lewis Collection in 1999, several items were removed from the collection and returned to the archival collection in which they originally belonged. (Please consult the separation record at the end of this finding aid.)

Dates

1797 May 2

Conditions Governing Access

The Missouri Historical Society asks researchers to assist in the preservation of the collection by using either the microfilm or the published versions of documents at all times. Permission to access the original documents in the Meriwether Lewis Papers must be obtained from a member of the archives staff.