Last August my husband and I made a trip to Tennessee. We visited family in Columbia and spent time in nearby Nashville touring The Hermitage, the home of President Andrew Jackson. As a lover of presidential history, I’ve visited several presidential homes and had previously taken a daughter and grand-daughter to The Hermitage. This was my husband’s first visit there, however, and I enjoyed sharing it with him.
As we drove home from our Tennessee trip, we passed a sign pointing the way to Grinder’s Stand. I let out an exclamation. I hadn’t realized how close we would be to this historic site. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to make a stop that afternoon, but we agreed that on our next trip to Tennessee we would definitely go to Grinder’s Stand — or Griner’s Stand, as it’s sometimes spelled.
You might not be familiar with the site and its controversial place in American history, but I’ve read often about the stand on the Natchez Trace and the events that took place there in October, 1809. Although no one knows for sure exactly what happened or how it happened, Meriwether Lewis — of the famed Lewis and Clark expedition — died at Grinder’s Stand.
But did he die from a self-inflicted gunshot wound? Or was his death a tragic political assassination?
The book Suicide or Murder? The Strange Death of Governor Meriwether Lewis by Vardis Fisher is only one of many books about that perplexing night at Grinder’s Stand.
Another excellent resource is The Jefferson Conspiracies – A President’s Role in the Assassination of Meriwether Lewis, written by Pulitzer prize-winning author, David Leon Chandler.
My opinion? I’m still undecided, and in truth, we’ll never know what really happened. The mystery of that night at Grinder’s Stand will remain.
For more about the death of Meriwether Lewis, check out the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation or listen to “How Meriwether Lewis Might Have Died” from NPR. You’ll find many additional resources online, as well.
History is fascinating, and it’s even more so when we can visit places where important events took place. It’s quite a drive to Tennessee for us, but no matter. I’m looking forward to our next trip. I can’t wait to actually set foot upon the grounds at that old stand on the Natchez Trace.
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