Meriwether Lewis (1774–1809) was born at Locust Hill, near Ivy Creek in Albemarle County, into a locally prominent family enjoying cordial relations with the neighboring Jeffersons and Randolphs. In 1795 he joined the United States Army as an ensign, rising to lieutenant in 1799 and captain in 1800. TJ made Lewis his personal secretary in 1801. Two years later TJ put him in charge of the successful 1803–06 transcontinental exploration that has become known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition. TJ appointed Lewis governor of Louisiana Territory in 1807, and he took up residence at Saint Louis. In September 1809 Lewis began a journey to Washington, D.C., in order to investigate the repudiation of several bills he had issued on the government. He died en route, in a central Tennessee inn, probably by his own hand (ANB description begins John A. Garraty and Mark C. Carnes, eds., American National Biography, 1999, 24 vols. description ends ; DAB description begins Allen Johnson and Dumas Malone, eds., Dictionary of American Biography, 1928–36, 20 vols. description ends ; Richard Dillon, Meriwether Lewis: A Biography [1965]; Heitman, U.S. Army description begins Francis B. Heitman, comp., Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, 1903, 2 vols. description ends , 1:631; TJ to Lewis, 23 Feb. 1801 [DLC]; JEP description begins Journal of the Executive Proceedings of the Senate of the United States description ends , 2:53, 54 [28 Feb., 2 Mar. 1807]; John Brahan to TJ, 18 Oct. 1809; James Neelly to TJ, 18 Oct. 1809; TJ to Paul Allen, 18 Aug. 1813).

In SJL under this date TJ records both this letter and an undated letter by Lewis received from Mississippi; the latter is otherwise unknown and may simply be an inadvertent and incorrect reference to the former.

On 12 Aug. 1809 John bradbury wrote to William roscoe from Monticello: “I have been here about 10 Days which time I have spent in examining the neighbourhd assisted often by Colnl Randolph who is Son in Law to Mr Jefferson & one of the best if not the best Naturalist I ever met with—I have made out two new Cypripedia, two new Orchidea of a Genus established by Persoon which he has separated from Serapias & calls Heleborine, two new Cacaliæ a new & most Odorous Coreopsis a new Talinum a beautiful Rock Plant and many others of which I am doubtful—Some of these are removed into Mr Jefferson’s Garden & others are Marked in the Woods & known to Coll R. who has this morning promised to take care of them for me, or Your use should I never return to reclaim them.” TJ had informed him that Lewis was now stationed at Saint Louis as governor of Louisiana, and that the territory had not yet been explored by any botanist. Bradbury accordingly decided to travel to Saint Louis instead of New Orleans “and put myself under the direction of Capn Lewis, to whom Mr Jeffn & Mr Randolph will give me Letters. … As I am assured by Mr Jefferson that even War with Britain shall not obstruct my researches I purpose to establish a Garden at Ft St Louis as a place of Immediate deposit and place one of my sons at New Orleans to receive & transmit. … Mr Jefferson will I suppose write to you, he has some intention of sending you seeds of a new variety of Zea Maize which was brought by Capn Lewis from a Vast distance beyond the Mouth of the Missouri he found it with a Tribe of Cultivating Indians in Latitude 49° and a Country so much elevated as to render it almost a Greenland Climate. Mr J. thinks it will be an Immense acquisition to Britain as it will grow even in the Highlands [. . .] and Yields most abundantly: At all events [I shall] not return to Europe without it—Coll Randolph has obtained 2 Years ago some seeds of Holcus Sorghum (Sorghum Vulgare of Persoon) and of Sesamum Indicum both of which he is cultivating the former as an article of food the Latter for Oil. The Seeds of the Holcus are much better than the Maize & it yields in greater abundance I measured some of it 14 feet high. The culture of both will become general & highly beneficial here.” In a postscript Bradbury added that “Since I finished this Lr Mr Jefferson requested me to present his respectful compliments to you and informs me that he will forward all my Letters to Mr Pinckney which will afford me the opportunity of making inclosures,” and he enclosed “seeds of S Cypripedia … all inhabitants of shady Woods” (Bradbury to Roscoe, 12 Aug. 1809, RC in UkLi: Roscoe Manuscripts; torn at margin; printed in H. W. Rickett, “John Bradbury’s Explorations in Missouri Territory,” APS, Proceedings 94 [1950]: 62–4). There is no record of TJ writing to Roscoe at this time. In a similar letter of 12 Aug. 1809 to James Edward Smith, Bradbury spoke of the “Very good Botanic Library” at Monticello and remarked that “Mr Jeffersons House stands on a Hill, on that Hill I have in a few days found 3 Cypripedia 2 of which are evidently neither discribed in Michaux’s Flora Americana Boreali or by Persoon or indeed in any work that we have. Also two species belonging to the genus Heleborine as established by Persoon but not discribed by him or any Author so far as we can find Other Orchidea also not in flower or possessing marks sufficient to determine them We reckon also 2 new Cacaliæ a new Talinum & some others of dubious Genera” (RC in Linnean Society, London: James Edward Smith Manuscripts).