istory of his travels.

The manner of his death is not exactly known. Although several writers
have given their best efforts to erasing what they seem to consider a
blot upon his reputation, the weight of opinion appears to sustain Mr.
Jefferson's statement that he committed suicide while affected by
hypochondria. Mr. Jefferson wrote in his memoir:--

"Governor Lewis had from early life been subject to hypochondriac
affections. It was a constitutional disposition in all the nearer
branches of the family of his name, and was more immediately
inherited by him from his father. They had not, however, been so
strong as to give uneasiness to his family. While he lived with me
in Washington I observed at times sensible depressions of mind;
but, knowing their constitutional source, I estimated their course
by what I had seen in the family. During his Western expedition,
the constant exertion which that required of all the faculties of
body and mind suspended these distressing affections; but after his
establishment at St. Louis in sedentary occupations, they returned
to him with redoubled vigor and began seriously to alarm his
friends. He was in a paroxysm of one of these when his affairs
rendered it necessary for him to go to Washington."

He proceeded upon this journey, and was crossing through Tennessee when
death overtook him, at the cabin of a backwoodsman where he had stopped
for the night. Some of the circumstances point to murder, others to
suicide; the truth is conjectural. What does it matter, after all? He
had lived largely; had done a man's work; he has a noble place in
history.

A better fortune was in store for Captain Clark. He was destined for
long and honorable service in public life, and a fair old age.

On the 12th of March, 1807, a few days following Captain Lewis's
appointment as governor of Louisiana Territory, Captain Clark was
commissioned by President Jefferson as brigadier-general of the
territorial militia, and as Indian agent. Dr. Coues says in his
excellent biographical sketch that "in those days this title was not
synonymous with 'thief,' and the position was one of honor, not to be
sought or used for dishonest purposes." Then William Clark was the man
for the place. Throughout his public life there is no stain of any sort
upon his name. With his strong, decisive, straightforward character,
which would not suffer him to yield a jot in his