Major James Neely was an agent of relations with the Choctaw Indian Nation, appointed by General James Wilkinson. He escorted Meriwether Lewis following his departure from Fort Pickering.[1]
On October 10, 1809, Neely stayed behind on Lewis' route to search for two horses that had gone astray into the woods. He arrived at Grinder's Stand twelve hours after Lewis – who had by then died under mysterious circumstances – and his servants.[1]
Neely claimed Lewis' belongings and arranged a swift burial at a nearby property. In a letter dated October 18, Neely wrote to Thomas Jefferson, informing him that Lewis had committed suicide.[1]
Of Lewis' belongings, Neely kept one of his horses, a knife, pistols, and a gold pocket watch. Garland Briggs later speculated that Neely had also taken a ring Lewis carried in a leather pouch. Shortly after Lewis' death, Neely disappeared for several months.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
James Neely (December 24, 1773 – April 17, 1842) was a Chickasaw Indian agent who accompanied Meriwether Lewis from Fort Pickering and directed him to Grinder's Stand as he stayed behind to search for two pack animals that had run away during a storm.
David Patrick Kelly narrated Neely's letter in the audiobook version of The Secret History of Twin Peaks.