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THE COMMONWEALTHETThc Washington Monument, erected by the State of Virginia on the Capital Square at Richmond, which is crowned by Crawford’s Bronze Equestrian Statue of the Father of bis Country, has note around it, and on th'e base of the monument, the statues of George Mason, Pat rick Henry, and Thomas Jefferson—three of Virginia’s most iilustrious sons. The Legists ture of Virginia has ordered also a statue of Gon. Andrew Lewis to be placed with those al ready erected. We clip the followiug, iu relation to General Lewis’ history, from the Rich moud Daily Dispatch:The Washington Monument—Gen. Andrew Lewis.We transferred to our columns a short time ago a paragraph from a Rome correspondent of the Richmond Enquirer, giving a deecription of the progress which Mr. Rogers, the distinguished sculptor, is making with the remaining statues. The figures are all Bpoken of as admirable; that of Gen. Lewis, especially, excites great adtnira tion. A sketch of the life of this distinguished person may not be withont interest.Gen. Andrew Lewis resided on the Roanoke, in Botetourt county. His father was John Lew is, a native and citizen of Ireland, descended from a Huguenot family who took refuge iu that country from France. His rank was that of an Esquire, and he inherited a considerable property which be increased by industry and frugality. He married Matg.iret Lynn, daughter of the laird of Loch Lynn, who was the descendant of the chieftains of n once powerful clan in the ScottLh High'arids. By this marriage he had four sons, three of them, Thomas, Andrew and William, born in Ireland, and Charles born a few months after the settlement of the family in Virginia.— The settlement of John Lewjs was a few miles below the site of the town of Staunton, 011 the etream which still bears his name. Patents are still extant, by which the king granted to him a large portiou of the fair domain of Western Virginia.It may be doubted whether the annals of anT war furnish a parallel to the cool and desperate courage and sleepless activity on the part of the whites, and the fierceness, cunning, and barbarity on the part of the Indians, which followed the settlement of the whites iu Western Virginia.—In this long and bloody struggle, the four eons of John Lewis, who had himself become stricken in years, were the acknowledged leaders. The desperate courage and physical energy of the father had descended to each and all of that heroic family. During the whole of the Indian war, Charles Lewis, the youngest son of John, is said never to have spent one month at, a time out of active and arduous service. There are few families among the descendants of the border riflemen of Virginia, where his name and deeds are not as familiar as household words. During this war, an attack was made upon the settlement of Fort Lewis, at a time when the whole force was out 011 active duty. The fort was occupied ooly by John Lewis, then very old and infirm, his wile, and two young women, who were so much alarmed that they scarce moved from their seats upon the ground floor of the fort. John Lewis, however, opened a port hole where he sni tioned himself, firing at the savages, while Margaret reloaded the guns. In this manner he sustained a Biege of six hours, during which he kill ed upwards of a score of savages, when he was relieved by the appearance ol his party. The havoc wrought by Andrew, Charles nnd the rest of the Lewis family, among the Indians, is amus ingly illustrated by an auecdoto related in •'Howe’s Historical Collections of Virginia,” to which we are indebted, lor these facts. The white, or wild clover is of indigenous growth; the red was introduced by John Lewis, and it was currently reported by their prophets, and believed by the Indians generally, that the blood of the red men slain by the Lewises and their followers had dyed the trefoil to its sanguine hue. Another anecdote is given by the same authority, showing in the succeeding generation an example of heroism aud sell devotion which was never surpassed in Roman days. When the British force under Tarleton droye the Legislature from Charlottesville to Staunton, volunteers were called for to prevent the passage of the British through the mountain at Rockfisb Gap. The elder sons ol Wm. Lewis, (thiidson ol John, who then resided at the old fort so signally illustrated by its gallant defense by his father and mother,') wereab sent with the Northern army. Three sons, how ever, were at home, whose ages were 17, 15 and 13 years. Their mother called them to her and bade ihern fly to the defense of their native land. “Go, my children,” said she, “I spare not my youngest, my lair hairad boy, the comfort of my declining years. 1 devote you all to my country. Keep back the foot of the invader from the soil of Augusta or see my face no more.” When this incident was related to Washington shortly alter its occurrence, he enthusiastically exclaim ed: “Leave me but a banner to plant upon the mountains of Augusta, and! will rally around me the men who will lift our bleeding country fiom the dust, and set her free.Ol all the gallant sous of John Lewis, the most distinguished was Gen. Aodrew Lewis, whose statue i3 about to be placed on the Washington Monument. From a certain native reserve ol character, lie was not, peihaps, as popular as Charles, who was as distinguished for bonhommie as for courage, but he combined the qualities of wisdom, moderation, aud sound judgment, with the most indomitable valor, to an extent not snr passed by auy man of his day, unless Gen. Wash ington be an exception. Indeed, such was Wash iugtop’s own opinion of his extraordinary milita ry skill and personal courage that when Wash ingion was commissioned as Commander iu Chief, he expressed a wish that the appointment bad been given to Gen. Lewis. In intrepidity of soul Richard of the Lion Heart was not his su perior, and he had a personal presence which in dicuted the commanding will and energies of the spirit within. “Gen. Lewis,” says Stuart in his Historical Memoir, “was upwards of six feet high, of uncommon strength and agility, and his form of the most exact symmetry. He had a stern and invincible countenance, and was of a reserved and distunt deportment, which tendered his presence more awful than engaging. He was a commissioner with Dr. Thomas Walker, to hold a treaty, on behalt of the Colony of Vir ginia, with the six natiops of Indians, together with the commissioners of Pennsylvania, New York, and other Eastern provinces, held at Fort B autvix, in the province of New York in the year 1763. It was then remarked by tho Governor of New York, that ‘the earth seemed to tremble under him as he walked along.’ ”In Braddock’s war, Gen. Lewis was in a com patiy in which were all his brothers, the eldest being the captain. This corps, with some other of the Virginia troops, led the advance, and were first attacked by the enemy. Severed from the rest of the army, they cut tbeir way through the enemy to their companions, with the loss of tnsDy men. He served as Major at Fort Duquesnc, where he acquired the highest reputation for prudence and courage. It was, however, aB commander in chief of the Virginia troops, at the battle of Point Pleasant, that he achieved his chief reputation- The Indian army was composed of warriors from the different nations north of the Ohio, and composed the flower of the Sbowsmee, Delaware, Mingo, Wyandotte and Cayuga tribes, led on by the famous Red Hawk, a Delaware chief; Suppothus, a Mingo; Elinipsico, a Shawanee, and son to Cornstalk; Cbiyawee, a Wyandotte; and Logan, a Cayuga; and, at the head of the whole, Cornstalk, King of the Northern Confederacy, one of the most distinguished chiefs and consummate warriors who ever lived upon this continent. His plan of battle was admirable, aDd it was executed with a ferocious courage and perseverance almost unparalleled in Indian warfare. The battle lasted from sunrise till sunset, but was at last decided by a brilliant military manosuvre of the Com manding-General, which resulted in driving the Indians across the Ohio. The chivalrous Col. Charles Lewis fell at the first onset of the battle, and about one-fifth of the entire numberof Virginia troops was killed and wounded. “This battle,” says Col. Stuart in his historical memior, “was, in fact, the beginning of the revolutionary war, that obtained for our country the liberty and independence enjoyed by the United States—and a good presage of future success; for it is well known that the Indians were influenced by the British to commence the war, to terrify and confound the people, before they commenced hostilities themselves the following year, at Lexington. It was thought by British politicians, that to excite an “Indian wnr, would prevent a combination of the colonies for opposing parliamentary measures to tax the Americans ” Among the gentlemen of high reputa tion in private life, who were officers in this memorable battle, were Gen. Isaac Shelby, the first Governor of Kentucky, and afterwards Secretary of War; Gen. Wiliiam Campbell, and Col. John Campbell, heroes of King’s Mountain and Long Island; Gen. Evan Shelby, afterwards a favorite citizen of Tennessee; Col. William Fleming, au active Governor of Virginia during the Revolutionary war; Gen. Andrew Moore, of Rockbridge, afterwards U. S. Senator from Vir-;inia; Cpl. John Stewart, of Greenbrier; Gen. 'ate, of Washington; Col. Wm. McKee, of Lincoln county, Kentucky; Col. John Steele, alterwards Governor of Mississippi Territory; Col. Charles Cameron, of Bath; Gen. Bnzaleel Wells, of Ohio, and Gen. George Matthews, a distinguished officer of the Revolution, Governor of Georgia and U. S. Senator from that StateGen. Lewis commanded the Virginia troops when Lord Dunmore was driven from G wynn’s Island, in 1776, and announced his orders for attacking the enemy by putting match to the first gun, an eighteen pounder, himself. He died, in Bedford county, in 1780.Such is a brief sketch of the career of one of the most illustrious of Virginia’s great men Mr. Rogers is said to have entered upon the 9tatue of Lewis con amort, and to have achieved a brilliant success. Having procured an admirable photograph of a venerable descendant of John Lewis, still living—Gen. Samuel H Lewis, of Rockiogbm, between whom and Gen Andrew II. Lewis, there is said to be a striking famiiy resemblance—the likeness of the Moun tain Chieftain will be faithfully preserved in a work of art, which, if all we learn of it be true, will be worthy of its subject, and will place the name of Rogers in the front rank of the sculp tors of America.
Newspaper Details
Frankfort Tri Weekly Commonwealth
Frankfort, Kentucky, US
Fri, Jun 15, 1860
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Jennifer L.
IL, USA 12 Oct 2024
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