University of Virginia Library

Biographical

COLONEL ANDREW LEWIS

Colonel Andrew Lewis, fourth son of General
Andrew Lewis, settled on Bent Mountain and died
at his home. "Longwood," in Roanoke County, September
25th, 1844. He
had five brothers and
one sister, as follows:
John, Thomas, Samuel,
William, Charles, and
Anne. All of the brothers
distinguished themselves
in the early history
of this country
with the exception of
Charles, who died at
the age of fifteen and
was buried at "Richfield,"
the home place
of General Andrew
Lewis, near Salem,
Virginia. Colonel Andrew
Lewis, like his father, was a valiant
Indian fighter, winning
for himself a colonelcy in the early wars. He bore
the name of his distinguished father and is said to
have greatly resembled him in appearance. He settled
on Bent Mountain, eighteen miles distant from
the present city of Roanoke. He built the first
house on Bent Mountain, a primitive log structure,
a story and a half high, which has sheltered five
generations of the descendants of the Lewises. The
place he named "Longwood," and "Longwood" it is
to-day. The old building is still standing, and although
unoccupied is in a fair state of preservation.

Colonel Andrew Lewis at one time was the owner
of many thousands of acres of Bent Mountain lands.
He was twice married, his first wife being Agatha
Madison, daughter of John and Agatha (Strother)
Madison, she being a sister of James Madison, the
first Episcopal Bishop in Virginia. Her father,
John Madison, the first Clerk of Augusta County,
was a member of the first vestry organized in
Augusta, and was active in setting on foot the
exploring expeditions which led to the settlement
of Kentucky. He was a prominent and useful citizen
of the Virginia Colony and was influential in
the Revolution. But one daughter was born to this
union, Margaret Lewis, who became the wife of
Colonel Elijah McClanahan. Nine daughters were
born to the McClanahans, and their descendants are
among the most prominent of Roanoke County families.
After the death of his first wife, Colonel Lewis
married a Miss Bryan, sister of James Bryan, an
early landholder near Salem. Two children were
born to them, Catherine (Kitty) Lewis and Thomas
Lewis.

The home of Colonel Andrew Lewis, which became
known as the Bent House, and which was
afterwards destroyed by fire, was the scene of many
happy entertainments in the early history of this
country. His first wife was a cousin of President