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
Madison, and they were visited by such distinguished
citizens of the Commonwealth as John Randolph,
of Roanoke, and Light Horse Harry Lee.
Following an itinerary mapped out for them by General
Washington, Louis Philippi with his brothers,
Count de Montpensier and Count Beaugolis, spent
a night in this hospitable home. After the destruction
of the Bent House by fire, Colonel Lewis again
moved into "Longwood," the first house ever erected
in this part of the county, a picture of which accompanies
this sketch. It was here that the remaining
days of his life were spent.

His only son, Thomas Lewis, was killed in a
duel with a man named McHenry, known throughout
the country as the Lewis-McHenry duel. The
men had been fast friends, but a dispute arose over
an election and the code duello was invoked to settle
the difficulty. Rifles were chosen as the weapons
and a distance of thirty paces agreed upon. Both
men were accustomed to the use of the weapon selected.
McHenry said to his second upon taking
his position: "Do you see that button on Lewis's
coat? I mean to strike him there." He was true
to his word. At the first shot Thomas Lewis fell
dead and his antagonist fell mortally wounded, dying
shortly afterwards.

Bent Mountain in those early days was the home
of the panther, the wolf, and the bear, and many
stories are extant of the encounters of Colonel Lewis
and his son, Thomas, in subduing not only the forests
but the wild native animals which roamed them.
On one occasion it is told of Thomas Lewis, while
strolling through the woods with a friend, his dog
treed a panther, and neither man being armed, young
Lewis held the animal at bay until his companion
traveled over a mile and back for a rifle, a single
discharge from which brought the fierce animal to
their feet dead. Thomas Lewis never married.

Catherine Lewis, better known as "Kittie," was
married to Joseph King, of Montgomery County,
February 24th, 1807. Captain King, who was a distinguished
citizen of Montgomery, owned the valuable
estate known as "White House," at Shawsville.
Catherine Lewis was born