William G. Lewis
Encyclopedia
William Gaston Lewis was a Confederate
general in the American Civil War
.
. He was the son of Dr. John Wesley Lewis and Catherine Ann Battle. He was educated at Lovejoy’s Academy in Raleigh
. Soon after the death of his father, the family moved to Chapel Hill
, where Lewis entered the University of North Carolina
, studying civil engineering
. Lewis graduated in 1855.
He then taught in Chapel Hill for a year, before moving to Florida
. In 1857, he was appointed to the U. S. Survey Corps, and worked in Minnesota
for over a year. He then returned to North Carolina and became assistant engineer on the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
.
on June 10, 1861. By January 1862, he had been promoted to major
and took part in the Battle of New Bern
. For his actions at New Bern, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel
of the 33rd North Carolin Infantry. Lewis fought with the regiment at the Seven Days Battle and the Battle of Malvern Hill
. During the later monmths of 1862, he took part in the defense of Richmond
.
Lewis returned to North Carolina in December 1862 and took part in the fighting in and around New Bern and Kinston
. In the spring of 1863, his regiment returned to Virginia and he took part in the Gettysburg Campaign
with the 43rd North Carolina Infantry as part of Brigadier General Junius Daniel
's Brigade of Major General
Robert Rodes' Division. At Gettysburg
, the regimental commander, Colonel
Thomas S. Kenan, was wounded and captured, and Lewis took command of the regiment.
After the Confederate retreat from Gettysburg, Lewis returned to North Carolina and took positions around New Bern. He subsequently took part in the fighting to recapture Plymouth. He led Robert Hoke
's brigade at the Battle of Cold Harbor
and was promoted to brigadier general following the battle in June 1864. He was then wounded during Jubal Early's raid on Washington
. In 1864, he married Martha Luncinda "Mittie" Pender, first cousin of Major General Dorsey Pender
. Lewis also supervised the entrenchment of Drewry's Bluff, Virginia. He took part in a skirmish near Farmville, Virginia
, on April 7, 1865, but was once again wounded and captured during the fighting. He was paroled within two weeks. Throughout his military service in the Confederate Army, Lewis saw action in thirty-seven battles and skirmishes.
Lewis died on January 7, 1901, from pneumonia
.
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
general in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Early life
William G. Lewis was born September 3, 1835, in Rocky Mount, North CarolinaRocky Mount, North Carolina
Rocky Mount is an All-America City Award-winning city in Edgecombe and Nash counties in the coastal plains of the state of North Carolina. Although it was not formally incorporated until February 28, 1867, the North Carolina community that became the city of Rocky Mount dates from the beginning of...
. He was the son of Dr. John Wesley Lewis and Catherine Ann Battle. He was educated at Lovejoy’s Academy in Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
. Soon after the death of his father, the family moved to Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
, where Lewis entered the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
, studying civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
. Lewis graduated in 1855.
He then taught in Chapel Hill for a year, before moving to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. In 1857, he was appointed to the U. S. Survey Corps, and worked in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
for over a year. He then returned to North Carolina and became assistant engineer on the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
Originally chartered in 1835 as the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad name began use in 1855. At the time of its 1840 completion, the line was the longest railroad in the world with 161.5 miles of track...
.
Civil War
When the Civil War began, Lewis joined the Confederate army as the third lieutenant of Company A, 1st North Carolina Regiment ("Bethel"). His first fighting came in the Battle of Big BethelBattle of Big Bethel
The Battle of Big Bethel, also known as the Battle of Bethel Church or Great Bethel was one of the earliest land battles of the American Civil War after the surrender of Fort Sumter...
on June 10, 1861. By January 1862, he had been promoted to major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
and took part in the Battle of New Bern
Battle of New Bern
The Battle of New Bern was fought on 14 March 1862, near the city of New Bern, North Carolina, as part of the Burnside Expedition of the American Civil War. The US Army's Coast Division, led by Brigadier General Ambrose E...
. For his actions at New Bern, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
of the 33rd North Carolin Infantry. Lewis fought with the regiment at the Seven Days Battle and the Battle of Malvern Hill
Battle of Malvern Hill
The Battle of Malvern Hill, also known as the Battle of Poindexter's Farm, took place on July 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, on the seventh and last day of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War. Gen. Robert E. Lee launched a series of disjointed assaults on the nearly impregnable...
. During the later monmths of 1862, he took part in the defense of Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
.
Lewis returned to North Carolina in December 1862 and took part in the fighting in and around New Bern and Kinston
Kinston, North Carolina
Kinston is a city in Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 23,688 at the 2000 census. The population was estimated at 22,360 in 2008. It has been the county seat of Lenoir County since its formation in 1791 . Kinston is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks...
. In the spring of 1863, his regiment returned to Virginia and he took part in the Gettysburg Campaign
Gettysburg Campaign
The Gettysburg Campaign was a series of battles fought in June and July 1863, during the American Civil War. After his victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia moved north for offensive operations in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The...
with the 43rd North Carolina Infantry as part of Brigadier General Junius Daniel
Junius Daniel
Junius Daniel was a planter and career military officer, serving in the United States Army, then in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, as a brigadier general. His troops were instrumental in the Confederates' success at the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg...
's Brigade of Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Robert Rodes' Division. At Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
, the regimental commander, Colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
Thomas S. Kenan, was wounded and captured, and Lewis took command of the regiment.
After the Confederate retreat from Gettysburg, Lewis returned to North Carolina and took positions around New Bern. He subsequently took part in the fighting to recapture Plymouth. He led Robert Hoke
Robert Hoke
Robert Frederick Hoke was an American businessman, railroad executive, and a Confederate Army general during the American Civil War. Hoke and his division played a decisive role during the Battle of Cold Harbor in 1864....
's brigade at the Battle of Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
and was promoted to brigadier general following the battle in June 1864. He was then wounded during Jubal Early's raid on Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. In 1864, he married Martha Luncinda "Mittie" Pender, first cousin of Major General Dorsey Pender
William Dorsey Pender
William Dorsey Pender was one of the youngest, and most promising, generals fighting for the Confederacy in the American Civil War. He was mortally wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg.-Early life:...
. Lewis also supervised the entrenchment of Drewry's Bluff, Virginia. He took part in a skirmish near Farmville, Virginia
Farmville, Virginia
Farmville is a town in Prince Edward and Cumberland counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 6,845 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Prince Edward County....
, on April 7, 1865, but was once again wounded and captured during the fighting. He was paroled within two weeks. Throughout his military service in the Confederate Army, Lewis saw action in thirty-seven battles and skirmishes.
Postwar career
Following the war, Lewis returned to his peace time career as a civil engineer, serving as the State Engineer of North Carolina for thirteen years, plus many years as road-master, construction engineer, chief engineer, and general superintendent for several railroads. In 1899, he was chief engineer for the Albany and Raleigh Railroad.Lewis died on January 7, 1901, from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals