Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-08-15

promptly replied, and said: II am in
my f1fty.fifth year, and my father died
on the 23d of July, 1875, in his eighty
fifth year The Information you seek
In reference to the grave of Gen. An
drew Lewis causes regret, in that do
not know the date of his death. I also
deeply regret that the grave of the great
soldier is in some obscurity. My father
always entertained, and expressed the
opinion and belief, that Gen. Lewis was
buried at the place you mention, and
would never permit the bushes you re-
fer to to be disturbed. Some years ago.
perhaps eight or ten, Communication,
written by Frederick Johnston, Esq,
son Of the late Chas. Johnston and
nephew of the late Judge Peter. John
ston. appeared in the Lynchburg Var-
ginid,e. alleging that the remains of
Gen. Lewis had been removed II think
to some cemetery in Roanoke county,
and the grave marked. Notwithstand-
ing this, my father never yielded his
opinion. but lived and died under the
belief that the remains had never been
rSrnpved."
Iat once wrote to Mr.. Johnston. who
promptly replied in the interesting
communication I append:
NEAR GILMORE MILLS, VA, |
July 10Th, 1882. !
j. Marshall McCMe, Esq:
Your esteemed favor of the 28th inst.
reached me yesterday, and 1t gives me
much pleasure to be able to furnish you
with some information connected with
the burial place of Gen. Andrew Lewis
"a subject that has, for some years past,
been one of rather peculiar interest to
me, and with which am perhaps more
familiar than any one else now living.
In order that this may be more fully
understood, it will be proper for me to
say. that many years of my life were
spent In Salem, Roanoke county, Va,
having been clerk of the circuit and
county courts for twenty~seven years.
The town of Salem was laid out in the
first place by James Simpson, who
bought the land, 81 acres, in the year
1900 from Capt. VIM. Lewis, son Of
Gen. Andrew Lewis, being part of 625
acres of land granted by letters patent
from King George w. to Andrew Lewis
in 1867. The will of Gen. Andrew
Lewis, which is Oh record in the county
court of Botetourt, dated in 1880, and
admitted to record in February, 1882,
Showing that he died between those
periods devises to his son, VIM. Lewis.
"two thousand acres of land lying on
Roanoke River" The eastern portion
of this land, embracing about 1000,
acres, was purchased in the year 1911
from Capt. VIM. Lewis by Mr.. Nathan
iel Burwell, and this had been the home
and residence of Gen. Andrew Lewis
up to the time of his death.
I married daughter of Mr.. N. Bur-
well, who, for many years, lived in the
house, originally built by Gen: Andrew
Lewis, which was burned in the year
1929 You will then see that was very
familiar with the Lewis tract Of land
and its surroundings. And now as to
his death and burial
In the year 1874 I published in the
Fincastle Herald a series of articles,
embracing historical sketches of many
distinguished men of Botetourt county,
among others Gen. Andrew Lewis For
most of the facts contained in that
SKETCH" 1 was indebted to Howe's
Historical Collections of Virginia, pub
lished about the year 1S4Q, and which
has an outline of the history Of each
county in alphabetical order. The
county of BotetOurt, and also the county
OF Augusta, has Q somewhat detailed
and very interesting account OF the
Lewis family, going back to John
Lewis, the father of Andrew, my sketch
of whom closed thus II will now close
this sketch of Gen. Lewis, by referring
to the place of his burial. about which
there seems to have existed some doubt
in the public mind.
All agree las stated by Howe) that he
died in Bedford county on his way
l. cI,pv h he oo
then in command of Virginia regi-
ment of troops; and it has been said
very confidently, among others, as 1
ford, that he was buried, and that his
grave is on his farm near Buford's de.
pot. But this is certainly mistake,
About twenty years ago, 1854 and in
the life time of Col. Elijah McClana
han, who married grand daughter of
Gen. Lewis, it was stated in one of the
public prints (the Lynchburg Virgin-
ian, I believe) that Gen. Lewis was
buried on Capt. Buford's farm, and
published in the Wrginian correction
of the statement on the authority of
Col. Elijah McClanahan, (then eighty
years old,) who told me that he aO0s
present at has burial, and that his grave
was on the land then owned by Mr..
Burwell. This grave Mr.. Burwell had
often told me was enclosed with q
wooden paling, beside that of Gen.
Lewis's wife, when he bought the farm
of Capt. VIM. Lewis in 1911. As Bu
ford's was only % miles from the home
of Gen. Lewis, all the probabilities are
in favor of his having been brought
there for burial, but with the positive
testimony of an eyewitness, as reliable
as Col. McClahahan, to sustain these
probabilities, I think the question
should be regarded as settled beyond
dispute. A few years after Col. Nc
Clanahan made the foregoing state-
ment to me, placed large stone at
the head and foot of the grave, and
marked the name of Gen. Andrew
Lewis on both !; which I more distinctly
renewed few weeks ago, as it is in that
portion of the farm now owned by my
self, lin 1874 "As stated in the be-
ginning of the sketch, Gen. Lewis is
one of the figures placed on the WASH
pgton monument in Richmond-a
q nark of respect and honor to the men,
Oily OF this great man that is creditable
to the State of Virginia but would it
not be we'll as q farther testimony to the
va luz, of his public services, that his
ho nol ed dust should be transferred to
the pu bile cemetery at Salem, (which
forms a portion of the tract of land that
fof1 nerl y belonged to him. and a mon
ament laced over it? Is 1t too much
to ask at the hands of the Legislature
of Virgin ia an appropriation of a few
hun dred dollars for this purpose ?"
You will see from this, that my
thoughts were running in the same
cha mel th.sn that yours now are, in
reference to the removal of Gen Lew
ISIS remains and the erection of ! mon
um ent over them.
At the time the foregoing sketch was
lin 1874,) it attracted some
particularly among the Lewis
in different parts of the State,
and especially with the immediate de-
seen dants, many of whom are now liv-
ing in the coun ties of Roanoke and
Mon tgomery, and to whom many OF
the facts stated in Lny sketch were as
new as they were Interesting. Some
thought the family ought to take hold
of th e thing, and at least have the re
main removed. if nothing else was
done. But they were both poor alike
the family and the State Cf Virginia
and nothing was done then or has been
since. Meantime, the property, with
the grave, has passed out OF 10y hands
and is now owned by Mr.. s. F. Sim.