The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-13

| of Mrs. Sophie Gilmer Bib and the un-
broken transmission from generation to
| generation of her ancestry and kindred of
the qualities of courage, integrity, pa
| triotism and all the sentiments that most
ennoble human nature, furnishes striking
Illustration of heredity.
| 1t has been truly said the history OF
| Alabama would be incomplete without
the record of the noble life of Mrs So
phie Gilmer Bib, Florence Nightln-
gale of the southern Confederaey Her
| patriotic labor of love was the inspira-
| ton OF inheritance from illustrious men OF
| colonial and revolutionary times who con-
| secrated their talents to the upbuildins of
| this great country.
| At Bellefont, near Staunton, Va, in the
heart of the valley. which so charmed tho
| knights of the Golden Horseshoe when
| they rode with Spotswood around the
| land, is the grave of the great, great
grandfather of Mrs. Sophie Gilmer Bibb,
with the following inscription:
Here lies the remains of John Lewis,
| who settled Augusta county, located the
| town of Staunton and furnished five sons
| to fight the battles of the American rev.
olution. He was the son of Andrew
Lewis and Mary Calhoun; was born in
| Donegal county, Ireland, in 1878; died IN
| Virginia, Feb. /, 1862. lie was brave
| man, true patriot and a firm friend of
| liberty throughout the world. Mostalitate
seecta vivet immortalitate inductus"
The wife of that patriot sire was Mar
garet Linn, daughter of the Lord of Loeb
| Linn, descendant of a clan once famous
In Scottish legends. An interesting incl
dent is recorded in Howes History OF
| Virginia, illustrating her courage. Her
sons were all soldiers in the Indian war
| fare preceding the revolution, and her
| husband being then too old for active
/ I, e.. ~ ,ta6 ID or
Lewes, when a sudden attack was made
| by the Indians. The other occupants
| were two servants who We're so fright
| ened they laid prone upon the floor. john
| Lewis opened the port holes and fired
upon the savages, while she reloaded the
| guns and nodded bullets. In this way the
seige was sustained six hours, during
which time he killed a score of Indians,
when he was relieved by the return of
| the home guard.
Among the archives of Virginia, land
patents are still extant by which his
majesty, King George, granted TO John
Lewis a large portion of the fair domain
of Western Virginia. On one of the ped
estals around the equestrian statue or
| Washington in Richmond, Va, is the
statue of Gen. Andrew Lewis Oldest son
OF John Lewis, who was major or the
regiment OF which Washington was
colonel in the Indian war He was a
and, firing with his own hand the first
gun of the attack on the troops on Gyms
Island drove the last of the colonial gov
ernors from the confines of the common
wealth. and is known in history as the
hero of Point Pleasant, and, with the
exception of Washington, was the most
distinguished military man in the col
ony.
The great grandfather of Mrs Sophie
Gilmer Bibb Thomas Lewis, was the Sec
ond son of John Lewis; was born In ire
land and secured a classical education IN
Dublin. When Augusta county was or
ganized, in 1745, he qualified as surveyor
with George Washington, and each of
them received appointment from a board
of which President Dawson, or William
and Mary college, had charge. lie en-
tered the house of burgesses at an carry
age and was member twenty years.
In the memorable session of 1865 he ur-
| gently sustained the resolution or Patrick
Henry against the stamp act. In the con
vention of 1775 he earnestly advocated the
| resolution embodying the militia, ana the
vote of Western Virginia was 1eariessiy
| cast by him. The eloquent memorial
| from the committee of Augusta county
which denounced the conduct OF Great
| Britain was presented by him ana was
| the product of his own trenchant pen,
| he being distinguished for his ability ana
| scholarly attachments. He was mem
Der of the first house of delegates uhueE
the constitution, and was placed on the
committee of religion to which was as
signed the delicate duty of adopting
policy to secure religious freedom, and
| though attached to the established
| church. went hand in hand with Ihoihas
| Jefferson in the approval of those meas
| urcs which led to the passage OF the act
| When the federal constitution was SUD
| mltted for the ratification of the states
| Of
| 10 decide upon It, and refused to vote lor
| It's adoption until certain amendments
were made which he deemed essential TO
the preservation of the rights OF the
| states. -
| Thomas Lewis married in 174i lane
Strother, daughter of Colonel Strother'
! whose estate, opposite Fredericksburg,
| Joined that of the father of George w ASH
ineton and she was the schoolmate Oh
| his which cemented the friendship OF the
| families Elizabeth Lewis, the daushter
| of Jane Strother and .Thonas Lewis
| married Thomas Merriwether Gilmer, the
| grandson of DR.. George Gilmer' VINO
| came from Edenburg to Virginia, having
| hean commissioned by the London Land
| company to act as their general agent III
| the management Of their interests III the
colonies He married Miss Walker ana
was also grandfather OF walker ulnlleI'
| who was governor of Virginia and score
! administration
They were the parents of Mrs. SOPHIE
! Gflmer Bibb. and removed to Georgia
| Oglethorpe county, in 1874, where she was
| horn in 1S0l. She was the sister of George
| r Gllmer. who was member of Con-
gress a number of years governor OF
| Georgia and historian, and among ms
| kindred are numbered not only LeWlses
| and Gilmers but Washinstons Madlsons'
| Dandridges and others prominent IN tine
| history of this country. In 1919 she mar
ried Benajah Smith Bib, youngest son
of William Bibb, gentleman as recorded
in the archives of Virginia. He was
member of the house of burgesses, mem
her of conventions of IVA and 1i75. COM
mittee of safety, captain of cavalry and
| member of house of delegates. He mar
ried Sallie wyatt, a descendant of sir
| Thomas Wyatt of English fame, who
for his adherence to principles of truth
and Justice was crushed upon the wheel
of torture by Bloody Mary queen OF
| England; also of Sir Frances Wyatt, one
| of the hest colonial governors. She Is
| mentioned in Picketts History OF Ala
| hama as one of the most remarkable
| women of her time BY her intellectual
| skill she won a law suit involving large
| portion of her husbands estate, thereby
retaining a competency for the education
and support of her family. Her sons nave
noblv perpetuated the exalted virtue OF
both parents. Benajah Smith Bbb and
his wife. Sophie Gilmer, came to Ala
bama in 1922 from the state of Georgia
where his father had located near Peters
hurg in 1889. to Join his distinguished
,