Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/742

704 was handsomely constructed and ornamented with carvings that were brought from England for the fmrpose. His wife was majestic in person and ovely in mental and moral attributes. Later in life she so much resembled her brother George that, by putting on his long military coat and his hat, she could easily have been mistaken for the general. Mary, the mother of Washington, died on Mr. Lewis's farm and is buried there. Of their sons, George was a captain in Washington's life- guard, Robert one of his private secretaries, and Andrew was aide to Gen. Daniel Morgan in sup- pressing the whiskey insurrection in Pennsylvania. Another son, Lawrence, was Washington's favor- ite nephew. His wife, Eleanor Parke Custis, b. at Abingdon, Fairfax co., Va., in March, 1779 ; d. at Audley, Clarke co., Va., 15 July, 1852, was the daughter of John Parke Custis, the son of Martha Washington. At the death of her father, in 1781, she, with her brother George, was adopted by Gen. Washington, and lived at Mount Vernon. Eleanor was regarded as the most brilliant and beautiful young woman of her day, the pride of her grand- mother, and the favorite of Washington, who was the playmate of her childhood and the confidant of her girlhood. However abstracted, she could al- ways command his attention, and he would put aside the most important matter to attend to her demands. She was accomplished in drawing, and a good musician. Washington presented her with a harpsichord at the cost of a thousand dollars. Irving relates an anecdote that illustrates their relations: "She was romantic, and fond of wan- dering in the moonlight alone in the woods. Mrs. Washington thought this unsafe, and forced from her a promise that she would not visit the woods again unaccompanied, but she was brought one evening into the drawing-room where her grand- mother, seated in her arm-chair, began in the presence of the general a severe reproof. Poor Nellie was reminded of her promise, and taxed with her delinquency. She admitted her fault and essayed no excuse, moving to retire from the room. She was just closing the door when she overheard Washington attempting in a low voice to intercede in her behalf. ' My dear,' he observed, ' I would say no more — perhaps she was not alone.' His intercession stopped Miss Nellie in her retreat. She reopened the door and advanced up to the general with a firm step. ' Sir,' said she, 'you brought me up to speak the truth, and, when I told grandmamma I was alone, I hope you be- lieve I was alone.' Washington made one of his most mag- nanimous bows. ' My child,' he replied, 'I beg your pardon.' " In February, 1799, she married his neph- ew, Lawrence Lewis, the son of his sister Elizabeth. Young Lewis, after Wash- ington's retirement from public life, had resided at Mount Ver- non, and after their marriage they continued there till the death of Mrs. Washington in May, 1802. Her portrait is from the picture by Gilbert Stuart. — Her grandson, Edward Parke Custis. diplomatist, b. in Audley, Clarke co., Va., 7 Feb., 1837, was educated at t lie University of Virginia, and studied law, but subse- quently engaged in planting. He served through^ out the civil war in the Confederate army, rising to the rank of colonel, and for fifteen months was a prisoner of war. He settled in Hoboken, N. J., in 1875, served in the legislature in 1877, was a delegate to the Democratic national convention in 1880, and in 1885 was appointed by President Cleveland U. S. minister to Portugal. LEWIS, Francis, signer of the Declaration of Independence, b. in Llandaff, Wales, in March, 1713 ; d. in New York city, 30 Dec, 1802. He was early left as an orphan to the care of his uncle, the dean of St. Paul's, educated at Westminster school, and entered com- mercial life in London. On coming of age, he sold his patri- mony, invested in merchandise, and embarked for this country, where he estab- lished mercantile houses in New York and Phila- delphia. Lewis made many trad- ing voyages with great success to various parts of Europe, through Russia as far north as Archangel, and on the coast of Africa, and was twice wrecked on the shores of Ireland. In one of his ventures on the African coast, two negro boys and a girl were rescued from an island, where they had been abandoned by kidnappers, and restored to their friends, who rewarded the deliverer with a valuable amount of ivory and gold-dust. Lewis endeavored to establish a regular trade to the mouths of Zambesi river, but was prevented by the jealousy of the Dutch. In 1752 Lewis was at Oswego, and served as volunteer aide to Gen. Hugh Mercer. When the fort was assaulted by the French and Indians, Lewis was given as prisoner of war to the Indians, conducted to Montreal, and sent to France, but was afterward exchanged in a cartel and returned to this country. The British government gave him 5,000 acres of land for his services. In 1765 he moved his family from New York city to Whitestone, L. I., and gave himself entirely to public affairs. His financial experience and business talent made him a most useful member of the committees on which he served, and the wealth that he had acquired was freely expended in the service of his country. His house at Whitestone was burned by the "British, and Mrs. Lewis was imprisoned in the city ; but her situation was brought be- fore congress, and her exchange was finally effected by an order from Gen. Washington. Lewis was one of the first to join the Sons of Liberty. He was a member of the New York committee in the 1st Colonial congress, which met in New York city in 1765, was elected a member of the 1st Continental congress in 1775, was one of the New York committee of 100, and on several army and finance committees. In the following year he signed the Declaration of Independence, in 1777 he was re-elected to congress, and in 1779 appointed commis-