Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/446

 LEWIS

LEWIS

conducted his mother's farm, 1792-94; enlisted in the state militia called out by President Washington in 1794 to suppress the opposi- tion to the excise taxes in western Pennsyl- vania, and then joined the regular service as lieutenant in the line. He was promoted captain in 1797, and became paymaster of the 1st U.S. in- fantry. In 1797 the American Philosophical society, through the suggestion of Thomas Jeffer- son, undertook to secure some competent person to ascend the Missouri river, cross the Stony mountains, and descend the nearest river to the Pacific. Captain Lewis, being then stationed at Charlottesville on recruiting duty, solicited Mr. Jefferson to be allowed to make the journey, but Andre Michaux, the botanist, was appointed and proceeded as far as Kentuckj^ when he was re- called by the French minister, then in Philadel- phia, and the attempt was abandoned. Captain Lewis served as private seci'etary to President Jefferson, 1801-03, and when congress voted the money to cany out the President's project of crossing the continent to the Pacific, he was entrusted with the command of the enterprise with Capt. William Clark, as second in com- mand. He pursued a course in the natural sci- ences and astronomical observations at Philadel- phia and at Lancaster, Pa., j^reparatory to the undertaking. The instructions, signed by Presi- dent Jefferson, Jan. 20, 1803, detailed the scien- tific, geographical, commercial and diplomatic purposes of the expedition and provided for all contingencies likely to arise. The treaty of Paris, A^jril 13, 1803, had meantime transferred the Territory of Louisiana to the United States, and the information reached Washington about the first day of July. On July 5, 1803, Captain Lewis left Washington for Pittsburg, where he was to select his stores, outfit and men. Delays in preparation retarded the journey down the Ohio and the expedition could not enter the Missouri until the ice had broken up in the spring of 1804. They ascended the Missouri to its sources, crossed to Rocky Mountains, struck the headwaters of the Columbia river, floated down that river to its mouth and explored much of the Oregon country. Their explorations cov- ered nearly all the section south of the 49th par- allel. They started for the east, March 23, 1806, and reached Washington, Feb. 14, 1807. Con- gress granted to the two chiefs and their fol- lowers the donation of lands which had been promised as a reward for their toil and dangers. Captain Lewis was soon after appointed governor of Louisiana and Captain Clark commissioned a general in the militia and made agent of the United States for Indian affairs in the territory of Louisiana. On reaching St. Louis, the capital of the territory, Governor Lewis found much

confusion in public affairs, and in September, 1809, set out to Washington to carry valuable vouchers of accounts and his journal of the ex- jjedition to and from the Pacific. His party was joined at Chickasaw Bluffs by Mr. Neiley, U.S. agent to the Chickasaw Indians, and his party and they proceeded together. While at the home of a Mr. Gruider in Kentucky, in a fit of hypo- chondria, Governor Lewis killed himself. In the selection of names for the Hall of Fame for Great Americans, New York university, in October, 1900, his was one of the twenty-one names in " Class E, Missionaries and Explorers " and re- ceived thirteen votes, standing eighth in the class. He died Oct. 8, 1809.

LEWIS, riorgan, statesman, was born in New York city, Oct. 16, 1754; son of Francis and Elizabeth (Annesley) Lewis. He attended the public school at Elizabethtown, N.J., and was graduated from the College of New Jersey, A.B., 1773, A.M., 1776. His intention was to de- vote himself to the ministry, but yield- ing to his father's wishes he studied law. In 1774 he joined the Continental army as a volunteer; was sub- sequently chosen cap- tain of a regiment of New York mili- tia; but upon the organization of the 2d New York militia regiment he was com- missioned major. He

was appointed chief-of-staff to Gen. Horatio Gates, with the rank of colonel, and accom- panied him into Canada, and soon after con- gress appointed him quartermaster-general of the Northern army. He was prominent through- out the campaign that ended with the sur- render of Burgoyne at Saratoga, and in 1775 he planned and executed the night attack on Stone Arabia, and was in command at the battle of Crown Point, where he was accompanied by Governor Clinton. At the close of the war Colo- nel Lewis returned to New York, where he was admitted to the bar and practised in New York city. He married Gertrude, daughter of Robert R. Livingston. He was elected a member of the assembly; became one of the judges of the court of common pleas; was api)ointed attorney-gen- eral of the state in 1791; judge of the supreme court in 1792; chief justice in 1793; and was governor of the state, 1804-07. In 1806 he was defeated for re-election by Daniel D. Tonijjkins and retired to his estate at Staatsburg, Duchess

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