Morgan Lewis (governor)
Morgan Lewis | |
|---|---|
Grand Master of the Masonic Grand Lodge of New York | |
| In office 1830–1843 | |
| Preceded by | Stephen Van Rensselaer |
| Succeeded by | Alexander H. Robertson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 16, 1754 Democratic-Republican |
| Spouse |
Gertrude Livingston (m. 1779; died 1833) |
| Relations | Margret Lewis Livingston |
| Parent(s) | Francis Lewis Elizabeth Annesley |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Continental Army United States Army |
| Years of service | 1774–?, 1812–1815 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Battles/wars | |
Morgan Lewis (October 16, 1754 – April 7, 1844) was an American lawyer, politician, and military commander. The second son of Francis Lewis, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Lewis fought in the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. He served in the New York State Assembly (1789, 1792) and the New York State Senate (1811–1814) and was New York State Attorney General (1791–1801) and the third governor of New York (1804–1807).
Early life and education
Morgan Lewis was born on October 16, 1754, of
née Annisley) Lewis (1715–1778). Lewis grew up in Elizabethtown, New Jersey,[1] where he decided to dedicate himself to the ministry.[2] However, based on his father's advice, he attended the College of New Jersey, which is now Princeton University, graduating in 1773, and began to study law. He read law alongside John Jay.[3] His studies were interrupted by military service during the American Revolutionary War, but he was admitted to the bar in 1783.[4]
Career
American Revolutionary War
From September 1, 1776, to the end of the war he was a colonel and the Quartermaster General for the Northern Department.
In 1774, he joined the
into Canada, and soon after congress appointed him quartermaster-general of the Northern Army. 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 New York Governor George Clinton. He was prominent throughout the campaign that ended with the surrender of John Burgoyne at Saratoga.[6]
New York governor
After the Revolution, Lewis completed his legal studies while he lived in
Supreme Court of New York.[9]
He served as
Quids" by the Clintonians) and Federalists.[10]
During his tenure, the
his run for re-election by Daniel D. Tompkins, also a future vice president. Tompkins received 35,074 votes, and Morgan Lewis received 30,989 votes. He then returned home to Staatsburg, Dutchess County, New York, where he turned his attention to agriculture. Having given up the practice of law, Lewis established a cloth factory, and for several years devoted himself to manufacturing. The failure of a mercantile house to which his goods were assigned caused him to discontinue the business.[12]
War of 1812
Prior to the
US Secretary of War under President James Madison. Instead, he resumed his duties as Quartermaster General and served in western New York. He was commissioned as a brigadier general on April 3, 1812, and was promoted to major general on March 2, 1813, as part of his service on the Niagara Frontier.[13] He commanded the American forces at the Battle of Fort George. Although the British position was captured, Lewis ordered Colonel Winfield Scott to break off the pursuit of the defeated British troops. But for Lewis's overcaution, Scott might have been able to capture Major General John Vincent's entire division and greatly weaken the British defense of the Niagara Peninsula. Later, Lewis was appointed as commander of Upstate New York. He procured the release of the American prisoners in Canada, advanced from his private fortune the money for its accomplishment, and rewarded his own tenants who had served in or sent sons to the war by allowing them free rent for the time they served in the army.[14]
After the war, Lewis was discharged from the Army on June 15, 1815.
Lewis was a
presidential elector in the presidential election of 1828
.
Personal life
In 1779, he married
Robert Livingston. They lived in Rhinebeck and then in Hyde Park in Dutchess County, New York. In 1790, his Rhinebeck household was served by eight slaves.[15]
Together, Morgan and Gertrude had:
- Margret Lewis (1780–1860),[16] who married Maturin Livingston(1769–1847), a lawyer and politician from New York.
In 1792, Lewis, purchased an estate covering of about 334 acres (135 ha) in
Chancellor Livingston.[17]
In 1832, the house was destroyed by a fire, said to be an act of arson committed by disgruntled tenant farmers. After the fire, Lewis and his wife immediately replaced the structure with a Greek Revival mansion with 25 rooms. The house was inherited in 1844 after Morgan Lewis died, by his daughter Margaret and her husband, Maturin Livingston.
Later life
Lewis was a
Grand Master in the Grand Lodge of New York from 1830 to 1843. From 1832 to 1835, he was the president of the Historical Society of New York. Lewis was an original member of the New York Society of the Cincinnati and served as its president general from 1839 to 1844. He also helped to found New York University
in New York City.
Lewis died in New York City on April 7, 1844.
Legacy
The following communities have been named in Lewis' honor:
References
- ^ Davis, Roderick A. "LEWIS, Morgan [1754-1844] -- American statesman". Ancestry. com. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
- ^ "Morgan Lewis". www.nysm.nysed.gov. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
- ^ Roper, Donald M. "Lewis, Morgan (b New York City, 16 Oct 1754; d New York City, 7 Apr 1844). Governor". New York Hall of Governors. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
- ^ Raimo, Sobel, Robert, and John. "Morgan Lewis". www.nga.org. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "LEWIS, Morgan [1754-1844] -- American statesman". ancestorry.com. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
- ^ "Morgan Lewis | hallofgovernors.ny.gov". hallofgovernors.ny.gov. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
- ^ "Morgan Lewis". www.nysm.nysed.gov. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
- ^ "Brigadier General Morgan Lewis - Quartermaster General 1812-1813". www.qmfound.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
- ^ "LEWIS, Morgan [1754-1844] -- American statesman". freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
- ^ "Morgan Lewis | hallofgovernors.ny.gov". hallofgovernors.ny.gov. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
- ^ Raimo, Sobel, Robert, and John. "Morgan Lewis". www.nga.org. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "LEWIS, Morgan [1754-1844] -- American statesman". freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
- ^ "Brigadier General Morgan Lewis - Quartermaster General 1812-1813". www.qmfound.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
- ^ "LEWIS, Morgan [1754-1844] -- American statesman". freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
- ^ Belinsky, Stefan. "Morgan Lewis". nysm.gov. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ^ "Morgan Lewis". www.nndb.com. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
- ^ Morse, Howard Holdridge. Historical Old Rhinebeck, Echoes of Two Centuries, Rhinebeck. 1908, p. 242
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 185.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 186.
