Colonel Fielding Lewis, was a leading citizen and patriot in Fredericksburg before and during the Revolutionary War. He married Betty Washington, George Washington’s only sister.
Lewis the Storekeep
Although not a soldier, Fielding Lewis was a patriot in every sense of the word. He was in charge of the militia in Spotsylvania County, hence the title “Colonel”. Lewis provided salt peter, sulphur, powder, and lead for the manufacture of ammunition and shipped sundries items such as salt, flour, bacon and clothing to the soldiers during the Revolutionary War. When necessary, Fielding Lewis and his staff cared for the wounded operating a makeshift field hospital.
Lewis the Shipbuilder
The Lewis family manufactured tallships, most notably “the Dragon” which was built in Fredericksburg. Captain Eleazer Callendar supervised Fielding Lewis’ enterprise construction of “the Dragon” and Callendar took command of her in October 1777. The Dragon’s first mission was to protect the Rappahannock River. Later, it ventured into service in the Chesapeake Bay. It continued to serve after the Revolutionary War and finally sank in the early 1800’s while berthed in Norfolk, Virginia.
Lewis the Politician
Fielding Lewis represented Spotsylvania County in the Virginia House of Burgesses on at least 12 occasions, and was in attendance when Patrick Henry, “The Voice of the Revolution”, delivered his famous Stamp Act speech to those assembled in Williamsburg in 1765. “If this be treason, make the most of it.”
Lewis the Firearms Manufacturer
Lewis served on the Committee of Safety of Fredericksburg and in 1775 appointed, along with Charles Dick and three others, to manufacture small arms for the newly formed government. Virginia’s third revolutionary convention contributed the first 25,000 pounds, but most of the operating funds came from the personal account of Colonel Lewis. It was the first such factory in America. Two historical markers have been placed at the site near Walker-Grant Middle School on Gunnery Road, one marker describes use of the land during the Spanish American War and a spring located there while the other marker describes the gun factory. In May 1777, a visitor to the “Fredericksburg Gunnery” reported that workers there were producing “20 musquets, complete with bayonets” a week. Of this production schedule, the Kenmore Association says:
“Unfortunately, the patriotic zeal which distinguished Col. Lewis also ruined him financially. He advanced increasingly large sums from his personal funds for the expenses of the Fredericksburg Gunnery as well as for outfitting ships.”
Tragedy: Lewis Never Saw the End of the War
Fielding Lewis died in December 1781, just two months after the defeat of Cornwallis at Yorktown. The exact date of his death is unknown, but he wrote his will in October 1781 and his estate was settled in January 1782. Historian Paula Felder, a recognized expert on the Lewis and Washington families and author of the book “Fielding Lewis and the Washington Family: A Chronicle of 18th Century Fredericksburg“ says Colonel Lewis died while visiting his son, Fielding Lewis, Jr., at his home in the Shenandoah Valley in Frederick County (now Clarke County), Virginia. She bases this on a letter Robert Lewis wrote to his sister Betty “Lewis” Carter in 1826. Both, Robert and Betty were children of Fielding Lewis. In the letter, Robert urges Betty to live on Fielding, Jr.’s land.
“You would be in the neighborhood where the venerated remains of our dear decd. Father lie.”
Fielding Lewis and Betty Washington’s Home
Colonel Lewis built his home in Fredericksburg and operated a store there. His home, a mansion renamed Kenmore House sometime around 1819, and his store, still stand. It was built by Fielding’s father, John, in the 1740s. It is the oldest standing store in the United States. Renovation on the store was completed in 2003. Work on the interior of Kenmore House continues.
Related:
Fielding Lewis and the Washington Family: A Chronicle of 18th Century Fredericksburg By Paula S. Felder
Fredericksburg: A Pictorial History By the Fredericksburg Visitor Center (540) 373-1776
Historic Kenmore. George Washington Foundation
Lives and Legacies: The Lewis Ships That Sailed the Atlantic World, Ferry Farm and Kenmore Blog
Lives and Legacies: The Voyage of the ‘Stanton’, Ferry Farm and Kenmore Blog