Traveling On

Having spent the last few days on the first in a series of ancestral travelers along this dusty trail, I am moving on. Leaving Margaret Lynn and John Lewis isn't easy. I find their story captivating. Speaking of "captivating", the dire circumstance I mentioned yesterday had to do with a kidnapping that left the family temporarily bereft of hope.  More on that and on their life in general appears in my Southern Bypass book.  My information came solely from the copy of Margaret's journal I found in "the box" mentioned at the onset of this blog. My research to find the original manuscript led to a dead end, but the contents of her diary that relate to early Staunton and to the Lewis family are well-documented.

To complete my coverage of this early tale, I'll use Margaret Lynns' summation of her children as adults. She wrote that Charles, the youngest son, died in battle at Point Pleasant, and William was confined by sickness, but had thirteen sickness. Apparently his sickness came late in life. At the end of her journal she wrote:

"...I feel like a traveler whose way was laid by a devious and uphill road, now in some sweet peaceful day, turns to survey the way he has come... Dear Andrew, who is known as General Lewis, still follows the fortunes of his great chief, Washington...Thomas is in the honorable House of Burgessess."

The fate of dear Alice is somewhat a mystery, but the journal says she married and every now and then, with a far away look, retold the story of her days as White Dove.

The photo is of the clip made from the knee-buckles worn by Andrew Lewis when he served under General George Washington.  The description was written by my grandmother. The initials on the clip are EG, Elizabeth Lewis Gilmer, the granddaughter of Margaret Lynn and John Lewis.

Adieu for now to my great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother, Margaret Lynn Lewis. She died in 1773, eleven years after her husband's death in 1762.
Tomorrow, a new member of the cast will be introduced.

Speaking of Early Routes

Here we go in 2010- a road yet to be traveled except for these early minutes of the new year. So far, so good.

Back to my book and the past. My people and I get to be the voices in my chronicle of times and lives, and at times, they (my people) may rue the day I became one of theirs, wishing I had kept my mouth shut and their lives, too. On the other hand, some could possibly feel exonerated through my revelations.

Their letters, books, and logs of all sorts of trivia and trials, victories and heart-wrenching defeats, might make one wonder if saving penned testimonies serves a good or regretful purpose. I'm certainly wondering about all the journals I've kept through the years. No decision yet on that one.

The truth'll set you free, so they say. I toast freedom on the cusp of a New Year and tomorrow, Margaret Lynn Lewis, my great times six grandmother, takes the lead in my cast of travelers as she reveals her truth from her journal circa 1700's. Here's what was etched on her husband, John Lewis', tomb in Staunton, Virginia:

“In 1732, John Lewis with his family, found a home in the then wilds of the Shenandoah Valley, where he resided for thirty years, then died, and found a grave where he had found a home. His tomb, two miles East of Staunton, is on a hill overlooking the Valley of Lewis River, and about three hundred yards from Fort Lewis, reared by himself, a portion of which structure still stands. His grave is marked by a marble slab, six feet in height, and three inches in thickness, on which is the following inscription:

‘Here lie the remains of
John Lewis,
Who slew the Irish Lord, settled Augusta County,
Located the town of Staunton
And furnished five sons to fight the battles of
The American Revolution,-
He was the son of Andrew Lewis, Esq., and Mary Calhoun,
And was born in Donegal County, Ireland, 1678
And died in Virginia Feb. 1st, 1762
He was a brave man, a true patriot, and a firm friend
Of liberty throughout the world.’ ”

More on "Liberty" and such in the next posting when John's wife speaks.
Happy New Year!