| Birth: | Nov., 1746
Old Lyme
New London County
Connecticut, USA | | Death: | Jun. 18, 1833 | 
Joseph was the 1st of 8 children (5 sons and 3 daughters) born of William Lewis (d. 1806) and his wife Naomi (d. 1803).
In 1767, Joseph, at the age of 21 years, moved to Norwich, Gloucester (now Windsor) County, New York (now Vermont). At Norwich, he devoted a year or two to further study of medicine and then commenced practice.
Joseph married, 1771, Experience Burr (d. 1819) by whom he had eight children (4 sons and 4 daughters): Lyman, Joseph, Joel, Enos (1784-1823), Naomi, Lucy, Naomi, and Alpa.
About the last of August 1775, Joseph entered the service as a Surgeon. He marched wirh a body of volunteers to Haverhill, Grafton County, New Hampshire where they drew provisions, and then proceeded through the woods to Lake Champlain. At Williston in the New Hampshire Grants (now in Chittenden County, Vermont), they fell in with Lieutenant Levi Allen with whom they crossed the lake to Isle Aux Noix (now in the Province of Quebec, Canada) where they found General Richard Montgomery with the Northern Department of the American Army. General Montgomery's army was proceeding against Quebec City. From Isle Aux Noix, they moved to Muddy Point near St. Johns Landing, Canada where they remained one night. The next day, they proceeded by a circuitous route to Colonel Beedle's encampment about a mile below St. Johns. During this days march they suprised a body of Indians and soon after had a stout engagement with a detachment of British troops who immediately fled to St. Johns. Joseph remained at Colonel Beedle's encampment 46 days during which time they kept up a scattered fire upon the Fort at St. Johns and made an assault and took St. Johns and Chamblee and 700 prisoners. The army then proceeded down the river to Sorell. Joseph was left at St. Johns to care for the sick and wounded for about two weeks. He then proceeded to Chamblee and from thence to Montreal at which place he found the troops with General Montgomery who had taken eleven sail of British shipping. He then went on board the Graspee and proceeded nearly to Three Rivers where the vessel ran aground and was detained three days. Joseph then went on board a Schooner and proceeded to H. Teaux 5 miles below Saint de Tremblee and about 4 miles above Quebec City where they established a Hospital which he superintended during the winter. Joseph was in the engagement as a volunteer on the 31st day of December when the city of Quebec was attacked. He was in Major Coffin's Division that attacked the Upper Tower. After serving until spring, he returned home in the month of April 1776.
On July 4, 1777, Joseph entered Colonel Jonathan Chase's New Hampshire Militia Regiment as it's Surgeon. The Regiment marched under the command of Major Francis Smith from Cornish, Sullivan County, New Hampshire and the Towns adjacent to reinforce the Garrison at Fort Ticonderoga at the time British General John Burgoyne was advancing up Lake Champlain. Joseph was discharged on July 11, 1777 having served 15 days. Soon, thereafter, Joseph served for 4 days, with his horse, in Captain Timothy Bush's (Norwich) Company that went to assist the Strafford, (now in Orange County), Vermont people in their retreat. A small fort had been built at Stratford for the protection of the settlers in Maidstone, Guildhall and Lunenburg. The fort was under the command of Captain Ward Bayley of Maidstone. Owing to his active opposition to the Indians and Tories in the area an attempt was made to capture him, without success. The raiding party did, however, take a few prisioners. They were taken to Canada.
On October 16, 1780, Joseph commenced 3 days of service as a Private in Captain Timothy Bush's Company, Colonel Peter Olcott's Vermont Militia Regiment at the time the enemy came to Royalton, (now in Windsor County), Vermont and burnt the town and took many captives. Tradition has it that on the 16th of October, 1780, Doctor Lewis was on horseback, with his five year old son riding behind him, riding to visit his patients quite a distance from his home, when he heard that the Indians were at Royalton and had burned that place. Joseph took his young son from the horse, gave him instructions how to find his way home, borrowed a gun from a neighbor and immediately left for the field of conflict.
Joseph was neither an office seeker nor office holder. He, however, was elected in 1808 Town Representative to the Vermont General Assembly. At the next election he declined to be a candidate.
References:
(1) "A History of Norwich Vermont" by M. E. Goddard & Henry V. Partridge, 1905, Pgs. 218-221
(2) US Federal Military Pension File # S4534
(3) "The State of New Hampshire. Rolls of the Soldiers in the Revolutionary War, May, 1777, to 1780:" Vol. II - of War Rolls., Vol. XV - of the Series, by Isaac W. Hammond, 1886, Pg. 38
(4) "The State of Vermont Rolls of the Soldiers in the Revolutionary War 1775-1783" by John E. Goodrich, 1904, Pgs. 22, 257-259 and 809
Inscription:
Doct. JOSEPH LEWIS
Died
June 18, 1833, aged
86 Years.
He was a practiceing physician
in this Town 57 years.
| | | Burial:
Fairview Cemetery
Norwich
Windsor County
Vermont, USA |
Created by: Chazmanbsr
Record added: Sep 21, 2008
Find A Grave Memorial# 29968963 |
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