Joshua Lewis (abt. 1819 - abt. 1892)

Born about 1819 in Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Caroline A. (Martin) Lewis — married 8 Oct 1840 in Spotsylvania, Virginia, United States

Died about 16 Jun 1892 at about age 73 in Mount Clare Station, Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Biography

Joshua was born between July and October 1819.^[1] He was the son of Benjamin Lewis and Nancy Ann Ratcliffe. It is likely he was born on the family farm which was located on the Old Plank Road about 7 miles from Fredericksburg.^[2]

Joshua married Caroline A. Martin, daughter of William Martin and Fenton Bowling Martin, on October 8, 1840 in Spotsylvania. The Martins also resided in Spotsylvania.^[3]

Charles Andrew Lewis, their first child was born August 17, 1841 in Fredericksburg, Virginia (per enlistment papers in the Union Army).

Joshua left Spotsylvania in the early 1840's and was listed in the 1850 Census for Harper's Ferry, Jefferson County, Virginia (later West Virginia). His occupation was recorded as an Armorer in that Census, which was a skilled position. According to a court records of Spotsylvania county circuit court, neither Ann Lewis, Joshua's mother, or his siblings had not heard from Joshua for over 10 years as of 1862 and his whereabouts were unknown.^[4]

Arthur Clayton Lewis their second son was born in 1844 in probably Harper's Ferry, Virginia (based on 1870 Census place of birth listed as West Virginia).

A third son, Gordon Lewis, was born in 1848 and a fourth son Norman F. Lewis in 1852. ^[5]

Sometime between 1850 and 1860 Joshua changed occupations from being an armorer to that of an engineer on the B & O RR (more to come).^[6] The 1880 Census for Bolivar shows his occupation as an engineer ^[7] as well as the Baltimore City directory in 1885.^[8]

By the 1860 Census, Joshua had moved to the village of Sandy Hook which was immediately across the river from Harper's Ferry on the Maryland side, There he owned property per the 1860 census.

In 1861 a Baltimore Sun column of war news covered an incident outside of Washington, DC. A train, with Joshua as its engineer, ran a Union picket guarding the entry into Washington which resulted in Union soldiers firing at the train. Joshua and the other two men in charge were not to blame and it was implied that there were insufficient precautions set up to allow a train to have enough time to properly slow down and stop.^[9]

Sometime in the 1870's Joshua and Caroline moved from Sandy Hook on the Maryland side to nearby Bolivar on the West Virginia side. The town of Bolivar sits on higher ground overlooking Harper's Ferry.

Joshua is recorded in 1880 living with Caroline in the town of Bolivar.^[10]

Joshua became estranged from his wife Caroline, who was living in the town of Bolivar. This fact is based on notations to property deeds recorded by township officials (viewed by the author). Sometime in the 1880's Joshua is living in Baltimore and appears to work as a flagman and a watchmen.

He died Thursday, June 16, 1892 while working as a watchman for the B & O RR. He was waiting to start his shift travelling between the Mount Clare Station, also known as Mt. Clare Depot, just blocks away from Camden Station in downtown Baltimore. He was living at 129 South Poppleton Street in Baltimore.^[11]

Research Notes

• Joshua's date of birth estimate based on interpolation of his age listed in the 1850 US Federal Census for Harper's Ferry, Jefferson County, Virginia, the 1860 US Federal Census for Sandy Hook, Washington County, Maryland, and the 1880 US Federal Census, Bolivar, Jefferson County, West VirginiaPflueger-97 20:45, 11 September 2023 (UTC)

• In 1868 Richard Shelton sued the estate of Ann [Ratcliff] Lewis for unpaid bills in Chancery Court, Circuit Court of Spotsylvania. Ann had died intestate with little personal property except for the farm she inherited from her husband Benjamin. In the court document Ann's heirs are listed, children and grandchildren, along with spouses for married daughters or grand daughters at the time of the case. The document also lists the size of the lot which was "about 37 and 3/4 acres locate 7 miles from Fredericksburg on the Plank Road (now known as the Old Plank Road) in Spotsylvania county. This location and the families mentioned in the court document would become heavily involved with several major battles during the Civil War (Spotsylvania Court House, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and the Wilderness).Pflueger-97 20:45, 11 September 2023 (UTC)

• We can speculate that Joshua may have been working in Fredericksburg possibly at the local arms depot. This would have provided him the training he would have needed to become an armorer soon after, Also it is possible that Joshua may have gotten a reference from one of his Lewis cousins who was involved with the arms depot in Fredericksburg. (more to come)Pflueger-97 21:35, 13 September 2023 (UTC)

• The period of 1851 to 1855 saw a period of payroll reduction at the rifle works with up to 50% of workforce reduced. (See Frye, Dennis E. and Oliver, Catherine M., Confluence, Harper's Ferry as Destiny, Harper's Ferry Park Association, Hagerstown, MD, 2019). It was likely during this time that Joshua made his career change. His experience as a skilled laborer with the armory may have enabled him to get trained as a steam engine engineer. Pflueger-97 15:09, 15 September 2023 (UTC)

• While Joshua may have been away much of the time as an engineer for the B & O RR, his family would have had have likely had to live through all the events of the Civil War first hand (see Six Years of Hell by Hearn below).Pflueger-97 15:09, 15 September 2023 (UTC)

• Joshua, Caroline and Norman do not appear in the 1870 census for either Sandy Hook, Harper's Ferry, or Bolivar. Two of their sons, Charles and Arthur were already living in Bolivar by June 1870 (1870 Census, Bolivar Township, West Virginia). One of the worst floods occurred in September of 1870.Pflueger-97 17:34, 14 September 2023 (UTC)

• Regarding the death of Joshua Lewis, family lore (from Joshua's grand children) had it that he died in the early 1890's in or near Camden Station (B&O RR), Baltimore, Maryland. The Mount Clare Station is just blocks away from the Camden Station in downtown Baltimore. An article in the Baltimore Sun relates the death of a Joshua Lewis who is of the right age, time period and associated to the B & O RR. The article also provides his last address in Baltimore.Pflueger-97 21:35, 13 September 2023 (UTC)

Suggested Reading, Websites and More

The following items are suggestions for getting more context of a feel of Joshua's world:Pflueger-97 17:34, 14 September 2023 (UTC)

Reading:

• Six Years of Hell: Harpers Ferry During the Civil War by Chester G. Hearn. Covers the history of Harper's Ferry during the civil war era. Harper's Ferry and the surrounding area was witness to the beginning of the war with John Brown's raid and as a major battle filed that changed hands multiple times.

• Confluence, Harper's Ferry as Destiny, Harper's Ferry Park Association, Hagerstown, MD, 2019

Interactive:

• Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania Virginia (where Joshua grew up)

• Harper's Ferry National Park, Sandy Hook (just across the Potomac via the RR bridge pedestrian way) and Bolivar. Harper's Ferry Cemetery is in Bolivar and is where Caroline Lewis and her son Arthur are buried (near the side gate from the road).

• Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, Baltimore MD. (Part of the museum includes Mont Clare Station where Joshua died as well as exhibits of the trains and ere that Joshua was an engineer. He would have known these grounds well and lived nearby on Poppleton street).

Sources

1. ↑ US Federal Census 1850, 1860,1880
2. ↑ Shelton vs. Lewis page 1
3. ↑ Virginia Marriages 1740-1850
4. ↑ Shelton vs Lewis page 2
5. ↑ 1850 Census Harpers Ferry and 1860 Census Sandy Hook
6. ↑ 1860 Federal Census
7. ↑ 1880 US Census, Bolivar, Jefferson, West Virginia
8. ↑ 1885 Baltimore City Directory
9. ↑ The Baltimore Sun, 1 June, 1861
10. ↑ 1880 US Census, Bolivar, Jefferson, West Virginia
11. ↑ The Baltimore Sun, 17 June, 1892

• Birth Ancestry Family Trees
• Death Ancestry Family Trees
• Year: 1850; Census Place: Harpers Ferry, Jefferson, Virginia; Roll: M432_953; Page: 413A; Image: 456, Ancestry.com, Provo, UT, USA, 2009
• Year: 1860; Census Place: Sandy Hook, Washington, Maryland; Roll: M653_483; Page: 338; Image: 58; Family History Library Film: 803483, Ancestry.com, Provo, Utah, USA, 2009
• Year: 1880; Census Place: Bolivar, Jefferson, West Virginia; Roll: 1404; Family History Film: 1255404; Page: 19C; Enumeration District: 002, Ancestry.com, Provo, Utah, 2010
• Shelton v Lewis, Circuit Court of Spotsylvania, 1868 (hand written copy of document) 5 pages
• Virginia, Marriages, 1740-1850, Ancestry.com, Provo, UT, USA, 2009
• Newspapers.com - The Baltimore Sun - 1 Jun 1861 - Page 1
• Confluence, Harper's Ferry as Destiny, Harper's Ferry Park Association, Hagerstown, MD, 2019
• Newspapers.com - The Baltimore Sun - 17 Jun 1892 - Page 8, "Dropped Dead", Death of Joshua Lewis
• Baltimore City Directory 1885, U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry.com, Provo, Utah, 2011 - Page 1804