Lewis, W. G. (William Gaston), 1835-1901.

William Gaston Lewis (1835-1901), was a civil engineer, Confederate brigadier general, surveyor, and resident of Edgecombe County, N.C.

From the description of W. G. Lewis papers, 1855-1911. WorldCat record id: 24923912

William Gaston Lewis was born in 1835 in Rocky Mount, N.C., the son of Dr. John Wesley Lewis and Catherine Ann Battle. He studied civil engineering at the University of North Carolina and graduated in 1855. In 1861 Lewis enlisted in the Confederate Army as third lieutenant of Company A, First North Carolina Regiment ( Bethel ). He saw action in the Battle of Bethel, Battle of New Bern, the Seven Days' Campaign, the Battle of Malvern Hill, Battle of Gettysburg, Battle of Cold Harbor, and in numerous other battles and skirmishes. Lewis also supervised the entrenchment of Drewry's Bluff, Va. He was wounded twice, both times after he rose to the rank of brigadier general in June 1864. Lewis was paroled at Farmville, Va., in April 1865.

In 1864, Lewis married Martha Lucinda Pender ( Mittie ) of Tarboro, N.C. Following the war, Lewis lived in Edgecombe County, N.C., and worked as an engineer for various railroads, as a surveyor, and as a farmer. He died in 1901.

From the guide to the W. G. Lewis Papers, 1855-1911, (Southern Historical Collection)