Henry Lewis of Virginia

Henry Lewis of Virginia (1760* - 1849)

Cornwallis' army in Virginia was composed mostly of Free People of Colour***, and African American slaves who were promised their freedom if they fought as loyalists, as well as Native Americans*** who were allies of the British. Henry Lewis' name is included on a memorial erected to honour the "Black Loyalists" who settled in Nova Scotia. Further research indicates that Henry Lewis was one of the "Indian allies" considered to be loyalists by the British. He was more than likely descendant from Algonquian language speakers of the Powhatan Confederacy who had coalesced with the Saponi (Eastern Sioux).

Henry Lewis of Virginia signed up with the Royal North Carolina Regiment Feb 1781 at Hillsborough, Orange NC, which was part of Cornwallis' army in the American Revolution. The unit was formed in 1779 under Lieutenant Colonel John Hamilton. Cornwallis had raised the King's standard at Hillsborough 22 Feb 1781, which was the capital of NC at the time. It was there he put out a call for all who were loyal to the British Crown to take up arms and join his forces. The campaign over the spring and summer of 1781 culminated in his surrender at Charlestown 19 Oct 1781. As part of the condition of surrender, Cornwallis asked that the Native American*** allies who fought with him not be punished. However, this was denied on the grounds that loyalists were a matter for the civil government rather than the military. British troops were to be loaded on the sloop 'Bonetta' and sent to New York as prisoners of war. In order to protect the Native American allies, Cornwallis loaded as many of them as possible on the 'Bonetta' and sent them off as if they were British. Henry Lewis was among them. Henry Lewis remained in New York for over a year as a prisoner on parole, meaning he made a pledge as a prisoner not to engage in any military activity in exchange for his freedom within a fixed area.

With the end of the war came an exodus of the loyalists**. Henry Lewis' unit was mustered at St Augustine GA 26 Apr 1783 and plans were made for a large number of them to depart for Nova Scotia. Henry was a part of a group of some 329 officers and men under Major James Wright that departed in the fall of 1783 on the ship 'Nymph' which landed at Country Harbour, Antigonish County, Dec 1782. Major Wright secured a land grant at now Stormont. The initial petition includes 100 acres for Henry Lewis, however, he did not settle there. By Spring of 1784 he had departed for the Halifax, St Margarets Bay area (Kji panu'pek) where he married Catherine Elizabeth Boutilier (1770 - 1847) in 1788. This is where their first eight children were born (Catherine Elizabeth, Jane, James, John David, George, John, John William, and Frederick James Lewis). Between 1810 and 1811 they migrated to Cape Breton / Wunamakik where their ninth child (Michael Lewis) and tenth child (Joseph Joel Henry Lewis) were born.
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Notes
* Some have his birth year as 1758. Some also have his name as "Harry" (a nickname for Harold?) and have given him a middle name of "Phillip" and as well have elevated his rank to that of "Corporal" in the "British Army". NB: none of that is documented! (180712) Further, if he actually had been in the "British Army" rather than the Royal North Carolina Regiment (Cornwallis' army), he would have returned to the UK or been assigned elsewhere after he left the colonies. (180716)
** loyalists in this case Native American (Virginia and Carolinas) allies of the British. Indigenous peoples and Free People of Colour at the time may have been allies of the English Crown, and many were, individuals as well as nations, however they were never subjects, nor were they Englishmen, and they should be considered allies - in accord with various treaties - never loyalists. (180712)
*** Native American was not a term in use at that time, but Free People of Colour was in use, a term inclusive of Free Africans, East and West Asians, Indigenous peoples, and "mixed race" peoples, who were described with words such as Mestees, Mulattos, and Mustees by the Englishmen. (180712) In NS land records, Henry Lewis is described as Native of Virginia. See Henry Lewis Biographical Notes in this blog. (180716)

NB: this is not the same Cornwallis who put in the scalping bounty for "Indian" men, women and children who is pretty much universally hated by Mi'kmaq - but he is probably related.

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(first published in this blog) edited 19 Sep 2012, updated 25 Sep 2014
24 Jan 2013, returned here 15 Jan 2018, edited and updated 12, 15, 16 Jul 2018