Person:Thomas Lewis (88)

Lewis-McHenry Duel

The Lewis-McHenry Duel was supposedly the first duel in Virginia fought with rifles. The duel took place near the Montgomery County Courthouse at dawn on Monday, May 9, 1808. The principals were Thomas Lewis, a 22-year old lawyer and grandson of General Andrew Lewis, and John McHenry, a resident of the western part of the county who was a much older man than Lewis. Both men died as a result of the duel; Lewis died immediately and McHenry died the next evening. Lewis is buried in the Madison Cemetery in rural community of Shawsville, and McHenry in the Craig Cemetery in Christiansburg. The Lewis-McHenry duel had far-reaching effects, as in 1810, it influenced the passage of the "Barbour Bill" outlawing dueling in Virginia.

1.   Peyton, John Lewis. History of Augusta County, Virginia. (Staunton, Virginia: Samuel M. Yost and Son, 1882).

   Col. Andrew Lewis was twice married—first to a daughter of Thomas Madison, by whom he had three children., one, Charles, who died unmarried, and Thomas, who was killed by McHenry in a duel fought with rifles, which was fatal to both parties. This event created great interest at the time of its occurrence, not only on account of the high standing and character of the parties, but of its tragical termination. The only daughter of Col. Lewis by this marriage was Agatha, who married Col. Elijah McClanahan and left a large number of descendants. By his second marriage with Mrs. Bryant, he had one daughter, Kitty, who married Joseph King, and is still living on Bent Mountain with her son, Joseph R. King.