John Randolph Lewis
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John Randolph Lewis | |
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| Born | September 22, 1834 Edinboro, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | February 8, 1900 (aged 65) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Alma mater | |
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| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | Union Army |
| Service years | 1861–1865 |
| Rank | Brevet Brigadier General |
| Unit | |
| Conflicts | American Civil War |
Brigadier-General John Randolph Lewis (September 22, 1834 – February 8, 1900)[1][2] was an American dentist, soldier, administrator, and postmaster, known for his work with the Freedmen's Bureau.
Lewis was born in Edinboro, Pennsylvania. He left home when he was 15[3] and moved to Buffalo, New York, where he studied dentistry with his uncle John Lewis;[1] there, in 1856, he married Frances Helen Mattice.[1]
He also studied at the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery,[3] graduating with a DDS in 1858.[4] He and his wife later moved to Burlington, Vermont, where he earned an MD from the University of Vermont,[4] and continued to practice dentistry until the outbreak of the American Civil War.[1]
Civil War
On April 20, 1861, Lewis enlisted in the Union Army,[3] joining the 1st Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment as a private in Company H.[4] He fought in the Battle of Big Bethel[4][3] in June 1861.
In September 1861, he joined the 5th Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment as a captain in Company I. In July 1862, he was promoted to Major; and in October 1862, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.[4]
During the Battle of White Oak Swamp in June 1862, Lewis was struck in the right leg by a fragment of an artillery shell. He later participated in all the 5th Regiment's battles with the exception of Mine Run and Antietam until May 1864, when his left arm was amputated at the shoulder as a result of injuries he suffered during the first day of the Battle of the Wilderness. He was then transported to Fredericksburg, and then Buffalo, where his wife tended him during his convalescence. In September 1864, he was honorably discharged, and joined the Veteran Reserve Corps (VRC) as a colonel;[4] in March 1865, he was promoted to brigadier general.[3]
Lewis served on the VRC's examining board[4] until the war's end in June 1865,[1] "inspecting men in hospitals"[3] to ascertain whether they were injured too badly to return to duty.[1]