The journal of the American-Irish Historical Society, Vol. II, 1899Various
History
The journal of the American-Irish Historical Society, Vol. II, 1899
Various
American-Irish Historical Society -- Periodicals; Ethnology -- United States -- Periodicals; Irish Americans -- Periodicals
Descendants of John Lewis, the father of Gen. Andrew Lewis, are numerous
in the state at this day. Some of them have been very distinguished men:
John F. Lewis, who died recently, was lieutenant-governor of Virginia,
and a senator of the United States. Lunsford L. Lewis, his half-brother,
was president of the supreme court of appeals of Virginia for twelve
years, retiring from that office a few years ago. Dr. Lewis Wheat is a
well-known practising physician of Richmond. Judge John Lewis Cochran,
whose mother was a great-granddaughter of John Lewis, father of Gen.
Andrew Lewis, and whose great-grandfather, with his wife, _née_ Susanna
Donnelly, came to America about 1742, was a gallant soldier in the
Confederate army, and a distinguished lawyer and judge. James C.
Cochran, brother to the foregoing, was a colonel of Confederate militia
in the late war. Henry King Cochran served as a surgeon in the
Confederate service throughout the war. William Lynn Cochran was a major
in the Confederate service, and a lawyer by profession. Howard Peyton
Cochran was a captain in the same service. It is claimed that there were
one hundred and five of the Lewis family in the service of the
Confederate states.
Another Irishman who came to Virginia and left his impress was John Daly
Burk, of Petersburg, Va. He was born in Ireland, and educated at Trinity
college, Dublin. Because of his political opinions and affiliations he
was compelled to leave the country (1797) while yet a student at
college. He first tried his fortune in Boston, and afterwards in New
York. But he received no encouragement. His love for Ireland and his
ardent democracy made against his success at the North, and he finally
came to Virginia. Here he became the friend of Jefferson and John
Randolph, both of whom encouraged the brilliant young refugee.
He was a lawyer, poet, dramatist and historian, and was undoubtedly one
of the most accomplished men in the state during his day. His history of
Virginia in four volumes was the first comprehensive history of the
state written, and is regarded as one of the best ever compiled. He also
wrote “A History of the Late War in Ireland,” with an account of the
United Irish Association, from the first meeting in Belfast, to the
landing of the French at Killala (8 vols., 1779, Philadelphia). Before
he completed the fourth volume of the history of Virginia he was killed
in a duel with a French gentleman at Campbell’s Bridge, Chesterfield
county, Virginia, on the 11th of April, 1808.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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