Lewis Addison Armistead
Lewis Addison Armistead was born on February 18, 1817, in New Bern, North Carolina, to Walker and Elizabeth Armistead. His father was a soldier in the United States military who died on October 13, 1845. He enrolled at the United States Military Academy in 1833, but he resigned later that year. He returned the following year, but he resigned again in 1836 after breaking a plate over the head of fellow cadet Jubal Early. His father helped him secure a commission as a 2nd lieutenant in the 6th United States Infantry in July 1839, and he was promoted to 1st lieutenant in 1844.
Armistead married Cecelia Lee Love in Lowndes County, Alabama on February 13, 1844, and they had two children: Flora and Walker. He served in the Mexican American War, taking part in the Battle of Contreras, the Battle of Churubusco, and the Battle of Chapultepec. He was wounded at Chapultepec, and he earned brevet promotions to captain and then major during the war.
In 1850, Armistead was stationed in Fort Snelling in the Minnesota Territory. His wife died in Mobile, Alabama, on December 12, 1850, and he married Cornelia Taliaferro Jamison on March 17, 1853. He was promoted to captain in March 1855, and he spent the next three years stationed in the Kansas Territory and the Nebraska Territory. During the secession crisis, he was stationed in San Diego, California.
He sided with the Confederacy during the Civil War. He travelled to Virginia in 1861 and received a commission as a major in the 57th Virginia Infantry. He was promoted to colonel soon afterward. He took part in the Seven Days’ Battles, the Second Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Antietam, the Battle of Fredericksburg, the Battle of Chancellorsville, and the Battle of Gettysburg. He was eventually promoted to brigadier general. He was mortally wounded at Gettysburg, and he died on July 5, 1863.
Image: Lewis Addison Armistead (courtesy Wikicommons)
DATABASE CONTENT
| (2463) | Armistead, Lewis Addison | 1817-02-18 | 1863-07-05 |
- Conflict Side: Confederacy
- Role: Soldier
- Rank in: Major
- Rank out: Brigadier General
- Rank highest: Brigadier General
- Gender: Male
- Race: White
Documents - Records: 8
- (7216) [associated with] ~ Calvin W. Lewis to Luther W. Hopkins, 27 September 1910
- (7224) [associated with] ~ George Armistead to Luther W. Hopkins, 19 July 1910
- (7226) [associated with] ~ Calvin W. Lewis to Luther W. Hopkins, 9 July 1910
- (7227) [associated with] ~ Bowles E. Armistead to Luther W. Hopkins, 20 May 1910
- (7230) [associated with] ~ Calvin W. Lewis to Luther W. Hopkins, 14 May 1910
- (7232) [associated with] ~ Bowles E. Armistead to Luther W. Hopkins, 7 May 1910
- (7233) [associated with] ~ Calvin W. Lewis to Luther W. Hopkins, 3 May 1910
- (7400) [associated with] ~ Statement, undated
People - Records: 2
Places - Records: 2
Regiments - Records: 1
- (743) [officer] [F&S] ~ 57th Virginia Infantry
SOURCES
1850 and 1860 United States Federal Censuses, available from Ancestry.com; Alabama Marriage Index, 1800-1969, available from Ancestry.com; “Lewis Armistead” Wikipedia Profile, available from Wikipedia.org.
