Morgan Lewis
Gubernatorial portrait of Morgan Lewis
3rd Governor of New York
In office July 1, 1804 – June 30, 1807
Lieutenant	John Broome
Preceded by	George Clinton
Succeeded by	Daniel D. Tompkins
New York State Attorney General
In office November 8, 1791 – December 24, 1792
Governor	George Clinton John Jay
Preceded by	Morgan Lewis
Succeeded by	Josiah Ogden Hoffman
Grand Master of the MasonicGrand Lodge of New York
In office 1830–1843
Preceded by	Stephen Van Rensselaer
Succeeded by	Alexander H. Robertson
Personal details
Born	(1754-10-16)October 16, 1754 New York City,Province of New York,British America
Died	April 7, 1844(1844-04-07) (aged 89) New York City, U.S.
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Spouse	Gertrude Livingston ​ ​ (m. 1779; died 1833)​
Relations	Maturin Livingston (son-in-law)
Children	Margret Lewis Livingston
Parent(s)	Francis Lewis Elizabeth Annesley
Signature
Military service
Branch/service	Continental Army United States Army
Years of service	1774–?, 1812–1815
Rank	Major General
Battles/wars	Revolutionary War War of 1812

Morgan Lewis (October 16, 1754 – April 7, 1844) was an American lawyer, politician, and military commander. The second son ofFrancis Lewis, a signer of theDeclaration of Independence, Lewis fought in theAmerican Revolutionary War and theWar of 1812. He served in the New York State Assembly (1789, 1792) and the New York State Senate (1811–1814) and was New York State Attorney General (1791–1801) and the thirdgovernor of New York (1804–1807).

Morgan Lewis was born on October 16, 1754, ofWelsh descent, the second son ofFrancis Lewis (1713–1802) and Elizabeth (née Annisley) Lewis (1715–1778). Lewis grew up inElizabethtown, New Jersey,^[1] where he decided to dedicate himself to theministry.^[2] However, based on his father's advice, he attended the College of New Jersey, which is now Princeton University, graduating in 1773, and began to study law. He read law alongsideJohn Jay.^[3] His studies were interrupted by military service during theAmerican Revolutionary War, but he was admitted to the bar in 1783.^[4]

From September 1, 1776, to the end of the war he was a colonel and theQuartermaster General for the Northern Department.

In 1774, he joined theAmerican Revolution as a volunteer in theContinental Army. Lewis was then made a captain of a regiment of the New York militia. Once the 2nd New York militia regiment was organized, he was promoted to the rank of major.^[5] He was then appointed chief-of-staff to GeneralHoratio Gates, with the rank of colonel, and accompanied himinto Canada, and soon after congress appointed him quartermaster-general of the Northern Army. In 1775, he planned and executed the night attack on Stone Arabia, and was in command at the battle ofCrown Point, where he was accompanied by New York GovernorGeorge Clinton. He was prominent throughout the campaign that ended with the surrender ofJohn Burgoyne atSaratoga.^[6]

After the Revolution, Lewis completed his legal studies while he lived inAlbany, New York, boarding at the riverside home of James Bloodgood. In 1779, the tax list showed him living there with personal property valued at $2,000, one of the city's highest assessments. Later, he qualified for a "bounty right" as a member of the city regiment of the Albany County Militia. During that time, he acquired some Albany property.^[7] He was elected to theNew York State Assembly, 1789 and 1792, and theNew York State Senate from 1811 to 1814. He wasNew York State Attorney General (December 24, 1791 – October 28, 1801) and later Justice andChief Justice (October 28, 1801)^[8] of theSupreme Court of New York.^[9]

He served asgovernor of New York from 1804 to 1807, defeating Vice PresidentAaron Burr in the race to succeedGeorge Clinton as governor. In theNew York gubernatorial election, 1804, he was largely responsible for splitting theJeffersonian Republican Party in New York into "Lewisites" (allies of Lewis) and the "Clintonians" (allies of New York MayorDeWitt Clinton) with his combination of Lewisites (labeled "Quids" by the Clintonians) andFederalists.^[10]

During his tenure, theUnited States Military Academy at West Point was established, the state's militia system was restructured, and educational improvements were sanctioned.^[11] On April 30, 1807, he was defeated inhis run for re-election byDaniel D. Tompkins, also a future vice president. Tompkins received 35,074 votes, and Morgan Lewis received 30,989 votes. He then returned home toStaatsburg, Dutchess County, New York, where he turned his attention to agriculture. Having given up the practice of law, Lewis established a cloth factory, and for several years devoted himself to manufacturing. The failure of a mercantile house to which his goods were assigned caused him to discontinue the business.^[12]

Prior to theWar of 1812, Lewis declined the office ofUS Secretary of War under PresidentJames Madison. Instead, he resumed his duties asQuartermaster General and served in western New York. He was commissioned as abrigadier general on April 3, 1812, and was promoted tomajor general on March 2, 1813, as part of his service on theNiagara Frontier.^[13] He commanded the American forces at theBattle of Fort George. Although the British position was captured, Lewis ordered ColonelWinfield Scott to break off the pursuit of the defeated British troops. But for Lewis's overcaution, Scott might have been able to capture Major GeneralJohn Vincent's entire division and greatly weaken the British defense of the Niagara Peninsula. Later, Lewis was appointed as commander of Upstate New York. He procured the release of the American prisoners in Canada, advanced from his private fortune the money for its accomplishment, and rewarded his own tenants who had served in or sent sons to the war by allowing them free rent for the time they served in the army.^[14] After the war, Lewis was discharged from the Army on June 15, 1815.

Lewis was apresidential elector in thepresidential election of 1828.

In 1779, he marriedGertrude Livingston (1757–1833), the daughter of Margaret Beekman and JudgeRobert Livingston. They lived inRhinebeck and then inHyde Park inDutchess County, New York. In 1790, his Rhinebeck household was served by eight slaves.^[15] Together, Morgan and Gertrude had:

• Margret Lewis (1780–1860),^[16] who marriedMaturin Livingston (1769–1847), a lawyer and politician from New York.

In 1792, Lewis, purchased an estate covering of about 334 acres (135 ha) inStaatsburg, New York, and commissioned the construction of a colonial-style house. In the summer of 1824, on hisvisit to the United States, theMarquis de Lafayette dined there on his way upriver to visit Lewis' brother-in-law,Chancellor Livingston.^[17]

In 1832, the house was destroyed by a fire, said to be an act ofarson committed by disgruntled tenant farmers. After the fire, Lewis and his wife immediately replaced the structure with aGreek Revival mansion with 25 rooms. The house was inherited in 1844 after Morgan Lewis died, by his daughter Margaret and her husband, Maturin Livingston.

Lewis was aFreemason and served asGrand Master in theGrand Lodge of New York from 1830 to 1843. From 1832 to 1835, he was the president of theHistorical Society of New York. Lewis was an original member of the New YorkSociety of the Cincinnati and served as its president general from 1839 to 1844. He also helped to foundNew York University in New York City.

Lewis died inNew York City on April 7, 1844.

The following communities have been named in Lewis' honor:

• Lewis County, New York,^[18]
• TheTown andVillage of Lewiston, inNew York,^[19]
• TheTown of Lewis inEssex County, New York

• Governor Morgan Lewis
• Morgan Lewis atFind a Grave
• The Morgan Lewis Papers 1715-1860 at the New York Historical Society

• 1754 births
• 1844 deaths
• Livingston family
• Princeton University alumni
• Governors of New York (state)
• Continental Army officers from New York (state)
• Members of the New York State Assembly
• New York (state) state senators
• New York State attorneys general
• New York University people
• New York Supreme Court justices
• American people of Welsh descent
• Quartermasters General of the United States Army
• New York (state) Democratic-Republicans
• 1828 United States presidential electors
• University and college founders
• People from colonial New York
• Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States
• 18th-century members of the New York State Legislature

• CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list
• Source attribution
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• Short description matches Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from October 2011