William F. Lehew

Company G, 11th Iowa Infantry

William Fletcher Lehew (5) (Thomas Lehew 4, John Lehew 3, Spencer Lehew 2, Peter Lehew 1)

William Fletcher Lehew son of Thomas Lehew and wife Catherine (Fletcher) was born in or near Zanesville, Ohio on December 1, 1821. On October 28, 1841, William Lehew and Mary Roberts were married in Muskingum County, Ohio. In 1850, census records show William F. and wife Mary were living in Union Town, Newton Township, Muskingum County, Ohio. By 1857, William and Mary had moved with their four children from Ohio to Henry County, Iowa.

In the fall of 1861, at the age of 41, William F. Lehew and his son Thomas left Henry County and traveled to Davenport, Iowa. On September 18, 1861, William Lehew enrolled into the 11^th Iowa Volunteer Infantry and was then mustered into Company G. on October 15, 1861. During this time, William was elected to the rank of Lieutenant. From September 15 through November 15, 1861, the 11^th Iowa was equipped and drilled at Camp McClellan, Davenport, Iowa. On November 16, 1861, Company G. left Davenport on the Steamer "Jennie Whipple" and proceeded to St. Louis, Missouri. Lt. Lehew and his company were quartered at the Benton Barracks from November 19, 1861 to December 9, 1861, when the regiment left St, Louis and marched to Jefferson City, Missouri. Lt. Lehew was present with his company during its campaign in Missouri during late 1861 and early 1862. In the spring of 1861, Lt. Lehew, along with Company G. was involved in the Battle of Shiloh, Tennessee. After the Battle of Shiloh, Lt. Lehew was sent to the hospital with intermittent fever followed by camp diarrhea and piles. Lt. Lehew was treated by the Regimental Surgeon William Watson, and on June 9, 1862, sent a letter of resignation to Major Abercombia, Commander of the 11^th Regiment Iowa Infantry. On June 11, 1862, Lt. William Lehew’s letter of resignation was signed by Major General U.S. Grant at the Headquarter of the Army of the Tennessee. William Fletcher Lehew returned to Iowa where he spent the rest of the Civil War.

In 1879 the Western Historical Company’s (History if Henry County) listed W.F. Lehew as a carpenter. This sketch also gives a brief review of William Lehew’s son Robert Milton Lehew (Private Co. G. 11^th Iowa Vol. Inf.), then Auditor of Henry County. William and Mary Lehew were living in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa at the time of the 1880 census. On September 10, 1889, William Lehew’s wife Mary A. (Roberts) Lehew died in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Sometime after the death of his first wife, William moved to Elk County, Kansas. On January 15, 1891, William Lehew (age 68) was married to Abigail J. Townley (age 59) of Elk Falls. This marriage was officiated by the Reverend J. N. Kidd. William Lehew’s pension records show Abigail’s J. Holmes first husband, John Townley died on October 26, 1889 and was buried in Elk County, Kansas by the Masonic Fraternity. On November 17, 1892, William Lehew died of disease in Baldwin, Douglas County, Kansas. The date of death and final resting-place of Abigail Lehew is unknown.

Children of William and Mary Lehew: 1. Thomas H. Lehew, Born 1843 (Pvt. Go .G 11^th Iowa Vol. Inf.) 2. Robert Milton Lehew, born Feb 6, 1845 (Pvt. Co. G. 11^th Iowa Vol. Inf.). 3. Lydia Lehew, born 1848. 4. Dillon Lehew, born 1850. There were no children born by his second wife Abigail J. Holmes (Townley) Lehew.

This information was compiled from the following sources. 1. Lt. Lehew’s military and pension records. 2. (Book) Peter Lehew of Front Royal, Virginia and Some of His Descendents (compiled by James Huston LeHue and Edith Foster 1967). 3. Historical Sketch – Eleventh Iowa Volunteer Infantry.

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