Lewis (Dewall) Duell (1812 - 1836)

Born 1812 in Manhattan, New York, USA

Died 6 Mar 1836 at about age 24 in The Alamo, San Antonio, Bexar, Texas

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Biography

Lewis Dewall ^[1] was born 1812 in Manhattan, New York County, New York to parents Joseph or John Dewall, who was a mason by trade and mother unknown. As Lewis grew up, he learned his father's trade of blacksmithing. ^[2]

By 1832 he lived still in New York address (51 Lewis Street in Manhattan). He was employed as an East River boatman.^[3] In those days a colera epidemic was killing many New Yorkers, plus abolitionist riots were occurring. Louis read of the Land grants to be obtained in Texas and thought: there might be a place to fit in, and open a business and of course farm.

Lewis arrived in Texas, he began to clear the land. He then signed up for a land grant (a League of Land) in the colony sponsored by Joseph Vehlein, located on Harmon's Creek. When Lewis Dewall registered October 26, 1835. ^[4]Either his writing was poor or the clerks did not read it properly. After that people called him Duel.^[5] Once he received the land he started his business as: blacksmith, plasterer, or mason.^[5] Mexican land grant Title

Then the Texas Revolution began. Louis Dewall first served in the Siege of Bexar Oct- Dec, 1835. in Capt. White's infantry. He remained in Bexar Jan. 1836 also as rifleman in the same Infantry, called the Bexar Guards under Capt. White. ^[6]

Dewall was killed in the battle of the Alamo as a Defender on March 6, 1836. A memorial is in San Fernando Cathedral.^[7][8]

NOTE: The Attorney General of the Republic of Texas prepared the investigation of each Alamo Defender, and submitted a statement for heirs of Lewis Dewall and actually added Louis' name for Land Bounty.

I hereby Certify that sufficient proof has been filed in this office to show that Lewis Duel was one of those who fell at the Alamo March 6th 1836. Lewis Duel's name added, note from Adjt Genl, 19 Dec 1853

NOTE:Bounty Warrant #298 for service from Oct 27, 1835 to Jan 22, 1836 dated June 29, 1847; 1/3 League Land Bounty Original Land Grant Collection, Texas Land Office, Austin, Texas. ^[9]

• 1/3 League Bexar 1st

• 1920 Acres
• 1112 Acres Montgomery Bounty
• 274 Acres + 874 Acres Robertson Bounty

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.tshaonline.org/supsites/military/n/travwb1n.htm
2. ↑ http://files.usgwarchives.net/tx/bexar/military/alamo/alamo.txt
3. ↑ [http://www.thealamo.org/remember/history/defenders/index.html
4. ↑ Bill Groneman, "DEWALL, LEWIS," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fdeae), accessed November 09, 2015. Uploaded on June 12, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "New York's Defenders of the Alamo", New York State Military Museum
6. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Alamo_defenders
7. ↑ Ancestry.com. U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
8. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 11 October 2020), memorial page for Lewis Dewall (1812–6 Mar 1836), Find A Grave: Memorial #8862088, citing The Alamo, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, USA ; Maintained by Daniel Gabehart (contributor 48115366) .
9. ↑ Abstract of titled and patented lands compiled from the records of the ..., By Texas. General Land Office

See Also:

• Groneman, Bill (1996), Eyewitness to the Alamo, Plano, TX: Republic of Texas Press, ISBN 1-55622-502-4
• Hardin, Stephen L. (1999), Texan Illiad, Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, ISBN 0-292-73086-1
• GLO bounty, grant search: https://s3.glo.texas.gov/history/archives/land-grants/index.cfm