Charles Lewis was a younger brother of Brig. Gen. Andrew Lewis, and was a prominent Virginia planter and member of the House of Burgesses. As a colonel in the Virginia Militia, he led the forces of the Augusta County Regiment at Point Pleasant, Virginia (now West Virginia) during Lord Dunmore's War (Virginia Governor John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore).

On the morning of October 10, 1774, he led the attack of 150 officers and men in the engagement that pitted his Virginians against the famous Shawnee Indian Chief, Cornstalk, and his Mingo Indian allies. Col. Lewis was mortally wounded and died a short time later.

Although this battle was a conflict within Virginia, it was blamed on the British excursions into western territories with the aid of the Indians (by previous treaties). As a result, many consider this to be the first battle of the Revolution.