Sampson Mathews (c. 1737 – January 20, 1807) was an American merchant, soldier, and legislator in the colony (and later U.S. state) of Virginia. A son of John and Ann (Archer) Mathews, Mathews was an early merchant in the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge- ...

region, where he and his brother George Mathews ran a series of stores across the valley with contacts extending to Atlantic trade networks. Mathews also took part in the Indian Wars and colonial revolutionary efforts. He was a member of the Augusta County Committee of Safety that drafted the

Augusta Resolves The Augusta Resolves was a statement adopted on February 22, 1775 by six representatives of Augusta County, Colony of Virginia, in the early stages of the American Revolution. The resolves expressed support for Congress' resistance to the Intolerab ...

, a precursor to the Declaration of Independence, and the

Augusta Declaration The Augusta Declaration, or the Memorial of Augusta County Committee, May 10, 1776, was a statement presented to the Fifth Virginia Convention in Williamsburg, Virginia on May 10, 1776. The Declaration announced the necessity of the Thirteen Col ...

, a precursor to the

Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was an agreement among the 13 Colonies of the United States of America that served as its first frame of government. It was approved after much debate (between July 1776 and November 1777) by ...

. Mathews was elected to the inaugural Virginia State Senate in 1776. During the American Revolution, he toured the

western frontier The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

to fortify the colonial border from Indian attacks, and oversaw sail manufacture for the

Continental Navy The Continental Navy was the navy of the United States during the American Revolutionary War and was founded October 13, 1775. The fleet cumulatively became relatively substantial through the efforts of the Continental Navy's patron John Adams ...

's Virginia fleet. When turncoat

Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold ( Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American military officer who served during the Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of major general before defect ...

enacted a surprise raid on Richmond in January 1781, Mathews led Virginia militia forces in defense. Mathews was an original trustee of Liberty Hall (later Washington and Lee University), when it was made into a college in 1776. This is the nation's ninth-oldest institution of higher education. Mathews was a member of the Mathews political family, which saw numerous members take part in state and national affairs over successive generations.

Early life and Indian Wars

Sampson Mathews was born c. 1737 in

Augusta County, Virginia Augusta County is a county in the Shenandoah Valley on the western edge of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The second-largest county of Virginia by total area, it completely surrounds the independent cities of Staunton and Waynesboro. Its county ...

to Ann (Archer) and John Mathews. His parents were among the first European settlers of Augusta County, likely having immigrated to America during the Scotch-Irish immigration of 1710–1775. His father was a notable member of the early Augusta County community, serving as a militia captain and public officer, and as a member of the Augusta Parish vestry. The Mathews were among the Anglican minority in the predominantly Presbeterian county. Sampson Mathews was educated at the Augusta Academy, a classical school founded in 1749. In his adolescence he worked in crews to build roads in the county. On the outbreak of the French and Indian War in 1755, Mathews was elected captain in the Augusta County militia, and accompanied

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

under British General Edward Braddock on his ill-fated Braddock expedition. Up to four of Mathews' siblings, as well as his father, also took part in the expedition. Braddock's expedition met with the French and Indians in a meeting engagement, from which the French and Indians gained the advantage. After suffering devastating casualties, the British retreated in disarray. On returning home, Mathews was elected

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

of Augusta County in 1756, and also assumed the functions of

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of the county. For a time he worked as a reader for the Augusta Parish Anglican Church, though this was apparently suspended due to a thinning of the population following the French and Indian War. He was elected to the vestry for Augusta Parish in 1961, and served as such until 1770, when a shift in political population caused the minority Anglicans to lose control of the vestry. Mathews married Mary Lockhart in 1759, with whom he had four children: John, Sampson, and two daughters who went on to be Mrs. Samuel Clark and Mrs. Alexander Nelson. By 1762, Mathews and his brother George Mathews had gone into a mercantile business in

Staunton, Virginia Staunton ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 25,750. In Virginia, independent cities a ...

. Quick success lead them to open numerous other stores and outposts in the Upper Valley, and to accumulate thousands of acres of land in the region. In their outposts they sold basic supplies but also specialty items including "spelling books, silk, hats, “ozgn”, handkerchiefs, silver, and even a tailor-made suit," and acted as unofficial bankers. Their enterprise grew to involve an extensive Atlantic trade network, and included the buying and selling of convict servants from Britain, and a small number of African slaves. The brothers were among the "soul-drivers" in Virginia who bought convict servants wholesale from British transport ships at port, and traveled along established routes selling the convicts to farmers, planters, and others. Lodine-Chaffey suggests that the brothers' treatment of both convict servants and slaves was suspect, due to the frequency in which the servants and slaves escaped them; the brothers reported three slaves missing in 1769, and ten convicts missing in 1773. In total, their dealings in all ventures accounted for a "great share" of the trade in the region. Mathews was appointed a

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

for Augusta County in 1764, and in that role he presided over

misdemeanors A misdemeanor (American English, spelled misdemeanour elsewhere) is any "lesser" criminal act in some common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished less severely than more serious felonies, but theoretically more so than admin ...

and other civil cases in the county. He also served as a member of the vestry for Augusta Parish around this time, with the vestry being the '' de facto'' local government for the county. Mathews was granted a

liquor license A liquor license (or liquor licence in most forms of Commonwealth English) is a governmentally issued permit to sell, manufacture, store, or otherwise use alcoholic beverages. Canada In Canada, liquor licences are issued by the legal authority ...

in 1765, and his tavern and inn in Staunton, a "long frame building, a story and a half high, with

dormer A dormer is a roofed structure, often containing a window, that projects vertically beyond the plane of a pitched roof. A dormer window (also called ''dormer'') is a form of roof window. Dormers are commonly used to increase the usable space ...

windows," soon became the most fashionable of its kind in Staunton. In 1768, Mathews became the guardian ''ad litem'' for a niece, Martha Mathews, on the premature death of her father, Joshua Mathews. She would later marry Thomas Posey, whose father had been a guest at Mathews' inn and probably arranged their meeting.Posey, John Thornton. ''General Thomas Posey: Son of the American Revolution.'' East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press, 1992. Pages 17–18 In 1773, Mathews and others solicited subscriptions for a new academy in the Valley. This academy, named Liberty Hall and located in

Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines ...

, was officially incorporated by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1782, with Mathews serving as an original trustee. Liberty Hall was eventually renamed Washington and Lee University, and is the nation's ninth oldest institution of higher education. In the fall of 1774, Royal Governor Lord Dunmore assembled a 1000-man invasion of Indian territory, culling recruits from Augusta County. Mathews' tavern served as headquarters for the local militia during preparations. A possibly

apocryphal Apocrypha are works, usually written, of unknown authorship or of doubtful origin. The word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to writings which were kept secret because they were the vehicles of esoteric knowledge considered ...

story arose that the men of George Mathews' regiment marked their height on a wall of Sampson Mathews' tavern, revealing that all but two men were over six feet tall. For the expedition, Mathews served as

chief procurement officer A chief procurement officer (CPO) undertakes an executive role within an enterprise, focusing on sourcing, procurement, and supply management. Typically, a CPO is responsible for the management, administration, and supervision of the company's ac ...

for General

Andrew Lewis Andrew Lewis may refer to: Law and politics * Sir Andrew J. W. Lewis (1875-1952), Scottish businessman and politician; Lord Provost of Aberdeen * Andrew L. Lewis Jr. (1931–2016), American railroad executive and US Secretary of Transportation *And ...

, and oversaw the driving of 500 pack horses, 54,000 pounds of flour, and 108 cattle for the march from Augusta to Point Pleasant, for which the troops gave him the nickname "Master Driver of Cattle." An early Ohio historian said of Mathews' march: October 10, 1774, The

Battle of Point Pleasant The Battle of Point Pleasant, also known as the Battle of Kanawha, was the only major action of Dunmore's War. It was fought on October 10, 1774, between the Virginia militia and Shawnee and Mingo warriors. Along the Ohio River near modern-day P ...

was fought between the Virginia militia and Indians from the Shawnee and

Mingo The Mingo people are an Iroquoian group of Native Americans, primarily Seneca and Cayuga, who migrated west from New York to the Ohio Country in the mid-18th century, and their descendants. Some Susquehannock survivors also joined them, and ...

tribes along the

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...

. Various sources credit either Colonel

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

George Mathews with a flanking maneuver that initiated Shawnee Chief Cornstalk's retreat and secured victory for the colonial militia.

American Revolution

The months following the Dunmore's War saw tension rise between the British and the colonies. The Virginia House of Burgesses began to resist the Crown, and in retaliation Lord Dunmore dissolved it in May 1774. This lead the Burgesses to form the extralegal Virginia Conventions.

Revolutionary activities

On February 22, 1775, Mathews took part in the first documented revolutionary meeting in Augusta County, as a member of the county's Committee of Safety. These county committees were an outgrowth of the Virginia Committee of Correspondence, the state's patriotic shadow government. The Augusta County committee met in Staunton, Virginia, and drafted the

to assert their county's commitment to "enjoy the free exercise of conscience, and of human nature." The committee then elected delegates to the

Second Virginia Convention The Virginia Conventions have been the assemblies of delegates elected for the purpose of establishing constitutions of fundamental law for the Commonwealth of Virginia superior to General Assembly legislation. Their constitutions and subseque ...

in March 1775, with Mathews among those who drafted instructions for the delegates. The Augusta Resolves were endorsed in a meeting of freeholders of Augusta County and published in Pinkney's March 16, 1775 Virginia Gazette. Historian Jim Glanville states that the resolutions of Virginia's four western counties (Augusta, Botetourt, Fincastle, and Pittsylvania) are best viewed as a whole and were "by far the most significant statements in favor of American liberty" of the county resolutions that were a direct precursor to the Declaration of Independence. Mathews, with two other representatives of the Augusta County committee, met with members of the counties of Albemarle,

Amherst Amherst may refer to: People * Amherst (surname), including a list of people with the name * Earl Amherst of Arracan in the East Indies, a title in the British Peerage; formerly ''Baron Amherst'' * Baron Amherst of Hackney of the City of London, ...

, and

Buckingham Buckingham ( ) is a market town in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire, which had a population of 12,890 at the 2011 Census. The town lies approximately west of Central Milton Keynes, sou ...

in September 1775 to organize militia units in preparation for war against Britain. Augusta County resolved to raise four companies of fifty men each, with the other counties raising two companies of fifty men each. George Mathews was given command of the ten companies. By the time of the Fifth Virginia Convention in May 1776, many its delegates knew the issue of independence would be addressed, and some came with prepared statements on the subject. However, over the first several sessions, the subject was postponed as the Convention dealt with other matters. On May 10, 1776, Thomas Lewis broached the independence issue when, on behalf of the Augusta County Committee of Safety, he introduced the

to the Convention. This was the first official proposal for the creation of a permanent and independent union of states and national government from any of the Thirteen Colonies. Virginia history scholar Hugh Blair Grigsby states the Augusta Declaration "deserves to be stereotyped as the

Magna Charta (Medieval Latin for "Great Charter of Freedoms"), commonly called (also ''Magna Charta''; "Great Charter"), is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by t ...

of the West" for its precedent in calling for this governmental mode, which was adopted in the creation of the United States of America. The proposals for independence, a confederation of colonies, and a national government were passed by the Virginia Convention on March 15 and forwarded to the

Second Continental Congress The Second Continental Congress was a late-18th-century meeting of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that united in support of the American Revolutionary War. The Congress was creating a new country it first named "United Colonies" and in 1 ...

, which then initiated the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, the

, and the

Model Treaty The Model Treaty, or the Plan of 1776, was a template for commercial treaties that the United States planned to make with foreign powers during the American Revolution against Great Britain. It was drafted by the Continental Congress to secure eco ...

Virginia State Senate and war efforts

Mathews was elected to the Virginia State Senate, the successor to the Virginia Governor's Council, for its inaugural session of 1776, representing Augusta and Dunmore counties. He remained a member of the state senate through 1780, representing Augusta, Rockingham, Rockbridge, and Shenandoah counties from 1778–1780. During its inaugural session, the senate sought to improve the

's Virginia fleet. At this time, Virginia had more land and manufactories devoted to naval purposes than any of the colonies, but it faced a distinct lack of materials needed to create linen sail cloth. Mathews, along with Alexander St. Clair, was therefore appointed to erect and superintend a factory in Staunton, Virginia to make sail material from flax grown by Augusta County farmers. However, other matters soon drew Mathews elsewhere. In the fall of 1777, Shawnee Chief Cornstalk made a diplomatic visit to the American Fort Randolph, on the site present-day Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Virginia militiamen took Cornstalk hostage at the fort, and on November 10, 1777, killed him without cause. This led to an immediate backlash from the Shawnee. Congress, sensing the urgency of the situation, passed a resolution on November 20 to send commissioners out west with the aim of restoring friendly relations between the Shawnee and the colonists that had been years in the making. Mathews was appointed to represent Virginia, and George Clymer for Pennsylvania. The men arrived at Fort Pitt in mid-March, and reported back to Congress in late-April that the British in Detroit were aiding the Shawnee and nearby Delaware tribes in their attacks. Further, they believed the colonists may well be able to restore friendly relations with the Indians by capturing Fort Detroit from the British, and thus weakening the Indians' position. They proposed a force of 3,000 be dedicated to this cause. Congress, however, deferred the recommendation, considering it too costly, and instead sent troops to fortify their western borders.

Military service

Mathews was appointed

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

of Augusta County militia in May 1778, giving him command of the county militia and a field commission of colonel. This was a position normally given to the most prominent leader of the county. Mathews called out the militia for a three month expedition in April 1779, on account of Indian threats in Tygart Valley, Virginia. The expedition resulted in several scouting missions, but no battle. In October 1780, Mathews requested leave from the Virginia State Senate. On January 1, 1781, British Brigadier General

launched a surprise invasion of Virginia. For five days he sailed up the

James River The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...

to virtually no resistance. Virginia Governor Thomas Jefferson fled the capitol of

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

as Arnold approached, and Arnold's forces thereafter burned and looted the city. Jefferson called out militia commanders throughout the state to help to repel the invasion. He directed Mathews to march to Fredericksburg, and report to Brigadier General George Weedon. Mathews wrote to the governor the next day, confirming that he and a company of 250 would head to Fredericksburg in the morning. Mathews also recruited his son-in-law

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

Thomas Posey to join him with his troops for the march. Mathews made the approximately 100 mile march from Staunton to Fredericksburg in four days. After spending an additional four days in Fredericksburg, Mathews was directed by Major General Peter Muhlenberg to turn to Bowling Green about 30 miles south. There Mathews wrote to Jefferson urging that he make materials available "for the repair of the arms of the militia." Muhlenberg then directed Mathews to Cabin Point in Smithfield, Virginia, some 80 miles southeast to the mouth of the James. Mathews wrote to Jefferson on the 29th that his march had been delayed at the James River for several days due to poor weather and insufficiency of the transport boats. He described the lack of basic provisions in his camp, including tents and ammunition, and the poor health of many from exposure to the winter elements, which lead him to fear mutiny. Jefferson responded on the 31st, relaying that there were some 150 tents "somewhere," and that he would attempt locate and direct them toward Mathews, acknowledging that Mathews' position "nearest the enemy's lines" validated the expediency of these supplies. By February 15, the Virginia militia had bottled up Arnold's forces in

Portsmouth, Virginia Portsmouth is an independent city in southeast Virginia and across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,915. It is part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard and Naval M ...

, with Mathews commanding the advanced post alongside 350 riflemen. Nothing else is known of the Mathews' regiment during this expedition, and the Augusta County militia returned home in mid-April. The Virginia General Assembly, having fled Arnold's force in Richmond, met in the Trinity Episcopal Church in Staunton, Virginia from June 7 to 23. On June 12, the Assembly voted to elect

Thomas Nelson Jr. Thomas Nelson Jr. (December 26, 1738 – January 4, 1789) was an American Founding Father, soldier and statesman from Yorktown, Virginia. In addition to serving in the Virginia General Assembly for many terms, he twice represented Virginia in t ...

as the 4th governor of Virginia. Mathews, who remained a justice of the peace for Augusta County, administered the

oath of office An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before assuming the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations. Such ...

to Nelson the following week, on June 19. Mathews quickly left again for eastern Virginia, bringing a regiment to

James City, Virginia James City (or James Cittie as it was then called) was one of four incorporations established in the Virginia Colony in 1619 by the proprietor, the Virginia Company. The plantations and developments were divided into four "incorporations" or , as th ...

where it saw action in the Battle of Green Spring. Mathews' field lieutenant colonel, William Boyer, was captured during the battle. On August 8, Mathews went to Yorktown, Virginia, where the siege of Yorktown proved to be the last major battle of the war. By November 1781 Mathews had returned from battle and resumed his duties in the Virginia State Senate, being appointed to the Privy Council on November 30. Mathews stepped down as lieutenant colonel of Augusta County militia on November 18, 1783.

Later life

Mathews served a final term in the Virginia State Senate in 1790, representing Augusta, Rockingham, Rockbridge, Shenandoah, and

Pendleton Pendleton may refer to: Places ;United Kingdom *Pendleton, Lancashire, England *Pendleton, Greater Manchester, England ;United States *Pendleton, Indiana * Pendleton, Missouri *Pendleton, New York *Pendleton, Oregon *Pendleton, South Carolina *Pe ...

counties. He then served as a justice of the peace and the first high sheriff of Bath County when it was formed from Augusta County in 1791. He also served as an original trustee for Hot Springs, Virginia on its formation in 1793. He lived in Bath County about ten years at his estate, Cloverdale. On the death of his wife Mary, he married again to a Mary Warwick. He resided in Staunton, Virginia in later life, in a log house at the intersection of Beverly and Water Streets. He died in Staunton in 1807. Mathews' son, Sampson Mathews II, served as a Virginia Delegate from Bath County for the 1809–1810 session of the Virginia General Assembly, representing the

Federalist party The Federalist Party was a Conservatism in the United States, conservative political party which was the first political party in the United States. As such, under Alexander Hamilton, it dominated the national government from 1789 to 1801. De ...

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mathews, Sampson 1737 births 1807 deaths Virginia state senators Virginia sheriffs Virginia lawyers Virginia militiamen in the American Revolution People of Virginia in the French and Indian War University and college founders Washington and Lee University trustees People from Augusta County, Virginia Mathews family of Virginia and West Virginia