Samuel McGehee Sr. (1759 - 1821)

Born 23 Jun 1759 in Prince Edward County, Colony of Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Olivia (Muse) McGehee — married 19 Oct 1778 in Prince Edward County, Virginia, USA

Descendants

Died 9 May 1821 at age 61 in Liberty, Amite County Mississippi, USA

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Colleen Tilton [send private message], Andrew White [send private message], Stephen Somerville [send private message], and Phillip Richard Scafidel [send private message]

Biography

Soldier Samuel McGehee Sr. served with Prince Edward County Militia, Virginia Militia during the American Revolution.

Samuel McGehee Sr. is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A076968.

Lieutenant Samuel McGehee (The National Society for the American Revolution: DAR #344123) served under Captain Daniel Trigg from 2 April 1777 to 31 March 1781. He joined the battles against Tories and Indians, and in guarding the lead mines.

Samuel McGehee, Sr. Cemetery Liberty Amite County Mississippi, USA Plot: Revolutionary War Burial Marker

Samuel McGehee, Sr Birth: Jun. 23, 1759 Prince Edward County Virginia, USA Death: May 7, 1821 Liberty Amite County Mississippi, USA

Samuel McGehee, Sr. (b: 23 Jun 1759, Prince Edward Co, VA d: 9 Jun 1821, Amite Co, MS) was only eleven years old when his father, Edward, wrote his will leaving him 700 acres to live on and farm, with the help of his negro boy, "Pompy." A Prince Edward County, Virginia marriage bond, dated 19 Oct 1778, attests to nineteen year old Samuel's marriage to eighteen year old Olivia Muse. As shown in various records, Samuel was then a Lieutenant in the Revolutionary War from Montgomery County, Virginia, serving in that capacity from 2 April 1777 to 31 March 1781. He joined the battles against Tories and Indians, and in guarding the lead mines under Capt. Daniel Trigg (Triggs.) Samuel also served in Botetourt County, Virginia, with rank of Lieutenant (Family Records, Mississippi Revolutionary Soldiers, 1955, by Alice Tracy Welch, 1953-1956, Mississippi Society, Daughters of the American Revolution.)

On 15 Sep 1777, Samuel sold the 700 acres of land that his father had left him in Prince Edward County, Virginia, to Charles Allen. Public Service Claims, for Charlotte County, Virginia, show that he was residing in that county in 1782 and 1783, and from the state enumeration's, used in the first census of the United States, we find that in 1782, Samuel, his wife, two children, and four slaves were living in Charlotte County, Virginia. In about 1790, Samuel McGehee, Sr., and his family moved to Georgia where some of their children were born.

On 29 October 1806, Samuel McGehee and his family were granted a Georgia passport to travel thru the lands of the Creek Nation. They braved the wilderness, and traveled to Amite County, Mississippi. The Amite County census records of 1805 enumerates Samuel (spelled McGhee) and two other white males over 21, six white males under 21, six white females of all ages, and nine slaves. This family of fifteen inhabited the part of Amite County, Mississippi, which was a part of Wilkinson County at that time.

On 13 July 1807, Samuel McGehee was granted 320 acres of land in Amite County, Mississippi, on the "waters of the Amite." On 23 May 1810, Samuel received land grants of 159 and 161 acres each. On 25 Mar 1811, 159 additional acres of land were granted to him. Samuel was to receive even more land grants. On 22 July 1816, he received 162 acres. On 12 October 1816 he received 151 acres, and on 28 October 1816, he received 160 acres (Source: Land Records, Vol. 1, Amite County, Mississippi.) Samuel received a grand total of 1,272 acres of land. The McGehees in Amite County, Mississippi, were engaged in an enterprising timber shipping business. Since forests were plentiful in the area of Liberty, they shipped logs to Texas by raft through the Gulf of Mexico.

Samuel McGehee Sr. died 9 June 1821, leaving no will. On 30 July 1821, his sons, William and Lewis, son-in-law Reuben Holloway, and Charles Davis qualified as administrators of his estate. He left property in Amite County, Mississippi, and land in Hancock County, Georgia, on the Oconee River. His heirs are listed in Amite County, Mississippi (Source: Amite County, Mississippi, Record of Administration of Wills & Estates, Book 2, p. 361 & 348.) On 29 0ctober 1821, his estate was appraised at $6,679.49 1/2, and on 23 September 1823, estate sales totaled $13,130.84. (Source: Amite County, Mississippi, Record of Administration of Wills & Estates, Bk. B, Vol. 2, pp. 311-314). $13,130.84 in 1823 would be equal to about $13 million in today's dollars. Also, on 30 Jul 1821, Lewis McGehee, his son, testified that his mother, Olivia (Olive) McGehee, relinquished her claim to administration of her husband's estate in favor of her son, William McGehee, and son-in-law, Reuben Holloway (Source: Amite County, Mississippi, Orphans' Court Records, Vol. 1, p. 225, and Conveyance Records Vol. 2, page 95. Bondsmen of Samuel McGehee: William McGehee, Ruben Holloway, Charles Davis and Lewis McGehee. Signed 30 Jul 1821, Book B, page 311.)

An article by Mrs. Edgar Dennis McGehee in The American Clan Gregor Society Yearbook summarizes interesting information on Samuel McGehee (1759-1821) as follows.

"Being from the deep south I will tell you a little about the McGehees who left Virginia and Georgia seeking new homes, where their descendants still reside. From history again we find many of them in the Colonial Militia, their names too long to enumerate. There were McGehees then as there are today who are patriots, fighting for American Independence and are still doing a terrific job for their country. We have had pioneers, physicians, plantation owners, public officials, teachers and the line goes on. And as the years go by we can begin to make our own modern list of soldiers, students, professional and business men who have done honor to their country and to the name they bear.

‘It was a good day in the year 1805 for Amite County, Mississippi, when such a man as Samuel McGehee, the son of Edward MacGehee (MackGehee) and Elizabeth DeJarnette, arrived in the land of our ancestors. Trying to visualize their ordeals and privations as they came across the country mostly inhabited by the Creek Nation of Indians is something which we cannot begin to do. First they had to have a passport through this land signed by then Governor of Georgia, to allow their safe passage to the land where they were eventually to settle and rear their families."

It is readily apparent that the family of Samuel McGehee was prominent in Amite County, Mississippi. They were land owners, farmers, patriots, and most were members of the Zion Hill Baptist Church.

REVOLUTIONARY WAR RECORD OF LIEUTENANT SAMUEL McGEHEE:: CAPTAIN DANIEL TRIGG'S MILITIA 31 Mar 1781 (Report Updated 28 Feb 1999) New River, Montgomery Co, Virginia

Source: Fincastle & Montgomery County, Virginia, Revolutionary War. War :Records

31st March 1781 (Commissioned and Non-Commissioned Officers)

Daniel Trigg, Capt.

Israel Lorton, Lieut.

Samuel McGehee, Lieut.

Albert Bright, Insn:

John Elswick, Sergt. [CI: Eliwick]

Archibald Thompson, Sergt.

William Lawson, Sergt not fit [CI: Sanren]

Faulkner Elliot, Sergt. [CI: Falkner]

MCALLISTER, VIRGINIA MILITIA IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, P 218, Lieutenant Samuel McGehee, Sr.'s DAR ancestor number is A076968

SLAVES

Samuel's father Edward McGehee wrote his Last Will and Testament on 4 April 1770, and it was submitted for probate on 28 Jan 1771.^[1]. In it, he distributed his enslaved people to his heirs. To Samuel:

• Pompy

Sources

1. ↑ Cumberland County, VA, Will Book 1, 1749-1792, page 23

• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=88074664 NOTE: Buried at Samuel McGehee Cemetery, Amite, MS
• http://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/samuel-mcgehee_11389584
• http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/m/c/g/Charles-L-Mcgehee/GENE2-0005.html

• DeJarnette and allied families in America (1699-1954) Ancestry.com Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.Original data - Frost, Earl Clarence,. DeJarnette and allied families in America (1699-1954). San Bernardino, Calif.: E.C. & M Frost, 1954.

• Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 Ancestry.com

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Andrew White for creating WikiTree profile McGehee-205 through the import of APW_2013-03-26.ged on Mar 26, 2013.