Samuel Wilson and his family lived in Augusta County Virginia, in an area which later became Pendleton County, West Virginia.
Samuel wrote a will in Augusta County on 22 August of 1774, and it was proved in court in November 1774. This leads many researchers to conclude that he was the Captain Samuel Wilson who died at the Battle of Point Pleasant on October 10, 1774. I will work with this theory until it is proven otherwise.
In his Revolutionary War pension application one William Wilson (relation? not sure) described his part in the Battle of Point Pleasant:
State of Virginia
And County of Augusta to wit.
“On this 25th day of September 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the justices of the court of Augusta County now sitting, William Wilson (major) a resident of the County & State aforesaid aged about 87 years, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated.
At the time he entered the service he was a resident of the County of Augusta, Virginia. In his first tour of duty he served as a volunteer, in a company commanded by Captain Alex’r. McClanahan, and in which William McCutchan [pension application W1888] was Lieutenant & Joseph Long ensign. That they assembled in Staunton (Va) he thinks about the latter end of August 1774 and marched from thence to Point Pleasant on the Ohio River, having joined several companies commanded by Capt. John Morrisson [John Morrison], Capt. Sam’l. Wilson, Capt. George Mathews & Capt John Lewis at the Great Levels (now in Greenbrier County.) That they had a severe engagement with the Indians at Point Pleasant [10 Oct], in which Col Chas. Lewis, Capt. McClanahan & Capt Morrisson & Capt Wilson were killed. The whole number of killed amounted to about 160. After this battle they advanced about 90 miles beyond the River to the Indian Towns, from whence they returned to Point Pleasant without effecting any thing material. They remained here only 6 or 8 days waiting for a supply of provisions after which they set out on their return home. His company arrived at Staunton where they were disbanded after a Tour he thinks of about 5 months. Amongst the field officers he recollects the names of Andrew Lewis Commander in Chief and Chas. Lewis (who was killed in the battle) was his Colonel.”
So, it seems that Samuel was made Captain of a regiment of perhaps 50 men from Augusta County, and before he left for the battle, he made a will. His witnesses were John Jordan, John McCoy and Joseph Gamwell. I have not found any evidence that leads me to think that these men were part of the regiment, but they were citizens of Augusta County. He appointed an executor, Thomas Hugart. Hugart refused the role, but did support Samuel’s widow, Mary, so that she was allowed to be executor herself. In 1791, a Sheriff Thomas Hughart was prosecuted for perjury for understating the amount of taxable property on the Augusta County rolls. I wonder if this was the same person?
Another interesting thing about Samuel Wilson’s will for me was that he named two mares by their names in his bequests to his children. To his second son, Eli Babb, he left a mare named Lightfoot and a mare named Whalebone.
The Battle of Point Pleasant was an attack by the Governor of Virginia on Native American tribes in order to allow for more Western expansion of settlers in the Ohio River Valley.
Samuel Wilson’s son Ralph owned a book, the Olney Hymnal, in which he inscribed the birth dates of his children. The book was published too late to have been one of the three books mentioned in Samuel Wilson’s inventory list.