Samuel Mason facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Samuel Mason
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No known portrait of Samuel Mason exists from life. A likeness from his physical description mentioned in historical records.
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| Born |
Samuel Ross Mason
November 8, 1739 |
| Died | 1803 (aged 63–64) |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Sam Mason, Mason, Samuel Meason, Meason, Captain Mason, Ensign Mason, Squire Mason, Mason of the Woods, Wilson, Bully Wilson |
| Occupation | Horse thief, soldier, state militia officer, frontiersman, tavern keeper, burglar, bandit, justice of the peace, river pirate |
| Employer | Virginia state government, self-employed |
| Spouse(s) | Rosanna or Rosannah Dorsey |
| Children | 6 |
| Military career | |
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Virginia State Forces |
| Years of service | 1777–1779 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Ohio County Militia |
| Commands held | Captain Samuel Mason's Company |
| Battles/wars | American Revolutionary War
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Samuel Ross Mason (born November 8, 1739 – died 1803) was an American frontiersman. He served as a captain in the Virginia militia during the American Revolutionary War. After the war, he became known as the leader of the Mason Gang. This group was involved in river piracy and highway robbery along the lower Ohio River and Mississippi River. They were active in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
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Early Life of Samuel Mason
Samuel Mason was born in Norfolk, Virginia. He grew up in what is now Charles Town, West Virginia. This area was part of Virginia at the time. In 1773, he moved to another part of Virginia. This area is now known as Ohio County, West Virginia.
Samuel Mason's War Service
During the American Revolution, Samuel Mason was a captain. He led a company in the Ohio County Militia. This was part of the Virginia State Forces.
Joining the Militia
On January 7, 1777, Mason was suggested to Patrick Henry. Henry was the Governor of Virginia at the time. Mason was recommended to serve as a militia captain. By January 28, he was already a captain from Ohio County. He attended a "council of war" at Catfish Camp. This camp was near what is now Washington, Pennsylvania.
Battle of Fort Henry
On June 8, 1777, Captain Mason wrote a letter. He sent it from Fort Henry, Virginia. This fort is now in Wheeling, West Virginia. The letter was sent to Brigadier General Edward Hand at Fort Pitt. Fort Pitt is now Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
On September 1, 1777, Captain Mason was hurt. He was in an ambush by Native Americans near Fort Henry. Most of the soldiers in his company died in this attack. However, Captain Mason survived.
Joining the Sullivan Expedition
From August 11 to September 14, 1779, Samuel Mason was at Fort Henry. He joined Colonel Daniel Brodhead on an important mission. Brodhead led the 8th Pennsylvania Regiment of the Continental Army. They also had militia troops from Fort Pitt.
Their goal was to destroy ten villages. These villages belonged to the pro-British Seneca tribe. This mission was part of the Sullivan Expedition. It was a response to attacks by the Iroquois in 1778. These attacks included the Cobleskill, Wyoming Valley, and Cherry Valley.
Mason's Continued Service
Captain Mason remained an officer. He served in the Ohio County, Virginia Militia. He was at Fort Henry until 1781. He also appeared at court martials. He was a witness for military trials against other soldiers. Samuel Mason was at the Ohio County courthouse in Wheeling twice. These dates were November 7, 1780, and May 7, 1781.
Samuel Mason's Other Work
After his military service, Samuel Mason moved again in 1779. He went to a part of Virginia east of Wheeling. This area is now in Washington County, Pennsylvania. There, he was chosen as a justice of the peace. Later, he became an associate judge. In 1784, he moved to an area that was then part of Virginia. This area is now the state of Kentucky.
Mason's last name was sometimes spelled "Meason." This is explained in family history books. These books include Pioneer Period and Pioneer People of Fairfield County, Ohio and Torrence and Allied Families.
How Samuel Mason Looked
People who saw Samuel Mason described him. A man named Swaney said Mason weighed about 200 pounds. He also said Mason was "a fine looking man." Swaney added that Mason was "modest and unassuming." He didn't look like a scary "raw-head-and-bloody-bones" person.
Another person, Henry Howe, described Mason. He said Mason was "a man of gigantic stature." This means he was very tall and strong. Howe also said Mason had "more than ordinary talents." William Darby also described him. Darby said Mason always had a "ferocious" look. This was because of a tooth that stuck out. He could only cover it with his lip if he tried hard.
Capture, Escape, and Death
In early 1803, Spanish officials arrested Samuel Mason. They also arrested his gang members. This happened at the Little Prairie settlement. This place is now Caruthersville, Missouri. It is in southeastern Missouri.
Taken to New Orleans
Mason and his group, including family, were taken to New Madrid. This was in the Spanish Upper Louisiana Territory. A three-day hearing was held there. The Spanish wanted to know if Mason was truly a river pirate. He had been accused of this.
Mason said he was just a farmer. He claimed his enemies had spread lies about him. But the Spanish believed he was a river pirate. Mason and his family were then taken to New Orleans. This was the capital of Spanish Lower Louisiana Territory. The Spanish governor ordered them to be given to American authorities. This was because their actions seemed to have happened in American territory.
The Escape and Mason's End
While being moved up the Mississippi River, Samuel Mason and two gang members escaped. These men were John Sutton (also known as Wiley Harpe) and James May (also known as Peter Alston). They overpowered their guards. Mason was shot during the escape.
The American governor, William C. C. Claiborne, offered a reward. He wanted them recaptured. Wiley Harpe and Peter Alston then brought Mason's head. They hoped to get the reward money. It is not clear if they killed Mason. He might have died from the wound he got during the escape.
"Setton" and "May" were recognized. They were identified as wanted criminals Wiley Harpe and Peter Alston. They were arrested and tried in a U.S. federal court. They were found responsible for piracy. They were hanged in early 1804. This happened in Old Greenville, Jefferson County, Mississippi Territory.
Images for kids
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"Springdale", in Frederick County, Virginia, was built in 1753. It was the home of Colonel John L. Hite. When Samuel Mason was a teenager, he took Colonel Hite's horses. He was chased, hurt, and caught. But because he was young, he was not punished further.
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Fort Henry, formerly in Pennsylvania, now West Virginia, in 1777. At that time, Captain Samuel Mason was hurt but survived an ambush by Native Americans. Most of the men in Captain Samuel Mason's Company died in the attack.
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Colonel Daniel Brodhead, in a portrait. He led an expedition in 1779. Captain Samuel Mason, while at Fort Henry, joined this expedition. It included the 8th Pennsylvania Regiment of the Continental Army and militia from Fort Pitt. Their goal was to destroy pro-British Seneca tribal villages in northeastern Pennsylvania.
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Fort Pitt, Pennsylvania. In 1779, Captain Samuel Mason joined Colonel Daniel Brodhead's expedition from here. They went against the pro-British Seneca tribe.
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On the Ohio River and later the Mississippi, Samuel Mason and his gang were river pirates. They often attacked flatboats, keelboats, and rafts. These boats carried valuable cargo, making them good targets.
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After his military service in the American Revolutionary War, Samuel Mason led a gang of river pirates. From 1797 to 1799, they were active on the Ohio River. Their base was the famous outlaw spot of Cave-in-Rock.
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The Samuel Mason Gang was captured in 1803. They were brought before Colonel Robert McCoy. He was the Spanish Territorial commandant in New Madrid. This was in the Spanish Upper Louisiana Territory. The courtroom would have been a small, simple building. It would be similar to the Old Cahokia Courthouse in Cahokia, Illinois Country, Northwest Territory.
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When the Samuel Mason Gang had their hearing in the Spanish colonial court of New Madrid, the frontier courtroom might have been small. It could have been like the typical courtroom interior found in the Old Cahokia Courthouse.
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This is an old part of the "Natchez Trace" path. Between 1799 and 1803, Samuel Mason and his gang committed highway robbery and murder here. They attacked travelers who were not expecting it. These actions were reported as crimes by "Mason of the Woods."
