Author: Joseph Albert White
Samuel Ferguson was born March 3, 1744 and died February 12, 1825 in Cabell County, Virginia (now Wayne County, WV). On the pages of the family Bible, his son William wrote the following, “Samuel Ferguson departed this life February 12 between the hours of 7 and 8 o’clock in the afternoon in the year of our Lord 1825, aged 80 years and eleven months and nine days.” He married Mary Jameson, who according to Bible records, was born March 21, 1746 and died September 21, 1827.

Samuel is first recorded in Augusta County, Virginia, where he bought land on August 21, 1765. (Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlements in Virginia - Chalkey). Samuel, along with Capt. Moore and the Peery’s, was at the battle of Alamance, May 16, 1771. (New River Settlements - David E. Johnson). In 1774, when men and supplies were being gathered for Dunmore to fight at Point Pleasant, Samuel paid for one hog. His name was found on the Auditor’s Accounts for Dunmore’s War, Virginia State Library, Richmond, Virginia, as printed by Mary B. Kegley in Soldiers of Fincastle County, Virginia 1774. He swore allegiance to the United States on September 30, 1777 from Montgomery County, Virgina (Revolutionary War Book, Montgomery County CH). Samuel was at the Battle of King’s Mountain, South Carolina with Thomas Peery, William Peery and John Peery on October 7, 1780. (History of The Middle New River Settlements - David E. Johnston). He was appointed Ensign in Capt. James Moore’s Company of Montgomery County, Virginia Militia on April 3, 1781. (Annals of Southwest Virginia - Summers).

It is believed that Samuel came to the colonies with a cousin, Patrick Ferguson, in 1765. Both men were British soldiers, but Samuel sympathized with the colonies. Major Patrick Ferguson, of the British Army, was killed at the Battle of King’s Mountain while fighting the Overmountain Men. Samuel was there as member of Colonial Campbell’s Virginia Militia.

Samuel and Mary had eight known children, four sons and four daughters. They settled on Bluestone Creek, Tazewell County, VA. in 1772. (Annals of Southwest Virginia 1769-1800 - Lewis Preston Summers) and remained there until 1804 when they moved to Kanawha County (which lay successively with Cabell and Wayne Counties, WV).