Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of Sampson Mayfield

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Descendants of Sampson Mayfield

Generation No. 1

1. SAMPSON¹ MAYFIELD¹ was born Abt. 1822 in Bledsoe Co., Tennessee¹, and died November 03, 1877 in Clayville, Clay Co., Arkansas¹. He married MARGARET UNDERWOOD¹ September 29, 1844 in Philadelphia, Roane Co., Tn.¹, daughter of JESSE UNDERWOOD and MARY LEDBETTER. She was born April 06, 1827 in Haywood Co., North Carolina¹, and died September 15, 1894 in Clay Co., Arkansas¹.

Notes for SAMPSON MAYFIELD:
SAMPSON MAYFIELD (abt. 1822- 1877)

CIVIL WAR VETERAN AND PAST RESIDENT OF BLEDSOE AND ROANE COUNTIES' TENNESSEE, UNION COUNTY ILLINOIS, CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY MISSOURI AND CLAY COUNTY ARKANSAS

BACKGROUND
Sampson May-field was born 1822 in Bledsoe County, Tennessee. His ancestry is unknown as of February 2000. He had brown hair, blue eyes, and a fair complexion. Sampson was taller than the average man, standing 5 feet 9 inches. Like many other men of the time. He made his living as a farmer. Sampson married Margaret Underwood (daughter of Jesse Underwood and Mary Ledbetter) on September 29, 1844 in Philadelphia, Roane County, Tennessee. Their first child, Mary Ann was born in August 1845. Margaret was the daughter of Jesse Underwood and Mary Ledbetter. Jesse was a Baptist Minister and began the Cedar Fork Baptist Church in Roane County, which Sampson joined on the 4th Saturday in October 1846. In 1847, Sampson, Margaret, and Mary Ann along with the Underwood family moved near to what is now Mt. Glenn in Union County, Illinois.
SERVICE WITH 109TH ILLINOIS INFANTRY
The 109th Regiment of Illinois'Infantry was formed in August 1862. The regiment was raised with companies from Jonesboro, Thebes, Anna, Vienna, Mount Pleasant, Dongola, Pulaski and Union County. Sampson enlisted with Company C of the 109th at Camp Anna in Anna, Illinois on August l4th 1862. He was mustered in on September 11, 1862 and assigned the rank of Private. At 40, he was quite a bit older than the average recruit. Several of Sampson's brother's in law, also served with him in the 109th (and later the llth). They were Francis Marion Underwood, Daniel Underwood, John Asberry Underwood, and William Kenley Smith (husband of Gabrilla Underwood).
At the time of enlistment, he resided near Alto Pass, Illinois. His family consisted of his 35 year old wife Margaret, and children: 17 year old Mary Ann, 14 year old Jesse, 13 year old Jimmy, 9 year old Serena, 6 year old Billy, 4 year old Nancy, and 2 year old Martha. Daughter Phoebe was born about one month after Sampson was officially mustered into service.
On October 20th, the 109th departed Anna. They marched into Cairo, Illinois about two hours later. There they boarded the ship Diadem and traveled to Columbus, Kentucky. The 109th continued to journey southward and into Tennessee during late October and November, where it was assigned to General Quimby's division. It spent two to three weeks near Bolivar, Tennessee and then moved along the Tennessee and Ohio and the Memphis and Charleston railroads to La Grange and Moscow, Tennessee.
The 109th moved into Northern Mississippi by December 3rd. A day or so later it reached Holly Springs, Mississippi. Holly Springs was a remote river town, considered a strategic location for it's north-south and east-west railroads and because it was the supply depot for Grant's army. The 109th stayed at Holly Springs a few days and then was ordered to guard the nine bridges on the main line of the Mississippi Central Railroad between Holly Springs and Lumpkins Mill.
On December 20th the Confederate Calvary, estimated at 3,500 to 4,000 men, raided Holly Springs. During this raid, the 109th
continued to guard the bridges, not having been ordered to march to battle in Holly Springs. The men had been provided defective weapons upon enlistment, which had not been repaired or replaced. This was one factor in their commanding officer's reluctance to send them to fight at Holly Springs.
The rebel raid resulted in a large loss of Union supplies intended to be used for the Vicksburg Campaign. The defeat and loss of General U.S. Grant's supplies for the Campaign was considered crucial and an investigation of the 109th was ordered. Their arrest and an investigation imminent; Sampson along with 231 other members of the 109th (347 total) with encouragement from commanding officers, deserted on December 22, 1862 at Camp Lumpkins, Holly Springs, Mississippi.
The soldiers were charged with failing to march to the support of their comrades. Several officers were charged with offences ranging from: speaking in an improper manner of the war and The President, to inciting dissatisfaction among the men, to attempting to induce the men to surrender to the enemy. The investigation resulted in six officers from the 109th being dishonorably discharged from the service. The charges were dropped against the other soldiers, who were considered physically good. The 109th was consolidated into the llth Illinois Infantry Regiment in April 1863.
SERVICE WITH 11TH ILLINOIS INFANTRY
Sampson stayed home in Union County for about nine months before returning to duty on September 1st, 1863. He was assigned to Company A, of the llth Illinois Infantry. He likely made the return journey with Daniel Underwood as both returned to duty on the same day. Sampson's official penalty for the earlier desertion was loss of all pay and allowances during his absence and loss of two additional months pay. He rejoined the troops in the Union occupied city of Natchez, Missisissipi. The llth remained there until October 12, 1863, when they moved to Vicksburg, Mississippi.
The llth was among the Union regiments stationed in Vicksburg which operated as their home base until July 29, 1864. During the stay at Vicksburg, the llth participated in an expedition to Yazoo City, Mississippi from February 1st to March 8th. Yazoo City was captured on February 4th, a day in which the llth also saw action in Liverpool Heights.
The llth was involved in heavy fighting in Yazoo City on February 5th. During the Yazoo City battle, 14 members of the regiment were killed, 40 wounded, and 16 captured or missing. John Asberry Underwood was among those wounded, sustaining a gunshot wound to the right hip. Daniel Underwood was captured and removed to the notorious Andersonville, Georgia prison. He died a prisoner of war on October 18th, 1864 of diarrhea and malnutrition and is buried in the Andersonville National Cemetery.
The llth pulled out of Yazoo City on March 7th, and proceeded to duty at the Big Black River Bridge, where they stayed until April 28th. They began an expedition back to Yazoo City on May 3rd. The intent was to destroy the Mississipi Central Railroad, which was located just west of Yazoo City. During this expedition,
they moved to Benton, Mississippi from May 7 to May 9, where at one point, they endured about 15 minutes of Confederate shell fire. While on duty at Benton, Sampson contracted chronic diarrhea and piles.
The llth moved into Vaughn's Station, Mississippi on May 12. May l3th was a day of constant skirmishing with the enemy. On May l4th they left Vaughn's Station and moved back toward the Big Black River with orders to burn the strategic Mississippi Central trestle. This goal was accomplished, but there was additional gunfire with the rebels and one member of the llth was killed. They arrived back in Yazoo city at noon on May l5th, where they proceeded to burn the courthouse and other buildings, before leaving on the l8th. The llth headed back toward Vicksburg taking the river route through Liverpool Heights, Satartia, and Haines Bluff. They camped at Haines Bluff on the 20th, before heading out the next day on the three hour journey back to Vicksburg.
Sampson required treatment at the Regimental Hospital from June 4th to 2lst 1864 for acute dysentery. He was then hospitalized on July 1st, at No 2., General Hospital in Vicksburg and was furloughed July l8th. He returned to Anna, Illinois and remained in his home area on sick leave for approximately 9 months, rejoining the troops on April 30th 1865.
Sampson rejoined the llth in Mobile, Alabama, a city occupied by Union forces. The llth stayed on duty there from April 12 until May 27th, when they moved to New Orleans. They then traveled to Alexandria and subsequently moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana on June 22. Sampson was mustered out of service on July l4th, 1865 in Baton Rouge. He and the other llth veterans then proceeded to Springfield, Illinois for final payment and discharge before returning home.
AFTER THE WAR
After the war, Sampson returned to Union County. He and Margaret had two additional children: Mahala born in 1867; Bernettie born in 1869. Both were born in Union County. The family was living in Randol, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri at the time of the 1870 census. Sampson and family moved to the Piggott\Greenway area of Clay County, Arkansas apparently sometime between 1870 and 1873. Several of Sampson's children married Arkansas Residents as follows: Jimmy married Cynthia Golden; Serena married Fred Haywood and William "Billie" Harmon; Billy married Miranda Burns; Nancy married Marcus Burns; Martha married Jackson Burns; Phoebe married Thomas Alonzo Johnson; Mahaly married Jim Campbell; Bernettie married Levi Burns; Mary Ann married George A.C. Harris (in Illinois) and moved to the Jonesboro area.
Sampson died on November 3rd, 1877 in Clayville, Clay County, Arkansas, of disease (diarrhea and consumption), which originated during his Civil War Service. He was 55 years old. Margaret continued to reside in Clay County and received a widow's pension of $8 per month until her death in September 1894. There is a Monument in Springfield, Illinois for Civil War Veterans who served at Vicksburg. Sampson Mayfield's name is listed among those who served.
To date, I have been able to identify 333 direct descendants of Sampson Mayfield. Thanks to Everett Hoebbel, who provided much of the information used in this biography.

More About MARGARET UNDERWOOD:
Burial: Bunker Hill Cmty, Clay Co., Arkansas¹

Children of SAMPSON MAYFIELD and MARGARET UNDERWOOD are:

2.	i.	MARY ANN POLLY² MAYFIELD, b. August 1845, Roane Co., Tn.; d. Aft. 1900, Arkansas.
3.	ii.	JESSE MAYFIELD, b. February 1848, Union Co., Ill.; d. Abt. 1907, prob. Illmo, Scott Co., Mo..
4.	iii.	JAMES M. MAYFIELD, b. 1849, Alto Pass, Union Co., Ill..
5.	iv.	SERENA MAYFIELD, b. 1853, Alto Pass, Union Co., Ill..
6.	v.	WILLIAM JASPER MAYFIELD, b. September 06, 1856, Alto Pass, Union Co., Ill.; d. October 27, 1928, Haskell, Oklahoma.
7.	vi.	NANCY ELIZABETH MAYFIELD, b. May 1858, Alto Pass, Union Co., Ill.; d. Aft. January 1920.
8.	vii.	MARTHA JANE MADDIE MAYFIELD, b. May 1860, Alto Pass, Union Co., Ill..
9.	viii.	PHOEBE EMMALINE MAYFIELD, b. October 03, 1862, Alto Pass, Union Co., Illinois; d. January 26, 1936, Arkansas.
10.	ix.	MAHALY JANE MAYFIELD, b. February 15, 1867, Alto Pass, Union Co., Illinois.
11.	x.	LALULA BERNETTIE NETTIE MAYFIELD, b. November 14, 1869.

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