John Sampson (Politician)

John Sampson (1719–1784) was an Irish/Scottish born, American Colonial era Politician, Government Official, Revolutionary War Military Officer, and farmer who was a prominent citizen and Patriot in eastern North Carolina.

The details of Sampson's life as a young man are not known, however Sampson immigrated from Ireland / Scotland sometime in the 1730s to 1740's and settled in the Wilmington, North Carolina area, as he seemed to be a prominent citizen well before the Spanish Alarm of 1747.

The War of the Austrian Succession brought military battle close to Sampson in 1747, and he was called upon to raise up a company of men in New Hanover County to protect against any Spanish Invasion. Sampson next saw military action as a Lieutenant General in the Colonial Militia of the Royal Governor William Tryon in 1771 fighting against the members of the Regulator Rebellion in Halifax, North Carolina. Governor Tryon ordered Sampson to raise several hundred men from Duplin County in order to help. The fighting and civil disobedience that become so bad that county Justices of the Peace such as future North Carolina Governor Alexander Martin was beaten and flogged on the street by the members of the Regulator Rebellion. With the Regulator Rebellion forces outnumbering the Colonial Militia forces of Governor Tryon by a two to one ratio, and the situation escalating quickly, the Governor was left with no choice but to fight back. The resulting battle became known as the Battle of Alamance, and resulted in between 8-12 killed and as many as 100 wounded. Several of the Captains of the Regulator's Militia were taken prisoner and later executed by Tryon. There is also evidence supporting John Sampson's role in supporting the Continental Militia, during the Revolutionary War.

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