History: Family: Some Sampsons of NY and PA. FAMILY HISTORY: The genealogy of William Thomas Sampson, Rear Admiral, United States Navy. Excerpts from "The Sampson Family" by Lilla Briggs Sampson. Member Maryland Historical Society, Various pages. Additional biographical data added by Wayne M. Sampson Copyright 1914 Composed and Printed at the Waverly Press By the Williams & Wilkins Company Baltimore, U.S.A. Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Wayne M. Sampson; 916 South Olive Street; Mexico, MO 65265. wayne@morrisnet.net ******************************************************************* USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be repro- duced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organi- zation or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The Submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file perma- nently for free access. http: //www.usgwarchives.net ******************************************************************* WILLIAM THOMAS SAMPSON REAR ADMIRAL UNITED STATES NAVY 1840 - 1902 In tracing the line of the late Admiral William Thomas Sampson, I secured a very large tree of this family whose history seems to start in Tobermore, County Londonderry - County London- derry is, by all the natives, called "County Derry," and as this is a much shorter word I will use it. If you will look at a complete map of Ulster, you will notice that Cookstown, Magherafelt, Moneymore and Tobermore (in two counties of Tyrone and Derry), lie within a short distance of each other. As I have already stated, George, one of the four Sampson Brothers of Ballyloughlin, near Cookstown, County Tyrone, moved over to Magherafelt, County Derry, so that we could easily imag- ine that Thomas, another of the four brothers, might have settled in Tobermore, County Derry. I secured a copy of this will from Dublin, which he made in 1750. He was married to Sarah Clark and had four children. This Thomas had a brother John, of whom there is no record. My theory, after much study, is that there were instead of "four brothers" settled in Ballyloughlin, a number of them, and that John, the brother of Thomas of Kilcronaghan is also the brother of James, George and Ralph of Ballyloughlin, and also the same John who came to America previous to 1760 - and died in 1800. Dates are a great assistance in making these connections, and the dates in this case would allow of my inference being a correct one. Thomas Sampson, of Kilcronaghan also had a son Thomas of Drumbellahagan, Tobermore, who lived to be over a hundred years old. He married Elizabeth _____ and eleven child- ren were born to them. One of these was James Sampson, who married Hannah Walker. These were the parents of Admiral William Thomas Sampson. This history has been secured by the searching of records and also by the courtesy of Miss Margaret Sampson, of Killyberry, Castle Dawson, County Derry, who lives with her father, Thomas Sampson in Killyberry, an own cousin to Admiral Sampson. The following chart will give the various branches of this family: C H A R T FIRST GENERATION ---------------- 1. Thomas Sampson. Born, in Scotland. Died, 1750, in Tobermore, Co. Derry, Ireland. He lived in Kilcronaghan, Ireland. He married Sarah CLARK. Children: 2. Thomas. 3. Matthew. 4. John. 5. George. SECOND GENERATION ----------------- 2. Thomas Sampson (Thomas, 1). Born, c1755, in Co. Derry, Ireland. He lived in Drumbellahagan, Tobermore, Ireland. He married Elizabeth _____. Children: 6. James. 7. Thomas. 8. Margaret. 9. Sarah. Came to America. 10. Eliza. Came to America. 11. Isabella. She married Charles DUNN. 12. George. He lived Palmyra, NY. 13. William. He died in Drumbellahagan, Co. Derry, Ire- land. 14. Patrick. 3. Matthew Sampson (Thomas, 1). He lived in Drumbellahagan, Tobermore, Ireland. He married Eliza PATTERSON. Children: 15. Mary. 16. Sarah. 17. Elizabeth. 18. Matthew. 19. Thomas. Born, in Co. Derry, Ireland. Died in Co. Derry, Ireland. He came to America for a time and then returned to Ireland. 20. Alexander. 21. John. He went to Mexico and was never heard from. 22. Samuel. He lived in Pottstown, PA. 23. James. 5. George Sampson (Thomas, 1). Born nr. Tobermore, Co. Derry, Ireland. He married _____ SAMPSON. Children: 24. Abraham. THIRD GENERATION ---------------- 6. James Sampson (Thomas, 2). He lived in Palmyra, NY. He married Hannah WALKER. Children: 25. William Thomas, Rear-Admiral USN. Born, 9 February 1840. Died, 6 May 1902. He married, first, Margaret Sexton ALDRICH and had 4 daughters. He married, second, Elizabeth Susan BURLING and had 2 sons. One son, Ralph E. Sampson was a Comman- der in the United States Navy. Ralph married Marjorie L. _____. 26. Alice. She died young. 27. Mary. She died young. 28. James. He married Belle STEWART. 29. Amelia. She married Dr. ELLIS. 30. daughter. She married Alonzo CHASE. 31. George. He married Harriet BISHOP. 32. Eliza. 7. Thomas Sampson (Thomas, 2). Died in Scotland. He lived in Killyberry, Castle Dawson, Co. Derry, Ireland. He married and had children: 33. Margaret. She lived in Killyberry, Castle Dawson, Co. Derry, Ireland. 14. Patrick Sampson (Thomas, 2). He married Isabella GARLAND. 34. Thomas. 35. John. 20. Alexander Sampson (Matthew, 3). He lived in Pottstown, PA. He married Sarah Jane McLEAN. Children: 36. Mary. She lived in Pottstown, PA. 37. Margaret. She lived in Charlotte St., Pottstown, PA. 23. James Sampson (Matthew, 3). He married Nancy LYLE. Child- ren: 38. Matthew Alexander. 39. Annie. 40. Sarah. 41. Eliza. She married John LYLE. 24. Abraham Sampson (George, 5). He married Annie V _____. Children: 42. William. 43. Mary. 44. James. Died 1903. He married Elizabeth _____. 45. David. 46. Joseph. FOURTH GENERATION ----------------- 34. Thomas Sampson (Patrick, 14). He lived in Killyberry, Castle Dawson, Co. Derry, Ireland. He married Mary Ann SAMPSON. Child- ren: 47. Margaret. She lived in Killyberry, Castle Dawson, Co. Derry, Ireland. 48. Jeannie. She married James SCOTT. 49. Mary. She married Andrew PAUL. 50. Isabella. She married Samuel PICKERING. 35. John Sampson (Patrick, 14). In 1886, he came to America. He married and had children: 51. Johert. 52. James. He lived in Philadelphia, PA. 53. Anna Belle. She lived in Philadelphia, PA. 45. David Sampson (Abraham, 24). He married and had children: 54. William. He lived at 88 Montrose Street, Belfast, Ireland. 55. David. He lived at 69 Euston Street, Belfast, Ireland. 46. Joseph Sampson (Abraham, 24). He died c1890. He married and had children: 56. William. 57. James. He lived in Capetown, South Africa. 58. Harriet. She lived in the USA. 59. Alexander. He lived in Johannesburg, South Africa. 60. Anna. She lived in Cape Town, South Africa. She married Sir William THORN. * * * * * BIOGRAPHY --------- William Thomas Sampson (1840-1902), naval officer, was born, 9 February 1840 at Palmyra, New York, the eldest of seven child- ren of James and Hannah (Walker) Sampson. His great-grandparents had come to America from northern Ireland. With an excellent record in the Palmyra schools, he gained and appointment to the United State Naval Academy, and was graduated first in the class of 1861. After duty earlier in the Civil War as instructor at the Naval Academy at Newport, he joined the monitor Patapsco in 1864, as executive officer, and was on her turret when she was blown up while removing mines in Charleston harbor, January 15, 1865, with a loss of sixty lives. He was made lieutenant in 1862, and lieutenant commander in 1866, while serving on the USS Colorado of the European Squadron. Admiral Dewey, his shipmate on the USS Colorado, speaks of Sampson as possessing "a most brilliant mind and the qualities of a practical and efficient officer on board ship," and as being one of the handsomest men he had ever seen (Autobiography of George Dewey, 1913, p. 139). He was at the Naval Academy from 1868 to 1871, and after service on the USS Congress in 1872 and European station in 1873 and promoted to Commander in August 1874, he returned to Annapo- lis as head of the physics department, 1874-78. Not a great reader of general literature or a man of wide interests, he developed in these years of study and teaching an outstanding proficiency in the scientific side of his profession, especially in physics, chemistry, metallurgy, and astronomy. Characteristic of the man and his methods were his academy lectures, delivered quietly but with great clearness, and with such painstaking attention to detail that in his illustrative experiments a former student could "not recall a single failure" (I. N. Hollis, "Rear- Admiral Sampson," World's Work, Nov. 1901, p. 1421). After commanding the USS Swatara in the Asiatic Squadron, 1879-82, he was stationed at the Naval Observatory, and in 1884 was a dele- gate to the International Meridian Conference. He commanded the Newport Torpedo Station from 1884 to 1886 and was also a member of an inter-service board on coast defenses, the naval aspects of which he treated in an article in the 'Proceedings of the United States Naval Institute, April 1889'. From 1886 to 1890 he was superintendent of the Naval Academy. He was promoted to Captain in March 1889, and left the Academy to command the USS San Fran- cisco. After two years in command of the USS San Francisco, he became superintendent of the naval gun foundry at Washington and later Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance, where under his leadership great advances in gunnery training, guns and explosives were made, such as introduction of smokeless powder, 1893-97. (Long, post, p. 227) In June 1897 he joined the North Atlantic Squadron in com- mand of the battleship Iowa, as Senior Captain. He was president of the board of inquiry into the sinking of the Maine in Havana harbor. In March 1898 he was advanced to acting Rear-Admiral, and named to succeed the ailing Montgomery Sicard in command of the North Atlantic Squadron. This appointment over a dozen capable senior officers gave signal recognition of his high service reputation. Though the Spanish opposition was not such as to try his leadership to the utmost, he met with notable success the constant tests of judgment an severe mental and physical stress of the extended tropical campaign. In deference to departmental orders not to endanger his ships against shore defenses before meeting the Spanish fleet, he gave up his early design of an attack on Havana, and, at the declaration of war on Apr. 21, 1898, left Key West with twenty-six vessels to establish a blockade of the north coast of Cuba. In the later stages of the war, especially, a general supervision of fleet movements was maintained by the departmental strategy board in which Mahan had a guiding hand. Still, much was necessarily left to the command at sea, and it is high tribute to Sampson that the only move criticized later by Mahan was the cruise eastward to Puerto Rico and bombardment of San Juan on May 12, which left Havana open, with the destination of the approaching Spanish squadron as yet unknown. Upon receiving news of Cervera's arrival at Martinique, also on May 12, Sampson hastened westward, and was joined at Key West by the Flying Squadron from Norfolk, under the command of Win- field Scott Schley, who was technically his senior. This force, now operating under Sampson's orders, was dispatched on May 19 to blockade Cienfuegos, chief southern port of Cuba, and Santiago where it was expected Cervera would next appear. There was some constraint in the arrangement by which Schley, though two numbers senior to Sampson, was placed under him, and this was further in- creased by Schley's delay in moving eastward from Cienfuegos to Santiago upon receiving news of Cervera's arrival there on May 19, and Schley's still further delay in establishing a close blockade of that port. Sampson had sent Schley to reinforce the blockade of the southern coast, particularly Cienfuegos and Santiago. Schley was tardy in movements, and Cervera slipped undetected into the easily defended harbor at Santiago. When Cervera was finally discovered there, Sampson concentrated his forces outside the harbor. To the department's anxious query as to how long he could himself blockade Santiago, Sampson replied that he could blockade indefinitely. On June 1 the combined forces took up their month-long vigil off the port, with ships in close semicircle around the narrow entrance and searchlights at night playing directly upon it. In this blockade Sampson's genius for patient and painstaking organization found full play. His health was not of the strongest, and from the time of the USS Maine inquiry he had been under a heavy burden, his duties in- cluding at this time supervision of the whole Cuban blockade, cooperation with the army, direction of minor operations, and control of more than a hundred vessels in his total force. Undoubtedly towards the end he suffered some slackening of physi- cal and mental powers. Admiral Sampson supported the landing of General Shafter's army at Daiquiri, June 22, and the capture of Siboney next day, and the subsequent advance to Santiago, following the capture of San Juan heights on July 1. On the morning of July 3, Admiral Sampson and General Shafter arranged a shore conference to plan a coordinated land-sea assault. Sampson in his flagship, the USS New York, had gone about seven miles eastward for the conference with General Shafter. He had signaled, "Disregard movement of flagship," but had not turned over the command to the next in rank, Schley; Admiral Sampson was in sight of the squadron, and probably within signal range of the nearer units. When the suspense was ended by the coming out of Cervera's squadron at 9:35 a.m., the USS New York hastened back toward the battle, but though under fire from the entrance forts and in position to control later operations, the New York did not actually fire on any of the larger enemy ships. Schley, meantime, in the fast cruiser USS Brooklyn, was conspicuous in the action, and the early newspaper dispatches gave him chief credit for the victory. Sampson's first message - "The fleet under my command offers the nation as a Fourth of July present the whole of Cervera's fleet" (Annual Report of the Navy Department, 1898, post, p.505) was ridiculed. Popular opinion made Schley the hero, though the War Department and the service in general strongly supported Sampson. Politics also entered into the long and bitter controversy which ensued, and the provisional promotions of Aug. 10, 1898, advanc- ing Sampson eight numbers and Schley six, were not confirmed by the Senate. Both became permanent rear admirals by the Personnel Act of 1899, but Sampson, with manifest injustice, never received special recognition for his excellent work throughout the war. Actually, the question of command in the battle was not vital, since no squadron orders of consequence were issued. In his final decision in the matter, President Roosevelt stated that "technically Sampson commanded," but that his real credit rested "upon the excellence of the blockade; upon the preparedness of the squadron . . . and the standing orders in accordance with which they instantly moved to the attack" (Long, post, II, 208). Sampson published an article on the "Atlantic fleet in the Span- ish-American War" in Century Magazine, April 1899. The hostility of the press correspondents was unquestionably due largely to Sampson's austere, uningratiating manner. He was reticent by nature and gave an initial impression of coldness. With subordinates he was uniformly courteous, and he won their devotion, but he was not quick to praise. For a time after the Santiago victory it was planned to send a force under Sampson to the Spanish coast, but the plan was abandoned and after the close of hostilities he brought his fleet on Aug. 10 to New York. From September to December 1898, he was in Cuba with the Puerto Rico Evacuation Commission, and subsequently continued in command of the Atlantic fleet until October 1899. Thereafter until his death he was in charge of the Boston navy yard. He died on May 6, 1902 at Washington, D.C. It was originally suggested that he be buried at the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD. He was, however, subsequently buried in Section 21 of Arlington National Cemetery at Arlington. He was married in 1863 to Marga- ret Sexton Aldrich of Palmyra, and in 1882 to Elizabeth Susan Burling of Rochester, N.Y. By his first marriage he had four daughters, and by his second, two sons. His second wife, Elizabeth Susan Burling Sampson (1851-1936) is buried with him. Subsequently his son, Commander Ralph E. Sampson (1886-1965) and Ralph's wife, Marjorie L. Sampson (1894- 1978) were buried beside him at Arlington National Cemetery. * * * * *