Berkeley County, West Virginia          Biography of Samuel Paxton WHITMORE

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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume II,
pg. 184


SAMUEL PAXTON WHITMORE showed in all of the relations of life the 
same fine spirit of loyalty that marked his service as a valiant 
soldier of the Confederacy in the Civil war, and he was one of the 
substantial and honored citizens of Martinsburg, Berkeley County, 
at the time of his death, when about sixty-five years of age.

Mr. Whitmore was a native of the historic Old Dominion State and 
a scion of a family that was there founded in the Colonial period 
of our national history, the lineage tracing back to sterling 
English origin.  he was born and reared in Loudoun County, Virginia, 
as were also his parents, George and Rachel Priscilla (Wright) 
Whitmore.  George Whitmore was the owner of a large and valuable 
plantation in Loudoun County, and in the operation of the same he
retained a large number of slaves.  He was sixty years old at the 
time of his death, and his widow attained the venerable age of
eighty-five years.

The early education of Samuel P. Whitmore was gained under the
direction of private tutors, and he was reared under the influence
of the fine old Virginia regime prior to the Civil war.  When the
great fratricidal conflict between the states of the North and the
South was precipitated on the nation, Mr. Whitmore promptly
manifested his loyalty to the state and the institutions under the
influence of which he had been reared, and in the Virginia 
Confederate regiment in which he enlisted he was commissioned a 
first lieutenant of his company.  The regiment became a part of 
the command of Gen. Thomas J. ("Stonewall") Jackson, and Mr.
Whitmore lived up to the full tension of the conflict, as he
participated in many major battles, as well as minor engagements,
and continued in service until the close of the war.  After the
war he resided for a time in Logan County, West Virginia, and 
after his removal to Morgan County he there operated a saw mill
about one year.  He then removed to Martinsburg, judicial center
of Berkeley County, where he had various business interests and
where he continued to reside until his death.  He married Miss
Phoebe Ann Beach, who likewise, was born and reared in Loudoun
County, Virginia.  Her father, John Beach, was born in England
and was a young man when he came to America and settled in
Loudoun County, where he purchased land and engaged in agricultural
pursuits.  He was sixty years of age at the time of his death.
The family name of his wife was Cullison, her father having come
from England to Virginia and having purchased a large plantation in
Loudoun County, where he owned a goodly contingent of slaves.  The
closing years of life were passed at Martinsburg, West Virginia.
mrs. Phoebe Ann (Beach) Whitmore died at the age of forty years.
Her children were eight in number, namely:  Ann Elizabeth, George
A., Mary Kathleen, William Jasper, Sarah A., Samuel J., John Ashley
and Clara Paxton.  Mary Kathleen resides at Martinsburg and is the
widow of George D. Lambert, whose biography follows.