John Mathews

A Patriot of the American Revolution for MASSACHUSETTS with the rank of PRIVATE. DAR Ancestor #: A075508

According to a footnote (source probably Willis Adams Bailey) in the "Diary of a Journey from Massachusetts to the Ohio Country, 1798", by Dr. Increase Mathews:

"John Matthews, born 18 Dec 1765. As John Mathews {note single 't'} he appears on a descriptive list of men raised in Worcester County, Mass., to serve in the Continental Army, agreeable to a resolve of 2 Dec. 1780. His age is given as 16 years; stature, 5 feet, 2 inches; complexion, light; occupation, farmer. He was engaged for the town of New Braintree, Mass., 10 March 1781, for a term of three years, and was in Captain Hunter's company, Colonel Keyes's regiment. (Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, Vol. 10, p. 350.)

He went to the Ohio Country with the original "Forty-eight", and was on the Miami with General Wayne's army, in 1795.  He settled at Marietta, and married in 1803 Sarah Woodbridge.  The original manuscript of a diary kept by him belongs to Marietta College.  It has been published by Archer Hulert in an appendix to a volume of the Proceedings of the Ohio Company."

John Mathews was a nephew of General Rufus Putnam. He was employed in the survey of the seven ranges in 1786. He was appointed a surveyor for the Ohio Company, and joined the expedition that landed at Marietta, April 7, 1788, and was himself a share-holder in the Company. While engaged surveying in the lower part of the purchase, in Lawrence county, his camp was attacked by a party of hostile Shawnees, early in the morning of August 7, 1789. He had with him a guard of seven soldiers, all of whom were killed, except the corporal. Mr. Mathews' assistant was shot dead at his side, and he escaped almost naked, and succeeded, with three or four of his party, who were unhurt, in reaching Colonel R. J. Meigs, who was in a boat with a party surveying the Ohio river. This was the most serious disaster experienced by any of the surveying parties. Besides the loss of life, all the clothing, guns, surveying instruments, and camp equipment were lost. In 1792, Mr. Mathews was appointed superintendent of affairs at Gallioplis. **In 1796, he married a daughter of Judge Dudley Woodbridge, of Marietta, and settled in Muskingum County, and became a successful, active, and clear headed men Ohio ever claimed for a citizen. *

Source:

• http://www.ohiogenealogyexpress.com/muskingum/muskingumco_bios/musk...

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John Mathews was a Rev War Vet and received Ohio lands for his service in Worcester Co. Militia.