Sampson Snyder Independent Scout Roster


Sampson Snyder cir. 1880's

Captain Sampson Snyder Captain Sampson Snyder, son of John Snyder, was born and raised on Dry Fork. His education was limited to the common schools, and in his early years these were few and poor. In 1861, he joined the Federal Army at Beverly, volunteering in an Ohio company, and was soon in active service, fighting among the Allegheny Mountains as the Confederates were pushed back across the range. He took part in the battle at McDowell in the spring of 1862, and sometime after that he was sent to the Southwest and became attached to General Grant's army, and took part in all the hard fighting leading up to the siege and capture of Vicksburg. But he was not present when Vicksburg surrendered. Before that event he was sent back to West Virginia to act as a guide for the Union forces among the mountains, where his intimate fitness or acquaintance with the rugged country gave him peculiar fitness for that duty. From that time till the close of the war, he was in constant and active service, often on posts of great responsibility and danger. On February 29th, 1964, Governor Boreman commissioned him captain of the Independent Scouts of Randolph County. They belonged to the State Guards, were clothed and provisioned by the United States and paid by West Virginia. Captain Snyder proceeded to organize a company to operate in the mountains of Randolph, to prevent marauding and to protect the lives and property of loyal and peaceable citizens as well as to pursue or fight Confederate forces, which might invade the county. The roll of this company, when discharged April 15th, 1865, showed forty-three men. There were more at an earlier date, but the causalities of war reduced the number. Following are the names of those who were once enrolled, in Captain Snyder's company: Sampson Snyder, Captain John W. Summerfield, 1st Sergeant; Martin V. Bennett, 1st Sergeant; John H. Middleton, 2nd Sergeant; Samuel Harman, 3rd Sergeant; George W. Snyder, 4th Sergeant; John W. Harper, Sergeant; Cyrus Simmons, Corporal; John D. Harper, Corporal; John Keller, Corporal; Jesse Keller, Corporal; Joseph Roy, Corporal. Privates: Arbogast, George; Arrington, F. M.; Bennett, Daniel; Bishop, George; Champ, Thomas; Colens, Mathew; Cooper, Daniel; Cooper, Elijah; Cunningham, George; Darrel, John S.; Dugger, Bejamin; Archard, Absalom; Echard, Henry; Everts, George; Gennings, George; Gray, Charles; Harman, Andrew; Harman, David H.; Harman, Jesse; Harman, Joseph; Harman, Solomon; Harper, Elijah; Helmick, David; Helmick, David; Helmick, Mathias; Helmick, William; Huffman, Solomon; Jordon, A. D. [Adonijah]; Jordon, Noah; Judy, Harness; Keller, Adam; Keller, Job; Keller, Philip; Long, John W.; Long, Samuel; Mick, Absalom; Mick, Sampson; Mink, John; Mowery, Henry; Nazelrod, Elijah; Nelson, David; Pennington, Jesse; Roy, Isaac; Roy, John P.; Roy, Solomon A.; Rymer, George L.; Simmons, Daniel; Smith, Isaac; Smith, Abraham; Smith, Laban; Snider, Benjamin; Snider, John; Snyder, Henry; Stalnaker, Alfred; Wheeler, John D.; Wolf, Adam; Wolf, George.
From the Book, "Captain Snyder and his Twelve of West Virginia," by Carrie Harman Roy Carrie Harman Roy is a Granddaughter of Sampson Snyder [the daughter of Ann Toy "Nettie" Snyder and Simon Peter Harman].

Captain Sampson Snyder
Captain Sampson Snyder, son of John Snyder, was born and raised on Dry Fork. His education was limited to the common schools, and in his early years these were few and poor. In 1861, he joined the Federal Army at Beverly, volunteering in an Ohio company, and was soon in active service, fighting among the Allegheny Mountains as the Confederates were pushed back across the range. He took part in the battle at McDowell in the spring of 1862, and sometime after that he was sent to the Southwest and became attached to General Grant's army, and took part in all the hard fighting leading up to the siege and capture of Vicksburg. But he was not present when Vicksburg surrendered. Before that event he was sent back to West Virginia to act as a guide for the Union forces among the mountains, where his intimate fitness or acquaintance with the rugged country gave him peculiar fitness for that duty. From that time till the close of the war, he was in constant and active service, often on posts of great responsibility and danger.
On February 29th, 1964, Governor Boreman commissioned him captain of the Independent Scouts of Randolph County. They belonged to the State Guards, were clothed and provisioned by the United States and paid by West Virginia. Captain Snyder proceeded to organize a company to operate in the mountains of Randolph, to prevent marauding and to protect the lives and property of loyal and peaceable citizens as well as to pursue or fight Confederate forces, which might invade the county. The roll of this company, when discharged April 15th, 1865, showed forty-three men. There were more at an earlier date, but the causalities of war reduced the number. Following are the names of those who were once enrolled, in Captain Snyder's company:
Sampson Snyder, Captain
John W. Summerfield, 1st Sergeant; Martin V. Bennett, 1st Sergeant; John H. Middleton, 2nd Sergeant; Samuel Harman, 3rd Sergeant; George W. Snyder, 4th Sergeant; John W. Harper, Sergeant; Cyrus Simmons, Corporal; John D. Harper, Corporal; John Keller, Corporal; Jesse Keller, Corporal; Joseph Roy, Corporal.
Privates:
Arbogast, George; Arrington, F. M.; Bennett, Daniel; Bishop, George; Champ, Thomas; Colens, Mathew; Cooper, Daniel; Cooper, Elijah; Cunningham, George; Darrel, John S.; Dugger, Bejamin; Archard, Absalom; Echard, Henry; Everts, George; Gennings, George; Gray, Charles; Harman, Andrew; Harman, David H.; Harman, Jesse; Harman, Joseph; Harman, Solomon; Harper, Elijah; Helmick, David; Helmick, David; Helmick, Mathias; Helmick, William; Huffman, Solomon; Jordon, A. D. [Adonijah]; Jordon, Noah; Judy, Harness; Keller, Adam; Keller, Job; Keller, Philip; Long, John W.; Long, Samuel; Mick, Absalom; Mick, Sampson; Mink, John; Mowery, Henry; Nazelrod, Elijah; Nelson, David; Pennington, Jesse; Roy, Isaac; Roy, John P.; Roy, Solomon A.; Rymer, George L.; Simmons, Daniel; Smith, Isaac; Smith, Abraham; Smith, Laban; Snider, Benjamin; Snider, John; Snyder, Henry; Stalnaker, Alfred; Wheeler, John D.; Wolf, Adam; Wolf, George.