General Thomas Posey
Donated by © John B. Lankford, Jr.
©Illinois
Trails History and Genealogy
back to Gallatin County
1.
Thomas5 Posey (Thomas4, John3, John2, Francois1 Poschet) (Source: (1)
Annals of Augusta County, Virginia, (Chap. X: War of the Revolution,
etc., from 1779 to 1781), "CD-ROM.", (2) Augusta County Court Clerks,
Virginia Genealogies #4, Annals of Augusta County, VA, Chapter X: War
of the Revoluiton, (War of the Revolution, etc., from 1779 to 1781), p.
266-7, 402, 621, 730, 818, 822, 833, 848, 902, Capt. Posey, Major, Lt.
Col., Stoney Point, 1st VA RGT, 7th VA RGT, 2nd VA RGT, SOCIETY OF
CINCINNATI OF STATE OF VIRGINIA,.) was born July 9, 1750 in Charles
County, Maryland, and died March 19, 1818 in Shawneetown, Gallatin
County, Illinois. He married (1) Martha Mathews 1772 in Augusta County,
Virginia, daughter of Sampson Matthews. She was born in August County,
Virginia, and died in Virginia. He married (2) Mary Alexander January
3, 1772 in Augusta County, Virginia, daughter of John Alexander and
Lucy Thornton. She was born in Augusta County, Virginia.
Notes for Thomas Posey:
Sources: Several books in the Tazewell Library, Tazewell, Claiborne
County, Tennessee, researched by Alene Presley Gilbert, Coalgood,
Kentucky. And, myself.
Annals of Augusta County, Virginia, Chapter X: War of the Revolution,
etc., from 1779 to 1781; at the Battle of Stony Point, July 15-16,
1779, page 564, and pages 402, 621, 730, 818, 822, 833, 848, 902.
And from: VIRGINIA SOCIETY OF THE CINCINNATI, list of membership,
1802-1803. Sometimes refereed to as "The Society of Cincinnati of the
State of Virginia".
There is also, listed a Thomas Posey, in the "Society of the
Descendants of Washington's Army at Valley Forge".
Notes by SFC John B. Lankford, Jr.: Thomas Posey was everywhere.
Tracking him, you needed several bloodhounds and an Atlas of the times.
He was in western Virginia, before the Revolution. Did his full
patriotic duty as a soldier. April 13, 1776, enlisting and forming a
company in Augusta, Virginia, has him as a patriot son. The bloody
battle of Stony Point, July 15-16, 1779, where he was among the first,
under General "Mad" Anthony Wayne, to enter the fort and strike the
British flag, and sprang to the ramparts and shouted, "The fort is our
own!" September 14, 1778 to June, 1779, at Fort Pitt. He was there, at
the surrender of the British at Yorktown, October 19 ,1781, with
General George Washington. General "Mad" Anthony is well known in
Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio, formerly, Fort Hamilton on the Big Miami
River, Ohio Territory. The place of my school years, and my brother
James Lankford's place of eternal rest. Thomas Posey was assigned,
after recruiting duty in Augusta County, Virginia, to General "Mad"
Anthony Wayne's command, in the SOUTH (Georgia), 1782. In the
Northwest, 1793-94. Fighting the Indians of Cincinnati and the Great
Miami River. And back to Georgia. This covers over twenty years of
military duty. Somewhere, he got into politics, and was off again to
New Parts of the newly formed Republic of the American States. Next, we
find Thomas Posey in Kentucky as a state senator, from 1805-6. 1809,
when rumors of war, began, he was commissioned Major General and
organized the Kentucky Volunteers. Then, off to Louisiana, as a United
States Senator. Next, governor of Indiana Territory, 1813-16. Next,
1816-18, Indian agent at Shawneetown, Illinois. Thomas Posey is also
known as: General Posey, of Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Knowing of
Thomas Posey's military exploits, he should be listed as one of
American Revolutionary War Veterans buried in Illinois . One small foot
note, does not do Thomas Posey, justice, in American History, nor in
the genealogy file.
More About Thomas Posey:
Army of George Washington: Bet. 1777 - 1781, Surrender of English at
Yorktown, New Jersey
Burial: March 1818, Westwood Cemetery, Shawneetown, Gallatin County,
Illinois
DAR Monument: Aft. 1818, Shawneetown, Gallatin County, Illinois
Government Appointment: 1816, Agent for Indian affairs, Illinois
Military service 1: 1776, American Revolution, 1st Virginia Regiment
Military service 2: 1781, With General "Mad" Anthony Wayne in Georgia
Occupation: Bef. 1774, Saddler on the Virginia frontier.
Political Office: Bet. 1805 - 1809, Lt. Governor of Kentucky
Political Office 2: Bet. 1812 - 1813, U. S. Senator of Louisiana
Political Office 3: 1813, Appointed Territorial Governor of Indiana.
1814, Lost election to Benjamin Harrison.
Residence: 1775, Augusta County Committee, Virginia
More About Thomas Posey and Martha Mathews:
Marriage: 1772, Augusta County, Virginia
Marriage Notes for Thomas Posey and Mary Alexander:
Yates Index has 1784, Georgia.
More About Thomas Posey and Mary Alexander:
Marriage: January 3, 1772, Augusta County, Virginia
Child of Thomas Posey and Martha Mathews is:
2 i. John6 Posey, born 1774 in Virginia (Source: Virginia Genealogies
#2, 1600-1800's, Genealogies of Virginia Families, "CD-ROM," Vol. V,
page 55-59, General Thomas Posey, of the Revolution, married
(1),_______ Matthews, daughter of Samson Matthews, of Augusta county,
and they had one child, John, whose mother died during the Revolution.
After the Revolution, he married Mary Alexander, widow of Major Gen.
Geo. Thorton,'a zealous partisan officer.' As her mother was Lucy
Thornton, she was akin to her first husband. General Posey's son by his
first wife married Mrs. Thornton's daughter by her first husband after
the General and Mrs. Thornton married. Col. Thornton Alexander Posey,
U. S. A., was the son of General Thos Posey and his second wife, Mary
A. Thornton"----George Wilson, Lexington, Missouri.). He married Lucy
Francis Thornton; born 1781 in Virginia.
Children of Thomas Posey and Mary Alexander are:
3 i. Lloyd I6 Posey, born Bet. 1770 - 1790.
Notes for Lloyd I Posey:
Thomas Posey used the name Lloyd for two of his sons.
4 ii. Lloyd II Posey, born Bet. 1770 - 1790.
5 iii. Thornton Alexander Posey, born Aft. 1772 in Virginia.
View
the cemetery stones of Thomas Posey and George Leech
For more information regarding General Posey, see the following
websites:
POSEY, Thomas (1750-1818) Biographical
Information
Thomas Posey - Indiana Governor
Thomas Posey Collection, 1776-1839
The
Library of Congress - The George Washington Papers