Person:John Semple (8)

John Sample

• British Soldier

28 Sep 1781 - As British Soldiers, John and Samuel Semple are present at the Siege of Yorktown, York County, Virginia

19 Oct 1781 - The British Surrender Yorktown - John and Samuel Semple under the command of General Lord Charles Marquis Cornwallis. The brothers were with Cornwallis when he surrendered to General George Washington, at the Battle of Yorktown. At this time both are prisoners of war.

20 Oct 1781 - John and Samuel Semple are marched toward POW's Barracks in Winchester Virginia - The prisoners of war were marched from Yorktown to a prison camp at Winchester, Virginia. Along the way, many prisoners escaped. They were encouraged to do so, for every one that escaped, meant one less for America to feed.

21 Oct 1781 - John and Samuel Semple(s) Escape to the Great Dismal Swamp, Virginia and North Carolina - They lived one winter in a large cypress tree in the Dismal Swamp. After that the brothers became separated and never saw each other again.

13 Jun 1783 - John Married Agnes Hamilton and the couple had a son John Jr.

01 OCT 1794 - John Samples is killed by Native Americans

The brothers became separated and never met again.

John married Agnes Hamilton. He and his wife and their infant son John ll and the Hamilton family formed a party of a company of emigrants which Daniel Boone was leading across the mountains into Kentucky in search of a new home. On the way across the mountains they were attacked by some Indians and John Samples was killed, leaving the young widow with the infant son in the care of her parents. Agnes took for her second husband a man by the name of Phillips who was so mean to his step-son that his mother bound her son to an old Christian to be taught the Matter's trade. He later married Nancy Turnbull, daughter of James Turnbull, the British solder. James Turnbull (now know as Trimble) was born in Edinburgh Scotland about the year 1760. The year George lll succeeded to the English throne. James was drafted into military service at the age of 16 (the year of 1776) and was assigned to the army, under the command of Lord Cornwallis and sent to North America to strengthen the forces under the command of Gage Howe and others who were vainly attempting to subdue the American patriots in their revolt for independence. The fleet that carried Lord Cornwallis' army to America sailed from the coast of Ireland in February 1776 under the command of Sir Peter Parker. The arrival of this fleet was delayed by storms. The vessel that carried James Turnbull was driven out of its course, separated from the rest of the fleet, one mast broken and part of the sails lost. It drifted for 22 months before it reached the American coast. Fresh water and provisions ran short, and all on board nearly perished from starvation. James Turbull served seven years in the British army until the close of the Revolutionary War. He was with Lord Cornwallis at York Town when that General surrendered to George Washington October 17, 1781. Peace was declared in 1783 and the fleet that carried this army back to England left Turnbull behind. Sometime later he left York Town traveling northward reaching the Potomac River he crossed over into Maryland and proceeded northward until he reached a point near the present site of Washington DC. Here he made the acquaintance of Susannah Sheinaberry whom he later married, probably about the year 1785. He resided in that vicinity until five of his older children were born. James ll was the youngest when he immigrated to Virginia about the year 1795 or 1796. In crossing the river which was flushing from recent rains, Mrs. Turnbull’s horse swam and she dropped her infant son into the river. A bystander swam his horse into the river ahead of the child, caught it by the skirt and saved its life. Turnbull purchased a farm on the head of Straight creek in Highland County Virginia, three miles east of Monterey where he continued to reside until his death.