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This information is contributed by Don Matthews Benjamin W. Matthews of Rockfish Twp. Duplin County, N.C. was my great grandfather. He was born in Duplin County circa 1819-1829. He was the son of Jacob Mathews (who I believe to have been born in Duplin circa 1790, and who died in Duplin circa 1828). Benjamin W. Matthews' mother was named Jane Mathews b. place unknown circa 1794; she died Duplin 1874. Her tombstone says she was age 80 and was the wife of Jacob Mathews or possibly Mathis; I can't remember which spelling was used). Benjamin W. Matthews married Sarah aka "Sallie" Evans circa 1847. As of the 1850 census date, they had one son aged two referred to as "Davis" in the census. (Later information would show that his full name was Jacob Davis Matthews). Benjamin W. Matthews served in the Confederate Army as a Private in Company B, 1st North Carolina Heavy Artillery Battalion from March 1862 until the end of the war. He was paroled at Goldsboro, N.C. in May 1865. (He was probably assigned to the Artillery branch due to the fact that he was somewhat older when he enlisted than was the typical infantry enlistee.) At 1870 census date his mother Jane was a resident in his Rockfish Twp., Duplin County household. In 1880, Benjamin W. Matthews was a farmer and was a head of household in Upper Rockfish Twp. He was shown to be age 53 in 1880. His wife Sarah E. was also 53. His son John R. was 19. His son George T. was 17. (This was my grandfather George Thomas Matthews who was born in Duplin County but died in Wilmington, N.C. on January 28, 1928. He had married a Peterson and he was buried in the Peterson family cemetery in Duplin County) Benjamin W. Matthews son Benjamin F. was 14 in 1880. His daughter Margaret was 11. His youngest son at the time was Archibald H. aged 7. Also resident in his household in 1880 was a black female servant identified as Susan Costin whose age was given as 67. Benjamin W. Matthews is believed to have died in Duplin County, N.C. in February 1915, about a month short of the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Bentonville. I have never found a death certificate for him. |