Saul Matthews

Saul Matthews was a slave of Thomas Mathews, and a Black spy of the American Revolution who spied for the Continental Army. He was also a Black spy that operated in the midst of the armies’ Yorktown campaign - the same campaign that James Armistead operated in. He spied on the British, obtaining valuable information for the Patriots.

Saul Matthews gathered information on Cornwallis’ army while the British moved closer to Yorktown on the eve of the Siege. Saul was recruited by Virginia militia colonel Josiah Parker, who later proclaimed that Saul “deserved the applause of his country.” Similar to James, though Saul provided crucial intelligence that ultimately led to a major and decisive patriot victory, he was not immediately granted freedom as The Virginia Assembly did not grant him freedom. Saul continued to be enslaved for at least a decade after the war.

In 1792, Saul Matthews successfully petitioned the Virginia General Assembly for freedom again. As a result of this, he was given his full freedom from slavery by the Virginia legislature in 1792: "In consideration of many very essential services rendered to this Commonwealth during the late war … full liberty and freedom … as if he was born free."

Name: Saul Matthews

Born: Unknown

Died: Unknown

Contributions in the American Revolution: Spied on the British, obtaining valuable information for the Patriots; provided crucial intelligence that ultimately led to a major and decisive patriot victory.