David Campbell

David Campbell (August 7, 1779March 19, 1859) was a Virginia merchant, soldier, farmer, and politician who became the 27th Governor of Virginia, serving from 1837 to 1840. Early and family life David Campbell was born in a part of Washington County, Virginia, that later became Smyth County, to Capt. John Campbell (1742-1825) and his wife Elizabeth McDonald (1753-1827). Both of his parents were of Scottish descent. His younger brother John Campbell (1787 or 1788 – by 29 January 1867) served as treasurer of the United States from 1829 to 1839, and would be buried at Morristown, Shelby County, Indiana. Another younger brother, Edward McDonald Campbell (1781–1833), represented Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Washington Counties in the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829–1830, and Edward's son John Arthur Campbell represented the area at the Virginia Secession Convention of 1861 and also served as a Confederate infantry captain and circuit judge. They may have also had two sisters, Mary Campbell Cummings (1773-1829) and Eliza Campbell (1783-1876). David Campbell married Mary Hamilton (1783-1859) in 1800, and they raised his nephew and niece David H.R. Campbell and Virginia Campbell. Career Campbell was a successful merchant in Abingdon, Virginia. He served in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812 and was Captain in the Virginia militia and aide-de-Camp to Governor James Barbour during that conflict. He was National Guard Brigadier General of the 3rd Virginia brigade and Colonel of the 3rd Virginia Cavalry.