Samuel A. Whiteside | |
|---|---|
 | |
| In office 1819–1821 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 12, 1783 Rutherford County, North Carolina, US |
| Died | January 12, 1866 (aged 82) Christian County, Illinois, US |
| Spouse | Nancy Miller |
| Profession | Farmer, soldier, politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service | U.S. Army, Ranger |
| Years of service | 1810-1814; 1831–1832 |
| Rank | captain (1812-1814) general (1811-1812), (1831-1832) corporal(1832–1833) |
| Unit | Illinois militia |
| Commands | Blackhawk War |
Samuel Whiteside (April 12, 1783 – January 12, 1866) was an Illinois pioneer. A farmer and backwoodsman, Whiteside briefly served in the Illinois General Assembly after statehood and led the Illinois militia for decades, rising to the rank of general but also enlisting as an ordinary soldier when militia calls declined at the end of wars. Whiteside fought the British in the War of 1812 and Native Americans through the Blackhawk War (including in the Illinois Territory before statehood and later in the Wisconsin Territory).[1]