Captain Matthew McCullers

Revolutionary War Patriot · 1759–1825 · Wake County, NC

Welcome, family and friends. This is the starting point for everything we know about Captain Matthew McCullers and the first five generations of his descendants — the men and women who helped shape early North Carolina and whose names still echo in the families gathered here today.

Here you can read his story as told in his widow’s own pension application, view the grave markers of the patriot and his immediate family, learn how to visit the cemetery where he rests, and discover how you and your children can help carry his legacy forward.

ABOUT THE PATRIOT

The Life of Captain Matthew McCullers

Born 14 June 1759 · Died 28 June 1825 · Buried in Wake County, North Carolina

Matthew Jones McCullers was born in Wake County, North Carolina in 1759, the descendant of a McCullers ancestor said to have come ashore from Scotland or Wales as a small child and been raised by Colonel James of Halifax County. He came of age as the colonies came of age, taking up arms in the cause of American independence and rising to the rank of Captain in the North Carolina line.

On 15 February 1785 he married Sarah Lane, daughter of Joseph Lane of a notable Wake County family and cousin of General Joseph Lane of Oregon, the Vice-Presidential candidate on the Breckinridge ticket in 1860. Together Matthew and Sarah raised nine children on the family homestead in Wake County. Captain McCullers died there on 28 June 1825 and is buried with his wife and many of their descendants at what is today the McCullers Cemetery.

Five generations later, his name remains a fixture of North Carolina history, his service a matter of public record, and his resting place an enduring point of connection for the family and community he helped to build.

At a Glance

  • Born: 14 June 1759, Wake County, North Carolina

  • Died: 28 June 1825, Wake County, North Carolina

  • Service: Captain, North Carolina militia, American Revolutionary War

  • Married: Sarah Lane, 15 February 1785, Wake County, NC

  • Children: Nine, including John Joseph Lane McCullers (1810–1880), whose obituary survives as a tribute to the family’s character

  • Resting Place: McCullers Cemetery, Wake County, North Carolina

HIS STORY IN HER WORDS

The Widow’s Pension Application

Sarah Lane McCullers tells the story of her husband’s service

After Captain McCullers’s death, his widow Sarah Lane McCullers filed a pension application with the federal government in recognition of his service. That document — preserved today in the Southern Campaigns Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters database — is the most complete first-person account we have of his time at war.

In her own words, Sarah recounts where her husband served, who he served with, and what he endured for the cause of independence. For descendants seeking to document a Revolutionary ancestor, and for historians studying the Southern Campaigns, the pension file is both a primary source and a personal letter from one generation to the next.

The full transcribed pension file is hosted at revwarapps.org, the Southern Campaigns Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters Database, which currently makes more than 30,000 pension applications and bounty land claims from Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia freely available and fully searchable.

THE MCCULLERS CEMETERY

A Resting Place, Preserved by Family

Where Captain McCullers and the first generations of his descendants are buried

The McCullers Cemetery in Wake County, North Carolina is the resting place of Captain Matthew McCullers, his wife Sarah Lane McCullers, and many of the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who came after them. It is a working historic cemetery — not a museum and not a tourist site — cared for by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of descendants and friends of the family.

Within the cemetery you will find the grave markers of the patriot and his immediate family, alongside the headstones of the first generation of descendants who helped settle and shape this corner of North Carolina. Each stone is photographed and documented on this site so that descendants who cannot visit in person can still pay their respects.

Maintenance, restoration of weathered stones, and ongoing landscaping are funded entirely by the donations of descendants and friends. Every gift, large or small, helps keep this place worthy of the people buried here.

HONOR AND HERITAGE SOCIETIES

Carry the Legacy Forward

Membership in the heritage societies of the American Revolution

Descendants of Captain Matthew McCullers are eligible to apply for membership in the lineage societies that preserve the memory of the American Revolution. These organizations maintain rigorous genealogical records, sponsor local chapter meetings across the country, and offer scholarships, educational programs, and opportunities for community service grounded in our nation’s founding history.

If you, your children, or your grandchildren wish to join, the official sites below explain the application process and connect you with a chapter near you.

RESEARCH & RESOURCES

For Genealogists and Historians

Primary sources, transcriptions, and trusted partners

The central resource for documenting Captain Matthew McCullers’s service is the Southern Campaigns Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters Database at revwarapps.org. As of April 2026 the database holds 431 roster transcriptions and 30,914 pension applications, bounty land claims, and related records from Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia — including over 5,100 transcripts from the Library of Virginia, more than 6,800 from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, and a growing collection from the State Archives of North Carolina.

In addition to the SCAR database, the following partner organizations and projects are recommended for descendants and researchers:

VISIT THE CEMETERY

Plan Your Visit

Directions, hours, and what to expect when you arrive

The McCullers Cemetery is open to descendants, researchers, and respectful visitors throughout the year. The grounds are maintained by volunteers, and there is no admission fee. We ask only that visitors treat the markers with care, leave the site as they found it, and consider signing the guest register or sending us a note about your visit.

Location and Directions

1960 Donny Brook Road, Raleigh, NC 27603

Visiting Hours

Daylight hours, year-round. There is no on-site staff; please plan to bring water, sturdy footwear, and any flowers or flags you intend to leave at the markers.

Group Visits and Family Reunions

If you are organizing a family reunion, DAR or SAR chapter visit, school group, or other gathering of more than ten people, please contact the Board in advance so we can prepare the site, arrange parking, and, where possible, have a Board member on hand to greet you.

SUPPORT THE CEMETERY

Help Us Preserve This Place

Your tax-deductible contribution keeps the cemetery standing for the next generation

The McCullers Cemetery is preserved entirely through the generosity of descendants and friends. Contributions go directly toward grounds maintenance, conservation of historic markers, fencing and signage, and the documentation work that makes this website possible.

Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. You can give in honor of a specific ancestor, in memory of a loved one, or simply in recognition of the family and community that built this place.

Ways to Give

  • Online: [Insert link to secure online donation page]

  • By Check: Make payable to the McCullers Cemetery and mail to [Insert mailing address]

  • Planned Giving: To remember the cemetery in your will or estate plan, please contact a member of the Board for the recommended bequest language.