Jacob Clemmer

"A Biographic History of the Clemmer Family", written by Dr Joseph Neal Clemmer, Clarksville, Iowa 1900.

The facts I am about to relate were given to me by my Grandfather- Jacob Clemmer {Jr.} when I was a small boy living near Fairchance Furnace, Fayette Co., Pennsylvania. I was born Aug 22, 1826

In France

Our family was originally French - and the name was Klammer, but it was changed to Clemmer - giving it an English termination. Our ancentors were descenters from the Catholic church - Huguenots. -In the latter part or the 15th century, the King of France conceived the idea of bringing all his subjects into the Catholic faith in accordance to the custom or the time, an appeal to arms was the outcome. The Huguenots & others armed and resisted.

They lived in the mountainous districts of France and were a hardy and thrifty people - peaceable and loyal to the King in political matters, but when it came to dictating to them in what they should believe in ecclesiastical matters, that was another thing and a war of unusual violence was the result. After the French had met with a number or reverses and heavy losses, the King decided to, at least for the present, conclude an armistice and proclaimed peace

Now, comes one of the most dammable pieces of treachery that blackens the pages of history, namely the massacre of what is known in history as that of Saint Bartholemew's Eve - an account of which you can find in any reliable history. -The leading men of the Clemmer family lost their lives in that terrible massacre - to relate the particulars of which would take more time and labor than I feel would be profitable.

Immedietely after the Massacre, the French government forbid any one leaving the country. The priests came with the cross and said "Bow to this"-- the soldiers followed with the sword and on refusal, the word was "take this" - and that meant death.

To Switzerland

There were three familys- Clemmer, Naphf, and Blosser - that lived in the same valley and were great friends. They united and made a strike for liberty - cut their way thru the cordon of French soldiers and made their way, or rather escape, into Prussia and Switzerland. Our folks into Switzcerland and settled in Zurah(Zurich), and there the name was changed to Clemmer -what authority there was in changing the name I am not able to say. {C.Hite, name actually changed by English clerks in Philadelphia 1747, Ludwig wrote German, not English}.

To Pennsylvania

My great grandfather, Andrew {Jacob Sr., not Andrew - A. Connell} I believe came to America when but a young man with the Blossers and Naphfs. He married a Naphf {Barbara} and settled in the town of York in York Co Pa. -He was a blacksmith by trade, but when the Revolution broke out, he closed his shop, joined Washington, and served to the close of the contest, - but did not live long after. Now as to the part my great grandmother took in gaining our freedom - she spun the wool , wove the cloth, and made her husband his first uniforms and did so every year he was gone. -She andd her two boys cultivated a small patch of ground, rented the shop - and from the vegetables they raised, and what the boys earned at small jobs, they managed to live reasonably we well for them.

American Revolution

The two boys, Andrew and Jacob, - Andrew was twelve and Jacob ten at the breaking out of the war. -Andrew was a stay at home, but Jacob spent most his time in the British army--selling doughnuts to the soldiers, and picking up any news he could carry to Washington. -I have heard him say he was but 13 years old when he first commenced to spy. He carried on for two years before the British suspected him and had him arrested. -When he was in the army, he could not talk English, and when they took him before an officer, all he could say was "Nix for stay"-which meant he could not understand{Nix forshtay would be in German " Nichts forstehe"}.

Finally they got an interpreter who was an officer. He asked him a great many questions about Washington, but he knew nothing about him. He then told him to leave the camp, and if he ever came back he would have him shot. He would laugh when telling it and say he felt rather streaked.{as written} He reported it to Gen '1 Washington and he told him not to go any more. He asked for a gun, and the General got him one and gave it to him and he took his place by the side of his father in the ranks.

He was then about sixteen years old, and served to the end of the war. He was in the siege of Yorktown and in the charge which compelled Cornwallace to surrender, giving us our Independence. He seemed never to weary of telling of that event, and it is not to be wondered at--for it was one of the greatest events in the history of our country - equal to the surrender at Appomattox. {Joseph Clemmer was a Yankee soldier}

Pioneers fighting Indians

When Jacob grew to manhood he married Anna Blossner. They loaded their household goods on two pack horses and with others, took the trail across the Alleghenies for what was then known only as the great back woods - now Western PA and West Virginia. He built his cabin near the banks of the Monongehela River--took his gun on his shoulder and with hatchet (then called a tomahawk) marked out what land he thought he would need - drove the Indians away and the government gave him a deed.

It was a long struggle between the early settlers and the Indians, but "poor Lo" has had to go{C.H. as written}. I could relate many of his adventures with the Indians. but will tell only a small part as I remember now clearly after so Many years.

When they landed in the western country, they took up their quarters in Fort Swerengen ( Swearingen) ; this they had to do on account of the Indians. All the families in the neighborhood had to do this. The Indians never molested them in the winter - they would chop down the timber, clearing up the land , where they intended to build their house, and when it was dry enough, it was set afire and burned.

The men generally had all they could to watch the Indians. Scouts were constantly on the lookout and if they discovered a trail--the alarm was given and every thing was put in order. An armed body of men at once took the trail and a regular game of hide and seek would take place. The Indians were as good at scouting as the whites and when they met it was a fight to the death.

The whites being better armed than the Indians, they were too much for them--and what was strange, the Indians always came encumbered with their squaws and children, but the women had all the work to do. If an Indian killed a deer, he let it lay and sent his squaw to take care of it. He was too much of a man to do anything of that kind.

A band of them had eluded the scouts and murdered a family some distance down the river. A Company was formed and started in pursuit of them. When they overtook them they were just ready for a war dance. They had some whites they had captured tied to a stake and were ready to set them afire. A number of them were killed--but most of them ran into the brush and escaped, as it was getting dark, and pursuit was out of the question.

There was one incident that took place there that granpap never forgot-or rather--never got over. There was a man by the name of Dunbar--a Frenchman--who was right by the side of granpap when they charged the camp. A squaw had left her papoose in the teepee. Dunbar saw it. He grabbed it up and dashed its brains out against a tree. Granpap saw him do it and he was so enraged that he rushed upon him and would have brained him with his tomahawk, but a man named Corbin sprang in between them. He never forgave Dunbar. His eyes would flash with indignation whenever he spoke of it.

The Last Indian invasion

I relate one more incident that took place west of the Monongohela River. -I relate it from the fact it was the last invasion the Indians made in that country. -A man named Corbin{Corbley} was an early settler on Whittly Creek. -For the protection of his family and the few neighbors who lived by, they had built a large strong fort, and had surrounded it with a heavy stockade.

The Indians took this as an offense and determined to kill Corbin and his family. They made a number of attacks upon it but were repulsed with heavy losses. This enraged them and they determined to have revenge!

In the mean time, the Settlers had come in fast. -The Americans had taken possession of Fort Duqueane (now Pittsburg) and the Indian's means of obtaining, supplies were cut off. -They were compelled to take refuge west of the Ohio river, and for two years there had been no Sign of Indians, and the whites had become a little careless as to scouting. They depended on a class of men called hunters, and they were not much better than the Indians.

Three Indians eluded the scouts, came to Whitly creek and camped on top of the hill across the creek where they could have a clear view of Corbin house and grounds around it. -They could see him at work, but he always carried his gun and they wore afraid to attack him. How long they were there, no one knows, for they had sunk a hole in the ground so they could make a fire and not be seen.

Corbin was a Baptist preacher. A small log church had been built and on this Sunday morning, he and his family - a wife and two daughters and a son started to church. When the Indians saw them coming thru the clearing and Corbin not armed - now was the time. -They could {go}down the hill - cross the creek - go up thro the brush without him seeing them. They had gone some distance from the house when Corbin discovered he had forgotten his hymn book and turned back to get it. As he came out of the house, he heard 3 guns crack, well he knew what that meant.

He grabbed his gun and called to his large savage dog to "go". He could hear the screams of the boy - one Indian had shoot at him and missed him - but the mother and oldest girl were killed. The youngest girl hid in the brush. The boy, with his hatchet and dog were holding tie Indian at bay, when Corbin came running toward them. The Indian turned and ran, and just as he came to the bush where the girl was hiding, she -thinking the Indians had gone - stepped out and he scalped her and made his escape.

The girl was not seriously hurt, but the wound in her scalp never healed. The alarm was given and in a few hours a posse was on their trail. -They followed then as long as they could see, hoping to overtake them as they got to the river, but they were just a minute to late. They were across and out of range of the guns. -Granpap was one of the pursuing party and he had a long range gun. -One of the Indians stood there patting on the seat of his blanket. "He laid down and the others carried him away! was the way granpap used to tell it.

I have been particular in relating this for as I said, it was the last time the Indians attempted to invade that country. -I have seen the old church and gone to meeting there - have also seen the old Fort and the graves of the Corbin family.

I do not know as this will be of enough interest for you to read it, but I wanted to tell you of these two incidents, to give you some idea of how our forefathers had to contend with the relentless savages. But he has gone and the white man is in his place, enjoying the fruits of the toil and privation of the early settler of our wonderful country.

More Info on the Corbley Incident-
https://www.facebook.com/1550953241822465/photos/a.1551311918453264...

Swearingen Fort

... see description

They had little idea of what they were doing, or the foundation they were laying for what has followed. It was about 1802-1803 when granpap came to the great back woods, but on his arrival he and his wife and baby took up their abode in the Swerengen fort--the baby was my father, Jasper Clemmer. The fort was built by a company of men that had come from Maryland, or the western part of what is Maryland now--most of them were Welch and the Zarley(Zerley) family was among them--it was built the same as all the other forts and in the summer time the families had to take refuge there.

Others who had helped build the fort, were people of Scotch-Irish descent, who had come from northern Ireland on account of religious persecution. They were Protestants(Presbyterians) and the names of some of them were Neal(Neil)--Kilpatric--Gilkey and Swerengen.

When granpap got there with his little colony-Blossners - Keggeys -and Bairds--it made quite an addition to their fort, but they were more than glad to receive them. The women and children were compelled to keep within the stockade or near it. The men were divided into squads a scouts and choppers. -The choppers cut down the timber and cleared up the land. The stock consisted of horses, cows, and sheep which had go be brought into the stockade every night for fear of the Indians.

My grandmother Neal (My mother was Deliah Neal, her father was Willliam Neal and her mother was Delilah McClure) was either born in the fort, or came there when a very small child, for their earliest recollections were connected with it. The old fort was about all gone who I came on the scene of action, but the old men and women were there to tell their experiences of the early days.

"I have often head my father say, that the only way he would know when Sunday came, his mother would make coffee for breakfast. Occasionally a preacher would come along and preach a sermon or two for them.

Childhood

I went to school in the same old log school house my father leaned his letters in. It was an old dilapidated house when I went to school in it. The seats were made out of what they called puncheons--trees split--smoothed of a little and legs put on--no backs. What would the children do now if they had to sit on that kind of seat from eight to twelve and one till four, without any intermission?

The teacher sat on a high stool with a long stick, convenient to use on the most trifling occasion. -But it was not long till the Free School System was adopted--but not till after a hard fight, and then our schools were all right. The little log school house served t its day. Such men as Lincoln, Buchanan Blaine, and many others, got their start in the little log school house.

I have often wished these relics of the past had been preserved--the old forts--and old churches--so that we could now look on them. What a curiosity they would be. But the people who built them were glad enough to get better, and when they got out of them, they were let go to decay. -I think hardly a man could be found today who could tell where Fort Swerengen was located, or in fact knows there was such a place.

Summary

The Clemmer family has been represented in every war the United States has been engaged in--except the war with Spain--I am not sure whether any of our relatives were in it or not. -Mike Clemmer was killed at Cold Harbor in the grand charge the 18th of June 1864. -I was in the same dreadful charge.

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/KLY8-GWK