James Alexander

JAMES ALEXANDER was born Abt. 1726, and died 1791 in Kishacoquillas Valley, Armagh Township, Mifflin County. He married ROSANNAH REED Abt. 1762 near Chambersburg, daughter of ROBERT REED and SARAH OSCEOLA. She was born Abt. 1742, and died 1792.

On July 1, 1784, Revolutionary War Soldier James Alexander was given a tract of land in Clearfield County for his service with the Commissary Department of Washington’s Army at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-1778. The 1600 acres of land was once occupied by the Delaware Indians; but by the time James surveyed the land with his eldest son Robert in the summer of 1785, few remained. James never lived in Clearfield County and his 1785 visit was the only one he made, dying 6 years later in 1791. In 1784, James divided the lands into four tracts, one for each of his sons: William Brown, Hugh, Joseph, and Reed. In 1809, William B. Alexander and his family settled in present day Bigler Township in an area that became known as Alexander’s Fording and the first cabin was located along Alexander’s Run. When William died, his will stated that his land was to be divided into eight sections with one going to each of his seven sons and one to be used as a public burial place. The cemetery was given to the people of Madera by William’s family on April 28, 1862. Besides the grave of William B. Alexander, another notable tombstone can be found in the cemetery. Daniel Smith, a black civil war soldier for the 55th Massachusetts Infantry, is buried in Alexander’s Cemetery; and is one of only two black civil war soldiers buried in the County

Address/Location: Alexander Cemetery, Madera Directions to Alexander Cemetery: Take Route 53 North to Madera. Bear right onto Alexander Road, and follow winding road up hill to top. Cemetery will be on left

Across the midst of the valley from Jack's Mountain to Stone Mountain, he laid his warrant on a thousand acres, this was in 1755.

On his return to the region of Carlisle, he told of good healthy land but only his friend, William Brown, (later Judge Brown) dared to accompany him & brave the dangers of settling so far from home. So James had his wife & children, goods and chattels, packed on the backs of horses, an his money (900 silver dollars). His neighbor at Spring Run was Logan, Chief of the Mingo Tribe. Later called Logan's Spring at the head of Spring Run.

James Alexander served in the Commissary Department of Washington's Army at Valley Forge in the memorable winter of 1777-78. For those services he received 1600 acres of land, which he located in Clearfield County, PA. (This is under dispute, according to William John Shepherd, 3rd great grandson of William Brown Alexander, Sr., he got records from the PA Archives and that on both he noticed that the James that our relatives were claiming on their DAR applications was the one NOT from Armagh, where our James was. It states he was enlisted in Fall of 1777 and discharged in 1778 because he was "Over Age". So he my have been a private and not a brigade quartermaster, as the family states. Also, soldiers only got 200 acres of land, not 1600, he may have bought them up. William is researching this and will change it at a later date once he finds more information.)

Honor is due to James Alexander, not only for introducing the first white inhabitants, subduing forests and founding churches, but also for naming and adding a new township to the county of Cumberland, Armagh township to the whole of Kishacoquillas valley (named from Armagh of Ireland). Armagh was divided into Armagh and Union and was later divided later into Armagh, Meno, Union and Brown. (Brown was for Judge William Brown, his friend)

In his book, "Alexander Fording" pages 9-10 James's son Robert made an expedition later in the year of 1784, in which a number of the valley worthies participated. He and John Reed went and laid 4 tracts on the Big Clearfield Creek. the first tract which he warranted in his own name cornered on the creek bank at which was then a small, but now large, ash tree which were still legible the initials of "J.A." and "J.R.". At the time of the "Descendants of John Alexander.."book, the tree was still standing in 1878. They left the valley on the 19th of October and reached Clearfield Creek by the 27th. On the 28th, the surveys began at the famous Ash Corner. When the Alexander surveys were completed, Robert returned to Kishacoquillas Valley. On the 5th of November, 1784, James Alexander recorded the surveys of his warrants under the title names of James Alexander, John McConnell, John Gill and Cullen. About midsummer of 1785 James visited his lands in Clearfield County, accompanied by his eldest son Robert. This was the only time he ever visited the land and died 6 years later. From the "Sequin-Centennial 1809-1959 Alexander's Fording Puseyville, Madera & 100th Anniversary of Madera Post Office - 1861 - 1961" - James Alexander settled in Kishacoquillas Valley, near Lewistown, PA. Lewistown was then known as the Indian Village of Ohesson. When the Delaware chief, Captain Jacobs, with his tribe from Kittaning, swept through the valley in 1756 the Alexanders fled to Carlisle. On returning they found their cabin had been burned by the Indians. James Alexander built a new home in 1765 and called it "The Oaks", a fort like structure of huge oak logs. This old house was still standing in 1961. In October of 1998, I received a letter from a lady who had spoken with the current "Willows" owner, Patsey Haughwout, and she said this house is referred to now as "The Bratton" house. The current owner was Doris McCurry and her daughter had started renovating it, but for various reasons stopped. The stone addition was built upon the site of an old log kitchen about 1861 by Napolean B. Alexander. The house was owned by a Miss Margaret Alexander and the heirs of the late Mrs. Matilda Alexander Bratton.

He had a home near Letterkenny Township near Chambersburg & died at 65 years. old. He is buried in the old West End Presbyterian Church Cemetery (it is off of Renno Road in Belleville, PA and has no church anymore and is in the middle of two Amish farms). I visited that cemetery in July of 1998 and was sad to say that several headstones were not legible. His headstone was donated by the DAR Chapter. There is a monument headstone there that reads " 1726 James Alexander 1791" "A Revolutionary Soldier" Marked by the James Alexander Chapter of the Daughters of American Revolution 1933"

His marker was erected by Clearfield (PA) DAR. He served in the commissary department of Washington's army at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-78 and died in 1791 at age 65 years.

• Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Feb 10 2022, 4:11:38 UTC