Lieutenant Linai T. Helm

A Lieutenant at Fort Dearborn, he was taken prisoner after the Fort Dearborn Massacre. In 1814, he wrote an account of the battle, titled "The Fort Dearborn Massacre." Helm married the daughter of John Kinzie's first wife. She later petitioned for divorce, charging Helm with drunkeness and infidelity She took custody of their son.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jul 14 2018, 21:02:17 UTC

I've seen some postings on this board about descendants of Linai/Lynaugh T. Helm, survivor of the Fort Dearborn Massacre and thought this information might help sort out some confusion about his descendants and ancestors:

Information from www.earlychicago.com:

Helm, Lt. Linai Taliafero born in Virginia, of German extraction; became a U.S. Army ensign on Dec. 9, 1807; came to Fort Dearborn as second lieutenant in June 1811, filling the vacancy created by the death of Lieutenant Thompson earlier in the year; had married [see] Margaret McKillip in Detroit on June 10, 1810, stepdaughter of John Kinzie; both were among the survivors of the Fort Dearborn massacre of Aug. 15, 1812; they became separated during the action but reconnected shortly when Margaret bound his wound with her pocket handkerchief. Taken prisoner by the Indians Helm was removed to the Illinois River by the Ottawa chief Mittatass, from whom he was ransomed on August 30, with Black Partridge as intermediary, by the trader and U.S. Indian agent Thomas Forsyth in return for two horses and a keg of liquor. For the only son of their union, see Helm, William Edwin. Helm was promoted to first lieutenant on Jan. 20, 1813, and to captain on April 15, 1814; he resigned from the U.S Army later that year on September 27; was again at Chicago with his wife in April 1818, noted in Kinzie’s account book as Capt. L.T. Helm; his pension certificate, from 1819 until his death, was authenticated by Alexander Wolcott, also marked by Pe-a-nish (Pierre Le Claire). The union ended in divorce in 1829, with Margaret charging infidelity and drunkenness [records still preserved at the circuit court of Peoria]; he died on Oct. 15, 1838. [12, 226, 326, 327, 404, 407, 559] [559a]

Helm, William Edwin born Oct. 18, 1821, in Chicago; only son of Lt. Linai T. Helm and Margaret McKillip; when his parents were divorced in 1829, his mother was awarded custody; lived in Detroit with his mother and stepfather, Dr. Lucius Abbott, later in Chicago and, after serving in the Civil War, in St. Louis.

In "Helm-DeMar and Some Allied Pioneer Families of Kentucky," by Gladys Stutler Hoffman (c.1973) states that his name was "Linaugh Thomas Helm." He was the son of William Willis Helm and Matilda Taliaferro. William Willis Helm had a large plantation in Prince William County, VA, known as "Green Level," He sold the property and moved to Bath,Steuben County, New York.

Also according to the "Helm-DeMar" manuscript, this family's immigrant ancestor was Leonard Helm of Goosnargh, Lancashire England. The family settled in Spotsylvania Count, Caroline, and Prince William Counties, Virginia and later in the Shenandoah Valley. One branch of the family resided in Louisville and Newport Kentucky. I believe that the Campbell County, Kentucky Historical Society has a copy of this genealogy.

My connection is Charles John Helm (1817-1868) of Newport, KY, who married Louise Whistler. She was the granddaughter of Captain John Whistler, who built Fort Dearborn (now Chicago). I am not directly related to this family but will share info that I do have on this Virginia/Kentucky family.

Cheryl Whistler Garrison

Source: Ancestry