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An Independence Day for Henrich Horn

This entry is part 11 of 11 in the series Henrich Horn: Military Career
Military Stables and Barracks in Lancaster, Pa, at 307 N. Duke St., Lancaster. Continental troops used this building as a barracks during the Revolution, and Hessian prisoners were kept in barracks across the street. Wikipedia, public domain.

McMurray Family, Horn Family (Click for Family Tree)

Today is Independence Day in the United States of America- a fantastic way to celebrate our democracy that we have held dear for 246 years.

Two hundred and forty-five years ago, our ancestor, Henrich Horn, was to find his own sort of Independence Day.

We last left our ancestor, Henrich Horn, a Hessian prisoner of war in the Lancaster Barracks in Pennsylvania. The 900+ Hessian POWs had been captured by George Washington and his rag-tag Continental Army at their surprise attack on Trenton, New Jersey, on December 26th, 1776.

“Return of Prisoners taken at Trenton the 26th, December 1776 by the Army under the command of his Excellency General Washington.” Heinrich Horn was in Kniphausen’s regiment and included in the 258 men listed as “Rank and File.” [Click to enlarge or see link below.]
Paraded through the streets of Philadelphia, the officers had been in covered carts but the rank and file Hessian soldier- our Henrich was listed  as a “Gefreiter” which is the rank just above a Private- had been pelted with rocks, rotten tomatoes, spit upon, pushed, and cursed at by the Americans supporting the Revolution, which included almost all of the city. The mob was growing out of control so the Hessians were quickly put into the American barracks to protect them. Washington had many options for the disposition of these valuable prisoners, so he wanted to keep them alive.

As the Hessians did not speak the English language they could not know entirely what was going on, and they had seen, and possibly participated in, the horrible brutality regularly practiced by the British on their prisoners and even the local citizenry- was retribution by the Americans in store for them? They would have been exhausted after the harsh weather conditions of their Trenton garrison duty and then travel after their capture- crossing the raging Delaware, marching through snow, sleet, and rain over snow-covered, icy roads for hours and hours and hours to get to Philadelphia and their ordeal there, and then, for Henrich and many others, the march to Lancaster over four more days. (Other Hessians were moved to York or Reading, Pennsylvania.) While the Hessians were a highly trained and disciplined army, as POWs they must have greatly feared for their lives, and whether death would come from cold and exhaustion or at the hands of the rebels.

While in Philadelphia on 5 January 1777, the commanding officers of the Hessian regiments had made a list of the prisoners taken at the Battle of Trenton, and our Henrich Horn was among those enumerated, included in the numbers for “Knyphausen” above. (Still trying to determine if there is a list that provides names.) The Hessian list of 868 prisoners was the number actually taken at Trenton, and did not include the 22 killed, 28 wounded who were left in Trenton on parole, totaling 918 per George Washington’s report. Of those who were moved from Trenton, 56 were considered wounded, but we do not know if our Henrich Horn was one of them. There were even a few women and children who were family and regimental camp followers included in the Trenton prisoners.

The Hessians were housed in their own wing of the Lancaster barracks, but still had some contact with the British POWs, who treated the Germans poorly. It was tradition that an army supply pay, clothing, blankets, etc. for their troops who were POWs, thus the von Knyphausen Quartermaster visited the troops to fulfill these needs. He described their quarters as a, “… beautiful barracks a little outside of town.” Some members of Congress were infuriated by the comfortable quarters offered the Hessians while their own troops were dying of disease, starvation, poor conditions, lack of clothing, etc. in New York while in the hands of the British.

General George Washington had insisted on good treatment of the prisoners. In addition to being far from the battle lines, Lancaster was chosen to house the POWs because the area was full of Germans who had settled the area years before and become successful farmers, merchants, and tradesmen. Language would not be a barrier between the groups, and seeing the prosperous life of a German in America might sway some of the POWs to desert. The many skills of the POWs would benefit the community, also helping the prisoners ‘earn their keep.’ The Pennsylvania Council of Safety thus sent a letter to Lancaster’s committee, stating,

“It is in our interest to improve the present opportunity to make them our friends, and sow the seeds of dissension between them and the British troops. The Germans [who had already settled in PA], by treating them as brethren and friends, may do the most essential service to our cause.”

Even the newspapers, where horrific tales of Hessian cruelty had filled the headlines, began to take a softer approach:

“The wretched condition of these unhappy men, most of whom, if not all, were dragged from their wives and families by a despotic and avaricious prince, must sensibly affect every generous mind with the dreadful effects of arbitrary power.”

The Americans were hoping that if the Hessians were exchanged for American POWs, they would then help to turn the minds of the other Hessian and British soldiers in their regiments. Alternatively, any Hessians that would desert and fight on the side of the Americans would be a huge benefit as well- trained and -disciplined soldiers were desperately needed to win the war for freedom from an oppressive monarchy.

After arriving at the Lancaster Barracks, a survey was taken concerning the trades of the Hessian soldiers. As of 10 January 1777, the soldiers included:

38 shoemakers 17 smiths 12 masons 9 butchers
50 tailors 15 carpenters 10 joiners 6 bakers
82 linen or wool weavers 12 stocking weavers 7 plasterers 6 millers
7 plasterers 15 wagon-makers 4 locksmiths 4 coopers

There were two soldiers who were trained in each of the following trades: pipe maker, lime burner, window maker, nailsmith, tanner, bookbinder, dyer, and musician. One soldier had worked as a barber, another a distiller, and one each had practiced as a gardener, hunter, knife maker, rifle maker, silversmith, Slater, stonecutter, tile maker, thatcher, and a bomb maker- the latter was probably from the Hessen-Kassel artillery. These skilled men came to a total of 315- a considerably rich source for the community to prosper with the use of their skills, plus the rest of the unskilled POWs working as laborers. Traditionally, German soldiers in Europe had hired themselves out on the side while in the military to make extra money during off-time and furloughs, so working in Pennsylvania was not that unusual a concept to them, and most embraced the opportunity for better food, shelter, and a little bit of cash. Although the men were required to report to the barracks twice a day if working in town or twice per week if working out in more rural areas, the freedom from being in a barracks 24/7 was likely quite a plus to the soldiers.

We do not know what trade/skills Henrich may have had, if any. Although he likely had been conscripted from his home at the age of about 16, he would likely have apprenticed or at least been used to working on a farm or in some other capacity in his town by that age. The Town Committee of Lancaster used this list to begin using POWs as laborers, and set up an area for shoemakers to manufacture desperately needed shoes for the Continental troops. Prisoners were also used to build a magazine (to store ammunition) and a stone house in Lancaster. Despite Congress and the Board of War not wanting prisoners to have the freedom, Lancaster also decided to ‘farm-out’ Hessians to the locals who would house and feed them while the soldiers worked at farming, mining, or other trades, and they would receive pay for their labors. These men also helped to replace the Americans who had gone off to fight, especially important with planting season coming soon. We suspect Henrich was farmed-out as a laborer since he was healthy and young but there are probably no records to confirm that. One record from about a year later that still needs confirmation as ‘our’ Henry Horn states he was a waggoner, a skill that would have been in great demand at the time.

The Americans used the Hessians as a pawn with the local citizens, too- only supporters of the revolution such as those who had donated materials, food, etc. to the army or militia, such as a team of oxen, could hire out POWs.

Throughout the war, from the moment the Hessians landed, there had been attempts by the Americans to get the German troops to desert. This continued with the POWs at Lancaster and other locations. Hessians were offered land, livestock, jobs, and other incentives. Because the war was not going well for the Americans, though, the Hessians had to weigh the prospect of an American loss and what would happen to them if they did desert and were captured. Hanging was the usual punishment for deserters in the German Army at that time, and the soldier’s family in Germany would be punished and the soldier’s lands and property confiscated. Very few Hessians deserted because of these harsh consequences, per some historians, however other researchers report that desertions in the field were rampant on both sides throughout the war. Heinrich likely had no property due to his youth; we do not know anything about his family in Hesse but if he had none living, his decision would have been easier. Rather than deserting and farming as an American citizen, Henrich made a life-altering choice- he enlisted in the Continental troops. It was a choice that would allow him to help win victory for the Americans so that he would not have to face the consequences of becoming a British POW who had been a Hessian, or be sent back to deal with the fury of the Landgraf (Prince) of Hesse for his desertion.

Henrich Horn’s pension application was dated the 28th of August 1832 and tells us of his service:

“… he enlisted some time in the year 1777 into the Legionary Corps of Gen’l Pulaski and served in the troop of horse of said Corps -& That he enlisted in Lancaster Pennsylvania.”

Henrich was 74 years old at the time of the application, and stated his discharge had been lost in the last few years and that “… owing to his advanced age many particulars of his service, especially dates and names have lapsed from his memory.”

This is likely true, as Count Casimir Pulaski’s Legion was a cavalry-infantry Continental Army regiment raised March 28, 1778, however Pulaski did command troops as early as September of 1777 so Henrich could have fought with them that early. With the campaigns he listed in the pension application, we are more assured of his claim that he was in the Corps at least later, as he took sick in a campaign in South Carolina.

Additionally, there was a Henry Horn who appears on a Muster Roll as a Private in Capt. John Stith’s Co., 4th Virginia Regiment of Foot, and some of our family researchers feel this could be our Henrich. The record states that he was a member of the Virginia company in September of 1777, with numerous muster rolls dated after that time. This could possibly be our ancestor Henrich as well, or instead- it would have been logical for Henrich to anglicize his name due to the sordid reputation of Hessians among the Americans. Virginia and many other areas had significant German populations by the war years, so Henrich could easily pass as the American Henry Horn if he wished. Our Henry married in 1782 in Virginia to a woman born there, Elizabeth Pretzman (1759-1840), so this particular set of records deserves a more detailed look.

There is much more research to do in pinning down our Henrich/Henry’s actual enlistment and service, as some of these records may have been for a man who enlisted from Washington County, Maryland, not Lancaster, Pennsylvania as noted in Henrich’s pension application. The timing for our Henry to have served one enlistment from Lancaster and then re-up in Maryland does not align with the stated service time in the pension, nor the engagements Henry remembered.  After more reviewing and more research (shouldn’t that be spelled “re-search” ??), what is found will be presented in an upcoming post.

For today though, Independence Day, we honor Henrich/Henry Horn for choosing his independence from the Hessian/British Army and the Prince of Hesse-Cassel. His oath and service to the fledgling government that would become the United States of America helped us gain the freedoms that all so richly deserve.

[NOTE: This post has been slightly modified on 7/15/2022 with some new information recently found or to clarify some specifics.]

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. Washington’s Crossing by David Hackett, 2004. Winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for History, this tells the story of the crossing of the Delaware and the Battle of Trenton, mostly from the American point of view. This is an excellent book, and very well-written.
  2. The Hessians and the other German Auxiliaries of Great Britain in the Revolutionary War by Edward J. Lowell. Harper and Brothers Publishers, New York, 1884.
  3. AmericanRevolution.org: “The Hessians,” chapter VIII, by Edward J. Lowell, 1884, an excellent read- http://www.americanrevolution.org/hessians/hess8.php
  4. Journal of the Fusilier Regiment v. Knyphausen From 1776 to 1783, possibly by Lt. Ritter? See http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~amrevhessians/journal1.htm#navbar
  5. Henrich Horn http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~amrevhessians/oh/hwardhorn.htm
  6. Hessians Remaining in America: http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~amrevhessians/a/amhessians10.htm#navbar
  7. Wikipedia articles:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President%27s_House_(Philadelphia)
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Trenton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_battle_of_the_Battle_of_Trenton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_von_Knyphausen
  8. The Hessians. Mercenaries from Hessen-Kassel in the American Revolution, by Rodney Atwood, Cambridge University Press, 1980.
  9. The Hessians and Other German Auxiliaries of Great Britain in the Revolutionary War, by Edward J. Lowell, Harper & Brother, New York, 1884 Republished by Forgotten Books, 2012.
  10. A Generous and Merciful Enemy. Life for German Prisoners of War during the American Revolution, by Daniel Krebs. University of Oklahoma Press, 2013.
  11. “Document for December 26th: Return of Prisoners taken at Trenton the 26th, December 1776 by the Army under the command of his Excellency General Washington.”
    https://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/todays-doc/index.html?dod-date=1226
  12. Pennsylvania Evening Post, 31 Dec 1776, quoted in “The Hessians” by Rodney Atwood p. 99, from Stryker in “Battles of Trenton and Princeton” p. 369.

 

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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.
 

Original content copyright 2013-2015 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.
 
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Workday Wednesday: Dec. 26, 1776 in Trenton, New Jersey

This entry is part 10 of 11 in the series Henrich Horn: Military Career
Hessian grenadiers by Charles M. Lefferts, pre-1923, public domain via Wikipedia. (Click to enlarge.)

McMurray Family, Horn Family (Click for Family Tree)

The day broke, almost hesitantly through the low gray clouds, over the snow and ice, the raw cold and winds, and what would become a fateful workday for our Hessian ancestor Henry Horn, as well as for the rag-tag Continental Army of a fledgling country that became the United States of America.

Previous posts have described this battle and its consequences to our McMurray ancestor Henry Horn, but today we will look at it from another angle, that of the Continental Army. You have seen the images of George Washington crossing the Delaware so many times in your life (and even in stupid television ads), but there is so much more to the story.

Two hundred forty-two years ago, the Christmas holiday of 1776 was completely unlike the warm, food- and family-filled celebration that so many of us have just experienced. Christmas was not the huge celebration we experience today, and the country was in the midst of the “Little Ice Age”- the weather was brutally cold and unpredictable as the Revolutionary War wore on. The American troops were apart from their families and worried about the safety of their wives, children, siblings, parents, and that of their property, including food stored for the winter and livestock, as the British and Hessians marched through and ravaged the colonies. The rebel soldiers were despondent over so many recent losses to the British crown, and food, warm uniforms, ammunition, shelter, and other supplies were very short. In addition, many of the soldiers had enlistments about to expire at the end of the year, with some deserting even before the date arrived. The workdays of our troops were miserable at this time in history, as they are even today for some of our military who protect our freedoms while we celebrate or sleep. (Thank you to those who stand watch today- and every day- for us!)

The harsh winter weather was usually a time when troops hunkered down to regroup, heal, restock, and avoid fighting with muskets in cold wet weather. (Damp powder does not ignite well.) George Washington, however, knew that he would lose a large number of his soldiers with the upcoming enlistment expirations, plus thought if they attacked over the holiday, he would be able to surprise the Hessian soldiers (German auxiliaries/mercenaries for the British, including our Henry Horn), who were hunkered down and controlling the area around Trenton, New Jersey. Secret plans were made and strategic movements began, with boats moved down the Delaware and troops marched to camps near enough to the departure point yet far enough to not arouse suspicion of an impending attack.

Troop assembly for the crossing had begun about 3 pm on Christmas Day, December 25th, 1776, and the sky grew dark as the sun set before 5. The almost full moon rose about a half an hour later, providing some light for the actual crossing, but as the clouds moved over the moon, the crossing was made more difficult with the deeper darkness and the worsening weather.

It began to snow, adding to what was already on the ground, and around 11 pm, a nor’easter blew up and the snow became a mixture of driving rain, razor-sharp sleet, and pounding hail. George Washington commanded the troops that included experienced boatmen who had to break the ice and dodge ice floes in a swift current as they moved their heavy boats and flatboats laden with the weight of men and supplies across the river at McKonkey’s Ferry. Some of the men ended up in the water, though none perished despite most of them being unable to swim. It may have taken up to ten hours to ferry about 2,400 men, 100 horses, and 18 cannon and artillery wagons across the river in multiple trips. The American rebels had somehow accomplished the seemingly-impossible task of crossing the icy Delaware River from Pennsylvania into New Jersey by 3 am on December 26th. Freezing, wet, and exhausted, the men and horses began to move off about an hour later. The operation still had about nine miles to march in silence to Trenton, and they would lose their cover of darkness for the surprise attack due to the delays that morning.

Before they marched from camp to the ferry, the men had all been issued three days of food and fresh flints to ensure proper firing of their muskets. They were told they were going on a secret mission, and silence within ranks was important. Once the arduous crossing had been completed, questions must have filled their minds as they began the trek southeast on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River. As they marched toward the dawn, their heartbeats would have risen like the sun, knowing they were getting closer to the big fight.

Among the American rebels who crossed the Delaware River as part of their ‘workday’ on December 25-26, 1776 were:

George Washington– our future first President and Commander of the Continental Army, who masterminded and commanded this logistically difficult and decisive operation

Colonel George Washington, by Charles Willson Peale, 1772, via Wikipedia; public domain. (Click to enlarge.)

 

James Madison?– our fourth President, co-author of The Federalist Papers (which supported the Constitution), has been said to have been present at Trenton, but he was a small, petite man, often sickly; he may have advised Washington prior to the crossing, but most likely did not participate in military actions even if he was in the area. (Sources are contradictory about his presence.)

James Madison at Princeton University, portrait by James Sharples, unknown date. Madison graduated from Princeton in 1771. Image via Wikipedia, public domain. (Click to enlarge.)

 

Lt. James Monroe– our fifth President, who was wounded in the shoulder by a musket ball during the Battle at Trenton.

“The Capture of the Hessians at Trenton” showing George Washington with Captain William Washington (a cousin of George Washington), with wounded hand, on the right and Lt. James Monroe, severely wounded and helped by Dr. Riker, left of center by John Trumbull, via Wikipedia, public domain. (Click to enlarge.)

The ball severed an artery but Monroe survived due to the quick action of the company doctor who clamped the artery and kept Monroe from dying from blood loss.

James Monroe, White House portrait by Samuel Morse, circa 1819, via Wikipedia. Public domain. (Click to enlarge.)

 

Alexander Hamilton– he was Aide de Camp to Washington, became the first Secretary of the Treasury of the new United States, and founder of our national bank and financial system; he and his New York Artillery company were stationed with Washington at the highest point in Trenton, guns aimed at the Hessian barracks to prevent them from leaving and returning the attack.

Alexander Hamilton in the Uniform of the New York Artillery he formed and which participated in the Battle of Trenton, by Alonzo Chappel. Public domain, via Wikipedia. (Click to enlarge.)

 

Aaron Burr– 3rd Vice President of the US (Pres. Thomas Jefferson’s first term); he distinguished himself at the Battle of Quebec with Col. Benedict Arnold, was a staff member to Washington but preferred to be on the battlefield, and he killed his political rival and fellow soldier at Trenton, Alexander Hamilton, in a duel in 1804.

Aaron Burr, by John Vanderlyn, 1802, via Wikipedia, public domain. (Click to enlarge.)

 

Arthur St. Clair– later President of the First Continental Congress, and the first governor of the Northwest Territory (which became Ohio, etc.),   a Brigadier General at Trenton, his strategy to capture Princeton, New Jersey just eight days later provided another morale-boosting victory for the Continental Army.

Arthur St. Clair, Official Portrait (restored) by
Charles Willson Peale, 1782. Via Wikipedia, public domain.  (Click to enlarge.)

 

John James Marshall– Fourth US Secretary of State (1800-1801) and 4th and longest serving Chief Justice of the US (1801-1835); he served in a Virginia regiment during the Trenton campaign

John Marshall by Henry Inman, 1832, via Wikipedia, public domain.  (Click to enlarge.)

 

And of course, on the other side of the battle was “our” Heinrich (or Henrich) Horn, a private in von Knyphausen’s regiment of Hessians. Henry was only 18, and would have been told that the Americans were rebelling against their king, so the insurrection had to be contained. (The ordinary Germans of that time had no understanding of democracy.) The Hessians were well-trained troops but in a foreign land and around a language foreign to them, and within their units they would have spoken German. Henry would have been exhausted on that Christmas Day in 1776, sleeping in his uniform with musket alongside when he could, as the local militias had been harassing the Hessian troops and causing small skirmishes here and there just to wear them down. Would Henry have been aware of their precarious situation, which their commander had made worse by not fortifying the town as recommended by others? The Hessian workday, like those of most soldiers throughout time, was either “hurry up and wait,” watchful waiting, or fighting hard like his unit had at previous engagements in New York and New Jersey. He likely was disappointed that his Christmas holiday was so very far from family, but even more disappointed as the Americans caught the German and British troops off-guard the next morning and stormed the town. Becoming a prisoner of war in a foreign country must have been terrifying…

The series of posts about Henry Horn’s military workdays can be found here:

“Henrich Horn: Military Career”– http://heritageramblings.net/series/henrich-horn-military-career/

A post specific to the Battle of Trenton may be found here:

“Military Monday: Henry Horn & the Battle of Trenton”– http://heritageramblings.net/2015/12/28/military-monday-henry-horn-the-battle-of-trenton/

An excellent new article in the Journal of the American Revolution gives many more details as to the logistics of the actual crossing:

“Christmas Night, 1776: How Did They Cross?”– https://allthingsliberty.com/2018/12/christmas-night-1776-how-did-they-cross/

The wonderful book, Washington’s Crossing, by David Hackett Fisher, is an excellent read about the crossing, and has been produced as a movie as well.

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. How is Henry Horn related? His granddaughter, Mary Ann Horn (1824-1891) married Henderson McMurray. Henry Horn is therefore the third great grandfather (g-g-g-gfa) of Dr. Edward A. McMurray (1900-1992).
  2. “Military Monday: Henry Horn & the Battle of Trenton”– http://heritageramblings.net/2015/12/28/military-monday-henry-horn-the-battle-of-trenton/
  3. James Monroe– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Monroehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_Virginia_Regiment
  4. Alexander Hamilton– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Hamilton#Revolutionary_War
  5. Arthur St. Clair– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_St._Clair#Revolutionary_War
  6. Washington’s Crossing, David Hackett Fisher, Oxford University Press USA, 2004.
  7. Friends of the American Revolution (written with a British POV)– https://21stcenturycicero.wordpress.com/events/1776-1226-battle-of-trenton/
  8. “Battle of Trenton”- there may be some inaccuracies in this article, such as stating that James Madison took part; this too is a British site and has some great images. — https://www.britishbattles.com/war-of-the-revolution-1775-to-1783/battle-of-trenton/
  9. “Christmas Night, 1776: How Did They Cross?” in the Journal of the American Revolution— https://allthingsliberty.com/2018/12/christmas-night-1776-how-did-they-cross/

 

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Original content copyright 2013-2019 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly, i.e, reference this blog.
 Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright or use of our blog material.

Sentimental Sunday: A McMurray Reunion!

McMurray-Benjamin Family circa 1886: Frederick Asbury McMurray, Hannah "Melissa" Benjamin McMurray, William Elmer McMurray, Harry J. McMurray, Addie Belle McMurray, Roy McMurray, and Ray McMurray (baby)
McMurray-Benjamin Family circa 1886: Frederick Asbury McMurray, Hannah “Melissa” Benjamin McMurray, William Elmer McMurray, Harry J. McMurray, Addie Belle McMurray, Roy McMurray, and Ray McMurray (baby)

McMurray Family (Click for Family Tree)

!!! NEWS FLASH !!!

A recent small family get-together has made the McMurray clan pretty sentimental, and we have decided to plan a McMurray Reunion!

The reunion is for descendants of Henderson McMurray (1819-1906) and Mary Ann (Horn) McMurray (1824-1891). (We do not have pictures of their family.) This McMurray family lived in Pennsylvania before their migration to Cedar County, Iowa, and then Jasper County, Iowa by 1870.

The current plan is for family to meet along the Mississippi River in Dubuque, Iowa, on Saturday, June 15, 2019.

We hope that people can arrive in Dubuque on Friday, June 14. We will reserve a block of hotel rooms, or you can make your own arrangements. The reunion festivities will take place on Saturday, and there will be food, entertainment, family history, and fun, including special activities for the little ones. Sunday we will have some additional activities available, such as a boat ride on the Mississippi River, lunch in the revitalized Old Millwork section of Dubuque, or ??? We could possibly have a trip on Monday to Newton, Iowa (about 2½ hours away) to see some of the McMurray home places in Jasper County, if  there is interest.

If you are sentimental and want to get together with other McMurrays at this reunion, please use our Contact Form and let us know so that we can put you on our mailing list. Our Contact Form is not published on the blog, and we will not share your information other than with the family planning this event. Let us know what family line you are from, the activities you might be interested in, how many would most likely attend, and what your travel plans may be.

More details to come…

We look forward to a wonderful McMurray family reunion on June 15, 2019 in Dubuque, Iowa!

 

 

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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.

Original content copyright 2013-2018 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly, i.e, reference this blog.
 Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright or use of our blog material.

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Funeral Card Friday: Mary E. McMurray

The funeral card of Mary E. McMurray, who died 28 July 1956.

McMurray Family (Click for Family Tree)

Funeral cards can give us a little information about the deceased, but they also give us some information about their ‘FAN Club.’ ‘FAN‘ is an acronym for “Family, Associates, and Neighbors.” Sometimes, when we cannot find more information about an ancestor, researching their siblings, nieces and nephews, co-workers or business partners, and even their close neighbors and friends can provide just the information we need about our own ancestor.

Looking at the pallbearers that are listed on a funeral card is one way to find the FAN Club. As discussed last week, usually only close family or friends had the honor of being a pallbearer at a funeral.

Mary E. McMurray was the daughter of Henderson McMurray (1819-1906) and Mary Ann (Horn) McMurray (1824-1891). Mary E. was single her whole life, so had no children or grandchildren to bear her casket. She outlived all her siblings, and even some of their children- she lived two months beyond her 100th birthday, so that was a number of generations! Mary did have a lovely big family that she lived next to, and close to, in Newton, Iowa. Let’s look at the list of pallbearers, and see how they might be related, using the family tree we have spent hours working on for more years than we would like to admit.

Ray Whittaker- Might as well start with the hardest, right? It took a bit, but now we know how he is related. The big clue was the name Blackwell- Ray McMurray’s wife was Elizabeth “Bessie” Catharine Blackwell (1886-1976), and it turns out that the maiden name of the wife of Ray Whittaker (1889-1980) was Gertrude B. Blackwell (1889-1969). Bessie was a DAR member (#145320, NSDAR Vol. 146, page 99, 1919), and her application verified the names of her parents. From there, the 1900 US Federal Census provided a list of the children- and Bessie and Gertie were listed with their siblings and parents. (Sounds simpler now than it was.)  So Ray Whittaker (1890-1980) was the brother-in-law of Ray McMurray, who was Mary’s nephew. Not sure if there is an official name for that relationship, but it shows how complex- and wonderful!- families become with all the married-ins.

Edward McMurray- This is likely Mary’s great-nephew through her brother Frederick Asbury McMurray and his son William Elmer McMurray. By that time he was Dr. E.A. McMurray (1900-1992). It is possible that Edward McMurray, Jr., was a pallbearer instead of his father, but my feeling is probably not when looking at the generations that were pallbearers (Ed Jr. was a generation younger), and he was living in another state at that time.

Arthur Cook- Arthur Cook (1903-1977) was the husband of Mary’s great niece Maude Lynette “Midge” (McMurray) Cook (1905-1992), the sister of Dr. E. A. McMurray.

William Aillaud- Not sure who this is, but there is a relationship. Mary’s sister, Ella Rosetta (McMurray) (1865-1948) married Fred Aillaud, but they only had one child, a daughter.  I have a hunch this may be his nephew from a possible brother C.W. Aillaud, but will leave that research to someone closer related. (Too many ancestors- well, not really, but too little time for research. But please do not add this to a tree online until you prove the relationship as it is just my hunch from a brief preliminary search.)

Ray McMurray- Ray (1886-1979) was also a pallbearer for Fannie Margaret (McMurray) Emery Maytag, as we saw in last Friday’s post. He was the nephew of Mary E. McMurray- his father Frederick A. McMurray was her brother.

Louis Toedt- Louis (1889-1977) was the husband of Anna Marie McMurray (1892-1977), daughter of Henry Beecher McMurray (1860-1946), another of Mary’s brothers. So Louis was a nephew-in-law.

Pretty we much need a scorecard for all these McMurrays!

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. Thanks to cousins Cindi and Julie for sharing this and other funeral cards.
  2. Thank you also, Ancestry.com, for making so many records available to us at home so we can do more genealogy in less time, while hopefully being accurate!

 

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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.
 

Original content copyright 2013-2018 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
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Sorting Saturday: Henry Horn and American Resources

This entry is part 9 of 11 in the series Henrich Horn: Military Career

The Winter of His Discontent: Casimir Pulaski’s Resignation as Commander of Horse

McMurray Family (Click for Family Tree)

Sorting through notes and saved files about Henry Horn, we are reminded that Henry served in the American forces under Casimir Pulaski, a nobleman who had led Polish rebels in his own country to overthrow the king. Pulaski was exiled for his actions and lost all his titles, property, and money in Poland. He then came to America to fight in the Revolutionary War, as he believed in the cause of freedom for the people.

The Journal of the American Revolution has a few articles about Casimir Pulaski, so they are another great resource for learning more about the context of Henry Horn’s service.

Casimir Pulaski’s Difficulties in Recruiting his Legion

We are still trying to pinpoint exactly when and where Henry served, but we do know that he was with Pulaski at Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey on 5 October 1778.

The Affair At Egg Harbor: Massacre Of The Pulaski Legion

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. Journal of the American Revolution— allthingsliberty.com

 

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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.
 

Original content copyright 2013-2017 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly.
 Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright or use of our blog material.