Grandpa’ McCracken’s Aunt Minnie Alameda Munroe unknowingly left the family a wonderful gift even though she didn’t name them in her will. The only people included in her will were Charles Munroe (her husband), Mabel Raukohl (her niece), and The Old Peoples Home of Illinois Conference of Methodist Episcopal Church in Quincy, Illinois.
The Probate Paper
Grandpa had kept a paper he had received from the Probate Court in Quincy, Illinois regarding his Aunt Minnie’s estate. It listed all of her heirs, leading to many surprising discoveries. (Thank s to Grandpa and my dad for saving this document!)
The list of heirs was quite lengthy and contained names unknown to the family. The names of these unknown people were sprinkled amongst the known names. Aunt Minnie had no known children nor did her husband Charles. So, who were these people?
Margaret Armstrong
Addie Brown
Martha Boswell,
Eleaner Kealen
Anna Macklin
John Macklin
Lester Macklin
Oltis Macklin
William Macklin
Lawrence McCracken
Bertha Neal
The most prominent name was Macklin, but the name that caught my attention the most was “Lawrence McCracken.” None of the records I had found at that point for Lemuel and Louisiana McCracken, Minnie’s parents, listed a son Lawrence. Who was Lawrence McCracken?
The 1860 Census
After much digging, I had some records, but they didn’t come together into a clear picture. Finally, I started going page by page manually walking through the 1860 census for Lee County, Iowa where Lemuel supposedly lived at the time, but where a census record for that year had not yet been found. Eventually, I found a census record that had been poorly recorded and poorly transcribed. As transcribed online, it included the names shown.
I had expected to find Lemuel, Louisiana, and their son Lemuel Franklin/Francis. However, none of the names were quite right and there were extra people. The names “Samuel “and “Lemuel” look very similar in handwriting of the time, so that was a likely match, but Rosannah was way off. And, who were Delormah, Mary, and Lewis?
Still, I was sure this had to be our family.
Census Record
(as transcribed online)
Samuel McCracker
Rosannah McCracker*
Mary McCracker
Lewis McCracker
Delormah McCracker
Samuel McCracker
* Rosannah is an apparent misunderstanding of Louisiana that occurred in multiple documents.
The Surprises
After many, many hours of research I determined how each of these people fit in the family tree, learning many surprises along the way. (I was going to number the surprises, but that became a bit complex.)
Lemuel McCracken
I found that Lemuel had been married to Sarah Dufer before he married my great-great grandmother. It is assumed his first wife died, but no information has been found about her death.
Lawrence McCracken
Delormah McCracken
Lawrence McCracken was the same person as Delormah McCracken. His name was Delorma (various spellings) Lawrence McCracken. He was the son of Lemuel and his first wife. We had never heard of him before the probate papers. He had been living with another family in 1870. Thus, he didn’t show up with the family in that census. And, although he was only 15, he stayed in Iowa when Lemuel and Louisiana moved to Kansas. He later married and had 8 children. We have DNA matches to many of his descendants.
Louisiana Matteer
Louisiana Johnson
Louisiana Badgley
Louisiana’s maiden name was not Johnson as the family had always believed or Mattser as some researchers believed. Instead, it was Matteer. Her parents were Matthias Matteer and Mary Rodgers. She was the oldest of their 10 kids. After her mother died, Matthias and his new wife Elizabeth Soloman moved to Lee County, Iowa with many of his kids. Louisiana joined them sometime before 1859, coming from Ohio.
Louis McCracken
Louis Badgley
Louis was the son of Louisiana and James Badgley. We hadn’t known he existed and something appears to have happened to him between 1860 and 1870 as no records are found for him after 1860. Additionally, he is not mentioned in the probate papers for Minnie.
Mary McCracken
Mary Badgley
Mary Macklin
Mary was the daughter of Louisiana and James Badgley. Her existence was also a surprise. She married John Macklin in 1865. They moved to Adams County, Illinois, where Lemuel and Louisiana’s children Frank, Minnie, and Ida later lived. It is believed , but not yet proven, that after Louisiana died, Mary raised her half-sister Minnie, who was 27 years younger than her. It is important to note that prior to that time Minnie was called Frances. The name change is a mystery that has yet to be solved, but Frances and Minnie are clearly the same person.
And, The Rest
Mary and John had 8 children. The remainder of the people in the probate document are their descendants. Addie Brown, Martha Boswell and Eleaner Kealen were their children. Otis Macklin, Lester Macklin, Anna Macklin, Margaret Armstrong, and John Macklin were the children of William Macklin, who was deceased.
These members of the Macklin family led to even more descendants of great-great-grandma Louisiana.
The Moral Of The Story
So, as a result of starting with one probate paper, I ended up finding additional marriages for both of my great-great grandparents, additional children for each of them, Louisiana’s parents, Louisiana’s siblings, and a bunch of descendants of the various people. Could they have been found without the paper? It is reasonably likely that I would have eventually pieced this branch of the family together without it. However, it would have set my research back years.
Moral of the story: Don’t toss aside a record just because names on it are unfamiliar or don’t look quite right. You never know what surprises are in store for you with a little (okay sometimes a lot) of research!
Lawrence Peelle (Peale, Peele), born about 1601 in England, is believed to be our earliest ancestor in America. The line can be traced back to Robert, who is believed to be Lawrence’s son per location and associations.
In 1620, Lawrence boarded the ship the Margaret & John for the trip across the Atlantic. Some people record the date this journey began as December 1620 and others record it as February 1620. The latter is believed to be correct as the year in that era started on March 25 and that would match the end of 1620.
The plan for 1620/1621 of the London Company of Virginia (often referred to simply as the London Company), who arranged the trip, called for 800 people to be sent to the colonies. Over half were to be farmers, carpenters, potters, and men of other skills. The remainder were maids, boys, and servants.
By this time, the London Company had come up with a plan to finance voyages by dangling land in front of potential colonist. They got the people to pay for passage. Then they would get rights to 50 acres of land per person. And, the London Company would continue to profit as they required the colonists pay a fee each year to use the land.
Adversity On The Sea
The Margaret and John set sail in the capable hands of Captain Anthony Chester. The conditions weren’t ideal and passage across the Atlantic was a rough and unforgiving one. The ship was packed with future colonists and provisions bound for Virginia.
There wasn’t a first-class section or even many accommodations for the passengers. Everyone and everything simply shared space on the 150-ton ship. The trip was long, cold, and wet. Between those factors, minimal food, and sea sickness, the trip was often miserable. In addition, stench on the ship would have been horrible.
The Sea Fight
The ship traveled through the Lesser Antilles as a voyage directly west wasn’t possible given the winds and current. When approximately 100 miles northwest of Guadalupe, the Margaret and John encountered two larger ships flying the Dutch flag. Once together, the other two ships tossed aside the Dutch flag, replacing them with the Spanish flag, which meant trouble for the Margaret and John. The Spaniards disliked the English settling in North America and they made that clear to the English every chance they got. And, that day the Margaret and John was in for a fight.
The Spanish ships dwarfed the Margaret and John with the larger being twice the tonnage. Both were also far more equipped for battle than the English ship. Over the course of six hours, a war of words and cannon balls was fought. The battle ended when the English, which could only use 4 of their 8 cannons due to goods on board, disabled one of the Spanish ships and killed many of the men aboard the ships. However, by the time the conflict ended, approximately a third of the people on board the Margaret and John had been killed or injured with 10 killed and approximately 20 injured.
Captain John Smith’s Map of Virginia. Published 1612.
A Strange Land
Lawrence arrived in Virginia from England in May of 1621. The number of settlers in Virginia at the time was quite small. By that spring the London Company records stated that only 603 Europeans were living in Virginia. Nearly, a third of the ones living there the year before had died. It is estimated that only about 25% of the people that left England for Virginia survived the journey and the next few years that followed.
Lawrence was a lucky one. He settled in Elizabeth Cittie. Life was never easy. The land, diseases, the weather, limited supplies, and more presented challenges for the colonists. The Colonist’s version of ordering from Amazon and having something delivered was to send a request back to England with the Captain of a ship. That request then had to be filled and shipped back to Virginia.
Indian Massacre
The Treaty
Several years before Lawrence’s arrival, the local Native Americans (Indians) in the area had agreed to a treaty with the Colonists. The English wanted to be safe from attack and had agreed to defend the Native Americans from other hostile tribes. The two groups became friendly with each other, visited, and moved unarmed amongst each other.
The Attack
In 1622, the King of England reminded the Native American tribe of their prior treaty. Both sides stated that they were in full agreement. However, that was about to change. One day the Native Americans visited with the Colonists and they joined together in a meal, which was not uncommon. Then suddenly, the Native Americans launched a large-scale attack on the settlers, killing men, women, and children. It is also said that they flaunted and celebrated their killing spree.
The reason for the Native American’s attack isn’t known with people debating the motive. It is possible it was revenge for a Native American being killed after the English believed he killed one of their own. Another theory was that they wanted to trade for weapons and the English were reluctant to do so. No matter the reason, it greatly changed the relationship between the Colonists and the Native Americans. The English were more wary of the Indians. As soon as the King of England heard about the incident, he ordered the Native Americans’ crops and homes to be destroyed. He also sent lots of weapons and ammunition so the Colonists could defend themselves.
Captain Tucker, who was in charge of Elizabeth Cittie and the adjoining plantation, received an order to account for the living and the dead following the massacre. Lawrence was listed among the living. However, 347 people were killed. The number might have been an even larger had not an Indian who was close to one of the Colonists alerted him to what was happening.
The Royal Commission
In 1623, an investigation into the London Company’s finances was began. The next year, the company lost its charter to colonize Virginia. The King of England took control of Virginia.
In 1624-25, the Royal Commission under the king’s direction, took a “census” to determine who lived in the Virginia settlement. Lawrence is listed in the census as “Larence Peale.” He was 23 years-old and listed as the head of household having one house. William Smith, age 30, who had arrived on the ship the Jacob in 1624, is living with him. The provisions they had on hand included: 4 barrels of corn, 2 bushels of peas, 300 ct fish, 2 weapons, 6 pounds of powder, and 6 pounds of lead.
From the inventory, Lawrence’s role in the colonies was not clear. However, being a servant can be eliminated as he is listed with having a house. Plus, servants were indicated as a servant to a particular person.
The “Peelle” spelling is used here although various spellings were used in records.
Testimony
On December 30, 1625, Lawrence testified in General Court regarding statements made by Robert Leister regarding Captain Tucker. In those comments, he stated that about 3 years earlier (1622) he heard Mr. Leister say that the Captain “had said harsh words to him which grieved him very much and he said he would be revenged of Captain Tucker if he lived.”
This shows Lawrence’s closeness to Captain Tucker. However, I did not find the details surrounding the need for such a statement.
As The Colonies Grow
As the Colonies grew, Lawrence become more established. He settled in or near Elizabeth Citti. He appears to have married an unknown woman and fathered at least one son by about 1635. His son’s name was Robert, a name that was a family name for many generations.
Afterward: Robert As Lawrence’s Son
The relationship between Lawrence and Robert is based on location and timing. Per Horace Peele, who extensively researched the family, no records have been found of an immigrant named “Robert Peele” until after 1700. However, this Robert Peelle purchased land in the mid-1600s. Additionally, he purchased land adjoining Captain Tucker’s land in Lower Norfolk County, Virginia. This places him close to Captain Tucker and Lawrence clearly was in the same area that the captain lived. It remains possible, however, that Robert came from England and no record of his arrival was made.
Different people have different things that they are successful doing. For some it is their job, for others it is raising their family, helping people, or becoming an expert gardener. This story is a bit different. It is about my mom and her success with fitting anything and everything into the house.
The Early Days
This is believed to be the necklace that Mom’s grandfather gave her for her 8th grade graduation.
Mom was born the year after the stock market crashed and when the Great Depression was beginning to hit. Additionally, she was the third child in a small-time farming family. So, money was definitely tight. By the time she was eight or so, her father was in a VA hospital and her mom was raising the family on her own.
The family didn’t have many things. Her younger sister (Ruby) had a baby doll and a couple of siblings had baby albums. However, the only thing as an adult that Mom had from her childhood was a necklace that her grandfather had given her for her 8th grade graduation. She did have a few photos, her diplomas, and high school yearbooks.
As A Young Adult
As a young adult, Mom worked at the Western as did her sister Inez. The family started to accumulate a few items, with salt and pepper shakers being some of the favorite nik-naks to collect. When the family went somewhere, one or more of them would come home with a set of unique salt and pepper shakers. Her sister Inez bought a large display case to display all the pretties.
Mom’s Fancy Glasses. Not sure if they have ever used. I know that one time Uncle Don grabbed one out of the cabinet to use. Not sure if Mom caught him before it was used or not.
Getting Married
Still, Mom didn’t have a lot of things until she got married. She didn’t get any china or crystal for her wedding. However, she got plenty of useful items and a few items that she considered too good for every day. The new canister set, rolling pin, cutting board, and other items filled her cupboards. Her fancy glasses, cake plate, and other fancy dishes filled the built-in in the dining room.
Every time she got a new plate, bowl, set of cups, set of pans, etc., she fit them in. She saw no reason to get rid of the old ones unless it was truly broken and unusable. The same was true of the latest pretty bowl, pretty candle, cute stuffed animal, Christmas ornament, pillow case, and more. The thing is that over the years she had plenty of time to collect a lot of items. And, she found a place for every single one.
Dad always wanted to store things outside of the house, but that wasn’t Mom’s way. I think it just motivated her to find that open spot for the latest item that she had acquired with most being gifts.
Mom’s Cake Plate
Kept Through The Years
Even years after she passed, the breadboard, rolling pin, cake plate, fancy glasses, and more were still in the house. The Great Depression mentality of keeping things in case you need them or simply keeping them because you have something to keep had stayed with her throughout the years. And, Mom had been very successful squeezing it all in!
I think she passed that gene down because I can pack more stuff in a suitcase, car or whatever container than you can imagine. And, if I get stuck fitting everything in, I just ask my youngest as he is even better at it. Mom would be impressed.
It isn’t a skill most people even think about it, but it can really come in handy. And, Mom used it to the fullest to ensure she could enjoy those things she accumulated through the years!
William Johnson Peelle was my great-grandfather. He was also a carpenter, farmer, and all around jack of all trades. He kept a journal from 1878 when he was 22 until 1894. That journal primarily focused on his work and the places he went. He spoke mostly of men, even referring to his brother-in-laws instead of his sisters. He rarely wrote of personal family events. Thus, this story will outline his life, focusing on his carpentry work. The story also includes a special “surprise” that I learned while putting this article together.
Passco Peelle’s Property in Indiana
The Early Years
William J, as I refer to him most often, was born in 1856 in Wayne County, Indiana to Passco and Martha (Johnson) Peelle. They had a school on the corner of their property where he most likely got his formal education. However, a good portion of the education that he used in his adult years came from working with his father, brothers-in-laws, and other men in the neighborhood.
By the time he was 22, he was helping various people farm and erect buildings on their property. For example, in 1878, he helped his brother-in-law Wiley Benson (husband of Rachel) erect a stable on his property.
Moving to Kansas
It was late in 1878, when Passco, Martha, William J. and a couple of his sisters prepared to move to Kansas. This was quite the undertaking as goods that were moving had to be taken to another county to be put on the train. William J. drove the cattle to the same place, but it is unclear if they were shipped to Kansas or sold. It seems that his father, and presumably his mother and sisters, spent some significant time in that county before leaving for Kansas.
William J. stayed in Indiana after his parents left. He seemed to have some details to manage. During the spring of 1879, he helped his brothers-in-laws plow, plant, do other farm work, and a bit of carpentry here and there. One of the last things he did before he left was selling his horse. After that, he had to walk. He spent his last night in Indiana at his Uncle John Peelle’s house in Winchester. On June 8, 1879 he boarded a train with the destination of Hiattville, Kansas.
Settling In
William J.’s early days in Kansas were a mix of farming, sickness, and building on his father’s property. It is unclear what made him sick on and off, but perhaps it was the change in the environment (e.g. water, allergies). His carpenter skills were put to work building a stable for which he had to cut poles to be used in the project. He also made a door for the kitchen, fixed the corn crib, and made a shed for the calves. In the years that followed, he would add a new kitchen to the house, build a barn to replace the old one, etc.
By that fall, he was branching out and helping one of the neighbors fix his house. Then, at the end of October, he went back to Indiana for the winter where he spent time visiting and helping various relatives and friends.
The Surprise
Olathe
When William J. returned to Kansas, he picked up where he left off farming and doing carpentry. This went on until 1883 when suddenly, he went to Olathe (now part of the Greater Kansas City area) to work completing some houses. After he finished, he worked for the water works and built a fence for a school. He returned home on December 13 for a few days, but ended his work in Olathe in early January.
The Railroad
Later that month, he went to work on the Ft. Scott-Wichita Railroad. It is unclear what he did for the railroad as he simply recorded the days work and overnight shifts counted as two days pay. He worked in this job until June 12, when he worked half a day and quit. (There is probably a story behind that, but we will never know.)
Again, he returned to his life as a farmer and carpenter. But, working in Olathe and on the railroad are not something I grew up knowing. Although this was unknown, it’s not overly surprising. However, in the process of writing this article, I uncovered a potentially “big” surprise related to William J. during this time period. Read the Bonus Story for details.
William J. Peelle’s Carpenter’s Adze
Becoming a Boss Carpenter
At this point in his life, William J. really started to focus on his carpentry. Over the next several years, he would build, build, build. . .
Big Farm Projects
William J. built basically anything that a farmer would need on his property. He built houses, barns, stables, corn cribs, straw sheds, calf sheds, smoke houses, wagon sheds, hen houses, coal houses, water tanks, and granaries. In many cases, these projects took a few days to a few weeks. A house was much easier to build without plumbing, electricity, building permits/requirements, and very few if any closets.
He also made additions to buildings; put floors into existing buildings; roofed buildings; and built doors, door frames, and gates. And, sometimes he tore down buildings instead of erecting them.
Besides pure carpentry, William J. plastered walls – sometimes in a house he was building and sometimes in house that had already been built. He was even known to hang wall paper.
It appears that while working on large project, he often stayed away from home. This was definitely the case when he went to work on a barn near Hepler, which was around 15 miles from his home.
Bonus Story
While pulling together facts for this article, I did a little searching. I found a marriage record for a man listed as “William Peell” in one document and listed as “William Peale” in a transcription of another. His bride was an “Ida Johnson.” They were both local to Bourbon County. Could William J. have been married before he married great-grandmother Matilda?
It turns out that both William J. and Ida lived in Marmaton Township and in 1880 they were listed a couple pages or so apart on the census. So, we have a coincidence. Additionally, no William Peell or any other William Peelle of any spelling can be found in Bourbon County in the years before or after that. According to the record, they married September 3, 1883. It just so happens that William J. went to Ft. Scott that afternoon and spent the night. It was the next day that he left for his new job.
Ida gave birth to a son William Guy Peele (his spelling of his name as an adult) either December 20, 1883 or December 20, 1884. Records vary as to the year. It seems that if the actual year was 1883, that Ida may have concealed the actual year to hide the fact that she would have been pregnant when she married. As for how this aligns with William J.’s journal entries, he was home and not working for several days around both of these dates.
He does not mention this woman or her son in his journals, but then again, he does not mention my great-grandmother or any of their children either.
What is known is that in 1885, William J. is listed in the state census as married. However, no wife or child are in the household. At some point, Ida and her family had left Bourbon County and moved to Douglas County, Missouri. In 1887, she married a Mr. Hall. So, if it was another man that she married, something happened to him or their relationship before this date.
William G. lived with Ida and her husband’s family, but continued to use the name Peele. He later lived in Oklahoma. I have not found an indication that he ever had a wife or children.
Of interest is that the newspaper reported that William J. took a trip to southern Missouri in 1906 just before they moved to the Home Place. Douglas County is in southern Missouri. So, it begs the question, “Did he go see his son?”
Researchers indicate that her son was a Jr. and believe his father’s middle name was Guy, like the son. However, I have found no records that indicate the father’s middle name. I have also found no record of the son’s middle name until he was older.
Additionally, over the years I heard stories that William J. had a son out of wedlock. However, the story said that occurred in Indiana and that was why they moved to Kansas. I have found nothing to substantiate a child in Indiana. I also heard that a “man” came to the farm looking for him and that some of the McCracken girls thought he was William J.’s son. I have no idea if there is a bit of truth in these stories or not.
At this point, we are left wondering. Was William J. really married before he married Matilda Jury? Or, is this just a coincidence?
Schools, Churches, & More
William J. also repaired and/or built schools, churches, at least one store, and a warehouse. Scofield School (less than a quarter mile from his house), Cold Springs School, and Hiattville School were among the schools where he utilized his skills. Based on the length of projects, he must have built at least one school from scratch. Other times he made new steps for the school, fixed desks, made bookcases, fixed the building, put glass in windows, and made blackboards.
He mentions working on “the church” and the Christian Church. It is unclear if references to “the church” are to the Christian Church. Hiattville also had a Catholic and Methodist Episcopal churches. Meanwhile, to the northeast of his home was Pleasant Valley Church.
Small Projects
Not every project took days and weeks to complete. Some of William J.’s smaller farm projects include: tool boxes (the first was his own), milk troughs, water troughs, workbenches, sleds, bull rakes, wagon tongues, hay ladders, and beds for wagons.
For inside the home, he made flour chests, a desk, and wardrobes. The desk was for his family and my dad remembers it. He said that it was a bit rudimentary, but William J. didn’t have tools to make anything fancy. Additionally, he made the Walkertown mailbox, the Hiattville Cheesehouse, and items for doctors, including crutches.
He also fixed lots of items, such as, binders, water tanks, wagons, corn planters, scales, cradles (farm equipment, not the baby kind), cultivators, hay rakes, and buggies.
Peelle Properties in Kansas, Schools Attended by Peelle children are highlighted
Moving Into Town
On October 7, 1891, William J. and his parents moved into Hiattville where they had acquired lots in the northern part of the town and one lot along the east side of the railroad. Prior to the move he had built a shop (presumably on the lot along the railroad), built a barn, and made other improvements to the properties. He worked in the shop much of the time, but still did work outside the shop. Unfortunately, he did not detail the work that he did in his shop, but it is assumed to be building and fixing items.
The next year he married Matilda Jury, had a daughter, and added a blacksmith to his shop. The newspaper said that his time was in such demand that he split it an hour for this man and the next for another. It was during this interval that he became very active in Hiattville Camp No. 1364 of Modern Woodsman of America, where he served in multiple roles.
In 1893, some interesting quandaries arise. He is working away as usual when at the end of June his journal indicates that he went to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) for over a month. The question is, “Why?” Did he leave his wife and 7-month old daughter at home? Did he take them on a month long journey?
Additional questions arise given that he is listed as an assistant marshall for Ft. Scott’s 4th of July celebration. How could William J. be in the parade if he was in Indian Territory?
When he returned in early August, he went back to work like always. Then around the beginning of September, he began working almost continually for the Routhe Brothers. It is unclear if he was using his carpentry skills or working in their business. However, in December, he started working at the mill. It is assumed that his work at the mill at least was not carpentry work as he stated the next February that he gave up the mill to move to a farm.
House in Walnut Township. Shown Passco, Martha, Matilda, and Lydia Peelle
Walnut Township
William J., his parents, and his growing family moved to a house southwest of Hiattville. By the time his second daughter (my grandmother) was born in June, William J. had basically stopped writing in his journals. How he split his time is unknown. However, it is known that he continued to do both farming and carpentry. In 1896, he took on a new role when he was elected Justice of the Peace for Walnut Township. He was re-elected in 1898.
In the early 1900s, something happened that caused the family to give up this farm. They lived briefly at a location nearby before returning to the property north of Hiattville where they had lived in their early days in Kansas.
The Home Place. Owned by the family for 90 years.
Adding Another Kitchen
In February 1906, William J., Matilda, and his parents bought what is known as the Home Place, the home where Dad and his siblings grew up. William J. put his carpentry skills to work and built a large kitchen on the back of the house. Since the kitchen was also used for bathing, he slanted the floors so that water would run to the northwest corner of the room. He also intentionally slanted the ceiling . I don’t know the reason why, but perhaps the roof line and the ceiling were initially the same. None of the slanting caused too much trouble until Dad began building cabinets for the kitchen. With the floor and ceiling angled and a long window that wasn’t quite perfect, nothing was straight and it complicated things a bit.
His Last Load
In September 1911, he was again hauling lumber. This time for a barn at the Home Place. He never made it home with the lumber as he had a stroke on the way home from Hiattville. He was only 55.
Rod’s 4th-great-grandfather Jesse Klinefelter and multiple of his brothers were steamboat pilots and captains. Initially, they piloted boats on the Ohio River primarily between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Cincinnati, Ohio.
Jesse’s brother John became well-known as the captain and owner/co-owner of several different boats over the years. One passenger described Captain John Klinefelter as a stout Pennsylvanian of German descent with a face that indicates it would be difficult to keep him from moving his boat forward. He had the reputation as one of the most efficient and careful men on the river.
After many years on the Ohio, John began running boats on the Mississippi River.
The Pennsylvania
The 486-ton Pennsylvania started operations in 1854. A boat with the name Pennsylvania existed by at least 1848, but that appears to have been a different boat. In any case, Captain Klinefelter became 50% owner in the Pennsylvania with the pilots and engineers owning most of the remaining 50%.
The Pennsylvania was 247 feet long and 32 feet wide. She had fine furniture and was a “magnificent specimen” being “one of the largest, handsomest, and best officered, and in every way most desirable boats to travel on.” She, with Captain John Klinefelter as master, was known “for speed, good living, [and] punctuality.”
Heading North
The Pennsylvania was loaded with cargo and passengers when it left New Orleans on June 9, 1858. She would pick up others at Baton Rouge, Vicksburg and other locations along the route. Including the passengers, officers, deck hands, and other crew, it was estimated that the Pennsylvania was carrying a full load of cargo, some $40,000 in its safe, and 380 to 450 people with some estimates as high as 500.
On the ship were members of an opera troupe, German immigrants, William R. Harris Supreme Court Justice of Tennessee, a plantation owner, at least two priests, a couple Sisters of Mercy, and various people well-known in their local social circles.
The Explosion
By 6:00 the morning of the following Sunday, June 13, the Pennsylvania had reached Harrison’s Wood Yard, a point about 70 miles downriver from Memphis. Most passengers were still sleeping or were just waking up for the day. Captain Klinefelter was already up, dressed, and had gone to the barber on board for a shave.
Additionally, the second engineer had taken over from the first engineer. The fire bed had been recently cleaned and the fire started. He made sure everything was working and had tested the water in the boilers after he came on duty. At that time the boat was only producing about 130-135 pounds of steam and the boat was moving very slowly up stream.
Suddenly, while Captain Klinefelter, having finished his shave, was speaking with Henry Spence in the saloon, they heard a horrific noise. The room immediately started filling with steam. They hurried through the water closet passage to the hurricane deck where they met up with the barber, who had also rushed outside.
The Situation
It was instantly clear that the boilers had exploded and that the damage was massive with the greatest impact forward of the wheelhouse. The smoke stacks were gone as was a portion of the deck. The explosion had blown people and much debris off the boat into the waters of the Mississippi River. Others had been blown to a location that provided no option for escape except to jump into the river. At that point, some swam back to the boat and attempted to climb back aboard, others swam for the shore, and others grabbed onto debris hoping to stay afloat until they could be rescued. Other people were instantly killed, were trapped, or were lucky and were flung out of harm’s way or were easily removed from the debris.
Jumping Into Action
The captain, barber, and a cabin boy launched a life boat. Meanwhile Henry Spence broke a skylight to let the steam out of the area below so that people would not suffocate.
The boat started moving downstream with the current. So, the men attempted to anchor it, but the current was swift and the water was deep. The Pennsylvania kept drifting. Captain Klinefelter and some men tried to take a line ashore with a yawl, but were unsuccessful.
At this point, the captain sent the yawl downstream to get an empty wood boat that was along the water at Harrision’s Wood Yard. About the same time, some men from the wood yard started moving the empty flat boat up stream. It was hard to maneuver as they had no oars and were using a few boards as oars. They met up with the yawl and they managed to get the flat boat along side the Pennsylvania. The idea was to get as many people off the boat as possible. Then come back for others or for possessions and goods.
The Fire
As the captain and any other crew members that were not severely injured attempted to get passengers to leave their worldly goods behind and get on the flat boat, a fire alarm rang out. Almost immediately flames, believed to be fueled by barrels of turpentine in the cargo hold, were engulfing the Pennsylvania.
They quickly rushed to fill the flat boat with all the people they could before the fire reached them. Meanwhile, one man claiming to have money, own a plantation, and have slaves offered to give it all to anyone who would rescue him from a mass of debris. However, with the flames advancing, the crew had to make the hard choice to save as many passengers as they could. They had to leave the man behind.
The Escape
Captain Klinefelter was the last to jump onto the boat. They had a difficult time shoving away from the Pennsylvania. The heavy load of people, limited trained crew members, and boards for oars made it challenging. Finally, they turned the flat enough that the river current caught it and pulled them away from the Pennsylvania. However, some of the passengers were badly burned as they made their escape. It was believed that if they had been even a few moments later, the casualties would have been much greater.
After they pushed away, they saw people who had apparently been in their quarters rushing toward the boats edge with their trunks and boxes. With the fire and limited control over their movement, Captain Klinefelter did not have the option to go back for them. Sadly, the people who had tried to save their belongings likely ended up losing their lives.
About a mile or so downstream the flat came upon Ship Island and they tied up to some trees and waited for help.
The Rescue
Immediately following the explosion, people living along the river got into their boats and went to rescue those who were in the water. Meanwhile, those on the flat waited for a boat to come by. They had no food, water, or significant shade. They had no medical supplies to tend to the wounded.
The Imperial was the first big boat on the scene. The captain and crew jumped into action tending to the injured and feeding and hydrating the passengers of the Pennsylvania. Next on the scene was the Kate Frisbee that took many of the injured on board. The injured had cuts, bruises, internal injuries, and burns.
The Diana arrived about 6 hours after the explosion. She did not take as many passengers as she was already overflowing. However, passengers on the Diana, and likely the other boats, started taking up money to help pay for medical costs and to help those that had no money and nowhere to turn.
As the boats left carrying away the survivors, Captain Klinefelter headed to the Pennsylvania, which had lodged and sunk near the shore some two and a half miles downstream in hopes that some passengers had survived or some property could be salvaged.
Henry Clemens, Younger brother of Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain
Henry Clemens
Many of the injured were taken to Memphis for medical treatment. Among them was Henry Clemens, an assistant clerk. Henry was only 19 years old and was the younger brother of Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain. Although initially not thought to be badly injured, Henry had internal injuries dying a few days later. Samuel wrote about Henry’s condition in a letter to their sister on June 18. Later he wrote of the Pennsylvania’s demise in his book “Life on the Mississippi.” That work includes his version of the story surrounding the explosions of the Pennsylvania and his brother’s death. It also includes a sketch depicting him at the side of his brother as he lay dying in a hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
It was said that he never got over losing his brother. That may have been a bit of survivor’s guilt. Samuel had worked on the Pennsylvania as a pilot in training and was suppose to be on the boat that day. However, he had gotten into an argument with the pilot Mr. Brown on the trip down from St. Louis to New Orleans and he said that he could not make the return trip on the same boat with the man. Thus, five minutes before sailing, Samuel left the Pennsylvania.
Confusion
As the news of the explosion spread, much confusion spread, including whether Henry Clemens was uninjured, injured, or had died. Confusion occurred over other specific passengers, the number of passengers, the number that had perished, and exactly what had happened.
Confusion wasn’t unexpected given that the injured and surviving passengers and crews were spread across multiple boats. A notable, who had confusing reports regarding his survival, was William Woolford, the son of the city clerk of Louisville, Kentucky. The reports being mixed as to his status, the family had hoped for survival. But, it was not to be. One of the most notable to die was William R. Harris, Supreme Court Justice of Tennessee. He was returning from a trip to New Orleans. He succumbed to his injuries in Memphis. His brother was governor at the time and was tasked with finding his replacement. Additionally, the ship’s register had burnt in the fire rendering the captain unable to determine how many people were missing or dead.
As is common in the case of a disaster, everyone’s story varied. Similarly, those who weren’t even present speculated just a bit too much. As such, I have tried to use as many first-hand details as possible. For instance, many stories report that Captain Klinefelter was getting a shave. However, Henry Spence detailed how he was with the captain at the time of the explosion; thus, his version is used for aspects related to himself and the captain while they were together.
The one thing that was for certain was that it had been lucky that the explosion occurred so early in the morning. Otherwise, more people would have been in the forward sections of the boat where they congregated during the day. Thus, more people would have been injured and died.
The Cause
So what caused the explosion? John Campbell of J. H. Campbell & Co. of New Orleans, who had been a steamboat engineer in his younger years, was attributed with telling a story that he had been up by the boilers and that the engineer was not at his post until just prior to the explosion. He supposedly learned that the engineer had been in the company of women. Mr. Campbell died in Memphis; thus, all reports of his story were not first hand.
During the investigation into the cause of the explosion, statements were taken in an attempt to prove the validity of Mr. Campbell’s statements. The engineer’s associate stated that he was on duty as did the second mate. The investigators did not find the statement attributed to Mr. Campbell to be strongly corroborated. However, they decided that the engineer must have been neglecting his duties because they didn’t think such a disaster could possibly occur if an engineer was on duty. As a result, the engineer lost his ability to be an engineer on any steamboat.
Accusations Against the Captain
Survivors reported that Captain Klinefelter had acted in exemplary fashion. They said that he had done everything he could to save the passengers and contents of the Pennsylvania. He had managed the disaster without many of his trusted crew, as many of the engineers, clerks, and deck hands were injured, missing, or killed.
A Thief
All of that did not stop the Memphis Avalanche from printing accusations against the captain. They called into question his character with many “stories,” focusing primarily on him being a thief and stealing the money of passengers. It seemed to stem from a man named Vasser that was killed. His wife claimed that he had given the clerk $10,000 to put in the safe.
The paper claimed that the safe was likely thrown to a place that it was barely touched by fire. And, that it would have withstood the amount of fire it had received. They went on to claim that he took it north with him and that he tried to get away as quickly as possible. When the safe was recovered, the paper argued that the safe purported to be that of the Pennsylvania could not possibly have been it. They felt the safe was in such poor shape that no one would have put valuables in it. They speculated that there had been a different “real” safe and that people had been deceived.
Heartless
Additionally, the Avalache claimed that he had been near Memphis on numerous occasions and never stopped to see the suffers. So basically, they accused Captain John Klinefelter of being a “heartless thief.”
Racing
The Avalanche also accused the officers of the Pennsylvania of wanting to stay ahead of the Diana. They indicated that pressing the boat to move so quickly upstream had led to the explosion. They went on to claim that necessary repairs that the chief engineer recommended to fix a fault with the pipe that carried steam from the boilers to the cylinders had not been done. And, the ship had continued to make trips on the river.
The Motive
The motive of the newspaper is unclear. They were new (or at least a new version of the newspaper) and perhaps they intended to make a name for themselves or simply liked sensational headlines. Additionally, no one named Vassar is listed among those lost in the disaster, but that is not meaningful as the passenger list burnt and not every life lost was mentioned. The lady with him was said to be at Aberdeen, Mississippi and destitute. Families with the name Vasser did live in that area at that time and appear to have been wealthy. Thus, having $10,000 with them as they traveled is not unreasonable. However, I have not yet found any records supporting the death of one of them in the disaster.
The Response
With his good name and reputation at stake, Captain Klinefelter felt a need to respond. Thus, he obtained sworn statements from people involved with raising the safe. He published a detailed article that included the statement and outlined the agreement with the wrecking company. There was also a statement on the amount of money taken from the safe. The article specified that the money was in the possession of a separate company. The money found was listed piece by piece (e.g. how many gold eagles, silver halves, Mexican dollars, etc.). It even listed “imperfect coins found and melted silver.
Captain Lemuel C Nims
One important statement was from Lemuel C Nims, captain of the submarine working the wreckage for the wrecking company. He detailed the instructions he had been given by the company, including to chain or band the safe closed if it was closed and such a step was feasible. He stated that at the time the safe was found that it was so badly damage that there was no way to secure the contents. Thus, the contents were removed.
Captain Nims stated that at the time the contents were removed from the safe 14-15 people associated with the recovery were present. Plus, there were other onlookers. All the paper money and boat’s documents were destroyed. The coins and some silver coins that had melted remained. Capt. Nims and the engineer cleaned the money and melted silver. They gave $60 to Captain Klinefelter for the expenses associated with watching the wreckage. They placed the remaining silver coins and melted silver in a box and the gold in a bag. The box and bag were then secured. He also indicated that based on the location of the safe before the explosion and the location it was found afterward that it likely took the wrath of the fire.
The Pilot
Sworn statement from the pilot of the wrecking sub supported Captain Nims statement. He added that when they first started raising the safe that some coins had fallen out. They had taken steps to prevent losing any additional coins. In addition, he stated that he was responsible for taking the money to St. Louis and he detailed his journey there on two different boats and the railroad including never letting the money out of his possession.
These sworn statements along with accounts of passengers that praised his efforts and attested to the fact that the boat was moving slowly discredited most of the allegations against the captain.
The Retraction
Many newspapers that had picked up the story printed Captain Klinefelter’s article and/or a statement basically exonerating Captain John Klinefelter. However, to date I have not found that the Advance, which appeared to have started and perpetuated the accusations ever retracted them.
By early September, Captain Klinefelter was again running a boat from St. Louis to New Orleans. This time it was the Gladiator.
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