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JOHN KNAPP

John Knapp was born about 1815 in Germany. One descendant said the family thought he was born in Frankfort, Germany. In the 1850 census, he could read and write, so I think he was probably brought to the United States as a young child or infant.

On January 9, 1840 he married Hester Brandenberg in Harrison County, Indiana. Hester was born about 1820 in Hardin County, Kentucky and was probably the daughter of Absolom and Esther Frakes Brandenberg. John and Hester had five children before she died October 14, 1857 in Harrison County, As the youngest daughter, Hester, would have been only two when her mother died, John did not waste any time finding a new wife. He married Amanda Froman Mode, widow of William Mode, on December 23, 1857 in Harrison County, Indiana. They had five children, with the youngest, a boy, M.B. dying shortly after his 1870 birth.

At the age of forty four years, John Knapp joined the army to fight in the Civil War. He enlisted for three years in the 81st Regiment of Indiana Volunteers on August 16, 1862. However, it would seem as if he saw no fighting, as on the way from Louisville, Kentucky to Tennesee he was kicked in the side by his horse. From the pension papers it would seem as if he was left behind and ended up in at least three hospitals before he was finally released from the army.

After his discharge, John tried to procure a pension from the army for his disability from the accident, but the army did not want to give him one. He hired a lawyer named Brown, but lawyer Brown was a drunk, and did not help him much. After lawyer Brown's death, his partner did not want to help him either. By that time John was near death from the resulting abcess on his side and it was much later that Amanda decided to try for any army pension for her two minor children, Edward Felex and Abraham Lincoln Knapp, which she did receive.

In his Disability Discharge he is described as five feet 4 3/4 inches tall, with dark complexion, gray eyes and dark hair. At the time of enlistment he was a farmer. John also worked as a stone mason. But after his discharge from the Army was not able to do much work.

On April 12, 1877 John died at his home in Harrison County and is buried beside his first wife Hester in the New Amsterdam Cemetery.

Notes of Interest:

At one time the family of Edward Felex Knapp had a picture of John Knapp in uniform. Once while on a visit, Aunt East, his daughter Hester C. Knapp Amy, ask if she could take the picture and have copies made, none of the family saw the picture again. I have been in contact with a descendant of Hester Amy and none of the family in Indiana knows what happened to the picture. This at least, led me to send for John Knapp's Pension Files.

In the 1870 census for Harrison County, Indiana, living near John and Amanda Knapp were, Clora Mode age 23, William T. Mode age 22, John E. Mode age 20 and George W. Mode age 16. All the male Modes were in one household and Clora was living with another family. This was probably Amanda's children by William Mode.



PROFILE OF JAMES McC. ANDERSON


James McC. Anderson was born September 20, 1819 in Butler County, Pennsylvania. (This was given on a sketch of his son, Alexander) In some of the census his children give his place of birth as Ohio, but in 1850 he gives his place of birth as Pennsylvania. I believe he probably moved with his parents at an early age to Ohio, as he had two younger sisters both born in Ohio.

On July 22, 1841 in Wood County, Ohio he married Lucinda Hockenbery a daughter of William and Catherine Hockenbery. Their first two sons, John and Alexander were born in Wood County and possibly their daughter Mary J.

By the census of 1850 they are in Paulding County, Ohio, one of about 13 households in Benton Township. With them is his sister Nancy age 15, and three boarders, John McGill and Benjamin and William Kilpatrick.

The next year in Allen County, Indiana, I found a marriage for Nancy P. Anderson to Benjamin Kilpatrick. In an article on the Kilpatricks of Paulding County, it said another sister Emily Anderson married Joseph Kilpatrick. Where was sister Emily in 1850? Both these sisters were much younger than James and both Emily and James said their parents were born in Scotland (Nancy died before 1880.)

James and Lucinda had 10 children, by 1900 three were deceased, Charles W., Angeline and a little girl, Catherine, who drowned in 1850.

James died of Typhoid December 28, 1882 and is buried in the old section of the Lehman Cemetery as is Lucinda who died January 29, 1915.

I have Jame's death certificate, but it is a typed one (not a copy of the original) from Paulding County, and it does not give parents names. I also have a copy of his will.

After James death, Lucinda either lived on their farm, or in later years lived with sons, James and George. She was a member of the EUB Church in McGill, Ohio for thirty years according to her obituary.