While looking for the 1821 Bedford County gunsmith James Clark, this is what I found on the Huntingdon (now Blair) County Revolutionary War Soldier James Clark.
1756: James Clark is the Revolutionary War soldier who is buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery (40.45803493, -78.20082026) at Williamsburg in what is now (since February 26, 1846) Blair County, Pennsylvania. At the time of the burial, Williamsburg was part of Huntingdon County. A modern tombstone states "James Clark Pvt Pa Militia June 18, 1756 Jul 1, 1841". The original tombstone still exists, but only the name is readily legible. James Clark's pension affidavit indicates that he did not know the exact year of his birth.
1756: The 1940 book "Soldiers of Blair County Pennsylvania" indicates that the James Clark who is buried at the Williamsburg Presbyterian Cemetery was born at Lancaster in 1756. This is harmonious with, and probably drawn from, James Clark's pension papers.
1776: The 1940 book "Soldiers of Blair County Pennsylvania" indicates that in 1776 the James Clark who is buried at the Williamsburg Presbyterian Cemetery enlisted in the Chester County Militia. The book also indicates that he served as an Ensign for Captain Anderson, Captain Mordecai, Captain Morgan, and Captain Vanderlies. The references to Captains Mordecai and Morgan are typos, and should have been a reference to Captain Mordecai Morgan.
1777: The following composite image from the Volume XIV of the "Pennsylvania Archives", Second Series (1890) shows James Clark serving as a Private in Captain Mordecai Morgan's Company of Chester County Militia.
1777: The following excerpt from the 1888 book "Pennsylvania in the War of the Revolution Associated Battalions and Militia, 1775-1783" shows James Clark serving as an Ensign in Captain Evan Anderson's Third Company of the 5th Battalion of the Chester County Militia.
1777: Page 495 of the 1911 book "Twentieth Century History of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania" provides the date that the Williamsburg Revolutionary War Soldier James Clark was wounded:
1777: The 1940 book "Soldiers of Blair County Pennsylvania" indicates that the James Clark who is buried at the Williamsburg Presbyterian Cemetery received a wound in his left leg at the battle of Brandywine. This is harmonious with, and probably drawn from, James Clark's pension papers.
1787: Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania was created from a portion of Bedford County on September 20, 1787.
1789: The biography of John Clark of Williamsburg, Pennsylvania in the 1892 book "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Blair Co, PA" includes the statement, "His paternal grandfather, James Clark, was of Scotch-Irish descent, served in the revolutionary war, and was wounded at the battle of Brandywine. He died in 1841, at eighty-five years of age, and left eight children, four sons and four daughters. His son, John Clark, sr. (father), was born in Franklin township, Huntingdon county, December 15, 1789..." This seems to put James Clark in Huntingdon County in 1789.
1816: The following excerpt from the 1816 Melish manuscript map of Huntingdon County shows that Morris Township was then very large. Much of the 1816 territory of Morris Township is now part of Blair County.
1832: The 1940 book "Soldiers of Blair County Pennsylvania" indicates that in 1832 the James Clark who is buried at the Williamsburg Presbyterian Cemetery was living in Franklin Township of Huntingdon County.
1833: According to page 185 of of Larry D. Smith's 199 book " Mother Bedford and the American Revolutionary War", James Clark of Huntingdon County began receiving a Revolutionary War pension for service in the Pennsylvania Militia on May 2, 1833. The pension is file S24117. Click here to read the pension file of that James Clark. In his affidavit, he lists the places where he lived after the Revolutionary War. His list does not include Bedford County. This means he was not the 1821 Bedford County gunsmith James Clark.
1841: The 1940 book "Soldiers of Blair County Pennsylvania" indicates that the James Clark who is buried at the Williamsburg Presbyterian Cemetery died on July 1, 1841 in Morris Township, Huntingdon County.
1841: The obituary of the Revolutionary War soldier James Clark indicates he was born circa 1756. It states:
"A Revolutionary Patriot Gone. --Departed this life, on Thursday, July 1st, at the residence of his son, in Morris township, JAMES CLARKE, Esq. in the 85th year of his age, without sickness or pain, and in the full enjoyment of all his faculties, which he retained to his last moment.
The deceased patriot saw his latter end approaching for several months, an with the courage of a soldier of the Redeemer of mankind, met Death, the King of Terrors; and by the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit, was assured of his adoption into the family of God. He resigned his spirit into the hands of Him who gave it, without a murmur or a groan.
His funeral was attended by a large number of friends and neighbors, and the volunteers of Williamsburg. The young and old, high and low were alike eager to testify their respect for the great and important services of the deceased patriot. He was a commissioned officer and served under 'The great, the good, the God-like Washington,' during the whole of the Revolutionary war, an was wounded and made prisoner by the British.--Standard."
1841: Here is a copy of the obituary:
1846: Blair County, Pennsylvania was created from parts of Bedford and Huntingdon counties on February 26, 1846. This is how Williamsburg came to be in Blair County.
Page 67 of the 1911 book "Twentieth Century History of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania" provides the following description of the Revolutionary War Soldier James Clark, indicating that "...he was vivacious, and a great narrator of past events...":
Return to the Korns family genealogy home page
