originally posted on 28 June 2016
Following up with another family story associated with the American War of Independence:
Robert Cleghorn, the son of Scots-Irish immigrants, was born and raised in colonial Maryland and Virginia during the years leading up to the war. Robert was but a young teen when the war invaded his community. Following is a favorite story passed down through many branches of the Cleghorn family. Parts of it are probably true.
During the Revolutionary war, Robert Cleghorn and three young companions had strayed away from their homes and were captured by British soldiers and accused of being spies. They were then taken to a British ship that was moored two miles away from shore for the night. Since there was no way for them to get ashore the boys were not restrained, so they wandered around the deck listening in on the plans of the British officers. They were pretty sure they would be hung the next morning, so they decided to risk swimming to shore. Later that night as the tide was coming in, they slipped overboard and began swimming for shore.
So far as Robert ever knew, he was the only one of the boys to reach shore safely. He landed in hostile country, hid during the day and travelled nights until he reached a tavern where British soldiers were holding a revelry. He took one of their horses and rode to the Continental Army, where he reported what he had heard on the ship. The story goes that the information was relayed to General George Washington who considered it important. When the war was over, General Washington sent for Robert and presented him a large silver watch, which he carried with him for the remainder of his life.
Several years after the war, Robert Cleghorn married Elizabeth Maxwell in Montgomery Co., MD where they started a large family of 11 children. In about 1800 they moved to Wythe Co., VA. Following Elizabeth’s death in Virginia, Robert moved with family members to Harlan Co., Kentucky where he died in 1822.
Robert and Elizabeth’s son Lorenzo Dow Cleghorn was listed among the early ministers of the Christian Church in Madison Twp., Putnam Co., Indiana. This country church, organized in 1840, was built on a hill near the former site of Brunerstown, located midway between Bridgeton (in Parke County) and Greencastle. Descendants of L.D. Cleghorn were among the early settlers of the Bridgeton and Rosedale area. Rev. Cleghorn followed his ministry on to the west, eventually to Primghar, O'Brien Co., Iowa where he is buried. The family story goes that L.D. Cleghorn still had his father’s silver watch while he was living in Iowa, but that the watch has since been lost.
Robert and Elizabeth Cleghorn were the 2nd great-grandparents of Margaret Eleanor “Ellen” Cleghorn, grandmother of my mom Betty Thompson.
Here is a photo of the Bridgeton Bridge near the house where Ellen (Cleghorn) Yowell raised her family after her husband died young. Ellen was the operator for the first telephone switchboard in Bridgeton, located in the living room of her home.
(Photo by Brendan Kearns)
Following up with another family story associated with the American War of Independence:
Robert Cleghorn, the son of Scots-Irish immigrants, was born and raised in colonial Maryland and Virginia during the years leading up to the war. Robert was but a young teen when the war invaded his community. Following is a favorite story passed down through many branches of the Cleghorn family. Parts of it are probably true.
During the Revolutionary war, Robert Cleghorn and three young companions had strayed away from their homes and were captured by British soldiers and accused of being spies. They were then taken to a British ship that was moored two miles away from shore for the night. Since there was no way for them to get ashore the boys were not restrained, so they wandered around the deck listening in on the plans of the British officers. They were pretty sure they would be hung the next morning, so they decided to risk swimming to shore. Later that night as the tide was coming in, they slipped overboard and began swimming for shore.
So far as Robert ever knew, he was the only one of the boys to reach shore safely. He landed in hostile country, hid during the day and travelled nights until he reached a tavern where British soldiers were holding a revelry. He took one of their horses and rode to the Continental Army, where he reported what he had heard on the ship. The story goes that the information was relayed to General George Washington who considered it important. When the war was over, General Washington sent for Robert and presented him a large silver watch, which he carried with him for the remainder of his life.
Several years after the war, Robert Cleghorn married Elizabeth Maxwell in Montgomery Co., MD where they started a large family of 11 children. In about 1800 they moved to Wythe Co., VA. Following Elizabeth’s death in Virginia, Robert moved with family members to Harlan Co., Kentucky where he died in 1822.
Robert and Elizabeth’s son Lorenzo Dow Cleghorn was listed among the early ministers of the Christian Church in Madison Twp., Putnam Co., Indiana. This country church, organized in 1840, was built on a hill near the former site of Brunerstown, located midway between Bridgeton (in Parke County) and Greencastle. Descendants of L.D. Cleghorn were among the early settlers of the Bridgeton and Rosedale area. Rev. Cleghorn followed his ministry on to the west, eventually to Primghar, O'Brien Co., Iowa where he is buried. The family story goes that L.D. Cleghorn still had his father’s silver watch while he was living in Iowa, but that the watch has since been lost.
Robert and Elizabeth Cleghorn were the 2nd great-grandparents of Margaret Eleanor “Ellen” Cleghorn, grandmother of my mom Betty Thompson.
Here is a photo of the Bridgeton Bridge near the house where Ellen (Cleghorn) Yowell raised her family after her husband died young. Ellen was the operator for the first telephone switchboard in Bridgeton, located in the living room of her home.
(Photo by Brendan Kearns)
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