John McClelland and Margaret McConnell
John McClelland, born in 1750 in Ulster, Ireland came to America during the mid to late 1700s. He married Margaret Jane McConnell from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. They had at least one child, Robert McClelland.
Robert McClelland and Elizabeth Job & Robert McClelland and Martha McConnell
Captain Robert McClelland was born September 25th in the year of 1778 at the forks of the Yongh River in pennsylvania. He was the son of John McClelland, who was a soldier in the Revoluntionary War and a native of Ulster, Ireland. His mother was Margaret McConnell, born in Allegheny, Pa. He had five brothers and two sisters.
In 1802, the year before Green Co. definitely organzied as a county, he came to Ohio and settled on a tract of land containing one thousand acres boardering on sugar Creek, and about four miles west of where Xenia, the County seat, was later established. There he made his permanent home.
Captain McClelland was comissioned commander of a company for service under General Harrison during the Black Hawk War. On August 22nd 1812 he began service in the War of 1812 as Captain of a company designated Captain Robert McClelland's Volunteer Company of Ohio Militia, Lieutenant Colonel George Adam's Regiment. Records in the United States War Department also show that Robert Mcclelland served in that war was Captain of a company designated Captain Robert McClelland's Company of Ohio Militia, Independent Battalion, Commanded by Major A.C. Lanier. His name appears on the muster roll covering the period from May 25, 1813 to November 25, 1813.
This roll also bears remark "On command at Lower Sandusky, for thirteen days after expiration of service." He was at one time during his period of service in command of Fort McArthur in Hardin Co., Ohio and was stationed at St. Mary's for a time.
After completing his service to his county he returned to remain with his family. He was twice married and was the father of twenty-three children.
Always of an enterprising nature he began the first silk manufacturing project in Greene County. Near his residence he built a small building to house the silk worms. It had shelves placed one above the other and was far enough apart to place mulberry branches, upon which the silk worms fed. These branches were cut from young mulberry trees of which he had planted about five acres. The beranches were gathered and placed by his youngest son Samuel and a grand-son Simeon Jolly and replaced as fast as tehir leaves were eaten off.
When the worms matured and made their cocoons, these cocoons were gathered, scalded and placed in glass tumblers, a certain number in each glass and the number of glasses placed in each group. A fine thread from each cocoon was spun together with that from the other cocoons and silk threat of the desired size was made. His wife Martha and the elder daughters did the spinning and spooling on wheels made for this purpose.
He had a ready sale for silk thread because it was very scarce at that time. On one occasion enough threat was sent away to be woven into goods for his wife, Martha. It came back a very beautiful piece, of a dark green color, out of which was made probably the first "home grown" silk dress in Green County.
Captain McClelland was a stern defender of the faith of the Scotch Seeders, the communion which later came to be merged into what for many years has been known as the United Presbyterian Church, for years served as an elder of teh pioneer church.
Being of strict Christian faith and religiously opposed to human slavery he was often suspected of aiding the slaves on their way after escape, by means of the "underground railway." The "underground railway" was the secret travel of slaves from one sympathizer to another usually accomplished at night. They were hidden and fed at each stopping place. The sons, Robert and Isaiah were engaged at that time as coopers, getting their supplies from their father's woods. They trimmed the brush from the tumber as it was cut piled it in huge piles larger than a house. Some of these piles had puts under them, where the slaves were hidden and the small boys Samuel McClelland and Simeon Jolly were entrusted to carry food to the slaves and notices of anticipated removals from that place, as they were on their way to school or to the cooper shop. They played in the woods and kept a lookout for spies.
Upon one occasion Captain McClelland learned that Government spies were going to search his premises. He prepared by sending an extra supply of food and a warning to the slaves who were hiding there to be ready to move at a moments notice. The spies came. After searching the barn and house thoroughly with Captain McClelland following them there was a place they had failed to look into. That was up the chimney of the large fireplace where a brisk fire was burning. They refused to look. He drew a gun upon them and told them to look - they did. While these agents were engaged in teh house the slaves were spirited away to the next stop by the elder sons John, Robert and Isaiah.
No further attempts were ever made to search the McClelland hoem surroundings.
So until the day of his death April 13, 1846 Captain Robert McClelland lived and strived and attained his utmost in a happy life, for,
"How happy is he born and taught/ That serveth not anothers will;/ Whose armor is his honest thought,/ And simple truth his utmost skill."1
In 1802, the year before Green Co. definitely organzied as a county, he came to Ohio and settled on a tract of land containing one thousand acres boardering on sugar Creek, and about four miles west of where Xenia, the County seat, was later established. There he made his permanent home.
Captain McClelland was comissioned commander of a company for service under General Harrison during the Black Hawk War. On August 22nd 1812 he began service in the War of 1812 as Captain of a company designated Captain Robert McClelland's Volunteer Company of Ohio Militia, Lieutenant Colonel George Adam's Regiment. Records in the United States War Department also show that Robert Mcclelland served in that war was Captain of a company designated Captain Robert McClelland's Company of Ohio Militia, Independent Battalion, Commanded by Major A.C. Lanier. His name appears on the muster roll covering the period from May 25, 1813 to November 25, 1813.
This roll also bears remark "On command at Lower Sandusky, for thirteen days after expiration of service." He was at one time during his period of service in command of Fort McArthur in Hardin Co., Ohio and was stationed at St. Mary's for a time.
After completing his service to his county he returned to remain with his family. He was twice married and was the father of twenty-three children.
Always of an enterprising nature he began the first silk manufacturing project in Greene County. Near his residence he built a small building to house the silk worms. It had shelves placed one above the other and was far enough apart to place mulberry branches, upon which the silk worms fed. These branches were cut from young mulberry trees of which he had planted about five acres. The beranches were gathered and placed by his youngest son Samuel and a grand-son Simeon Jolly and replaced as fast as tehir leaves were eaten off.
When the worms matured and made their cocoons, these cocoons were gathered, scalded and placed in glass tumblers, a certain number in each glass and the number of glasses placed in each group. A fine thread from each cocoon was spun together with that from the other cocoons and silk threat of the desired size was made. His wife Martha and the elder daughters did the spinning and spooling on wheels made for this purpose.
He had a ready sale for silk thread because it was very scarce at that time. On one occasion enough threat was sent away to be woven into goods for his wife, Martha. It came back a very beautiful piece, of a dark green color, out of which was made probably the first "home grown" silk dress in Green County.
Captain McClelland was a stern defender of the faith of the Scotch Seeders, the communion which later came to be merged into what for many years has been known as the United Presbyterian Church, for years served as an elder of teh pioneer church.
Being of strict Christian faith and religiously opposed to human slavery he was often suspected of aiding the slaves on their way after escape, by means of the "underground railway." The "underground railway" was the secret travel of slaves from one sympathizer to another usually accomplished at night. They were hidden and fed at each stopping place. The sons, Robert and Isaiah were engaged at that time as coopers, getting their supplies from their father's woods. They trimmed the brush from the tumber as it was cut piled it in huge piles larger than a house. Some of these piles had puts under them, where the slaves were hidden and the small boys Samuel McClelland and Simeon Jolly were entrusted to carry food to the slaves and notices of anticipated removals from that place, as they were on their way to school or to the cooper shop. They played in the woods and kept a lookout for spies.
Upon one occasion Captain McClelland learned that Government spies were going to search his premises. He prepared by sending an extra supply of food and a warning to the slaves who were hiding there to be ready to move at a moments notice. The spies came. After searching the barn and house thoroughly with Captain McClelland following them there was a place they had failed to look into. That was up the chimney of the large fireplace where a brisk fire was burning. They refused to look. He drew a gun upon them and told them to look - they did. While these agents were engaged in teh house the slaves were spirited away to the next stop by the elder sons John, Robert and Isaiah.
No further attempts were ever made to search the McClelland hoem surroundings.
So until the day of his death April 13, 1846 Captain Robert McClelland lived and strived and attained his utmost in a happy life, for,
"How happy is he born and taught/ That serveth not anothers will;/ Whose armor is his honest thought,/ And simple truth his utmost skill."1
Robert McClelland first married Elizabeth Jobe (1779). They had eight children: John (1800), Robert (1801), Nancy (1804), Isaiah (1805), Margaret (1807), Alexander (1809), Elizabeth (1811), and Infant Daughter (1812-1812). After Elizabeth's death, Robert married Martha McConnell (1791) in 1814. They had fifteen children: David (1814), Jane (1816), Sarah (1817), James (1818), Mary (1820), Susanah (1821), David (1823), William (1825), Infant Son McClelland (1826-1826), Martha (1827), James (1828), Nancy (1830), Syntha (1833), Infant Son McClelland (1834-unknown), and Samuel (1835). Robert McClelland died in 1846 at the age of 68.
Sources
1. Sources: U.S. War Department; Mrs. Ida M. Huffman; Frank G. McClelland. Written by Verna Jolly Huffman.