James Linn

James Linn
Born	July 25, 1792(1792-07-25) Concord, Pennsylvania, USA
Died	April 20, 1848 (aged 55) Concord, Pennsylvania, USA
Resting place	Evans Family Cemetery, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
Spouse	Nancy Booher (m. 1815) «Did not recognize date. Try slightly modifying the date in the first parameter.»"Marriage: Nancy Booher to James Linn" Location: (linkback:http://jimlindstrom.com/mediawiki/index.php/James_Linn)
Children	Caspar Booher Linn John Linn James W. Linn Jane Linn Hugh Linn Samuel Brierly Linn Jacob Booher Linn
Parents	Hugh Linn Sarah Widney

The Clan Linn in the Twentieth Century Entry

James Linn was born in the year 1792, and brought up on his father's farm until twenty years of age, when the war of 1812 with Great Britain called the yeoman of the country to arms in defense of the Nation's honor and sense of justice. He at once volunteered to enter the service and joined a company which was recruited at Concord, Pennsylvania. His father, Hugh Linn (1753), who had imbibed the spirit of a true American patriot, accompanied his son on a two days' journey to the front, and on parting with him said, 'My son, be a good soldier, and never turn back a coward.'

The memories of the battle of Boyne water and the spirit of religious intolerance which had been so fierce in the Emerald Isle between the 'Orange' and the 'Green' had been transplanted, and one day in camp, he expressed himself concerning St. Patrick's followers in language more vigorous than polite. Several soldiers who were devotees of the patron saint pounced upon him and by main strength threw him into the camp fire. Being a very active man, he was immediately upon his feet, rushed to his gun and would have bayonetted his assailants had not cooler heads prevailed. They attempted to have the superior officer punish him, but when he learned the nature of the offence (being himself probably an Orangeman), he said he had done right, and should use his bayonet if attacked again.

James Linn was a class leader in the Methodist Church, a position of distinction in those days. He had six sons and one daughter. Four of his sons enlisted in the service during the Civil War, and his son-in-law, Charles W. Evans, was also in the army.

Excerpt from History of Franklin County, Pennsylvania

[John] Linn's father, Hugh, was drafted in the war of 1812, but his brother James took his place.

Historical Records

Our James:

• The book Historical Sketch of Franklin County, Pennsylvania lists James as one of sixteen Privates in the Path Valley Company on 9/5/1812.
• A James Linn (28 years old) is listed in the 1821 Pennsylvania Census in Fannett, Franklin, PA. He is listed as a mason. Hugh and John are listed on the same page.
• A James Linn (34 years old) is listed in the 1828 Pennsylvania Census in Fannett, Franklin, PA. His occupation is listed as "Mason". He is listed consecutively with brothers John (31, farmer) and Hugh (46, Mason)
• James and Nancy are mentioned in a number of Booher deeds in the 1830s: File:P1-10.jpeg, File:P1-11.jpeg, File:P1-12.jpeg, File:P1-13.jpeg, File:P1-14.jpeg, File:P1-15.jpeg, File:P1-16.jpeg, File:P1-17.jpeg
• James and family are listed in the 1840 Pennsylvania census, in Springfield, Huntingdon County.
• James' son James W received a warrant (Dec 28 1853) and later a patent (April 2 1873) for a 175 acre plot of land in Springfield, Huntingdon County. According to the reverse page of the survey book, the patent was actually received not by James, but by his brother Jacob B. Linn.
• Possible matches for James' military records:
  • A James Linn Sr drew a pension from 1833-1838, from the Pittsburgh office.
  • James Linn, in 1 REGIMENT RIFLEMEN (IRWIN'S) PENNSYLVANIA MILITIA.
  • James Linn, in 1 REG'T (SNIDER'S) PENNSYLVANIA MILITIA.
  • James Linn, in 135 REG'T (CHRISTY'S) PENNSYLVANIA MIL.
• Possible match for James' son, James W.'s service during the civil war
• In 1850 (2 years after James' death), records for the United Methodist Church in Concord list a "2nd class" in 1850 which includes several Linns: Ann Linn, James Linn, Mary Linn, Anabelle Linn. Earlier (pg 4) the document refers to a Hugh Linn(e).

(Probably) False Positives:

• There are other James Linns of approximately the same age in same area of Pennsylvania:
  • James Linn (b. 1820; son of William and Mary Linn)
  • James Linn in Bedford, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania (listed as an inmate)
  • James Linn in Sherley, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania in 1773 (4 horses, 4 cattle, 7 sheep, taxed 18.2)
  • James Linn in Sherley, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania in 1784
  • James Linn in Barree, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania in 1788.
• There is a James Linn listed in the 1810 US Census. Lurgan, Franklin, Pennsylvania. 7 people in the household:
• There is a James Linn is listed in the 1830 Census for Lurgan Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania. It seems unlikely this is the same James Linn, but some on Ancestry.com think otherwise.
• In 1837, a "James Linn" warranted and patented a 200 acre parcel of land in Mercer County, Pennsylvania

Tombstone

James' tombstone reads "James Lynn." The spelling of his last name is a curiosity. Perhaps it is a tribute to family name's spelling in the old country (See John Lynn (1695)). Unfortunately, his birth and death dates are indecipherable.