For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin — real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way — something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. — Alfred D. Souza
Click on image to enlarge and read notes on Jesse’s War of 1812 service record.
One of the neatest aspects of tracing a family tree back into the 1800s or earlier, is the odds of being associated with a famous American increases. Shadrach Claywell’s oldest son, Jesse, is a classic example of this phenomenon because of his Black Hawk War service.
Shadrach landed in Kentucky in 1806 and, like many other soldiers, Shadrach came to claim the land given to him in exchange for his Revolutionary War service. Shadrach definitely seems to fit the frontiersman stereotype since he lived out the last part of his life on the edge of civilization.
It is a trait carried on by several children, including Jesse.
Physical Attributes and Marriages
Although photography was invented in 1839, it did not take off until the Civil War era, so most images in Jesse’s lifetime were commissioned paintings — which, of course, were limited to the wealthier elements of society. But in the case of Jesse, we do get a glimpse of what he looked like since his second wife, Percy (Reed) Claywell, was asked to described how Jesse looked when he enter the military during the War of 1812.
Percy describes Jesse as “farming, England, 6′ 3″, light hair, blue eyes, fair complexion.”
Heading Home, Then West
After his discharge from the War of 1812, Jesse moved back to Cumberland County living “near Bear Creek” for about two years, before moving west near present-day Springfield, Ill. While in Cumberland County, Jesse married Hannah Humprey, but little is known about her except that she died in Alabama. After her death, Jesse married Percy Reed, also of Cumberland County, on August 12, 1822 in Cumberland County.
Within seven years, Jesse moved to Illinois and stayed there until he died in 1852, about five miles from Springfield, at the age of 62 (Census documents put his age at 69). At the time of Jesse’s death, Percy, was 45.
When Jesse moved to Illinois it was the current frontier of the United States and Native Americans villages were interspersed among the white settlements.
Military Service
Jesse served in three wars during his life: The War of 1812, The 1827 Winnebago Indian War and the 1832 Black Hawk War. The years he served, though, are sketchy at times, because some of his records were lost. What is known is Jesse enlisted at Burkeville, Ky. during the War of 1812 at the age of 17/18 and he was discharged in New Orleans on September 12, 1813. During this enlistment period he joined as a private and was honorably discharged in New Orleans with the rank of corporal. He served in both the light artillery unit (under Lieutenant Samuel Price) and in the heavy artillery unit.
In the two Indians Wars he served between 30 and 90 days.
The term war seems a bit of a stretch for the first conflict, The Winnebago War, since it basically centered around the murder of two families of white settlers. After the first family was murdered six members of the Winnebago tribe were accused, but four were later released. When the U.S. Army decided to transport the remaining two men, rumor spread among the Winnebago tribe that the men were tortured and murdered. The Winnebago went on the offensive and killed another family of white settlers.
In the Black Hawk War, Jesse served as Captain (under Col. James Collins) while a much more well-known American — Abraham Lincoln — served as a private in another company. Other famous Americans to fight in this war were future president Zachary Taylor, future CSA president Jefferson Davis and renown minister Peter Cartwright. Jesse and those that served under him appear to be from present day Logan County — northeast of Springfield.
The Black Hawk War ended in a brutal massacre on the banks of the Mississippi after U.S. soldiers and militia rejected the white flag of surrender from the Native Americans. Soldiers proceeded to shoot the aged, women, children and starving warriors as the Indians attempted to swim or boat across the river. The U.S. also shot cannons from a river boat in the massacre. The Native Americans were reduced from about 1,000 strong to less than 150.
Land Purchases
In a 1878 document filed by Percy Reed to obtain 160 acres of land granted to Jesse a couple years before his death (for his Black Hawk War service), it appears Jesse had never taken possession of his land. In 1878 Percy also applied for a widow’s pension based on Jesse military service stating, among other things, that she was destitute, blind and had no one to care for her. She received the $8 monthly pension until she died in 1880.
During the pension application process, neighbors testified that Percy had lived in the Springfield area — some said 20 years, others said 40 — but based on land purchases 40 years is the most accurate. In 1829, Jesse purchased 160 acres (for $1.25 an acre) in Sangamon County, Ill. He purchased an additional 40 acres in 1833 and 53 more acres in 1836.
The Great Mystery: Warren Claywell
In an earlier post I wrote about Warren Claywell, lynched in 1856 for horse stealing, while his mother and brothers helplessly stood by and watched. Warren is Jesse’s third oldest son. The mob forced a confession out of Warren’s older brother, Frank (by hanging him until he talked), who admitted they had stolen five horses from Free-Soilers (anti-slavery individuals) and pressed into service 22 horses. This — and the fact when the family leaves the Kansas Territory they head to Missouri (a slave state) — suggests that the family supported slavery since “pressing” is the act of confiscating a horse for an army or militia. Some of the Claywells did support slavery — Warren’s uncle John was a slave holder in Cumberland County as was his great-uncle Peter, a Methodist minister, in North Carolina (and several generations before them owned slaves).
One newspaper, though, goes so far as to say the only reason Warren was lynched was because he stole five horses from the Free-Soilers. (If you have never read anything about the Kansas Territory and the bloody battles and massacres that transpired, War to the Knife: Bleeding Kansas, 1854-1861
But, contradicting the theory that Warren and his family supported slavery is a 1878 document in which Percy notes she had five sons in the Union Army — which, of course, suggests the family was anti-slavery. They were:
So was the family pro-slave, anti-slave — or neither? Well, one other possibility is survival.
Horses were worth about four months wages and stolen ones sold on the black market for about half that much — so the family may have been simply trying to survive in a lawless territory. According to several sources, many of the settlers in the Kansas Territory were extremely poor. Since they are in Kansas and not Illinois, it’s possible the family lost their Sangamon County land and hoped for a new start by squatting on some land in the Kansas Territory. For me, these questions remain unanswered, but whatever the family’s political leanings were, they eventually move back to the Springfield area.
Date of Death And Birth
Although, I cannot find a gravestone or death announcement, most sources record Jesse’s death as March 27, 1852. In a 1850 document (Jesse’s first attempt to obtain the 160 acres Black Hawk War land), it states Jesse turned 60 on Nov. 18, 1849. This would make his birth year 1789 which basically coincides (off by a year or two) with his sworn statement that he enlisted in the military in 1808 at the age of 18 (Percy said Jesse was 17).
1850 Census
In the Census taken before Jesse’s death we can glean the ages of his children:
(Notations: Left to right the columns are: name, age, gender, occupation, property value, place of birth and X for illiterate)
Connection to Me
Jesse Claywell is the son of Shadrach Claywell and the brother of Shadrach Claywell Jr. Shadrach Jr. is my great-great-great-great-grandfather. If you use the cousin calculator, that would make Jesse my 4th Great Grand Uncle.
| Jesse’s Lineage | My Lineage |
|---|---|
| Shadrach Claywell | Shadrach Claywell |
| Jesse Claywell | Shadrach Claywell Jr. |
| John Anderson Claywell | |
| Ed Claywell | |
| Joe Lee Claywell | |
| Charlie L. Claywell | |
| Billy D. Claywell | |
| Me |
Sources & References
Black Hawk War: There is just no way to concisely explain the Black Hawk War because it involves treachery on both sides, but the conflict can be traced back to a contested 1804 treaty. To understand the Native American side, the Autobiography of Black Hawk is a great place to start (it’s free) and the American side is explained in several works including, The Black Hawk War of 1832 (Campaigns and Commanders Series)
Jesse’s Military Service: The pension application filed by Percy and the 160-acre land grant filed by Jesse contain about 30-40 pages of documentation that paint a fairly well-rounded look at Jesse’s military service. But, it also offers clues into his family members, marriages and gives insight into where he lived. Fold3 has copies of the records and many libraries offer free access to the content with a valid library card. There are also several rosters listed online and in county history books written in the late 1800s (about Sangamon County Illinois) that discuss the various regiments and companies utilized in the Black Hawk War. However, most of these written histories only contain a paragraph or two about Jesse.
Land Purchases: All of Jesse’s land purchases can be viewed online at Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database by searching for Claywell Jesse (no comma between names), Claywell J or Claywell.
This is the first in a series of posts about Shadrach Claywell’s children. Jesse is his oldest.
One of the common misconceptions of individuals just starting to collect board games is ‘if it’s old, it must be valuable.’ Whereas some older games are valuable despite being in poor condition a good rule of thumb is — go for unplayed games — preferably games still in their shrink wrap. Collectors want the game as close to new condition as possible. That being said, it always depends on the game.
Top 10
Here is a list of recent sales on eBay of somewhat common, and sometimes fairly new (less than 20 years old) games that have generated big bucks.
1. Jati
This game recently sold for nearly $560 and there is a good reason why it commands such a large price: rarity. Jati was one of more than 10 bookshelf games created by 3M (the company that gave us the Post-It Note) in the 1960s. The games were designed in such a way that all the contents would fit neatly into a box — a box that could be placed on the bookshelf — and look nice. The reason Jati is so valuable is because only a handful made it into production (100-150). Some copies of the game have reportedly sold for as much as $1,000.
2. Fireball Island
This is a fairly new game — produced by Milton Bradley in 1986 — that easily fetches more than $400 for a mint in box (MIB) copy. What’s interesting from a collecting point of view is the game — as a game — was not all that spectacular. Some have described it as a glorified Mouse-Trap game. Part of its appeal is nostalgia since it was one of the first 3D board games.
Condition is key with this game, however, if you find a beat up version at a thrift stores don’t pass it up some of the replacement parts can sell for $10-$30 a piece.
3. Haunted Mansion
When you consider the fact that board games in the U.S. go back into the late 1880s, this is another relatively new game. Released in 1975 by Lakeside, this game is designed around a Walt Disney attraction of the same name and in the game players try to move their Doom Buggy through the haunted mansion. Although the game typically sells for $300-$400, a sealed (NIB) version sold for more than $900 on eBay.
4. Dark Tower
This 1981 Milton Bradley game is almost legendary in collecting circles and has even been featured in some of the TV reality ‘picking’ shows. It’s an electronic game with non-electronic components and even games that do not work electronically still sell for close to $100. However, the MIB version sells for between $250-$350.
5. Star Wars: The Queens Gambit
Published in 2000, this Avalon Hill game (which is owned by Hasbro) consists of 155 plastic miniatures with three separate boards and includes a three-level palace. Avalon Hill, which has another game on this list (No. 10 Acquire) is known for its highly detailed, quality artwork. This game is no exception and you can expect to get up $200-$300 for the game — and some sealed versions have sold for nearly $500.
6. Hotels
This 1987 Milton Bradley product is a Monopoly-like game where players buy and build the world’s best hotels and compete for guests. Playing try to either bankrupt their competition or end up with the most cash. Used versions of this game regularly sell for $50-$75, but if you find one that is still sealed, you can get between $200-$300 for the game.
7. Séance
Players bid on dead Uncle Everett’s possessions in this hard-to-find 1972 Milton Bradley game. The high bidder then listens to instructions from the dead Uncle by playing the enclosed record. This game is a sequel to Milton Bradley’s Voice of the Mummy. Game sells for around $200 in excellent condition.
8. Voice of the Mummy
The first in a two-game set which includes Séance, Voice of the Mummy was released by Milton Bradley in 1971. Like Séance, this game also included a record player — a small battery powered one. In the game, players move around a multi-level pyramid collecting gems. Once the Great Jewel is found, side B of the record is played, and the game becomes a race back to the player’s home temple. Game sells in the upper $100 to $200 range, although some copies have fetched more than $300.
9. Legend of Zelda
It’s the 1988 version of this Milton Bradley game that you want to find. The game, a simple roll dice and move board game, is based on the franchise of the same name. It sells for up to $200.
10. Acquire
Of all the games on the list this is the only one I have purchased — and later sold for $100. The version collectors want in the 1999 Avalon Hill game. It sells for as much as $150.
The value of board games fluctuate greatly throughout the course of the year with supply and demand playing a pivotal role in the game’s final price.
Blue In The Red Zone Old Newspapers
National Archives
Charlie R. Claywell 