Bio of John H. Brandenburgh II (Jr.): 1999 Meade Co., KY ----------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, Mar 24 1999 From: "Virginia M. Finley" ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------- Submitted by: Brooks Hubler Article mentions Meade (Estill), Madison, Owsley & Lee Counties -------------------------------------------------------------- John H. Brandenburgh II (Jr.), the great-great-grandson of the German Immigrant and Refugee, son of John H. Brandenburgh and his wife Deborah Bowman, was named for his father. His mother, Deborah Bowman, was the daughter of Elijah Bowman, his grandfather, and Elijah’s mother was the Mrs. Bowman, who before her marriage was Miss Elizabeth Gentry, the identical woman described as being an inhabitant of Fort Boonesborough, who related the story in Brandenburg Family History told. John H. Brandenburgh II (Jr.) was married twice; first to Margaret Evans, the mother of his children and second to Mrs. Mary Clark Botner, who was a widow with children. He is now a substantial and highly esteemed citizen and resident of Madison County, Kentucky, (the home of the fort his great grandmother, Elizabeth Gentry, once inhabited), who however, was born and reared in the region of the mountain section that formerly was Owsley County, but the home was clipped off into Lee County when formed. John Jr. Reared a large family of children - boys and girls - and accumulated competency and many years ago left his native haunts and located in Madison County, Kentucky. His children were all born in Lee County. John Jr. Can give an interesting history of his ancient forebears and of his own family, in which he takes pleasure and delight, and some of the tales of his own life and movements are quite interesting. John H. Brandenburgh, Jr., indeed, is very fond of company and enjoys good company as much as anyone and it is pleasant to be in his home and see the congeniality between him and his good wife and the other inmates of the home and listen to him relate some of his adventures and occurrences during his long life around in the region of his mountain home, when there were wild game in plenty, deer and wild turkey abounding, some bears and some wolves, and plenty of fishing and hear him relate some of his experiences whilst a soldier on the Federal side in the Civil War, and tell of the logging business which once flourished when the logs were moved to market in rafts down the Kentucky River, and was a source of considerable revenue to the mountaineers, and of the big sugar camps and the large quantities of maple and sugar tree sugar they could make and store up, the good times they would have at the stirring off, and the honey they would take and likewise save in great quantities, of which they would have an abundance of sweetening - the very best - without buying sugar from the merchant stores, he being of the number who performed this hard but enjoyable work. He has had many experiences of one sort or another and possesses a knack of telling them in good style. John Jr. Told the writer about a horn which he has in his possession and which he exhibited, saying he captured it in a colonel’s tent in a rebel camp on the top of Lookout Mountain. The horn has engraved on it "a pack of dogs (hounds) chasing a fox; also an American Eagle with his wings extended" and under it: "W.D. Bowden, 1863, Camp Starvation", and under this, "a stack of guns, and near, a dog sitting on his haunches, with a forlorn look, as if begging for something to eat". John H. Brandenburgh, Jr. Then described the ascent to the very crest of the mountain, thus: "They went up a ladder in the double of the cliff and proceeded with the double or bend - which was just wide enough for a man to walk - about 30 yards, when they reached a tall cedar tree, through which, some two or three feet apart, were bored holes through and through the body thereof, with a two-inch auger, and through these holes were driven strong wooden pegs, thus forming a very good ladder, which they scaled to the top of the cliff, and here they formed in line of battle and marched to the rebel camp which was found abandoned, and here in the tent, John said he captured the horn": John also said, "It has often been told that here was a battle above the clouds, but let me tell you, there was no fighting on the top of this mountain, for I was there and I know". John H. Brandenburgh, Jr. Also has in his possession yet thirteen pieces of gold and silver coins and a piece of cut money ½ bit ($4.50 in gold, ½ bit cut money, balance five cent silver pieces), which was paid to him by Colonel Albert A. Curtis, of Irvine, Kentucky, John’s first draw for his army services. Since coming to Madison County, John Jr. Has had many transactions with the people of the county and many dealing with them in many ways and they have always found him ‘Johnny at the spot’. When he first came to the county he had already purchased, before moving his family, a splendid farm on the Lancaster road between Silver and Paint Lick Creeks, about two miles from the former and a little more than that from the latter, upon which he settled and where he lived till he traded that farm to his sons and bought the splendid piece of land of more than 200 acres on the southeastern border of Richmond, Kentucky, on the Boggs Land - the old Joseph Boggs home, upon which is a magnificent brick residence that has the appearance of standing for centuries and here is where he finally located and now lives in comfort and ease so far as the necessaries and comforts of this life are concerned. He has accomplished well a wonderful work - starting with but little, rearing to maturity twelve highly respectable and well-to-do children, (thirteen having been born, one dying in infancy). Of the twelve remaining, nine are stalwart boys, all married and occupying homes to themselves, and three girls, all now grown and married and living with their husbands in homes of their own. All the children were born in the highlands of Kentucky where their parents were born and settled and accumulated the nice fortune. John Jr. Is a man who attends strictly to his own business, sacredly keeps his word, and his promises are as good as gold for the amount he promises; his children all seem to love him and they give heed to his advice and counsel, at the same time with him they joke and laugh, and they have much fun and enjoyment together. John Jr. Has number of grandchildren and some great grandchildren, leaving a record worthy of emulation, that his posterity should be proud of. ************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogical information on the Internet, data may be freely used for personal research and by non-commercial entities as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format or presentation by other organizations or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for profit or any form of presentation, must obtain the written consent of the file submitter, or his legal representative and then contact the listed USGENWEB archivist with proof of this consent. ***************************************************************************