Pennsylvania - Adams County - Black's Graveyard

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A Brief History of the Families in Black's Graveyard, Adams County, Pennsylvania

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PART I - PART II - PART III - PART IV - PART V - PART VII

From the Gettysburg Times Gettysburg, Pennsylvania of 
Saturday, August 11, 1959 

A Bit Of History About Early Settlers
Bits of Cobean Genealogy

By B. F. M. MacPHERSON

According to a descendent of the Pioneer Cobean family they (the Cobeans) 
were a French Huguenot (Alsatian refugees) ancestry. They fled from the 
old country, as did so many others, to escape religious persecution.

The Cobeans first came to America with one of the first expeditions of 
Jean Ribaut and 1652 or 1654, landing at Fort Royal, in what is now 
South Carolina. Some historians are of the opinion that this group of 
French Huguenots were the first Protestants to land upon American soil. 
These people built a fort at Fort Royal at the colony was not to be a 
permanent one. It gradually disintegrated and many of the people drifted 
south to what is now Florida. This aroused the suspicions of the 
Spaniards, who claimed sole ownership of the whole of that region.  
Jean Ribaut, their leader, went back to France for more colonists for, 
on his arrival there found friends at war with Roman Catholics. It was 
impossible to return to his colony in Florida for quite some time. When 
he did return it was to find his fort destroyed and the colonists 
scattered. Soon after the departure of Ribaut settlement was attacked 
by the Spaniards and still later the remnants were set upon by the 
Indians. Of this attack only a few survived. In some way or other some 
of the Cobeans managed to escape and survive.

Arrived in Adams

Almost 200 years later members of the Cobean family appeared in what 
is now Adams County, Pennsylvania. In the old records that name is 
spelled Cobine, Cobean and Kobine. The Rev. A. Stapleton in his 
"memorials of the Huguenots" lists that name and states it was 
originally spelled "Cobean" but was later changed to "Cobin".

Samuel Cobean, of Cumberland Township, York (now Adams) County, 
Pennsylvania, was a second lieutenant in the first (Capt. Thomas Lalta's) 
company, fifth Battalion, York County militia, according to a return 
of that company on April 5, 1778. Apparently he remained a member of 
this company and in 1780, when this particular group became the first 
company of the second Battalion of the York County militia, Samuel 
Cobean was promoted to captain.

Just when the Cobeans settled on March Creek is not known, insofar as 
the exact year is concerned. The name of Capt. Samuel A. Cobean 
appeared on the tax lists of York (now Adams) County in 1767. He 
(Capt. Samuel) settled along the marsh Creek and Cumberland Township, 
not too far south of the old stone bridge, that once spanned the stream 
at the old Black Horse (or McClellan) Tavern. He built a grist mill and 
a saw mill and members of his family and some of their descendents 
lived there for a number of years.

In Black's Graveyard

It is very possible that Capt. Samuel Alexander Cobean, soldier of the 
Revolution, is buried in Black's Graveyard (Upper Marsh Creek 
Presbyterian) along with his wife and other members of the family in 
unmarked graves. As stated before there is quite a large lot, which is 
obviously the family burial plot -- but only two stones remain in it 
at this late date.

Capt. Samuel Alexander Cobean was the father of Alexander Cobean, the 
first president of the Gettysburg National Bank. The late Edward 
McPherson had this to say of Mr. Cobean: -- "Alexander Cobean was born 
in 1767, in Franklin Township, York (now Adams) County, Pennsylvania. 
He was a man of superior intelligence, agreeable manners, and great 
force of character. He was for many years one of the most active 
citizens of Marsh Creek owned the Plank (lately Bream) Mill, and moved 
to Gettysburg about 1796. He was a candidate for Congress at the Federal 
Party in 1814, was the first president of the Bank of Gettysburg, was 
captain of the company who marched to Baltimore in 1814, and became a 
colonel in the company of troops in the Battle of North Point, and died 
April 2, 1823, aged 57 years. The Hon. Thaddeus Stevens, who came to 
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in the fall of 1816, told me (Edward 
McPherson) that he regarded Col. Cobean the strongest man then in the 
community.

Promoting Gettysburg

"He was very active in having Gettysburg selected as the county seat 
of the new County of Adams. He was living at marsh Creek in 1793, and 
was there engaged in the operation of a mill. He had been elected to 
the legislature in 1799, and was sent to Philadelphia as a special 
agent to represent the parties interested in having Gettysburg made 
the county seat. On February 2, 1799, he appeared before the 
legislature in Philadelphia as a representative of the inhabitants 
and vicinity. He was elected a member of the Council of Gettysburg 
in 1808. He was very active in establishing the Bank of Gettysburg 
and was elected a member of the first order directors May 26, 1814. 
He was elected the first president of the board of directors and 
1814 and served until 1820, when he resigned, and John McConaughty, 
Esq., was elected president."

In the "Adams Centinel" the following data pertaining to Col. 
Alexander Cobean and his family appeared under the dates given, as 
follows: --

1. Wednesday, November 8, 1815 --

"Died, Monday, November 6, 1815,Miss Jane Cobean, eldest daughter of 
Alexander Cobean,Esq., of this borough (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)."

Burial Place Unknown

Note: -- the eldest daughter of Col. Alexander Cobean, born to his 
first marriage. The burial place of Jane Cobean is not known.

2. Wednesday, May 26, 1819 --

"Married, Thursday evening, a 20th 1819, by the Rev. David McConaughty, 
Col. Alexander Cobean to Mrs. Priscilla Harper, both of this Borough."

Note: -- the second marriage of Col. Alexander Cobean, which took place 
some years after the death of his first wife. The bride was Priscilla 
Dougherty, the widow of Robert Harper, who founded the "Adam Centinel” 
November 12, 1800. Robert Harper died in 1816 and his widow, Priscilla, 
assumed the task of editing and publishing the newspaper, which her 
husband had founded.

3. Wednesday, April 9, 1823 --

"Died, at eleven o'clock, Wednesday night, April 2, 1823, Col. Alexander 
Cobean, of this place (Gettysburg Pennsylvania), in the 57th year of his 
age, after a severe illness of eight days. Few men have been more actively 
engaged in business than the deceased during his whole life. Most generally 
at the head of every object of public improvement, eat two often sacrificed 
his private interest to his zeal for the public prosperity. The whole tenor 
of his private life has been that of frankness, honor and generosity, 
endearing him to all who knew him."

Soldier of 1812-14

Note: -- Col. Alexander, soldier of the war of 1812-1814, the son of Capt. 
Samuel Alexander Cobean, who, in turn, served his country in the war of the 
American Revolution.

4. Tuesday, January 24, 1832 --

"Died, Saturday morning, January 21, 1832, after a short illness, at Mount 
Alto Furnace, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Mr. Alexander Cobean, youngest 
son of Col. Alexander Cobean, formerly of this town (Gettysburg, 
Pennsylvania), in the 30th year of his age."

Note: -- the youngest son of Col. Alexander Cobean and his father's 
namesake -- born of Col. Cobean's first marriage. The burial place of 
Alexander Cobean II is not known.

Died at Antietam

5. Monday, January 5, 1835 --

"Died, at the Antietam Ironworks, Maryland, Thursday morning, January 2, 
1835. Mr. Samuel A. Cobean, son of Col. Alexander Cobean, deceased, formerly 
of this town (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania), aged about 35 years."

Note: -- the son of Col. Alexander Cobean, who was a son of Capt. Samuel 
Alexander Cobean, soldier of the American Revolution, and pioneer settler 
in the Manor of the Masque. The burial place of Samuel A. Cobean is not 
known.

This concludes, for the "time being" at least, the notes on the Cobean family.

The list of marked graves in Black's Graveyard (Upper Marsh Creek 
Presbyterian) is continued at this time, as follows: --

5. Dinsmore - "In memory of William Henry Dinsmore, Born December 7, 1792, 
Died 25th of January 1793, Aged 7 weeks, Son of Charlotte and Thomas Dinsmore."

Note: -- nothing is known pertaining to this family except that the Dinsmores 
were early settlers in the Manor of the Masque. Other members of the family 
may be buried in the cemetery -- if so the graves are unmarked.

These notes will be continued next week.