I write this time about my fourth great grandfather, Samuel Allman. He was the son of Philip Jonas Allman and Lucinda VanDeveer. He was born in Virginia.
He first married Rebecca Ann Hatton in 1835 in Bartholomew County, Indiana. Together, they had 6 children: Mary Ann, aka. Polly Ann, John William, Minerva, Nancy Ellen, Philip and Rufus. Mary Ann is my third great-grandmother. Rebecca died in 1851. He then married Mary Jane Hall in 1852. They had 6 children as well: Sarah, Pernette, Samuel A. Jr., William Riley, Joseph and Lucinda. I grew up and had relationships with the descendants of William Riley Allman. Oddly enough, I did not know how we were related until I began researching. My mom and dad were married by the son of William Riley, and I was first married by his grandson. I know, it's a "strange but true" thing. It was a small town. Even more strange, his grandson was a new preacher, and we were his first marriage, and of course, failure. Hope we didn't dent him.
Any-whoooo, this is about Samuel, well, actually Sam. He was an extremely interesting man. Ancestry has his dates a mess and a photo of his grandson, Samuel Martin in place of an actual photo of Sam Allman. Sam Martin was the son of Mary Ann Allman, Sam Allman's daughter. and again, my third great-grandmother. I'd love to sit and listen to her father tell his stories. I bet he had good ones! This article will give you a sense of who he was. I have transcribed it below the clipping.
Unfortunate Sam Allman. (January 29, 1873)
The cabin of Samuel Allman, on the other side of the river, took fire one night recently, and burned to the ground, together with all the furniture and bedding in the same. with nowhere else to go, Sam turned his live stock from his rude stable, and with his family has occupied it ever since. A subscription paper was passed around last week for the relief of the distressed family, and quite a number of our citizens contributed liberally. Sam Allman is a poor man, but his character for honesty is above reproach. With his unshorn face and unkempt hair, Sam presents an uncouth appearance. "Too proud to beg and too honest to steal," "his rags and tags" he does not "try to conceal," and it may truthfully be said of him that he "belongs to the shabby genteel."
As illustrative of the character of Sam Allman, we will relate a little anecdote. One day a few years ago, before the jail on Walnut street was destroyed by fire, as Sam was passing that edifice, some of the prisoners ventured to tantalize him. Sam felt that he was insulted, and pausing, he looked up to the grated window, and thus addressed himself to his deriders: "Boys," said he, "poverty is no crime, else I expect as how I mought be peeping through iron bars myself. I tell you what it is, I'd rather be a mighty sight poorer and worse off than I am, and go to bed hungry every night, with an honest conscience to make me sleep sound, than swap places with the best one of ye - ye trifling spalpeens and dishonest vagabonds. The next time I come along this way, I shall bring my rifle, ready cocked and primed, and I'll tell you what it is, the first one of you that opens his mouth at me will drap, and the coroner's jury will give a verdict, 'shot plumb through the right eye by Sam Allman, who never misses his mark.'" Sure enough, Sam carried his trusty rifle the next time, and walked slowly past the jail, taking the middle of the street that the prisoners might have a good view and that he might have a good range; but no taunts greeted his ears, and therefore Sam was not compelled to shoot a prisoner "plumb through the right eye," which he undoubtedly would have done had he been again insulted.
Sam was listed as a farmer in every census. The bottoms are still the most fertile area of the county. The yearly floods enrich the soil. I think he was a very rich man. His children were all devoted to him, all 12 of them. Mary Ann had 2 children with her first husband, and she named them Samuel and Rebecca. He was respected in that small town, and many of his descendants are still there, living good lives.
Transcription of his death notice.
Death of Samuel Allman. (November 16, 1876)
It is with regret we chronicle the death of SAMUEL ALLMAN, who for many years resided in the bottoms on the west side of the river. In appearance he was a perfect picture of the original back woodsman. His rifle and his dog were his inseparable companions. As a marksman he was the equal of David Crocket or Daniel Boone, and it was but seldom that his game did not drop at the pull of the trigger of his faithful gun. Throughout life, he remained a poor man, and a rude log cabin has been all the home he and his family have ever known. Yet he was happy and contented, perhaps far more so than many who fared better in this world's good. He was a strong Democrat, and it grieved him that he was not able to come to town on election day to vote for Tilden and Hendricks. He was possessed of a good disposition and was strictly honest. He was about 60 years of age.
Just for the record, I love Perry Mason. You know, the early black and white show. There is this one episode which always makes me think of Sam. I don't know the name of it, but it has a character that is like what I imagine he was. He has his rifle ready, his dog Hardtack at his side and is very honest and 'old world'. Of course, Perry was his lawyer, so he did not do it. Just funny how sometimes a character in a movie, tv show or book reminds you of an ancestor. Well, it does me. I might be nuts, though.
-A little explaination:
spalpeen: Irish word, means a rascal.
Tilden and Hendricks ran against Hayes and Wheeler in 1876. Didn't go well for them.
Sources:
Newspapers.com; Unfortunate Sam Allman: Jackson County Banner, Brownstown, Indiana; Wednesday, January 29, 1873; Page 5.
Newspapers.com; Death of Samuel Allman: Jackson County Banner, Brownstown, Indiana; Thursday, November 16, 1876; Page 5
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