Baxter Broadwell and The Jersey Boys at Fort Amanda

Baxter Broadwell and the Jersey Boys

 

Broadwell, son of William and Mary (Hand) Broadwell, was born on 

January 5, 1788 in Morris County, New Jersey, He was a descendant of the Puritans of New England and as one writer referred to him, Broadwell was a "blue Presbyterian." According to Wikipedia, Blue Presbyterian is defined as a "true blue Prestyterian, a true-hearted son of a church that aims at pursuing the chief end of man; to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever." So from this we can gather that Baxter Broadwell was a devout Christian man.

Baxter attended the normal schools of the day where the idea of teaching fascinated him. After leaving school, he taught classes for several terms and decided that was the career for him. In 1810, 22 year old Baxter left New Jersey and traveled to Cincinnati. His teaching days were interrupted in 1813 when his militia company headed by Captain Daniel Hosbrook was called to active duty.  

 

Like Broadwell, many of the men in Hosbrook's company were also from New Jersey and in fact most of his officers and non-commissioned officers were all from New Jersey, the only exception being Lt. Joseph Davis who was born in Romney, Virginia.  Hosbrook's choice of David may have been from the fact that Davis was a lawyer.  It looks as though there was a migration of pioneers from New Jersey to the Hamilton/Clermont counties early in the

century.  It's also quite possible that s

ome of these men knew each other before coming to Ohio.  The New Jerseyites in Hosbrook's company were

Captain Daniel Hosbrook - Morris County, N.J.

Sgt. David Van Winkle - Morris County, N. J.

Sgt. Baxter Broadwell - Morris County, N. J.

Sgt. Lawrence Swing - Adams County, N. J.

Ensign William Schillinger - Cape May, N. J.

The following are paraphrased excerpts from Ensign Schillinger's journal in which he mentions Sgt. Broadwell

Feb. 9, 1813

Schillinger and Davis had been observing the men for the past few days and by now had a fairly good idea of who would serve best and in what capacity. The men they selected to serve as sergeants were David Van Winkle, Lawrence Swing, Baxter Broadwell and Jacob Bradbury. The corporals selected were William Johnson, Robert Erwin, Isaac Covalt and William Patterson. Because of their musical talents, Lewis Bayley was appointed drummer and Robert Ross, a fifer. 

Wensday the 10 morning cloudy with light rain afternoon Rainy & warm, Rain all night The weather turned warmer during the night and a light rain began to fall early in the morning and continued on most of the day and into the night. Major Oliver and Sgt. Broadwell left Amanda early that morning to hand carry a letter to General Harrison who at time was camped near the rapids.

Sunday the 21st Clear and pleasant
At morning roll call, Schillinger read another section of the Articles of War to the men. After breakfast they practiced a few military maneuvers and then were dismissed for the rest of the day. Sgt. Broadwell who had gone to Ft. Meigs with two weeks earlier returned that day with the welcome news that all was well at Meigs.

Saturday the 17th July 1813 Cool & cloudy

As if the epidemic of measles wasn’t bad enough, some of the men were now complaining of flu like symptoms. During the night Sgt. Van Winkle had a severe bout of diarrhea and stomach cramps and Schillinger reported in the morning that he (Schillinger) too was feeling ill. Capt. Seton left Amanda for St. Marys around 9 o’clock that morning; his destination is unknown however because he was so ill, he most likely was going home. That would explain why Major Kain was at Ft. Winchester, possibly as a replacement commander. Around 4:00 that afternoon, Corp. William Johnson and one of the other men from Sgt. Broadwell detachment, returned to Amanda to get more clothing, etc.

 

After the War

After the war, Broadwell returned to his teaching duties in Cincinnati until 1816 when he moved to neighboring Clermont County.

Old One Room Schoolroom 

On January 25, 1817, Baxter and Polly were joined in holy matrimony in Mount Carmel by J. P. Wm. Robb. For reasons unknown, Polly died the following year. The following year, 1818, Baxter married Miss Mary Lindsley a native of Morristown, New Jersey and a descendant from a famous New England family by the same name.

Interesting story: Mary preserved the legend of General General Washington taking communion at the old Presbyterian church in Morristown during the harsh winter of 1779-80. Seems Washington agreed to take communion there only after the pastor him that he was taking it at the "Lords table," and not a "Presbyterian table." Before the war most many Americans, including George Washington were of the Anglican faith but since we were at war with Great Britain, Anglicans, not wanting to be associated with the enemy called themselves Episcopalians. Hence Washington's reluctance to take communion at a table that had anything to do with England of her allies.

In 1818, the same year Illinois entered the union, Broadwell and his family loaded onto a keel boat and started their 750 mile journey westward down the Ohio River toward Illinois. The trip would have taken several weeks and depending on the time of year they left, they may have had to winter somewhere along the way.

 

The family landed first in Calhoun County, near a place called Deer Plain Ferry. Their nearest neighbors was a group of French settlers and half breeds who formed quite a large colony on the Illinois River about two miles to the west. 

 

                                                    Area where Broadwell first settleed

Calhoun County, Illinois near Deer Plain Ferry

Site of Deer Plain Ferry

 When first settled, this township was very wet and swampy, and by many the land was believed to be next to worthless. Apparently Broadwell agreed so he and his family packed up again and floated down the Illinois River and landed near Jacksonville in Morgan County, Illinois. Here he purchased 100 acres of land on which he built a cabin. His farm eventually grew to 600 acres and he became one of the most successful farmers in the county.

 

Baxter and wife Mary raised a family of seven children; triplets; George W., Thomas J., and James M followed by William H., Norman M., Louisa, and Jane S.

  His Son Was Abraham Lincoln's Understudy

                                        

                          Their son the Honorable Norman M. Broadwell (b. 1825) served as an understudy to Abraham Lincoln while he in law school.

 

                                                  The Hon. Norman M. Broadwell

 

 

 

There are no photographs of Baxter Broadwell in existence however the pictures of his son Norman gives us a general idea of what his father may have looked like. 

 

Sergeant Baxter Broadwell lived out his life on his farm Jacksonville, Illinois. He died at the age of 44 on December 8, 1832 and was buried in the Diamond Grove Cemetery in Jacksonville.

 

Jacksonville, Illinois

 

Diamond Grove Cemetery, Jacksonville, Illinois

Cemetery where Sgt. Baxter Broadwell and his wife Mary are buried.

 

 

                                                Gravemarker of Mary Broadwell

                                                                    1789 - 1836

In 1835, with her husband gone and her own health either physical or mental failing, the couples children, some referred to as "infants" were placed under the guardianship of a man named John Taylor Jr. The property Baxter had willed to his children was sold at auction probably to compensate Taylor for the added expense of caring for the Broadwell children. Finally on October 8, (1836) at the age of forty seven Mary died. 

 

Only a fragment of Mary's gravestone still exists, but Baxter's is gone.  That's OK because stone or no, we know Baxter Broadwell, one of Ft. Amanda's heroes is buried right where he wanted to be and where he spent 17 years of his life; next to his beloved wife Mary.  Both rest forever in Diamond Grove Cemetery, Jacksonville, Illinois.  GPS: N39°42'38.38”,W90°15'03.96” 

Sergeant Baxter Broadwell, you are no longer forgotten.