WILLIAM M. HORN. The family, of which the subject of these lines is a prominent representative, are of German ancestry, and located in this county many years prior to the Revolution. The first couple of the name, of whom we have a record, were Martin and Peggy (Wilkins) Horn, who resided in Buffalo township, and reared a family of seven children. John Horn, son of Martin and Peggy Horn, was born on the home farm in Buffalo township, and received a necessarily limited education. He grew to maturity amid the wild scenes of early civilization and when a young man was married to Mary M. Gantz, daughter of John Gantz, an early resident of Greene county, Penn. The children born to this union were as follows: Martin, George C., Jacob, Hugh, Isaac, Margaret, Elizabeth (Mrs. Price), John, Hannah (Mrs. Elvey), William M. and Maria (Mrs. Coogle), of whom Jacob, John and Margaret are deceased. William M. Horn, son of John and Mary M. Horn, was born April 18, 1839, in Buffalo township, Washington Co., Penn., where he was reared to agricultural pursuits, and received a good common-school education. In 1861 he, in company with his brothers Hugh and Jacob, bravely shouldered his musket in defense of the "Stars and Stripes," enlisting in Company A (Capt. Armstrong), One Hundredth P. V. I. He was mustered into service August 28, 1861, at Pittsburgh, Penn., and the company was first taken to Washington, D. C., thence to Beauport, S. C. He then participated in the following engagements: Port Royal, James Island, Bull Run, Chantilly, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, the charge upon Fort Sanders at Knoxville, Tenn., Blue Springs, Ky., and siege of Vicksburg. Mr. Horn was at this time transferred to the army of the Potomac, and there fought in the battle of the Wilderness, North Anna river, Cold Harbor and Petersburg. At the last mentioned engagement he was wounded by a minie ball in the left shoulder. On August 28, 1864, he received an honorable discharge, and returned to the farm in Washington county, Penn. His brother Jacob died the day that his term of enlistment expired; Hugh is now living in Henry county, Iowa. On January 1, 1885, William M. Horn was united in marriage with Louisa, second daughter of John Clemens. The latter traced his genealogy back, through many years, to an Englishman who emigrated from his native land in a very early day, and taking up a large tract of land in Buffalo township, Washington county, became identified with the earliest history of the county. Among the sons of this early pioneer was one James Clemens, born in Washington county, and married to Hannah Walton, who bore him the following children: Jeremiah, born September 16, 1763; Christina, born January 21, 1765; William C., born January 30, 1767; Abram, born October 3, 1769; Ann, born October 5, 1771; Ruth, born March 26, 1773; John, born September 12, 1775; Parmelia, born April 10, 1777; James, born March 4, 1779; Hannah, born March 5, 1781; Ezekiel, born July 18, 1783, and Hester, born June 18, 1785. William C. Clemens, son of James and Hannah Clemens, was born and reared on the farm in Buffalo township, Washington county. In early life he was married to Mary Wolfe, and their children were as follows: Dr. James Clemens, an eminent physician of Wheeling, W. Va., born May 26, 1795, died in 1845; Jacob, born November 6, 1796; Abraham, born September 7, 1798; Elizabeth, born February 1, 1800; William, born April 25, 1803; John C., born December 28, 1804; Hannah, born October 30, 1806; Sabina, born November 6, 1808; Amos, born August 14, 1810; Jeremiah. born May 10, 1812; Delilah, born February 6, 1815, and Hester, born July 2, 1818. Of this family Hannah is the only one yet living. The father was a farmer, and for many years was justice of the peace. John C. Clemens, son of William C. and Mary (Wolfe) Clemens, was born on the old homestead in Buffalo township, this county. He was a prosperous farmer and an enterprising citizen. When a young man he was married to Louisa, only daughter of John Hupp, a wealthy farmer, a brother of the eminent physician, Dr. Hupp, of Wheeling, W. Va. To this union were born seven children, viz.: James C., John Hupp (he was a member of Company A, One Hundredth P. V. I., and was killed at Petersburg, Va., June 17, 1864), Isaac C., Veturia, Louisa (Mrs. Horn), Alonzo Walton (who lives on part of the home place) and John. Alonzo W. owns part of the Clemens homestead farm adjoining Mrs. Horn, on which are several good producing oil wells; there are also some good oil wells on Mrs. Horn's farm (what was once the Clemens homestead); there are in all twenty-four oil wells. Part of the farm is now owned by Mr. Werick and Mrs. Horn, Alonzo W. owning the rest. John C. Clemens, the father of this family, served for many years as justice of the peace; he was first cousin of Samuel Clemens, better known by the nom de plume of "Mark Twain." Mr. and Mrs. William M. Horn reside on eighty-five acres of the Clemens farm, part of the old homestead, and he also owns part of the old homestead containing 125 acres, on which he was born and raised, and on which is an extensive stone quarry, leased to the Pittsburgh Stone Company, and he realizes a handsome royalty. Mr. Horn gives his attention to farming and stock raising. In politics he votes with the Republican party.

Text taken from page 1429 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed January 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project. Published January 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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