Owen Chapter 57

Sketch LVII

Two Brothers Meet in Deadly Combat at Lundy’s Lane—Owen Brothers

The great whirligig of human events brings about a wonderful variety of combinations and conditions in the affairs of men. The ever changing and shifting course of circumstances make and unmake men; and the best that man can do, is to take advantage of opportunity when it is offered, and reconcile himself to the inevitable when opportunity is withheld. One of the strange incidents of life occurred at the battle of Lundy’s Lane. Two brothers, Jessie and Abner Owen, were on opposite sides in that memorable struggle. The brothers did not happen to meet, and it is supposed that each was ignorant of the other’s whereabouts at that time. Jesse Owen was in the American ranks, and an account of the part he played in the battle, written by himself, has been carefully preserved by his descendants. From this writing the following is taken:

“I enlisted at the beginning of the war and served until it closed. I was engaged in several battles. I was with General Brown when he crossed over to Canada on the 3rd of July, 1814, and took Fort Erie. I was at Chippewa, and afterwards at Lundy’s Lane, July 25th. The battle at the latter place commenced before sunset and continued until midnight. The moon shone brightly. Generals Brown and Scott were both wounded, and the command fell to General Ripley. We were sorely annoyed by the British artillery stationed on a commanding elevation, and Colonel Miller, by orders from General Ripley, called for forty volunteers to take this battery. The number quickly responded, I being one of them. After divesting ourselves of all superfluous clothing and tieing handkerchiefs around our heads, we started on the double-quick, and reaching the muzzles of the cannon, we drove back the artillerymen with our bayonets. Both parties were instantly reinforced and the struggle for possession was fierce and obstinate. Twice they were regained by the British, but after being repulsed the third time we were left in possession. Soon after the battle closed; and at the next roll-call only eighteen out of the forty answered to their names.”

There are no records showing what particular part Abner Owen took in the battle. He was there with the Norfolk militia, and not being an artilleryman, he probably took no part in the hand-to-hand contest over the guns. He was a good horseman, and after the war was over he organized a troop of cavalry and became its captain, and ever after was known as Captain Owen.

The Owen family in America are off-shoots of a very old and influential Welsh clan. M.F. Owen, of Indiana, has spent several years in the compilation of a genealogical history of this old Welsh family.[1] From this work we learn that Dr. John Owen, the eminent Nonconformist divine; Richard Owen, the celebrated naturalist, who published original papers on every branch of the animal kingdom, living and fossil; Robert Owen, the distinguished organizer and social theorist; Robert Dale Owen, the celebrated statistician; and many other prominent historical personages, bearing the name, are all twigs of different branches of the one old Welsh family tree. From the genealogical work referred to we also learn that one Ludlow Owen came to America in an early day from Wales,[2] and settled in the Dutch colony of New York; and that the Norfolk Owens are directly traceable to him. The Owen family not noted for originality in devising methods; for love of variety in industrial pursuits; and a tendency to roam. While these characteristic traits lead the talented to fame and worldly distinction, they prevent the small-minded from acquiring riches as well as subjecting them to the charge of “crankiness,” and sometimes of downright shiftlessness. The Owens do not take kindly to the soil. They look upon variety as the spice of life, and a rural environment is not in harmony with their tastes. They are much inclined to mechanical pursuits, and hence we find many millers among them.

Ludlow Owen died in New York at the extreme old age of one hundred and two years, while engaged in cutting alderbrush near his home. He had a son, Epinetis, a miller, who came to Long Point settlement in the closing years of last century.[3] Jesse and Abner were the sons of Epinetis, and young children at this time.[4] At one time Epinetis Owen worked in Cross & Fisher’s mill, and soon after he met with an accident in Vittoria that terminated his life.[5] He left seven sons—Enoch, Elijah, Daniel, Israel, Asa, Abner and Jesse; and three daughters—Anah, Mary and Phoebe.

Enoch Owen was a Baptist preacher. He settled in Pennsylvania and raised a family, the name of his eldest son being Epinetis.

Elijah Owen was a millwright by trade. He was of a roaming disposition, and it is supposed he settled somewhere in the Southern States.

Daniel Owen settled on the Maumee River, in Indiana. He lived to be very old, and left a large family. The name of his eldest son was Chauncey.[6]

Israel Owen married Mary Anderson, and settled near Simcoe. Seven years after his marriage he left his wife with three children and went to Saline, Michigan, where he lived the remainder of his life. Two of these children grew up—Charles and Mary. The son married Barbara Wederick, and settled near Hagersville, and the daughter married James Higgins, and settled in Michigan.

Asa Owen settled in Indiana. He left two daughters.

Abner Owen was born in New York in 1783. He married Elizabeth Buchner, and settled in Woodhouse, a little south of Simcoe. He had six grown-up sons—Robert, Henry, Abner, Alfred, John and Stephen; and two daughters—Lizana and Mary Ann.

Captain Owen died in 1857, in his 75th year, and his wife died in 1860, in her 78th year.

Robert Owen, eldest son of Abner, died from the effects of a cold contracted while on duty during the rebellion. He had one son, James, who died young; and one daughter, Helen.

Henry B. Owen, second son of Abner, married Rachel Ellis, of Mount Pleasant, and had two sons—Walter and Randall.[7]

Abner Owen, third son of Abner, married Lavinia Holt, and settled at Charlotteville Centre, where he operated a saw-mill for a number of years. He had four sons—Dudley, Albert, Joseph and Abner; and three daughters—Lizana, Martha and Mary. The latter married J. V. Watts , the Walsh merchant.[8]

Alfred Owen, fourth son of Abner, married Caroline Burwell, niece of Colonel Burwell, and settled in Simcoe. He left no children.

John Owen, fifth son of Abner, married Harriet Walker, by whom he had two sons—Robert and William. John is living in Michigan.

Stephen Owen, youngest son of Abner, married Isabel Craik, and had two sons—Edmond and Arthur.

Lizana Owen, eldest daughter of Abner, died single.[9]

Mary Ann Owen, the Captain’s youngest daughter, married Robert Dudley, and settled in Chicago, where she raised a family.

Jesse Owen, the younger son of Epinetis, was a Methodist preacher. He returned to New York when quite a young man, and was living there when the war of 1812 broke out. In 1807 he married Anna Winter. He was ordained in New York, and his children were all born in that State. In 1830 he came with his family to Canada and was assigned to the London District Circuit. He lived in old-fashioned times and of course, was an old-fashioned preacher, but the bravery displayed at Lundy’s Lane, in fighting the battles of his country, never deserted him during the years he travelled through the forests of old London District in fighting the battles of the great Prince of Peace and Righteousness. The stories he used to tell of hardships endured and privations suffered in his wanderings through the Canadian wilderness in those early days, would fill a volume. He was super-annuated in 1852, and died in 1878, at the good old age of ninety-one years, at Plainwell, Michigan. Many years before his death he was granted a pension for his war services. He had three sons—Daniel, Joel W. and Asbury; and five daughters—Clarissa, Eliza, Anna, Mary and Caroline.[10]

Daniel Owen, first son of Jesse, married Eliza Gray, and finally settled in Allegan County, Mich., where he died very old and childless.

Joel W. Owen, second son of Jesse, married Cynthia, daughter of Deacon Joseph Kitchen, by whom he had one son, Egbert A.[11] Subsequently he married Mary Woodbeck, a school-teacher, by whom he had four sons—Millard F., Jesse, Ernest and Charles; and two daughters—Cynthia and Cora. He is in his 81st year, and lives in Otsego, Mich. He