Isaac C. Glenn

Identifying Information:

• Name(s): Isaac C. Glenn; I.C. Glenn; J.C. Glenn

• Birth: ABT. 1831 in Tenn

• Death: 14 OCT 1862 in Tulare Co., CA

• Burial: Visalia Cemetery, Visalia CA.

• Spouse(s): Harriet H. Munson

• Additional Information: Rootsweb

Newspaper Accounts mentioning Isaac Glenn

The following accounts were found at the following URL: http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/index.php

Much thanks to Dee Sardoc, whose contribution to transcribing old newspapers has made it possible for these accounts to be found on the internet.

MARRIAGE

MARRIAGE -- in this city, on Wednesday evening, 16th, inst., by Rev. A.M. BAILEY; Mr. Isaac C. GLENN, to Miss Harriet H. MUNSON, all of San Joaquin county.

PARTICULARS of the MURDER of ROBERT BRUBAKER

A Coroner’s inquest was held Tuesday upon the body of Robert BRUBAKER, at his house on the road about 6 miles beyond French Camp.

The jury was composed of 9 persons, before whom, the principal evidence was that of Frank BRUBAKER, brother of deceased, who states that he was engaged in plowing on Monday afternoon, in a field about half a mile from his house, when a man by the name of J.C. GLENN approached him, and ordered him to leave the premises or he would force him to do so, and at the same time demanded of him a surrender of the ranch.

They proceeded together to the house, and on the way were joined by a man named James UREN, a brother-in-law of GLENN. Some words passed between BRUBAKER and GLENN upon arriving at the house, and as the former was opening the door a shot was fired by GLEEN [spelled 2 ways]. Frank fell to the floor, and crawling across the cabin to the foot of a bed, gained possession of a pistol, which he discharged at UREN and missed his aim. The brother outside the house begged of GLENN that he would not shoot as the matter could be settled without further bloodshed.

GLENN, however, continued to fire until Robert was dead, when he left the place on horseback in company with UREN.

Upon post mortem examination, Dr. COWAN testified that he had discovered 4 wounds upon the body of Robert BRUBAKER, 1 which was caused by a bullet passing through the heart. Frank was dangerously wounded by a shot in the back which caused a paralysis of the lower extremities.

GLENN came into the city yesterday and delivered himself up before Justice BROWN, by whom he was committed to jail. UREN was arrested by officer CHILDS, and is also in jail. The Coroner’s jury found the death of Robert BRUBAKER caused by a pistol-shot from GLENN, but could not agree as to UREN being accessory to the murder.

BOUND OVER

J.C. GLENN was yesterday admitted to bail in the sum of $5000, upon the examination before Justice BROWN on the charge of the murder of Robert BRUBAKER. It is said that the killing of BRUBAKER by GLEEN [spelled 2 ways], saved the neighbors there the trouble of hanging the one killed, for conduct that had excited strong feelings against him from his neighbors. 9 witnesses were examined on the part of the prosecution; several of whom testified to threats made by BRUBAKER towards GLENN upon different occasions. The evidence as given before the Justice, went far towards removing the prejudice which existed in the public mind previous to the examination.

UREN, who was taken in custody on the charge of being accessory in the killing of BRUBAKER, has been discharged.

Francis BRUBAKER, brother to deceased, and who was also shot, we are informed by his physician, Dr. COWAN, cannot long survive, the ball having passed under his right shoulder and entered the cavity of his chest and lodged against the spinal column. The lower extremities are totally paralysed, the result of which must necessarily be mortification.

NOT DEAD

Francis BRUBAKER, who was shot on the 26th inst., by J.C. GLENN, was still living Monday evening, the latest account we have received from him. He has survived his wounds longer than could be reasonably expected.

DEATH of FRANK BRUBAKER

We learn the Francis BRUBAKER, who was shot on the 25th of February [should read January] near French Camp, died on Monday at about 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Being a person of strong constitution, he has lingered along for about 2 weeks, conscious of the fact that from the nature of the wounds he had received, they must prove fatal.

Justice McCAUSLAND, upon a statement of the facts, issued warrants for the arrest of GLENN and UREN, who appeared in court and gave bonds for their further appearance on Wednesday.

DISTRICT COURT

• People vs. J.M. GLENN, indicted for the murder of Francis BRUBAKER; arraigned and plead not guilty

• People vs. J.C. GLENN, indicted for the murder of Robert BRUBAKER; arraigned and entered plea of not guilty

PARDON of I.C. GLENN

The Governor, on Friday last, issued a pardon to I.C. GLENN, who was convicted in this county in August 1858 for the killing of BRUBAKER. A petition for his pardon went forward last Spring containing the names of upwards of 1000 persons, among which were those of the jury that convicted him. His case was one of that kind which will arise so long as land titles in this county remain in an unsettled condition, and the Governor in exercising his pardoning power in his instance we believe, has worked no serious injury to the public. Mr. GLENN arrived in this city yesterday in company with his wife who, since his imprisonment, has been indefatigable in her efforts to obtain his pardon. He was sentenced for 2 years and a half and had served out the greater part of his term.

SAD ACCIDENT

Visalia ‘Delta’ -- A terrible and fatal accident occurred on Tuesday forenoon, on the plains, about mid-way between COLLINS’ station and Tule river, by which Mr. Isaac C. GLEN lost his life. The deceased, with others, was driving a wagon loaded with wool, and one of the sacks being about to fall off, he got upon the wheel to replace it. The instant he pushed it, a rifle, which stood upright between the sacks, was somehow discharged, the ball entering the unfortunate man’s mouth and passing out through the top of his head, killing him instantly. Deceased was about 30 years of age and leaves a wife and 2 children.

Death and Burial

Working Hypothesis regarding Isaac Glenn's Parents

This is to explore the possibility that Isaac C. GLENN may have been the son of Alexander and Rebecca GLENN. I'll attempt to list facts that tend to support or deny this proposition, and then invite other GLENN researchers to contact me if they have any facts that they wish to add either way.

The case for Isaac C. GLENN being the offspring of Alexander and Rebecca GLENN is strictly circumstantial, there being no record or contemporaneous account yet found that would prove this relationship.

Facts supporting this proposition:

1. Isaac was buried in the Visalia Cemetery in October 1862, when per the 1860 Federal Census of Tulare Co. the only GLENN surnamed families residing in this area were this couple, or the families of their sons, Joseph, James or Alexander, (the 3rd), (collectively appearing on pages 8 and 9 of the census). Isaac was also buried here despite the fact he resided in in San Joaquin County, 150 miles to the north, where his widow, Harriet GLENN (nee MUNSON) and two children, Ida and Alvar survived him.

2. In 1859, while Isaac was in San Quentin Prison, (having been convicted of manslaughter in connection with defending his property against a pair of notorious claim jumpers), his wife and other family gathered signatures for his pardon in the Tulare and Fresno County areas in addition to where he lived in San Joaquin County, suggesting a connection with this area. For example, on one page of the petition, we find as the first signature someone giving his title as the "Sheriff Tulare County", (difficult to decipher, but possibly Wm. G. Poindexter, Sheriff 1855-1859), and as the last signature, one "R. Chatten", perhaps Richard CHATTEN, the husband of their daughter, Margaret. And on another page, we find no less than six individuals claiming some type of official affiliation with Fresno county.

3. Also in connection with seeking Isaac's pardon, a Thomas Baker of Visalia wrote a letter on his behalf to Governor Weller in which he described "I.C. Glenn" as having "a large circle of respectable relations living in this county". Further, he began the letter by introducing the conveyor of the letter, a John A Patterson, who we know to be the husband of this couple's daughter, Rebecca. We can also find Patterson's signature on the petition appearing on the same page as that of two other sons-in-law of this couple, John C Reid and William Campbell.

4. Per the 1860 Federal Census for San Joaquin Co., Isaac is enumerated as age 29, and as having been born in "Tenn", making his birth year about 1831. Per his grave marker, (depicted above), he was 33 years old when he died in October 1862, suggesting a birth year of about 1829. Of the known offspring of this couple, all but the last one, Rebecca, were born in Tennessee, with a sufficient gap on either side of Alexander, (born 12/11/1830), for Isaac to have been born in either year, 1829 or 1831, (Alexander being born 39 months after his older sister, Margaret, and 20 months before his younger brother, Jason), although before him seems much more plausible.

5. Per an account appearing in the 31-Oct-1952 Visalia Times, Alexander and Rebecca GLENN reportedly arrived in California with "four sons and three daughters", (reportedly in 1850, but probably the following year since they were enumerated in Texas on 10/31/1850). The account further states that upon their arrival, Richard CHATTEN and the "Glenn brothers went on up to Eldorado (sic) county, where they mined until the fall of 1852", although another account about Richard CHATTEN reports that they "pushed on to what was then Sonora county, where they engaged in placer-mining near Mariposa". Two of these sons, Alexander and Jason, were enumerated with their parents on August 31, 1852 in the Tulare County California Census, having either not been among the brothers that went in search of gold, or having rejoined their family sooner. Of their other sons, we know that their first son, Anderson remained in Missouri based on his 1860 census record where he is enumerated with four children born there in the intervening 10 years. As to Alexander and Rebecca's third son, James, we know that he didn't come to California until 1854 per various accounts ( 1, 2, 3 ). This is confirmed by his 1860 census record, where we we find that his son John, age 6, was born in "Mexico" (line 5), the 2nd account above also mentioning that this son was born "on the journey". Alexander and Rebecca's last son, William, was not enumerated with them in their 1850 census record, when he would have been only 13, suggesting that he had died by this time. Thus, of their remaining known sons, this leaves only Joseph. We find that in his 1860 census record he is enumerated with two children born in California, (lines 38 and 39), demonstrating that he had been there since at least 1854. Thus, accepting Joseph, Alexander and Jason as three out of the four reported sons, we still have one son who is unaccounted for, making it possible that they had another son, perhaps one by the name of Isaac.

6. From the settlement of Alexander's father, Alexander GLENN Sr., recorded with the White County Tennessee clerk on 18th of January 1819, we can deduce that he had a relation named Isaac, as an Isaac GLENN is mentioned four times as having bought some of the items. This suggests the possibility that Alexander Jr. may have named a son after this person, or some other predecessor after whom this relation may have been named.

7. From other sources, we know that Alexander had a younger sibling named Isaac, who we might consider as the potential father of Isaac C. GLENN except that we find him in the 1850 census with his own son named Isaac, (line 20), who is reportedly 12 years of age, and therefore too young to have been the Isaac C. GLENN that died at the age of 33 in 1862.

8. Of the other GLENN surnamed families living in the Tulare, Fresno or Kern County areas around this time, we can eliminate them all as parents or siblings of Isaac GLENN.

Facts not supporting this proposition:

1. Isaac C. GLENN has never been mentioned as part of this family's history as far as we know. Assuming that he was actually part of this family, this may be due to the fact that he died at a young age before he had a chance to become acquainted with its future family historians. For example, in the case of Etta (GLENN) BORGWARTH, he died nearly 10 years before she was born. An additional factor may be that, although he was pardoned, the family may have been reluctant to discuss or share the fact that they had a convicted criminal as a member.

2. In his children's census records, ( Ida and Alvar ), Isaac's state of birth was variously reported as Mississippi and Texas. If either were true, this would suggest a different set of parents. Of course, Isaac's children were still toddlers when he died, so it's not likely that they had any first hand knowledge, and even his wife, the likely source of their information, had only been married to him less than five years. It's also been my experience that this information is frequently reported incorrectly by subsequent generations, whether on the census or as the informant on a death certificate. As such, we should probably give greater credence to Isaac's own census record in which he reported that he was born in Tennessee. Interestingly, there's also one account of James Madison GLENN having been born in the "southwest", further proving my point.

3. Isaac is unaccounted for in the 1850 Federal Census, the first census that identified family members and not just the head of household. Ideally, we would have found him enumerated with his parents, but based on a birth year of 1829, he would have been 21 years old, certainly old enough to have struck out on his own. Further, even today, there are individuals that the census fails to account for, so it's not hard to imagine that this would have been possible in 1850.

4. Etta (GLENN) BORGWARTH's account that "William Jasper Glenn B. Tenn July 31 1837; Sonora El Dorado Co. Mining from 1850-Fall; 1852: FT. Visalia Oct 1852; Son of Alexander Sr. Glenn: Election of 7/4/1853 Richard Chatten and William Glenn Voted in Kings River Precinct" contradicts the suggestion made in item # 5 above that William died prior to 1850, (based on his absence in the census of that year that identified family members by name for the first time). Unfortunately, her account does not provide any sources, so one is left to wonder about the basis of each of her facts. To wit, there are several aspects of her account, (additional pages - 1 & 2), that conflict with what we know from other sources, the most significant being that Anderson GLENN came to California, when, as detailed below, we know that he remained in Missouri, and that her father, James Madison GLENN came to California in 1850, when per multiple accounts cited in # 5 above, it is believed that he didn't come until 1854. Moreover, the William GLENN that she reports as having voted with Richard CHATTEN in 1853 is inaccurate in two regards. First, the William GLENN of Kings River was a different individual born about 1830 in Arkansas, based on the 1860 census in which he is enumerated living in this area with a Richard GLENN, (his older brother), and based on a salacious account involving their former slave, Gabe MOORE, found in the History of Central California. Second, as detailed in a description of this particular election in the History of Tulare County, Richard CHATTEN voted in the Visalia precinct not in Kings River where a "R. Glenn & William Glenn" voted. An interesting question raised by this account is where had Alexander GLENN and sons gone that they weren't present to vote in this election? Another interesting item of speculation is whether the "Campbell" referred to in the Gabe MOORE account had any connection with William J CAMPBELL, husband of Louisa GLENN. In the same 1860 census, we find two men with this surname, Edward G and William J CAMPBELL, residing in the same township.

5. Alexander GLENN's 1840 Federal Census record, (which is supposed to be based on an official census date of June 1, 1840), enumerates him as having the following number of males in his household, as broken down by age, (50-59 representing himself):

Alternative Hypothesis # 1:

Could Isaac, also known by his initials, J.C., have been known as Jason, or could census takers have misconstrued these initials as such?

Facts supporting this proposition:

1. Isaac's middle initial was "C", and in many records, (San Quentin Register; various news items, (above); & Francis Brubaker's Dying Declaration), his initials were noted as "J.C.". Pronounced aloud, these initials approximate Jason enough to have been a reasonable nickname, or alternatively, a plausible interpretation of "J.C." by the census taker. Note that in the last document, the "J" in San Joaquin and J.C. Glenn is indistinguishable, although I would concede that I've been predisposed to interpret it as an "I" based on a knowledge of his name. This is also apparent in his petition for pardon, where the first letter of his name also looks very similar to the "J" in San Joaquin.

2. Isaac's name might have been spelled with a J to the extent that I & J were reportedly lumped together in their usage until the 19th century. Even in searching on "Jsaac" today, one can find many instances where Isaac has been spelled with a 'J', including one famous one: "Jsaac Asimov"

3. If true, this alternative hypothesis would explain what became of Jason, for whom no record is found after 1852.

Facts not supporting this proposition:

1. There's a small discrepancy with the year of birth, about 1832 for "Jason" based on his census records, as compared with that estimated for Isaac based on either his 1860 census record, 1831, or his gravemarker, 1829.

2. The letter "J" was reportedly created to distinguish the consonant usage of "I" from its vowel usage. Of course, the "I" in Isaac is a vowel, although clearly there are cases where the name has been spelled with a "J".

Alternative Hypothesis #2:

Isaac C. Glenn was the product of a Glenn - Cantrell union, and thus a nephew or other indirect relation of this Alexander Glenn family.

Facts supporting this proposition:

1. Isaac's son, Alvar GLENN, had a middle name of Cantrell, (per his obituary), suggesting that this may have been a name in his family's line.

2. Although I've never been able to ascertain what it stood for, Isaac's own middle initial was 'C', making it possible that his middle name may have also been Cantrell.

3. CANTRELL is not a surname from Alvar's mother's line, (Harriett MUNSON), it not even being a name found in the Maine census from where she came.

4. There are multiple CANTRELL families found in the 1820 and 1830 Census in Tennessee in White County and the adjoining Warren County, (the former being from where the Alexander Glenn family had come), making such a union possible if any of these Cantrell households had a daughter that married a Glenn.

Facts not supporting this proposition:

1. I've been unable to find any evidence of a marriage between a GLENN groom and a CANTRELL bride in Tennessee around the time that Isaac was born, although this by no means precludes that such a union may have occurred.

Alternative Hypothesis #3:

Isaac C. Glenn was the product of a marriage between a GLENN and a bride that had a CANTRELL ancestor. This is a slight variation on the prior hypothesis that allows that the CANTRELL connection may be one or more generations removed.

Facts supporting this proposition:

1. In addition to those stated under Alternative Hypothesis # 2, there's an 1850 Census record for a John YOUNG in Dekalb County, (which was formed in part from White and Warren counties), that includes a Martha CANTRELL and a Margaret and James GLENN, suggesting a possible connection between CANTRELL and GLENN through YOUNG.

2. Based on a Rootsweb WorldConnect record for John YOUNG, there appears to have been several marriages between YOUNG grooms and CANTRELL brides, this individual moreover appearing to be descended from a CANTRELL mother: "MIX-UP of who Janey Cantrell married: Per Thomas Gray Webb, the Official Dekalb County historian: He said Janey Cantrell married John Young and Rachel Cantrell married James Young. John and James were brothers, parents are uncertain at this time, and Rachel and Janey were sisters, daughters of Arron Cantrell & Patsy Smith." Note however that the Will mentioned for John Young on this record appears to be for a different John Young, (Wife: Francis; Sons: Joseph & Tilford; Daughter: Margarett & Nancy)

3. Based on another Rootsweb WorldConnect record for an "Unknown GLENN", there appears to have been a union between a GLENN groom and a YOUNG bride, the latter apparently being a granddaughter of the same Aaron CANTRELL and Martha SMITH that are the parents of the CANTRELL brides mentioned in item # 2.

4. Aron CANTRELL and several GLENN individuals, (Jesse, Robert W and Alexander), are enumerated on the same page of the 1820 census, increasing the likelihood that a union involving their their descendants may have taken place to the extent that they lived in the same locale.

5. Likewise, we can find several individuals named YOUNG enumerated in the same census in the same White County, and in the adjoining Warren County, making a union between a GLENN groom and a YOUNG bride around this time a possibility.

Facts not supporting this proposition:

1. I've been unable to find any evidence of a marriage between a GLENN groom and a YOUNG bride in Tennessee around the time that Isaac was born, although this by no means precludes that such a union may have occurred.

Alternative Glenn Families

This section is to explore other GLENN surnamed families living in the greater Tulare Co., including areas that later became Fresno and Kern Co., that Isaac GLENN might have been related to based on a common surname and proximity.

GLENN, Richard & William

There are several mentions of a Richard and William GLENN in the Kings River area, which later became part of Fresno County:

1. A Richard Glenn and a Mrs. Glenn, (his mother perhaps), are listed as being from the Kings River area In the "Stock Brands of the 1850's, Kings River and nearby San Joaquin Localities".

2. Richard and William are also both mentioned in two separate articles, (1, 2) about Gabriel Moore, their former slave who became a successful cattle rancher.

3. Richard and William are both mentioned in the account of the first Tulare County election, "Visalia Made County Seat".

4. Richard is reportedly buried in the Akers Cemetery, Centerville, CA, "b. 28 Nov. 1827, d. 8 Sep 1875 CA, bro/o Wm ".

This family also appears to have had a connection with Tennessee, although Richard and William's place of birth was variously reported in federal census over the years:

• as Tennessee (Richard) & Alabama (William) (1850 Census)

• both as Arkansas (1860 Census)

• both as Alabama (1870 Census )

• as Tennessee (William) (1880 Census)

In combination with the birthplaces of their sisters enumerated in 1850 Census household of their mother, Margaret GLENN, Richard & William's family appears to have migrated from Alabama to Tennessee, and from Tennessee to Arkansas. However, this census and the preceding 1840 census clearly establish that this family only had two sons, (Richard and William), born c. 1828 and 1830, ruling out the possibility that Isaac could have been a member of this family.

Another item suggesting that Isaac was not part of this family is the fact that Richard GLENN signed the petition to pardon Isaac, (p. 26, line 36), while no other GLENN surnamed individuals signed, suggesting that his family members refrained from signing due to their direct relationship, but this relationship didn't apply in the case of Richard.

Additional notes:

Gabe Moore is also buried in the Akers Cemetery, " b. 12 July 1812, d. 25 May 1880 CA, (Free Black man)", as is Pauline (Oneil) Caldwell and various members of her family, who I believe to be Richard's niece based on the 1850 census where she was with Richard Glenn, possibly his niece, apparently married William Caldwell:

Caldwell, Ina Bell, b. 20 Aug 1865, d. 4 July 1869, dtr/o William C. & Pauline*

Caldwell, Morgan, b. 28 Nov. 1863, d. 17 Nov 1883, s/o William C. & Pauline *

Caldwell, Paulina, b. 14 Oct 1834, d. 16 Jan 1887 CA, wf/o William C *

Caldwell, Sam'l., b. 22 Feb 1861, d. 20 Dec 1885 *

Caldwell, William C., b. 12 May 1831 or 1834 TN, d. 28 Apr. 1873 CA, hus/o Pauline *

GLENN, G.R.G.

G.R.GLENN was born in Georgia in 1837, and didn't come to Fresno County, California until 1869, (Memorial & Biographical History Of The Counties Of Fresno, Tulare, & Kern, California 1892, page 289), or some ten years after Isaac GLENN was described as having "a large circle of respectable relations living in this (Tulare) county" by Thomas Baker.

GLENN, Robert

Robert Glenn, of "Old Tehachapi", reportedly came to California with his parents, Silas and Mary GLENN, in 1859, locating initially in El Monte, and only moved to Kern County in 1868, (Memorial & Biographical History Of The Counties Of Fresno, Tulare, & Kern, California 1892, page 680). Thus, we can rule out this family as being one of Isaac's "respectable relations" for the same reason as the preceding individual.