Abel Clemmons murders family

Clarksburg, Virginia, November 1805

Last night Abel Clemmons, at his place of residence upon the lands of Col. George Jackson, within about half a mile of the town of Clarksburg, under circumstances of the most unprecedented cruelty, murdered his wife far advanced in pregnancy, and their eight small children, the eldest about 12 years old, by striking them on the head with an axe, while they were asleep in their separate beds, laying in the same room.

The wounds he gave, it is supposed, produced instant death, dispatching one at a blow, and every circumstance induces a belief, that thus despatched, were unknowing to the catastrophe of the others.

Clemmens had been preparing for some time for his removal to the state of Ohio. A man named Neisly, went early this morning to the house, and was admitted by Clemmons, who was in great agitation, and apparently in a state of insanity, the family supposed were asleep, except of little girl niece of the Clemmons, who stayed all night in the house, and knew nothing that occurred. Neisly after conversing for some time with Clemons left the house unsuspicious of what had happened.

A brother of Clemmons who lived some miles off, soon afterwards came to the house and found him in it, he inquired where the family were, Clemmons said asleep, he approached one of the beds to awake the eldest boy, when he immediately discovered that all the children in it were murdered! He accused his brother with the crime, and ran and alarmed the neighbors, before they assembled Clemmons had fled.

Here was exhibited a scene the most shocking to relate, the wife and an infant in her arms lay in one bed, four daughters in another, two boys and one girl in a third, all murdered by the husband and father, and what is very remarkable he had always lived with them in a most affectionate manner, and they bore a character of honesty and industry.

Clemmons had been for several weeks in a gloomy melancholy mood, occasioned, it was supposed, by his great anxiety for the welfare of his family, and total disregard of the moral precepts for which we were made. He is about thirty three years old.

At a County Court held on the 28th of November 1805, Abel Clemmens was arraigned charged with murder. He plead not guilty and the Court directed that he be sent to Morgantown for trial in the District Court. He was tried, and found guilty and hanged in 1806 to a locust tree, which stood near the Decker's Creek, Middle Bridge close to Morgantown.

Clemmens cabin stood at the East end of Clarksburg between Pike Street and the Philippi road near the old Jackson graveyard. After committing the deed he fled to the woods, and for several days was hid in a cliff of rocks north of town, west of and near the present B&O Station, which are still known as Clemmens rocks, but being driven desperate by hunger and his own tortured feelings he came in and surrendered himself to the authorities.

Clemmens in his confession stated he was driven to this horrible act from fear that his children would starve, and by a power that called to him to do it that he could not resist. He was probably insane but "brain storms" and the insanity dodge cut no figure in the Courts of that day and justice was meted out in strict compliance with the law.
 

Clemmons 1805 Murders of Nine in Family with Ax Among Most Horrible Ever in City

By Bob Stealey - Connect-Clarksburg.com

April 01, 2014

Hopefully, the topic I chose for today's Bob'n'Along column will not "gross out" any of my readers, but it came to my attention in much the same manner that other subjects have caused me to take second looks--while searching for an entirely different subject.

That topic is the horrible murder, near Clarksburg, Virginia--it reportedly occurred late in the evening of Nov. 10, 1805, or early the morning of Nov. 11--of nine family members. That was quite a long time ago, so it's quite possible there are readers who had never before heard that such a dreadful incident had taken place.

The heinous crime was said committed by Abel Clemmons (also spelled Clemmens or Clemans or Clemens), who killed his wife, Barbara Carpenter Clemans, the daughter of Nicholas Carpenter, a prominent resident of Clarksburg at the time, and her eight children--Elijah, Hester, Rachel, Mary, Elizabeth, Benjamin, Parthense and Ann--by being beaten about their heads with an ax in their cabin upon the lands of Col. George Jackson, near Philippi Street, Clarksburg.

Accounts stated that they were slain while sleeping in their separate beds, lying in the same room. The eldest child was believed to be about 12 years old. The killer's wife was reported to be far advanced in pregnancy.

The incident aroused the entire Monongahela Valley. Joseph Campbell, publisher of the Monongalia Gazette newspaper at Morgantown, immediately issued a special "broadside" entitled "Murder--Horrible Murder!"

A few months afterward, he provided the public with a complete account of the event in a publication that included not only Clemmons' confession, but also a letter which he wrote his brother the day before he was hanged, as well as the exhortation of the judge who tried and sentenced Clemmons.

The account of the Clemmons murders became a "horror classic" of the Frontier and found its way into print numerous times.

The wounds Clemmons inflicted were believed to have produced instant death, "dispatching one at a blow, and every circumstance induces a belief, that thus dispatched, were unknowing to the catastrophe of the others," according to the Virginia Argus newspaper dated Nov. 23, 1805.

"Clemmens had been preparing for some time for his removal to the state of Ohio," the Argus reported. "A man named Neisly went early this morning to the house, and was admitted by Clemmons, who was in great agitation and apparently in a state of insanity.

"The family supposed(ly) were asleep, except (a) little girl niece of the Clemmons, who stayed all night in the house and knew nothing that occurred. Neisly, after conversing for some time with Clemons, left the house unsuspicious of what had happened," the Argus continued.

The account went on:

"A brother of Clemmons, who lived some miles off, soon afterwards came to the house and found him in it. He inquired where the family were. Clemmons said 'asleep.' He approached one of the beds to awaken the eldest boy when he immediately discovered that all the children in it were murdered!

"He accused his brother with the crime and ran and alarmed the neighbors. Before they assembled, Clemmons had fled."

Here was exhibited a scene the most shocking to relate, as stated in the Argus:

"The wife and an infant in her arms lay in one bed, four daughters in another, two boys and one girl in a third, all murdered by the husband and father. And what is very remarkable, he had always lived with them in a most affectionate manner, and they bore a character of honesty and industry."

There was much more:

"Clemmons had been for several weeks in a gloomy, melancholy mood, occasioned, it was supposed, by his great anxiety for the welfare of his family and total disregard of the moral precepts for which we were made. He is about thirty three years old, (stands) 5 feet 7 inches high, built strong, fair complexion, light hair and has lost some of his front teeth.

"At a County Court, held on the 28th of November 1805, Abel Clemmens was arraigned, charged with murder. He plead not guilty and the court directed that he be sent to Morgantown for trial in the District Court. He was tried and found guilty and hanged in 1806 to a locust tree, which stood near the Decker's Creek, Middle Bridge close to Morgantown."

Clemmens' cabin stood at the East End of Clarksburg between Pike Street and the Philippi road near the old Jackson graveyard, the Argus pointed out.

But an escape was made.

"After committing the deed, he fled to the woods, and for several days was hid(den) in a cliff of rocks north of town, west of and near the present B&O Station, which are still known as Clemmens Rocks. But being driven desperate by hunger and his own tortured feelings, he came in and surrendered himself to the authorities.

"Clemmens, in his confession, stated he was driven to this horrible act from fear that his children would starve and by a power that called to him to do it that he could not resist. He was probably insane, but 'brainstorms' and the insanity dodge cut no figure in the courts of that day, and justice was meted out in strict compliance with the law."