Johann Adam Britz

Adam/Britz/Britts

Born, January 24, 1741 in Russheim, Baden-Germany, was baptized as
Johann Adam Britz in 1741 in the Russheim Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Adam was 8 years old when his family came to America in 1749. Adam was
the son of George Ulrich and Anna Catharina Werner Britz. His family
settled in Lancaster, PA, later this area became Franklin Co. Tax
records for Franklin County shows Adam had 224 acres of land, 3 horses
and 7 head of cattle in 1780. Adam served in the Penn. Militia in 1779
and again in 1781 in the Revolutionary War.

Adam married Margaret Stover in the fall of 1768; to this union 2 boys
and 6 girls were born in Penn. In 1793, along with several other German
families, Adam and family moved to Botetourt County, VA to the area of
Craig Creek. Adam purchased 500 acres of land along Craig Creek. This
area became Craig County in 1851.

The oldest son John Britts, born March 16, 1773, married Susannah Ecles
on May 17, 1797. In 1833, John and his family moved to the new Territory
in Indiana and purchased several 80 acre tracts of land for $100 or
$1.25 per acre, and founded the town of Ladoga, Indiana. John became the
first blacksmith in Ladoga.

Henry Britts, the youngest son born in 1781, stayed in the area of Craig
Creek. Henry married Mary C. Frantz on Sept 7, 1802. Her family also
came to this area from Pennsylvania. To this union 6 children were born,
3 boys and 3 girls. Henry was a farmer as were his sons. Henry sons were
William Britts born 1804, Adam Francis Britts born July 26, 1817 and
Samuel Frantz Britts born 1820.

(Image at: http://ibssg.org/montgomery/bios/b/img/britts-samuel.jpg)

Samuel Britts ('photoshopped') from page 61 of
Craig County Virginia Heritage, © 2004,
Craig County Heritage Book Committee,
S.E. Grose and Assoc., Inc,.WV, 2004.

Samuel became the most prominent. On Oct. 28, 1861 Samuel was appointed
as one of the Election Commisioners and Officer for the election to be
held the first Wednesday in Novemer 1861, for members of the Congress in
the Confederate States of America. On May 26, 1864 Samuel was elected
Magistrate in and for the area of New Castle, VA. Samuel was very
religious and the the Superintendent of the Mountain View Christian
Church for a long time. This church was what is now (state Road 311),
just a short way from Samuel's home, between New Castle and Catawba, VA.
The Union Army under Brigadier General William W. Averell on the way to
New Castle on Dec 17, 1863 was stopped because of the rapidly rising
water of Craig's Creek. It had rained for days. They had lost four men
trying to ford it. General Averell at sundown made camp noting in his
record "drenched, muddy, hungry and in miserable condition too much to
march on for us." The rain had turned to sleet. They set up camp on
Samuel's farm, but over 3000 Yankee troops were probably spread out over
the land, not just on Samuel's land.

The 3 sons and several descendants of Henry Britts served in the
Confederate Army. Henry died in 1845 in New Castle, but there are still
many descendants in and around Craig Coundy and the other counties in
the area.

There is a small family cemetery on the land that Samuel had, headstones
show, Samuel Britts, Co. B, 28 Va Inf, CSA, Gertrude Britts Carper,
1871-1935, Daisy Carper, wife of Harry Damewood, Aug 22, 1896-Feb 18, 1919.

There appears to be other graves, but they are not marked with a
headstone that can be read. These may be both of Samuel's wives,
Elizabeth Elmore Britts and Mary Campbell Britts. Also there may the
graves of Adam and Margaret Stover Britz. This property is now owned by
Lanier Frantz, who is a descendent of the same family that Henry's wife,
Mary C. Frantz, who was Samuel's mother.

Submitted by John H. Britts
pp. 60-61 Craig County Virginia Heritage: 2004 by the Craig County
Heritage Book Committee and published by S.E. Grose and Assoc., Inc,.WV,
2004.

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Jeffery G. Scism, IBSSG
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