The Snavely Story

The first documented Snavely of our clan was John Senior who emigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania (actually landing in Nova Scotia) in 1776 and served both sides in the Revolutionary War.  As a Hessian (mercenary soldier), John served the British as a hostler [horse handler] and was captured with Burgoyne at his surrender in Sarasota, NY in 1777.  He and his army were marched from Sarasota to Charlottesville, VA as POW's.

Deserting his post in 1779, John Sr. eventually enlisted in the Continental Army.  After the war, John and his family settled on 180 acres on Tom's Creek (close to Giles Co. line and Blacksburg) in Montgomery County, VA.  The land was granted in 1793 for service to the Continental Army.

John Sr. died around 1833 in Montgomery Co., VA.  His will was probated in Montgomery, VA in 1833.  The will names wife, Elizabeth, and children: Nancy, Sarah Elizabeth, Polly Lane, Peggy Burton, Peny, John and Jacob. 

There was a third son William not named in this will.  I suspect this was because William had already migrated to Indiana having already arrived in Valparaiso by 1833.  

A daughter, Martha m. John Nosler, was also not named in John's will for the same reason.  The Tom's Creek land abutted Boston Nosler's land; Martha Snavel married Boston's son, John Nosler July 18, 1795.  John Snavel posted the security bond for Martha's marriage.  The couples' 4th child, Christian, was born in Tennessee in 1804.

After John's death, the children, excepting Mary "Polly" Lane's family, migrated west and north like their siblings William and Martha.  Most, including Jacob's family and several in-laws [Carper families], came to Shelby Co., OH by 1835.  

From the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 to the Gold Rush, our Snavely clan was always at the cutting edge of the frontier.

Popular Snavley name spelling variations include SNAVLEY, SNEVLEY, SNAVELEY, SNEAVLEY, SNEAVLY, SCHNEBLE, SCHNAVELY, SCHEVELL and SCHNEBELY.  

Below is the story of one of William Snavely's antics.  For more details of his incredible life, use this link to go to William Snavely.

History of Porter County, pg 148

""Snavely War." William Crawford located upon of the these Indian tracts -- a quarter section in the northeast part of the township -- but subsequently sold it to William Snavely. a little later Peter White laid claim to the land and asked the assistance of the law to dispossess Snavely. Charles G. Merrick, who had been elected sheriff of the county in 1838, organized a posse, and, pursuant to the order of the court, went to Snavely's for the purpose of evicting him. Snavely barricaded himself in his cabin, and he and his sons, well armed, put up a spirited defense. Unable to gain admittance through the doors or windows, the sheriff ordered some of his men to climb to the top of the house and tear off the roof. No sooner had they begun to remove the clapboards than Snavely fired through the opening and wounded one of the men. This had the tendency to stop active operations on the part of the sheriff and his men, and Snavely, thinking he had killed the man, made an attempt to escape. He was overtaken, captured and taken to the county jail, where he remained until his victim recovered from the wound, which was only a slight one, when he was released upon payment of a fine and a promise to relinquish the land. Some years after his death, his heirs received a portion of the value of the improvements made by Snavely while in his possession."

June 16, 1860, at age 64, William married Lovina Robinson age 32 in La Porte Co., IN.

I have included the Samuel Russell Biography on this page because of the Russell link with the Snavely's. 

  William Snavely

   Samuel Russell Biography