personal friend of President Lincoln. Best known as Editor of the Philadelphia Times.
He was born in Sherman's Valley, Perry County, Pa., January 9, 1828, and spent his early years on his father's farm. With his older brother he divided his time week about at a country school. In 1846 he made his first visit to Philadelphia in order to get work as a journeyman tanner. He found no work there and tramped to New York, where his luck was no better. He worked his way west until he found himself in Iowa, but still his ill fortune in the tanning trade stuck to him. He then journeyed back east and that fall, in spite of advice to the contrary, went into the printing business, starting with the Sentinel, the Mifflin local paper.
At his suggestion an outline history of his family was prepared by Rev. G. O. Seilhamer, Chambersburg, Pa. Col. McClure's sudden death prevented its being published, which is to be regretted, as it doubtless contains much of interest to the family in general.
McCLURES IN LANCASTER COUNTY.
William McClure, a Covenanter of Dumfries, Scotland, was with his family driven by persecution from his home and country and settled in Ireland. His youngest son, James, emigrated to America, settled, first, in Lancaster County, Pa.; removed in 1772 to Bloomsburg on the Susquehanna, where he built the well known Fort McClure. Revolutionary soldier.
He had five children: Margaret, Josiah, John, Priscilla and James. Margaret, the oldest daughter, m., Dec. 10, 1783, Maj. Moses Van Campen of New York, and died at Dansville, New York, March, 1845. Col. James McClure, the youngest child, was born in 1774, m. in 1796, and died at the old homestead, October 4, 1850. His children were Margaret, James, Mary, Samuel, Eleanor, Josiah, Charles, Priscilla, Benjamin and Alfred. The Rev. Alfred James
