Goodnight, Hans Michael

Hans Michael Goodnight (ca 1721 - 1781) was probably born about the year1721 in Germany. The names of his parents are unknown. However, we doknow that he was one of three brothers who came from the Palatine area ofGermany to Philadelphia at separate times. His brother, ChristianGutnecht came on the boat "Christian", Capt. Thomas Brady, arriving inPhiladelphia on 13 September 1749. Hans Michael was the second toemigrate to America, coming on the ship, "Neptune", under Capt. JohnMason, from Rotterdam and Cowes. He arrived at Philadelphia and took theusual oath of affirmation, on 4 October 1752, signing with his mark. Aclerk wrote his name as "Hans Michael Goodknecht". The third brother,George came two years later on the "Recovery", Amos Jones, Master, whicharrived in Philadelphia on 23 October 1754. By the time he came toPhiladelphia in 1752 Hans Michael Goodnight and his first wife, nameunknown, had three children, Catherine, Christian and Susan, whopresumably came with him. Their fourth child, Ed-ward, was born inPhiladelphia in 1753. By 1755 the family had moved to Bedford County,Virginia where their fifth child Enoch was born. By 1757 they were inthat part of old Augusta County which is now Bedford County. There fourmore children, George, Henry, Samuel and Christo-pher were born and HansMichael Goodnight''s first wife apparently died in 1761. Militia recordsshow that Hans Michael Goodnight was a Captain in David Moore''s Companyof Augusta County Militia in 1761.

On 19 February 1762, Hans Michael, the widower with nine children,married Mary Landis, daughter of Christopher Landis, who had come toAmerica from Manheim on Rhine, Germany. The two families then moved toMecklenburg County, North Carolina where they remained until 1781 whenMichael Goodnight, as he was then known, made prepa-rations to move hisfamily to Lincoln County, Kentucky. On 1 May 1764 Michael Goodnight andhis wife, Mary, purchased a farm in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina .George Goodnight, Michael''s brother lived nearby. Michael served as aConstable in Mecklenburg County in 1775. In 1779 George Goodnight soldhis farm and moved to Kentucky, settling at Ruddell''s Station, aboutthirty miles northeast of Lexington. In June of the following year about500 Indians and Canadi-ans attacked the Fort. George and his son, Henry,were killed. His other children, David, John, Michael, Peter and theirsisters were carried away by the Indians. They lived to return to theirfamily after a time, and set-tled near Lexington.About the same time,Michael Goodnight was making plans to move his own family to Kentucky.Page 67 of the Lincoln County, Kentucky Sur-vey Book (1781-1783) showsthat on 28 April 1781, 400 acres of land was surveyed for MichaelGoodnight by virtue of a preemption warrant No. 531. This land wasdescribed as "lying and being in the County of Lincoln (later Mercer) onChaplin''s Fork. Michael Goodnight apparently went to Kentucky and built acabin on his new land and then returned to North Carolina to move hisfamily. It was on this journey to Kentucky with his family that MichaelGoodnight was killed with others in an attack by Indians. The familyversion of this story says:"After locating and building a cabin on hisland near Harlan''s Station in what later became Mercer County, MichaelGoodnight returned to North Carolina and then set out again to Kentuckyin July 1781, with his family and household effects. They were a caravancomposed of other pioneer families, who were guarded by 30 armed men. Noserious mishap befell the emigrant train until it arrived within half aday''s jour-ney of Harlan''s Station, where a camp was pitched for thenight. All was secure but at midnight the fearful cry of the savage washeard, fol-lowed by gun shots, screams and confusion. Michael Goodnightwas killed in the first onslaught and his son, John, was severelywounded, but he succeeded in making his escape. Mrs. Goodnight wasexpecting another child at the time. She fled into the dark forest. Manyof the immigrants were massacred, but a few escaped to the station wherethe alarm was given. A party was made up to search for Mrs. Goodnight andshe was found two days later in woods lying prostate upon the ground in asemi-conscious state, her face covered with a blanket. She was taken toHarlan''s Station where four months later, Jan 1, 1782 a son, IsaacGoodnight was born. A curious circumstance, preserved in the familytraditions, is that from his birth until the day of his death Isaac couldnever go to sleep without covering his face." On 21 January 1783administration of the estate of Michael Goodnight , dec''d, was granted toMary Goodnight, who entered into bond with James Harlan and Patrick Doranas her sureties. George Caldwell, George Harlan, William Lewis and GeorgeClark, or any three of them were appointed to make appraisal of theestate. On 15 November 1785 James Harlan was appointed Guardian toAbraham Goodnight, John Goodnight, Rachel Goodnight, Sarah Goodnight andIsaac Goodnight, orphans of Michael Goodnight, dec''d. The estate was notsettled for several years because of the minor children. However, on 25March 1794, Christian Goodnight and his wife, Catherina (nee Cook), ofMeck-lenburg County, North Carolina signed an indenture transferring 167acres, part of Michael Goodnight''s survey on Chaplin''s Fork in MercerCounty, to his half brother, Jacob Goodnight. Lincoln Co, KY AppraisalBook 1 page 69-71 Sundry Articles belonging tothe Estate of MICHAELGOODNIGHT which was not sold, which MARY GOODNIGHTwidow of said MICHAELkept at the appraisment: to 2 mares apraised at 15each 30 - - 1 pairspoon mules 10 - Iron Wedges and malli rings 18 - 1pair steelyard 30pr 110 - a parcel of pewter L 5.10 5 10 1 steer 23pr 13 4 Cows s25 1 Bason7/6 15 14 6 1 frying pan 1 iron pot 16 2 barrels 1churn 2 pailes 3 rasoos1 hone & strop 5 ______ 63 86 6 pg 70 spining wheel & boxc tubs & casks 114 1 saw 1 drawingknife & leather 1 5 1 pair spectikles old books 11 6 1box iron 1 mowingknife 15 Powder & lead Beeswax 15 6 2 1/2 lbs brimstone1 pair ciards 9 1womans saddle 15 1 raw cow hide 5 3 1/4lb steal 2 piecesold iron 1 1 9 1iron shovel 3 old baggs 12 Cash on hand 2 8 a note on WmDale for fortybushels of corn for which the administration agrees toallow 5 TenShillings due from JAMES GILMORE 10 ______________________ 838 3 I dohereby acknowledge that the article above pg 71 mentioned werenot soldand that I kept them at the appraisment for my use. March 26th1788 Test.Mary (her mark) FLANNAGAN John Cowan JoIt will be of interestto some that our 33rd President, Harry S. Truman, was also a descendantof Michael Goodnight. President Truman was a son of John Anderson Trumanand Martha Ellen Young (born 1852). Martha Young was a daughter ofSolomon Young (born 1815) and Har-riet Louise Gregg. Solomon Young was ason of Jacob Young who married Rachel Goodnight (1771-1828). Rachel was asister of our Isaac Goodnight (1782-1869). My grandfather, Roger Q. Mabry(1887-1942) was thus a 3rd cousin of President Truma