PART 2 The Klingensmith Family Blockhouse Saga

The Escape of Casper Klingensmith

Casper Klingensmith had just turned fifteen when his world turned upside down. It was July 2, 1781—the day of the raid on Fort Klingensmith. He had watched in horror as his parents, baby sister, and neighbors were killed. Now, he was a captive in a Seneca camp, separated from his younger brother, Peter, who had been taken elsewhere.

Seneca in traditional dress

As they might have looked that day in 1781.

But Casper was paying attention.

The braves were laughing, distracted around the fire, their voices rising above the crackling flames. Casper inched backward, slowly, carefully. No one noticed. A few more feet. Still nothing. Then—with a burst of courage—he slipped into the woods.

His heart pounded. His legs shook. But he didn’t stop.

Casper wasn’t new to the wilderness. Born in Maryland, he’d grown up traveling with his family as they headed west. The forest was like a second home. His father, Philip, and Uncle Peter had been scouts for General Washington during the French and Indian War, and Casper often tagged along on hunting and tracking trips. Still, this wasn’t a family outing—this was survival.

Exhausted and alone, he pressed on through the night, moving as silently as he could. Eventually, his strength gave out. He found shelter in the crevice of some rocks and huddled there, too tired to go on but too afraid to sleep. He didn’t want to relive the horror of the previous day, or the ache of not knowing what had happened to Peter.

As dawn crept over the treetops, he finally drifted off. When he woke, the sun was high and he realized he'd gone farther east than planned. Returning south the way the Indians had come would be too risky—he'd need to swing southwest to circle back.

When he reached what was left of Fort Klingensmith, the soldiers were gone. They had buried the dead and moved on, assuming no one had survived. But one person was still there—his older brother, John Jacob.

Casper couldn’t believe it. There was Jacob, standing in the doorway of the ruined fort, deep in prayer. When he looked up and saw Casper, for a moment it must have felt like seeing a ghost—or maybe an angel. But it was real.

Jacob was overwhelmed with joy. Not only was Casper alive, but Peter might still be as well, though captive. Casper, weary and starving, followed his brother home gratefully. Jacob and his wife, Anna Margaretta, had been married a few years and had a little boy named John. Just being around them brought Casper a sense of comfort and hope.

Though Jacob was about ten years older, the brothers had always been close. Jacob's mother, Maria Elizabeth, had died when he was a baby, and their father later married Christina—Casper's mother. But to Jacob, she was the only mother he ever knew. Their shared grief made them even closer.

This wasn’t the first time a family member had returned after being taken by Native American tribes—but that’s another story. Right now, there was one thing on both their minds:

They had to find Peter.

Note: We've done our best to make this story historically accurate, using confirmed names, dates, and places. Some details—like which brother Casper stayed with—are thoughtful guesses. We may have chosen John Jacob because he's part of our family tree.

What happened to Peter? Did he survive and return to the family? Stay tuned for the next installment of the Klingensmith Family Saga.