History of the Shaffer Family
[Given by William Heber Shaffer, then of 531 East 7th North, Logan, Utah, great grandson of
John Shaffer (probably transcribed by Lawrence A. Ripplinger during the 1930’s). Edited by
Scott R. Jenkins-bracketed material added by Scott]
The traditional history of the Shaffer Family says they were among the Christians driven out
of France and were among the people who settled in a little settlement in Alsace Lorraine, having
the word "Shaffer" as part of its name. Germany allowed those French people to settle in their
country providing they would become German subjects and to each married man the German
ruler gave a grant of about 40 acres of land. These Shaffers, while at one time French, [became]
loyal German citizens . . . These two provinces in Germany [Alscace Lorraine], that have
alternately been German and French for more than 200 years, were finally ceded to France after
the Franco-Prussian War.
Jacob Shaffer, born in Germany about 1700, was a farmer. In 1743, he, with his wife and
six children, came to America, landing at Norfolk, Virginia. Their son John was born just before
they left the ship. When Jacob and his family arrived in Norfolk, Va., they could not pay the
freight on their household goods, and everything they had was auctioned off by the ship's Co.
Jacob settled in Virginia. His family consisted of four sons and two daughters. The sons names
were Daniel, Samuel, William, and John. A younger son was born in 1774, his and the names of
the mother and daughters are not known. Jacob's brother came with them from Germany.
John Shaffer, son of Jacob, was enlisted as a soldier under General Washington and
served during the whole of the Revolution. At one period of the war, [General George]
Washington's camp and English were near each other, and each day, from the English camp
came a man of huge proportions and challenged the Americans to wrestle as Goliath had the
Philistines. One day Washington said to John, "John, go and throw that man down." John, being
rather small of stature, hesitated for a moment and General Washington repeated his request, so
John, with a resolute look in his eye obeyed. The wrestle began, John threw the Englishman
twice, and as he was putting him down for the third time the Englishman drew his knife and cut
the cord in John's thigh, making him a cripple for life. When John recovered, Washington made
him his private secretary, a position he filled until the war was over.
Later on, when Washington crossed the Delaware River in the night, on Dec. 24, 1777
[December 25, 1778], John crossed on the same boat as Washington did, sitting in the bow of the
boat, pushing away the cakes of ice. He was also with Washington when Cornwallis
surrendered. John said Washington marched Cornwallis up through the lines of soldiers trying to
persuade him to surrender peacefully. Cornwallis handed over his sword but stubbornly refused
to go further to help make peace. They had marched through the lines several times, each time
passing an oak sapling. At last Washington hoping to settle affairs struck out with Cornwallis'
sword, struck the sapling and broke the sword in three pieces. This seemed to be the act that
helped Cornwallis to make up his mind to settle, and do it now.
When the war closed [John] returned to his home and family at Wytheville, Wythe Co., Virginia.
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The next account of John Shaffer . . . in Wytheville, Wythe Co., Virginia was where his son
Henry Shaffer was born the 3 April, 1789 and later John moved to Abingdon, Washington Co.,
Virginia. [The Historical Register of Virginians in the Revolution (LOC # 975.5 M23g), p. 702
has the following entry: "Shaffer, John, Pvt.; half-pay claim shows he died in Washington Co.,
Va., April 27, 1848; son Samuel, mss. WD."]
About 1816 Henry Shaffer married Eve Beard and in 1828 moved to Unionville, Union Co.,
Indiana and in the spring of 1844 moved to Montrose, Iowa just across the Mississippi River,
opposite Nauvoo and in 1852 Henry Shaffer and family came to Utah and to Millville arriving in
Salt Lake City while October Conference was in session. They settled at Bingham Fort now
Five Points, Ogden. In 1857 they moved to Slaterville, Utah, and then went south, at the time
Johnston's army was here. But returned later in the summer to their homes, where they
[with]stood all privations and hardships of pioneer life for several years. Henry Shaffer and his
wife Eve Beard are both buried in Ogden. Eve Beard Shaffer died 8 March 1857 at Five Points,
Utah. Henry Shaffer died 16 Feb.1874 in Millville, Utah.
William Shaffer was born in Rushville, Rush Co., Ind., Dec. 9, 1827 and died at Vernal,
Uintah Co., Utah, Jan. 31, 1898. He was the son of Henry Shaffer and Eva Beard and was called
when only a boy to go to the Missouri River for emigrants. He made more trips and brought as
many people as any other young man in the church. This story by Wm. H. Shaffer--The night
that Abigail Shaffer Dourghety died I stayed all night there with some of her children. I was
living with her brother William Shaffer and early in the morning drove my horse to the William
Shaffer place about 3 miles and while telling him how she was he was changing his horse to the
cart. He got right on and went and got there just as she was dying. This was October 29, 1894 at
Millward now Nunsbidys, Uintah Co., Utah. William Shaffer was Bishop of Millward 30 years
and died 31, Jan., 1898. He died a bishop, his wife, Hary Ann Bradshaw died about 1896 at
Millward. Both buried in Vernal cemetary. I do not know Mary Ann's birth date, she was born
in England. The earliest I remember was about 1860 at Slaterville of the Bradshaw family.
In 1856 William Shaffer . . . started for the belated Hand Cart Co. on the 29 of November
to make Salt Lake City before real winter began. He drove a four horse team and his partner was
Robert Graham. They met the Company on the Sweetwater River, but instead of following the
Emigrant Trail through Parley's Park they went down Weber Canyon and were snowed in before
they were half way through. For seven days and nights they were wading snow up to their
breasts. They had two horses, one black and one grey, and [in] five days the black one was the
whitest of the two, on account of the heavy frost. On the sixth morning he told his partner,
Robert Graham, that one of them had to go down the Frenchman Semeneon's ranch to get help.
They decided that Robert should go and William was to take care of the people and horses.
Robert started early as the snow was deep, striking him above the waist. He waded
Weber River five times on one day arriving at the ranch at sundown, so cold and exhausted he
stopped on the foot-bridge, and here the Semeneon family found him and brought him in, fed
him and made him comfortable.
He told them why he had come, and that they needed their
help to rescue several people. That day Mr. Semoneon had driven in a band of wild steers and
they were in the corall. The next morning after they were all rested and well fed Mr. Semoneom
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said to two of his men you saddle your horses, and a horse for this young man." Meaning Robert
Graham. "Mr. Graham will lead the way back to where the wagons of his people are, and you
boys push the steers up that trail." Then he ordered a man to go down to the next ranch and
inform them of the trouble these people were having.
The folks were grateful for the help they received, and in a short time were ready to
follow the cattle back to the Semeneon ranch. They got there that night and were made
comfortable and happy. In the morning the fresh steers were driven ahead of the teams to the
next ranch, and in this way they were helped down to the valley. The Company was composed
of ten people, two of which were young ladies about 17 years of age. These two girls would
have frozen to death had it not been for the chivalry of Robert Graham and William Shaffer who
shared their blankets with them. From the second ranch they were taken to Bingham's Fort, now
Five Points, Ogden. There they spent the winter.
[William Shaffer] was a farmer and lived at Slaterville, Utah. Late in life he married
Mary Ann Bradshaw [in the old endowment house]. They had no children. They moved to
Cache Co., settling at Lewiston, Utah. From there to Millward, Uintah Co., Utah. Millward is
now Benna Vista, Utah. He was bishop of that ward for thirty years, and was holding that office
when he died. He had lived the life of a faithful Latter-Day-Saint all the days of his life and
many were the testimonies he had received and borne of the goodness of God toward him, and of
his firm belief in the Prophet Joseph Smith.
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