Charles Clearman aka Kjalman (Swedish Name) Date of Birth: 1820 about Nativity: Ruttenberg, Sweden Parent (Father): Parent (Mother): Enlistment Record: 141st Illinois Infantry, Co. A Residence: Dundee, Kane County, Illinois Enlistment Date: 12 May 1864 (100 days) Age at Enlistment: 44 years old Discharge Date: 10 October 1864 Name of Spouse: Jane Pope Marriage Date: Date of Death: 31 January 1882 (VA Headstone application 27 February 1882) Location of Death: Carpentersville, Kane County, Illinois Burial Location: Algonquin Cemetery, Algonquin, McHenry County, Illinois Children Info: Elizabeth Mary Employment: Mechanic (1864), Widower (1864) Other Information: Swedish sailor by occupation; Ship wrecked around Cape Horn Fought with 141st IL Infantry- Served in garrisons in Columbus, Kentucky area for 100 days. 28
1810 Charles Clearman Kjalman born in Sweden (Rottenburg maybe?) 1825 Jane Pope was born in England. 1830 Jane Pope came to America with her parents Elizabeth Whitehead Pope (1). Page 2 Charles Clearman Kjalman ran away from home in Rottenburg, Sweden to become a sailor. His parents wanted him to study the ministry, which he did for a time. As sailor he went around the world five times. Charles Kjalman married Jane Pope in New York and changes his name from Kjalman to Charles Clearman. Mary Clearman is born to Charles and Jane Pope Clearman. Second child, Fanny Clearman is born to Charles and Jane Pope Clearman 1848 Cholorea epidemic in New York City. Wife Jane Pope Clearman dies from the epidemic. 1848 Daughters Mary and Fanny Clearman are raised by Grandmother Elizabeth Pope (1). Note: Grandmother Elizabeth Whitehead Pope (1) had 19 children before age 40 years old. Only seven (7) lived to adulthood. One who survived was Jane Pope Clearman. The grandmother ran boarding house in New York City. Fanny Clearman dies at early age. Last trip was disaster. While sailing around Cape Good Hope (South Africa) his ship struck some rocks and sank. He and the cook manage to tie themselves to the ship s mast. After in the ocean for three days, a another ship plunk them from the sea while almost frozen to the mast. The cook died a few days later but Charles survived the ordeal. He returned to New York City. 1860 Elizabeth Pope (b. 1850 in England) lived in Algonquin, IL along with Ebenezer Sweet (17) who was farm laborer. 1861 Grandmother Elizabeth White head Pope(1) took granddaughters Elizabeth Pope (2) and Mary Clearman to Algonquin. Help daughter Maria Pope who was dying of cancer in Algonquin. Maria Pope (b. 1810) wife of William dies and buried in Algonquin Cemetery, died 3Dec1862 1862 Charles returned to New York City only to find that his family left the city more than a year earlier. When Elizabeth Whitehead Pope left the city with Mary Clearman, she left a trunk for Charles with a neighbor. But this neighbor also left the city. He never got the trunk. Charles made inquiries and finally found some one who believed he had heard the family went west. Unable to find them, decided to take a train to Chicago. When he arrived at Chicago, he told his story in the depot and seemed to have some idea the name of the place where he wanted to go was Al-qua-naw-kin. A man that was in the depot at that time thought it might be Algonquin. He inquired if they knew if Elizabeth Whitehead Pope lived there, if she did that was where he wanted to go. When he arrived at Algonquin, Mary Clearman was told an old tramp had got off the train and was inquiring for Mary Clearman. She immediately thought it might be her father and was overjoyed to see him she cried and laughed, hugged and kissed him. She never expected to see he father again. 1864 Elizabeth Pope (2), the granddaughter married Ebenezer Sweet who came home while in the 29
Page 3 army. Ebenezer Sweet enlisted 25 December 1863, mustered in on 8 January 1864. On 31 January 1864 [IL Marriages]. Ebenezer, a farmer married Elizabeth Pope while on leave. Minister almost did not come to the wedding because the rain was so hard. He reenlisted left for the army. Elizabeth Pope (2) became a widow when husband Ebenezer dies (illness) at Pulaski, Tennessee on 15 March 1864. Married for 45 days. Body was sent home and buried in the Algonquin Cemetery. Ebenezer Sweet, Private in Co. I, 52nd IL Inf. died on 16 March 1864 at General Hospital in Paducah, Kentucky from Infl. of Lungs. Signed by I. M. Neeley, A. A. S. [Regist. of Deaths of Volunteeers] Husband came home in metalic casket after three months, back from the front. Pope Genealogy Papers 1864 Charles Clearman enlisted for 100 days with 141st IL Inf., Co A on 12 May 1864 as mechanic. Residence was in Dundee, IL. Listed as single (widower). Muster out on 10 October 1864 1870 Charles Clearman (60 b. in Sweden) lived with Elizabeth Whitehead Pope (b. 1793 in England) who next door to Pope s sister Mary Whitehead Ogbin who married John Ogbin who was farm laborer. Charles worked as laborer. [Census] 1871 Elizabeth Lizzie Pope Sweet (21), a widow marries on 20 March 1871 Lewis Chandler (25), son of Simeon Chandler a very early Algonquin pioneer. Pioneer farm in 1836 stood where the railroad depot once stood. 1873 Elizabeth Pope the wife of Thomas dies on 22 January 1873 and buried in Algonquin Cemetery. 1880 Widower Charles Clearman (70) house painter lived with Mary Cline (61) a sister-in-law who was widow. Lived on North Main St. 1882 Charles Clearman died on 31 January 1882 and was buried in Algonquin Cemetery. Veterans Adm provided a headstone on 27 February 1882 1915 Maria Clearman dies about this time. Family History of Charles Clearman and Mary Sweet s Families Gardener Thomas Pope and wife Elizabeth Whitehead Pope came to America on 90 ton schooner in 1830 from England. Elizabeth had 19 children before age 40 years old. Only 7 lived to maturity. One of the children was Jane Pope born 1825. Elizabeth s sister married John Ogbin. Sister name was Mary Whitehead Ogbin who was a farmer near Algonquin. In 1856 the grandmother and mother had arrived in Algonquin in 1862. Jane Pope married Charles Kjalman (changed name to Clearman) who was sailor born in Ruttenberg, Sweden. They were married in New York City. After marriage Charles changed his name to Clearman. Had two children, Mary and Fanny. Jane Pope 30
Page 4 Clearman died of Cholera in 1848. Fannie died at early age. Mary lived to age 69 years old. Grandmother took in both girls to live with her. Grandmother, Elizabeth Whitehead Pope ran a boarding house for a living. Elizabeth Whitehead Pope went west to Algonquin area. Her daughter, Maria who was ill decided to move closer to her mom in 1862 with daughter [Elizabeth Pope (2)]. Maria Pope died probably from cancer. Since there was no drugstore in Algonquin, Elizabeth (2) walked five miles to Dundee to get laudanum to ease the pain. Maria died and buried in Algonquin. Grandmother was now raising two grandchildren Elizabeth and Mary Clearman in Algonquin during the Civil War. Elizabeth married Ebenezer Sweet (died in the war 3 months later) and again later Louis Chandler (Algonquin early pioneer family of 1830 s) in 1870. Charles Clearman (Mary Clearman s father) ran away from home in Rottenburg, Sweden and shipped out as a sailor. He parents wanted him to study for the ministry, which he did for a time. He told his relatives that he sailed around the world five times. Last trip was around Cape Good Hope. Often there were storms there and during his last trip his ship struck some rocks and sank. He and the cook manage to tie themselves to the mast. After three days a ship plunk them from the ocean almost frozen to the mast. The cook died short time after the rescue. Charles returned to New York City only to find that his family left the city more than a year earlier. When Elizabeth Whitehead Pope left the city with Mary Clearman, she left a trunk for Charles with a neighbor. But this neighbor also left the city. He never go the trunk. Charles made inquiries and finally found some one who believed he had heard the family went west. Unable to find them, decided to take a train to Chicago. When he arrived at Chicago, he told his story in the depot and seemed to have some idea the name of the place where he wanted to go was Al-qua-nawkin. A man that was in the depot at that time thought it might be Algonquin. He inquired if they knew if Elizabeth Whitehead Pope lived there, if she did that was where he wanted to go. When he arrived at Algonquin, Mary Clearman was told an old tramp had got off the train and was inquiring for Mary Clearman. She immediately thought it might be her father and was overjoyed to see him she cried and laughed, hugged and kissed him. She never expected to see he father again. Charles never returned to the sea. He did sail in the Great Lakes a couple of times. Charles knew five languages and no-one knew the bible from Genesis to Revelations better than Charles Clearman. His daughter, Mary married Henry Sweet during the Civil War when he was on furlough, April 7, 1864 at the home of Edmund Sweet in Darian, Wisconsin. Charles Clearman died at home of his daughter, Mary Sweet, at her Carpentersville, Illinois home on January 31, 1882. Census1869- Elizabeth Whitehead Pope lived in Algonquin probably east side of the river near Van Benthusen, Sweets, Chandlers, Philips and Babbitts Families during the 1860 Census. IL Civil War Database indicated Charles Clearman lived in Dundee when he enlisted in 141st IL. for 100 days and listed his occupation as Mechanic. Source: Family Genealogy 31
Algonquin Civil War Veterans Charles Clearman (aka Kjalman) Page 5 View of Block Two looking East Historic Algonquin Cemetery Burial Site of Charles (Kjalman) Clearman Algonquin Cemetery, Algonquin, McHenry County, Illinois 32, Researcher Donald V. Purn