By Don
Benchoff
Christof Freidrich Banzhaf
(1745-1831) arrived in
Philadelphia on the ship called
William Johnston in 1764. He was
from Bavaria and settled near
present day Emmitsburg, MD where he was a
farmer. When the
Revolutionary
War began, he joined the British
Army (we always assumed he
joined the English army, but
have no evidence of that). He
was captured by the
Revolutionary Forces and placed
in prison at the Carlisle
Barracks in Pennsylvania.
As a Prisoner of War at the
Carlisle Barracks he met Suzan
Crawford who he later married.
In 1781 he was released from
prison and was given the choice
of being sent back to Germany or
taking up land in Pennsylvania.
He chose the latter and settled
in Charmian near modern day Blue
Ridge Summit. He is said to have
gone west to Johnstown with his
daughter and her husband.
Unfortunately, his grave along
with others was washed away in
the great Johnstown flood.
His son David Benchoff (the
spelling of our branch of the
family has remained the same
since David) 1782-1851, married
a Suzana Tressler and had a
homestead in Charmian and Blue
Ridge Summit. They had 12
children, one of which was my
great grandfather, Alexander
Benchoff. Alexander married a
Mary Jane Harbaugh of the family
of the Herbachs of Graceham
Moravian Church, Graceham,
Frederick County, MD.
Alexander Benchoff was captured
by General JEB Stuart’s Cavalry in October
of 1862.
My father always told me that
Alex had something to do with
the county road system at the
time at what level, I am not
sure. In any event, he lived in
a brick house along the main
street in Fairfield for many
years. He had three children,
Clayton, Edward McPherson (my
grandfather 1869-1946) who was a
blacksmith and lived in
Greencastle until his death and
Jennie Benchoff who married a
Rickard and had 3 children.
I don't know how accurate all
of this is some of the
information came from a John
Manahan (a Benchoff on his
mother's side) who was a
professor at the University of
Virginia. He later married the
woman who claimed to be
Anastasia, the surviving
daughter of the czar of Russia
which was later proven not to be
true based on forensic evidence.
The family homestead in
Charmian still stands and the
last time I was there, it was
still owned by members of the
Benchoff Family. There is a
graveyard on the property and
many ancestors are buried there.
*(The spelling of our last
name is as follows: Banzhaf,
Benchoff, Benshoff, Benshoof as
well as other variations)
