JOHANN LUDWIG KAMMERER ("LUDWIG") was born ca 1718 in or near Worms, Germany on the west bank of the Rhine River. Ludwig was in a flood of miserable humanity that washed across the Atlantic from Germany to the British colonies a half century before the Revolutionary War. Leaving starvation and poverty behind, the Palantines fled across the ocean searching for a land of peace and prosperity --Penn's Colony. (Strassburger and Hinke estimated that more than 65,000 Germans landed at Philadelphia between 1726-1776.

Ludwig Kammerer stepped off the Ship Harle in Philadelphia September 1, 1736. Although, he left no personal record of his sojourn across the ocean , we have early historian's accounts telling us the trip took six months. First there was the boat trip down the Rhine River during which time the emigrants met long delays at up to 26 custom houses, depleting their minimum rations and money. Then there was another five -to-six week wait at Rotterdam. In 1750 one historian, Gottlieb Mittleberg, wrote that the "poor people" had to spend nearly all they had before they began the second stage of the journey from Rotterdam to an English port, usually Cowes on the Isle of Wight., where they faced another delay before the ship weighed anchor.

Ludwig landed from the ship Harle of London--Ralph Harle, master--September 1, 1736 after coming from Rotterdam, via Cowes. After arrival, Ludwig accompanied by other aliens went to the Philadelphia Courthouse and took two oaths--an Oath of Allegiance to the King and an Oath of Abjuration aimed against Catholicism. (It is interesting to note here that three lists made the same day identify him variously as J. Ludwig Kammerer, Ludwig Cammerer and Johann Ludwig Cammerer.--Also , the captain's list shows Ludwig age as 21. We can surmise that the young German lad fibbed about his age. His tombstone says he was born in 1718.Sometime between 1736 and 1742 Ludwig made the journey from Pennsylvania to Maryland most likely by way of Lancaster and Harrisburg and "The Great Road" up the Cumberland Valley, through Shippensburg into Monacacy and the Conococheague in the wesern Maryland wilderness.

Within seven years after arriving in the City of Brotherly Love, Ludwig had taken up residence in Maryland's Conococheague district about 30 miles NW of Monacacy across the Catoctin and Blue Ridge Mountains where he apparently squatted on a 4000-acre tract warranted by Lord Baltimore's land office to one Daniel Dulaney. A survey shows Ludwig (Ludowick Camera) had a log cabin and 5 or 6 cultivated acres. Dulaney later deeded 100 acres known as Buck Spring to Ludwig. Here on the disputed Pennsylvania-Maryland Border, about 10 miles North of Hagerstown Ludwig raised a family 0f thirteen. It was here in 1774 that Ludwig, no doubt with the help of his sons, built a stone fortress home which is still standing .

By this time, Ludwig's grown family began to grow restless . sons John, Adam and Ludwig Jr along with two of their brothersinlaw--Dr. David Marchand and John Yost Kohrt (Cort) pushed across the Alleghenies to the newly formed Westmoreland County.

The Kammerer brothers may have squatted on government land when they first arrived . The state granted John and Ludwig, Jr a patent on 1425 acres of land in 1786. John, Ludwig and Adam were all on the 1786 tax list.