Schuylkill County
War of the Revolution

Transcribed and Contributed by Debbie Ovechka

From the passage of the infamous Stamp Act, March, 1765, by the British Parliament, when Benjamin Franklin declared, "The Sun of American liberty has set"; and when Patrick Henry, in the House of Burgesses, in the oldest American commonwealth, Virginia, denounced the Act in the presence of two of the future presidents of the United States, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who were Provincial delegates; to the attempted enactment of the Boston Port Bill, June 18, 1774; through the dark days following the offering of the resolution in Congress, June 7, 1776, by Richard Henry Lee, of Virginia, declaring that, "the United Colonies were and ought to be free" and the involving of Lee's resolution into the subsequent Declaration of Independence, which as a formal document was adopted July 4, 1776; during the bitter struggle of the infant republic, to the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, October 19, 1781; and the declaration of peace and the ratification of the treaty and final departure of the British troops, November 25, 1783; during the sacrifices and struggles incident to an eight year's war with a powerful nation, Pennsylvania, was ever loyal to the cause and motives that actuated the colonists to withdraw from the oppressive protection of England and establish the grandest and most effectual form of Republican government on the face of the globe.

The Pennsylvania Associators and committee of observation represented the sentiments of the yeomanry of the state. They stood in the same relation of the American colonies and their leaders in the War of the Revolution, as did the First Defenders, when Abraham Lincoln issued his first call for troops in the Civil War.

At a meeting held in Reading, July 2, 1774, resolutions were passed and a committee appointed to meet with other committees in Philadelphia, from the different counties in the Province. From the first formation of the Associators, the Berks County contingent were active in their support of the military defense of the rights of the colonists, contributing the allotted quota of men and forage for the army; and in raising the necessary supplies and money for the sinews of war.

The following composed part of the first committee chosen to represent Berks County at the Provincial meeting, Philadelphia:

Edward Biddle, James Lewis, Christopher Schultz, Mark Bird and John Jones. None of the Associators lived north of the Blue Mountains, but Dr. Johnathan Potts, Secretary, owned tracts of coal land around what is now St. Clair; and Baltzar Gehr owned and operated a saw mill on the site of Pottsville, at the mouth of the Norwegian Creek where it empties into the Schuylkill River. Others of the Associators were: William Reeser, Christopher Witman,

John Old¹, Sebastian Levan, George Nagel, Michael Bright, John Patton and Jacob Shoemaker, Associators, are closely allied with this region through their descendants of successive generations who populate Schuylkill County².

(Note 1 - John Old was the ancestor of Daniel Old, a carpenter and contractor, who lived in Pottsville, 1840-1860. He built and owned the residence, 409 W. Market Street, among other properties. He left no descendants.)

(Note 2 - Penna, Archives, 5th Series, 5th Vol., p. 138.)

After the battle of Lexington was fought, April 18, 1775, eight companies of riflemen were raised in Pennsylvania to join the Continential army near Boston; of these that of Captain George Nagel was the first from Berks County. They joined Colonel Thompson's battallion of twelve companies of riflemen and the first troops from Pennsylvania to reach Boston¹.

Efforts were made to recruit companies from each of the townships and the quotas of the more thickly settled portions of the county were augmented by recruits from the straggling and remote borders. The Welsh of Caernarvon Township raised a company of eighty-three Associators that were in the campaign in Canada during that dreadful retreat in mid-winter from Quebec. Other companies from Berks were in the Massachusetts' campaign and in the army of the Southern Department and participated in the final capitulation of Cornwallis.

The Captains of these companies, of the regular Continental line, were: Henry Christ, Miles Regiment; Jonathan Jones, First Pennsylvania Battalion; Benjamin Weiser, Hausegger's Regiment; Jacob bauer, Oddendorf's Corps; John Spohn, Magaw's Battalion; John Lesher, Patton's Regiment; Jacob Moser, Harmar's Sixth Regiment.

At a Provincial Conference, held at Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia, June 18-25, 1776, provision was made ot form a "Flying Camp," of 10,000 men, in the middle colonies; the quota for Pennsylvania being 4, 500 men; this militia to march to such place as ordered by Congress. July 13, 1776, Berks County reported as having raised more than their quota men to complete the battalion.

March 17, 1777, a militia law was passed by the Pennsylvania Assembly. The President of the Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth was to commission one freeholder in each county to serve as a lieutenant of the milita for the said counties. The constables of each township, borough, ward or district in the said counties were to return to the lieutenant an exact list of the names of every male white person residing within the township, borough, ward or district, between the ages of eighteen and fifty-three years, capable of beating arms. Each county was to be sub-divided into district to contain not less than 440 and more than 680 privates and each district was to be sub-divided into eight parts. The militiamen of the district were required to meet and elect three field officers; one colonel, one lieutenant colonel and one major, who were to be freeholders and inhabitants of the district and the militia men

(Note 1 - Penna, Archives, 2d Series, Vol. X, pp. 3-13-34.)

Of the sub-divisions were to elect one captain, two lieutenants, one ensign and two persons to be styled court martial men, who shall respectively be such persons as are entitled to vote for members to serve in the General Assembly. The whole of the militia so enrolled were required by law to be exercised in companies, under their special officers, on the last two Mondays in the month of April and three first Mondays in the month of May and in battalion on the fourth Monday in May and in companies on the last two Mondays in the month of August and the last two Mondays in the month of September and the third Monday in the month of October and in battalion on the fourth Monday in October. On which days officers and privates were expected to attend and drill under penalties of fines.

Brunswick Township, under this law, was organized into the third battalion or northern section of Berks County. The battalion officers were: Colonel, Michael Lindemuth, Bern Township; Lieutenant Colonel, George May, Winsor Township, and Major, Martin Kercher, Winsor Township. The officers of the second company of the battalion, which was the Brunswick Company, were: Captain, Conrad Minnich; 1st Lieutenant, John Graul; and 2nd lieutenant, John Stout; Ensign, Phillip Boning; Court Martial men, Gideon Moyer, John Crawford and George Stout.

October 17, 1777, General Washington reported that, "the term of service of many of the military had expired and that one-half of the men capable of bearing arms, from the ages of eighteen to fifty-eight, should be called into the field." The quota from Berks County was three hundred men and one hundred and fifty men in Berks were recruited January 1, 1778. The system of supplying men was simple and effective. It was carried on in such a manner as to render assistance to the government without the people suffering losses. The time of service was short and many returned and attended to their crops, upon which the army depended for forage and supplies and that their families might not starve, and went out again. Others offended against discipline and went home to attend to their affairs before their terms of service expired and almost invariably returned when a fight was impending. Through this method several hundred militia men were kept in the field continuously, from Berks County, to reinforce the operations of the regular line under General Washington.

It will be noted by the above that the term "Court Martial" was not one of opprobrium, nor was it used in the military sense now given it. A "Court Martial" man, in the Revolutionary war, was a "reputable citizen" and ranked next to ensign.


The Oath of Allegiance
The General Assembly, of Pennsylvania, June 12, 1777, passed an Act requiring the men of the State to take an oath of allegiance and fidelity to this State. This was necessary owing to the loosely joined federation of states in rebellion against the King and to having no constitution; the test oath showing who would openly stand for the new government.

This oath required great courage on the part of those who took it, for if the revolutionary cause should fail, their property would surely be confiscated and they, themselves be imprisoned.

In some of the counties of the State many declined to take the oath, but in Berks County nearly every man took it; the original lists (Berks County Historical Society Library) containing about six thousand names. These men were formed into eighty or ninety companies, of sixty-four men each, and many of them in turn served some time in the field.

Of the men of Berks County, who served in the Revolutionary war, as Associators, Militia men, or long term Continentals, scarcely two-thirds of their names are on record. A few of these missing names may occasionally turn up but the bulk of them will never be found.

In some of the Western States, where societies of the D.A.R. and Sons of Veterans exist, this taking of the oath of allegiances is considered sufficient evidence for admission to the organizations.¹

As has been heretofore stated, the Berks County militia men, all of whom took the oath of allegiance, guarded prisoners, were in the campaign in New Jersey; while Washington's army was at Valley Forge they reinforced it and assisted the militia of other counties in patrolling and guarding the open country between the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers, and also participated in the battles of Brandywine and Germantown.

Of the six battalions of Berks County militia no complete records have ever been found. They may never have been recorded in the Pennsylvania Archives, or they may have been lost or were most probably burned in 1808 or 1814. In the former year many public documents were destroyed that had been stored in a two-story frames building in Washington, D.C., and when the British forces of General Ross, September 24, 1814, marched unopposed into the city and burned all of the public buildings, except the patent office, many valuable papers, among them the military rosters, were consumed in the holocaust.

August 17, 1777, Jacob Morgan reported that twelve companies of militia had marched from Reading, the whole number of whose officers and men were six hundred and fifty-six. The total number of militia men from the State, at that date, was two thousand, nine hundred and seventy-three.

(Another authority fixes the number from Berks as seven hundred and thirty.)

The battalions from Berks County were under Colonels Undree (Uttery) and Hunter.

(Note 1 - A D.A.R. woman, in Nebraska, obtained an oath of allegiance record from Berks County of her great grandfather (George Laucks) and received an added "Bar" for it (1913), and a short time ago sent for proof of another ancestor of hers, (John Lorah.)

From the State returns, church records, newspapers and family returns of private papers and deaths, the list in the Pennsylvania Archives, of these men, is being slowly augments, but of the five German companies from the vicinity of Womelsdorf, whose rosters were lost, little is known.

Captain Jacob Livingood's Riflemen, of Middletown, now Womelsdorf, were formed September, 1781. The company served until January, 1782. The roster of this company was among the five never recovered. The members of these companies were from Heidelburg and Tulpehocken Townships.

As the old church records are being slowly translated and old tombstones unearthed in the early cemeteries, and private family records are being transmitted to the State, the Pennsylvania German Society and the State and County Historical Societies, some of these rosters may be partially re-incarnated, but there is yet much to unearth of the records of the seventy thousand individual soldiers who formed the army of the war of the Revolution.

"There were four thousand militia form six districts of Berks County. The first company, third battalion, was from Pinegrove Township.

(Note 1 - Penna. Associators, Vol. II, pp. 257-276)

(Note) - In the United States a battalion consisted of two, four, six, eight or ten companies, according to circumstances and was commanded by the senior officer present. The number of men in a battalion varied from one hundred to one thousand. In the Revolutionary War the maximum number was six hundred and eighty privates, three field officers, one colonel, one lieutenant colonel and one major. The companies each had one captain, two lieutenants, one ensign, four sergeants and two court martial men.

Of the twelve captains that composed these battalions of militia, three men from that part of Berks County now included in Schuylkill County, Captains, Michael Furrer (Forrer), Jacob Wetstein (Whetstone), and Conrad Minnich. There were a number of men from the vicinity of what is now McKeansburg and West Penn, then included in Northampton County, who enlisted under Captain Brucker, of that county.

Michael Forrer recruited his company from "the western section of Berks County (now Schuylkill), and the Tulpehocken."¹

Capt. Michael Furrer's²³ (Forrer) Co., stationed at South Amboy, N.J., September 5, 1776. Bat. of Col. John Patton.

(Note 1 - Penna. Archives, 5th Series, Vol. II, p. 249.)

(Note 2 - Andrew Miller History.)

(Note 3 - Michael Forrer lived in Pine Grove Township)

Captain, Michael Forrer; 1st Lieutenant, Nicholas Seybert; 2nd Lieutenant, John Gernan; Sergeants, Adam Anspach (Alspach,) Henry Spang, Peter Leis, Philip Anspach, (Alspach); Ensign, Jacob Read (Rieth); Drummer, William Sherman; Fifer, Adam Read (Rieth).

Privates - George Wendlewolf, Peter Smith, John Keiser, Christian Witman, George Kantner, George Swartz, Daniel Sheffer, John Troutman, Michael Hoffman, Michael Bruker, William Feygert, Henry Deerwechter, George Deerwechter, Valentine Schiffller, Peter Deefenbach, Jacob Ruhl, Simon Linch, Frederick Sheffer, Valentine Troutman, Daniel Read, Peter Stein, Henry Koch, Adam Schnee, William Scheefer, George Emerich, Conrad Hoster, George Winter, Peter Houser, Nicholas Read, HEINRICH MILLER¹, Jonas Read, Nicholas Lechner, John Stup, Daniel Kuff, Andreas Aulenbach.

The above company was recruited from both sides of the Blue Mountain.

The Wetsteins were from near McKeansburg, and are on record from Pinegrove Township, their company was recruited largely from the north side of the Blue Mountain.

August 7, 1777, Jacob Wetstein's Company, mustered under Colonel Daniel Hunter, of Oley, and was on duty around Philadelphia, participating in the battle of Germantown under General Washington. The return roster of the company is given as containing forty-nine men and eight officers and includes the following: May 17, 1777.

First Company, Captain Jacob Wetstein.²

Ensign, Henry Wetstein; Conrad Sheffer, Rudolph Buzzard, Ludwig Herring, George Brouch.

The battalion of Colonel Daniel Udree, of Oley, was mustered in at the same date. To this command belonged the company of Captain Conrad Minnich, of Brunswick Township (Manheim). No trace of this roster has been found. The company was made up of men from both sides of the Blue Mountain. The return report of third class, Berks County Associators and Militia, Col. Daniel Udree, shows Captain Conrad Minnich's Company to have had on the muster roll:³ one captain, two lieutenants, one ensign, four sergeants, one drum and fifer, four substitutes.

(Note 1 - Heinrich Miller lived in Brunswick afterward Manheim Township. He was the ancestor of all of the descendants of Andrew Miller, Sr. - Miller History.)
(Note 2 - The descendants of Jacob and Henry Wetstein reside at Tamaqua, Schuylkill County, and spell their name "Whetstone.")
(Note 3 - Penna. Archives, 5th Series, Vol. 5, pp. 128-201.)

Nine officers and forty-one privates, making a total of fifty men, mustered as a company August 11, 1777, four days after the battalion. Captain Conrad Minnich is referred to¹ as "of the Revolution, from Brunswick Township, near the Schuylkill, several miles south of Sharp Mountain, then the frontier,"² and also notes Colonel Daniel Udree having six companies with a battalion of three hundred and one men around about Philadelphia, from August 11 to December 1, 17777, and that eight thousand, nine hundred and seventy-seven men, from 1775 to 1782, were in service from Berks County. Captain Conrad Minnich's Company, mustered May 17, 1777, and August 11, 1777, Colonel Udree and Colonel Lindemuth's battalions were mustered. Two records refer to Captain Minnich's Company as "Associators and Regulators" under Colonel Udree and two to Captain Conrad Minnich's second company, third battalion, Colonel Michael Lindemuth. The company serving twice under different commanders. John Stout, ensign; John Graul, Phillip Boning, George Stout, Gideon Meyer, John Crawford, privates, are the only names of the company of fifty men recorded.

Those who have made a study of the records in the Penna. Archives will appreciate the difficulty encountered in drawing a chronological order out of the records of the military, a logical sequence, in many cases being the only conclusion that can be arrived at. Of the fifty-three battalions of the Pennsylvania Associators only fragmentary records are given and these are frequent repetitions of each other and occur with slight additions or omissions, perhaps, in different volumes. The Continental Line in the War Department, Washington, D.C., is nearer completion but here also there are many imperfect records.

(Note 1 - Penna. Archives, 3rd Series, Vol. IV, p. 265.)
(Note 2 - 5th Series, Vol. V, pp. 128, 135, 190, 201 Penna. Archives)


The Militia companies went out several times, the time of service being limited to two months. Occasionally persons of the same name, in large families, enlisted during these various terms of service and to identify these properly other documents than the Archives must be called into requisition to endorse them.¹

Of the officers and privates of the fifty-three battalions of the Associators of the Colony of Pennsylvania, July 4, 1776, the following are of those closely associated with the localities of Berks and Schuylkill Counties, north and south of the Blue Mountains:

First Battalion - Privates John Hartman, Peter Filbert.

Second Battalion - Colonel, Mark Bird; Private, Benj. Tolbert.

Third Battalion - Private, Henry Spoon. Private Mathias Wenrich.

Fourth Battalion - Major Michael Lindemuth; Private Michael Moser.

Fifth Battalion - Col. John Patton.

Sixth Battalion - Major Conrad Leffler.²

Seventh Battalion - Colonel Sebastian Levan.

Major Martin Kergher (Kaercher) was of the third battalion under Colonel Michael Lindemuth. He lived in Windsor Township and was the ancestor of the Kaerchers, of Schuylkill County.

Col. John Patton was the ancestor of the Pattons, of Barry Township, Schuylkill County, who removed from Berks County, south of the Blue Mountain, to what was then Northumberland County.

Col. Lindemuth's two sons served as substitute drummer boys in Captain Rodermel's and Lieutenant Umbenhauer's Companies, for which they received forty-nine pounds.

Berks County Militia, First Battalion: - Colonel, Daniel Hunter; Lieutenant Colonel, John Guldin; Quartermaster, Isaac Feather.

First Company - Captain, Mathias Wick; Court Martial Men, John Pott, Jacob Heffner (ancestor of the late Samuel Heffner, of Pottsville, and his descendants), May 17, 1777.

Third Company - Captain, Jacob Rothermel; Lieutenant, Daniel Stout; Ensign, Christian Merkle. May 10, 1780.

Fourth Company - Captain, George Focht; Ensign, John Yoder. May 10, 1780.

Fifth Company - Captain, Peter Wanner (Werner); First Lieutenant, Henry Strauch.

Seventh Company - Captain, George Beaver. May 10, 1780.

(Note 1 - Pennsylvania Archives, Fifth Series, Vol. V.)
(Note 2 - Conrad Leffler, ancestor of William Leffler, deceased, Landingville; Aurelian Leffler, McKeesport; Uriah G. Leffler, Mechanicsville; Mrs. Mary Paul, Port Carbon; and indirectly connected with C. W. Wildermuth and others of Pottsville.)
(Note 3 - Vol. V, 5th Series, p. 262.)
(Note 4 - Penna, Archives, 5th Series, 5th Vol., pp. 160-180.)

Detachment of First Battalion Berks County Militia, Captain Charles Krause, guarding prisoners, August 16 to October 16, 1781, thirty-five Privates: Caspar Merkle, Titan McCarty, Jacob Sigfried (Jacob Sigfried, ancestor of the Berks and Schuylkill County Sigfrieds.)

Reber, Conrad - Captain George Miller's Co., on duty South Amboy, NJ., September 5, 1776. (Father of George Reber and grandfather of George, Jonathan and Daniel Reber, deceased, of Schuylkill County.)

Ney, Valentine - Ney, Jacob; Aulenbach, Daniel; Swartz, John; Loose, Jacob; Mayer, Phillip, were other members of this company from that part of Berks County now included in Schuylkill.² (Great grandfather of Daniel Ney, Friedensburg; Valentine Ney, buried in Summer Berg cemetery.)

(Note 1 - 5th Series, 5th Vol., p. 152.)
(Note 2 - Vol. V, p. 194.)

Orwig, Henry; Fisher, George; Fisher, Joseph - Colonel Michael Lindemuth certifies that they served out their time as substitutes, no company mentioned. They were from Brunswick Township (now Schuylkill County.)

Beard, Adam - Captain Third Company, Third Battalion; (grandfather of the late Michael Beard, and great grandfather of Captain Samuel and Attorney Herman Graeff, of Tamaqua, deceased.)

Graeff, Daniel - Captain Fifth Company, Third Battalion, Exeter Township (ancestor of the Schuylkill County Graeffs.)

Bechtel, Jacob - John, Peter and Henry were of this Battalion, and Judah and Moses Boone, Exeter Township (ancestors of Judah Boone, deceased, of Pottsville, and the Boones, of St. Clair.)

Easterly, (Esterly), Daniel - Captain Robinson's Company, Exeter Township, October, 1781. On list of Depreciated Pay (grandfather of the late Daniel Esterly, of Pottsville.)

Kercher, John; (Kaercher), Christian; First Company, Third Battalion, Captain Krauss, return 1783. Henry Miller, of Longschwamp, Berks County, also on the roll.

Miller, Sebastian - Captain Seventh Company, (A class); Fourth Battalion; return May 31, 1781. John Reber, John Van Read, John Reasher (Reeser) and Adam Fulmer on the rolls.²

Wolf, Michael - Captain of company on duty at South Amboy, N.J. August 26, 1776. Private Ludwig (Wendel) Swartz, McK
McKeansburg.

(Note 1 - Vol. 4, p. 257 Penna. Archives, 5th Series.)
(Note 2 - 5th Series, 5th Vol., p. 262, Penna. Archives.)
(Note 3 - 5th Vol, pp. 158-170.)

Captain Diehl's Company, Berks County Militia, January 22, 1777. Dallet Rhein and Pant Enge, from Pinegrove Township, Schuylkill County.

Nagle, Phillip - A drummer boy in the War of the Revolution, was the grandfather of Colonel Phillip Nagle, of Pottsville. The Revolutionary soldier, Phillip and wife, are buried in the old cemetery in the rear of Trinity Lutheran Church, Reading. (Simon and Phillip Nagle came from Rotterdam, October 16, 1751, ship Duke.)

Scheffer, Nicholas - Captain of Company on duty at New Town, January 2, 1777. Includes on its muster roll:

Huy (Hoy), John, Lieutenant; Abraham Hoy, Ensign. (Ancestors of Schuylkill County Hoys).

Gernandt, Mathias - (Ancestor of the Gernandts formerly of Orwigsburg and of Aaron Gernandt (Gernan), of Pottsville.

Kerschner, Conrad - Of Windsor Township, Berks County, (great grandfather of Mrs. A.J. Pilgram, Pottsville.)

Rauhn, Jacob - Progenitor of the Charles Rahn family, of Pottsville (Part 2.)

Matz, George, and Medler, George - Ancestors of old Schuylkill County families, are also on the roll of this company.

Zwally, Captain - (9th class.)

Schwaller, Christopher - From the return of the 7th class of Militia. Battalion Lancaster County Militia, Colonel, John Huber, under marching orders to Sunbury.

(Note 1 - 5th Series, 5th Vol.)

Zwally, Christopher - Believed to be the same man. Captain Duck's Company. ²

Other officers in the Berks County Militia were:

Captain Daniel DeTurck - Mustered into service July, 1776, with a muster roll of three commissioned and eight non-commissioned officers, sixty-one men. He was the great grandfather of Samuel DeTurck, of Friedensburg, deceased. Nicholas Scull, the surveyor of plats in Schuylkill and adjoining counties, and Frederick Fernsler, the great great grandfather to the Fernslers, of Pottsville, were members of this company.

Captain Henry Strouch - August 10th to September 9th, 1780, 6th Battalion; of Brunswich, afterward Manheim Township; ancestor of the Strauchs, of Schuylkill County.

Captain Jacob Schartel - After whom Schartlesville, Berks County, was named, was the great grandfather of Albert, Harry and William Schertle, deceased of Pottsville.

Captain Phillip Filbert's Co., December 13, 1777; 48 men, 9 officers, Colonel Jacob Weaver, great grandfather of Attorney J.H. Filbert, of Schuylkill Haven, and ancestor of the Filberts, of Pinegrove, and of P.K. Filbert, of Pottsville.

Ensigns - Henry Orwig, 2nd Company, 4th Battalion Nicholas Leib and John Stout, all of whom have numerous descendants in Schuylkill County, Captain Frank Leib, of Harrisburg, and Ellwood Orwig, of Lansford, being among the number directly or indirectly connected.

(Note 1 - Vol. 7, pp. 890, 233, 891.)
(Note 2 - Some of the above named spelled the name "Schwalm' later, but their connection with the Berks County family cannot be traced.
(Note 3 - Isaac DeTurck, born 1686, came from Northern France to Duchess County, NY, 1709, and to Oley Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, 1721. He was the ancestor of Daniel DeTurck, who was the great grandfather of Samuel DeTurck.

Lieutenants - Gernant, (Gannon), Phillip Spohn, Henry Focht.

Seitzinger, Nicholas - Captain Charles Gobin's Company, September 9, 1780.

Frederick Bensinger - Came to Brunswick Township, 1740, and lived in that vicinity. He was in the Revolutionary War, his name occurs on the pension list. His descendants reside in this county and in the western part of the State. A great granddaughter, Mrs. Jacob Olhausen, deceased.

Peter Kutz, Anthony Roeder and Frederick Shaffer, from Pinegrove Township, now Wayne and Washington Townships, were Revolutionary soldiers.

John Dollinger is buried in St. Peter's Lutheran and Reformed cemetery, Pinegrove.

Jacob Reinhart, from Upper Mahantongo, now Eldred Township, Revolutionary soldier, lived and died in that township.

Conrad Eisenhurth - Revolutionary soldier from Berks County, lived to the remarkable age of 111 years. His son, Conrad, died at 95. The former was the grandfather of A.C. Eisenhuth, of Orwigsburg, Schuylkill County.

Peter Bock, Isaac Moser, Balthaser Borch, Andrews Burkes, Bernard Kepner, Phillip Schwartz, Henry Lutz, Henry Hoffman, and Frederick Hettinger were in the Revolutionary War from Brunswick Township (from the vicinity of McKeansburg.) There were five residents from the same locality of the War of 1812.

The above are buried at Frieden's church, near New Ringgold and at McKeansburg. The first settlers came to that vicinity in 1740. They were Daniel, Jacob and Frederick Bensinger, Phillip Schwartz and John Kuehnle. They brought their families with them and named their settlement "Schmaltzdahl." Their first church was held in a log school house and was known as "Friedens, unweit der kleinen Shoolkill, neben den Blauen Bergen, Braunschweig, Berks County." Ulrich Heiser and Abraham Seltzer came 1758; Bernard Kepner, 1769; Jacob Whetstone (Capt. Of Company form Pinegrove Township), Andrew Bolich, Balzar Koch, Henry and Frederick Sassaman, in 1796-70. A tract of land was given, additional, 1768, when a new church was built. Part of this locality was in Northampton County until Schuylkill County was formed, 1811.

Jacob Shoemaker - Was born in New Jersey, 1760, and died at Bloomsburg, PA, 1840. He served throughout the entire Revolutionary War. His great grandson, William H. Shoemaker, of Shenandoah, was born in Pottsville, 1832.

The list of these men is imperfect. There may be more, but enough have been given to refute the assertion frequently made, that "Schuylkill County was not represented, to any extent, in the War of the Revolution."

Zerbes in the Colonial, French and Indian and Revolutionary Wars

The name Servi, Xavier, Servitz, Seriver, Serfas, Serfass, Service. Servey, Servier, Sevier, Zerfas, and Zerfass, is the same as Sevier, Sarva or Zarva, in the original and many branches of the family who spelled the name phonetically as above, have adopted the "Zerbe," "Zerbe," "Zerby," "Zerbey," others retaining the original spelling. There are sixteen different methods of spelling the name, as is stated elsewhere.

The following occur in the Fifth Series Penna, Archives, which contains fifteen volumes, the sixteenth being an index: Serfas, Adam, 4th Vol., p. 344, Capt. Continental Line, list of depreciated pay.

Serfas, Charles, Vol. 4, p. 344, Private, same
Serfas, Christian, Vol. 4, p. 664-672-357; Vol. 8, p.203, Private, same
Serfas, Frederick, Vol. 8, p. 242-297
Serfas, Henry, Vol. 8, p. 113-448-562; Vol. 4, p. 357
Serfas, Jacob, Vol. 8, p. 577
Serfas, John, Vol. 4, p. 664; Vol. 8, p. 575.
Serfass, Capt., Vol. 8, p. 96
Serfass, Adam, Vol. 8. P. 96, pp. 598-599-600, 48-109
Serfass, Christian, Vol. 8, p. 264
Serfass, Christian, Vol. 4, p. 344; Vol. 8, p. 306
Serfass, Frederick, Vol. 8, p. 283, 297, 596
Server, Daniel, Cpat. John Slater's Co., Lancaster Co., 1st Battalion Lancaster Militia.
(Daniel Zerbe, son of John Zerbe, the miller and brother to Benjamin, who settled in Pinegrove Township - Zerbe History.)

Server, Jacob, received depreciation pay. (Original rolls.) Continental Line. Jacob was a son of John Zerbe, wife Catharine Stup. He went early to Cumberland County. Christian Zerbe, who married Christina Strauss, was a brother.) (Vol. 6, pp. 556, 553, 577.)

Servier, Phillip - Cumberland Company, same county, Vol. 4, p. 638.

The U.S. paid the army in depreciated money, (shin plasters). This currency became lower and lower in value, the Tory sympathizers buying it up in quantities to still further reduce the credit of the government. The Legislature of Pennsylvania passed an Act to pay from the resources of the State treasury the balance, and all Penna. Soldiers were paid off at par by the State. This was called the "Depreciation Pay," hence the lists.

Servise, John - Capt. James Dunn's Co., Chester Co. Associators and Militia, 8th Battalion, Col. Patterson Bell.

Service, John - Capt. Gilbert Gibbs, Chester County, June 18, 1777. Militia of foot, Col. John Hannum.

Serfass, John - Vol. 8, p. 282, 493

Serfass, WIliam, Vol. 8, p. 282, 306

Servey, Peter - Vol. 2, p. 109, Capt. Huling's Co., Jan. 5, 1776; Nov. 25, 1776; Commissioned, Col. Arthur St. Clair, furloughed from Oct. 1776, by Gen. Gates, Continental Line. (Son of George Peter Zerbe, Zerbe History.)

Service, John - Vol., 4, p. 963; Vol. 5, p. 809, 817

Service, James - Vol. 4, p. 963

Servis, Jacob - Vol. 1, p. 302. Detachment Penna. Regt. In Garrison at Fort Bedford under Col. Jos, Shippen, Jan. 24, 1760. Capt. Hambright's Co.

Surver, Phillip - Vol. 6, p. 556-564

Surver, Adam - Vol. 8, p. 575

Servise, John - Vol. 3, p. 1025

Server, Abraham (8th Vol., p. 222.) Capt. Jacob Heller, two months tour of duty, from around Allentown, Northampton County. 8th Co., Capt. John Santee.

Server, Daniel - 7th Vol., p. 245

Server, Jacob - 4th Vol., p. 333; 6th Vol., p. 332-563

Server, Phillip - 4th Vol., p. 630; 6th Vol., p. 563-630
Serves, Henry - 8th Vol., p. 306

Serfass, Christian - Same company from Northampton Co., same.

Servey, John - Private Continental Line, Northumberland Co. Vol. 4, p. 379, p. 693.

(From lists of soldiers who received depreciation pay, and also from a manuscript record, no date, headed "Rangers on the Frontiers.")

Note - In addition to the Depreciation pay the Pennsylvania Legislature passed an Act entitling each soldier from this State, in the regular service of the Revolutionary War, to 200 acres of land. The officers were graded accordingly, a Major General receiving three thousand acres. There were no homestead laws attached to the bill and the greater part of the land fell into the hands of unscrupulous land speculators who bought up the bulk of the grant as low as fifty cents per acre.

Servey, Benjamin - Private, Capt. Benjamin Weiser's Co. of the German Regiment, of the General Battalion.

Zerbe, Benjamin (the same, enlisted twice) - Continental troupes commanded by Colonel Nicholas Haussegger, in the service of the United Colonies, in barracks, Phila., Oct. 3, 1776. Enlisted July 19, 1776; December 3, 1776. The Penna. German Regt. Berks County. Court Martial Man, Vol. 3, p. 793. (Son of John Zerbe, the miller), (Zerbe History). Court Martial Man ranked next to Ensign.

Serven, William - Enlised Dec. 10, 1776; killed Oct. 4, 1781. Col. Hazen's Regt. Penna. Continental Line. Vol. 3, p. 780. Vol. 4, pp. 357-672.

Service, Thomas - Private, Capt. Charles McHenry, 5th Penna Regt., Continental Line, Sept. 9, 1778.

Sarvas, John - Private 5th Penna. Regt., Continental Line, January 17, 1781. Vol. 5, p. 89.

Service, Thomas - Private, Capt. John Barclay, 5th Penna. Infantry in service U.S., Col. F. Johnstone, Commander, April, 1780. Vol. 3, p. 62.

Serfass, John - Capt. John Gregory, Col. Nicholas Kerns, for the year 1782, April 22, from Northampton Co., Vol. 8, p. 493.

It should be borne in mind that the early magistrates were phonetic spellers. Many of the early settlers, the French and German, had little or no knowledge of English, and had not decided upon perfect translations of their names into that language. They spelled by sound. Of these were the Zerbes. Others took the meaning of their names and changed them, as Hunter, Stone, etc., which differed widely from the names in the original pronunciations and spelling.

Servey, John - 4th Vol., p. 369-693-379, Northumberland Co. Militia. Private in Continental Line.

Servas, John - Served as a private in Capt. Byles Co., 3rd Penna. Regt., in Revolutionary War and that he was paid to September 1, 1776, 3 pounds, 15 shillings for service.

Serva, John - Private, John Mull's Company, same battalion commanded by Col. Peter Hosterman, on duty for 16 days, from April to July, 1779.

Servy, John - Private, Capt. John Black's Company, same battalion from October 9 to October 27, 1779.

The above three are from the records of the War Dept., Adj. General's Office, Washington, D.C., January 4, 1912.

(There were in 1736 three John Zerbes in Berks County. Owing to the custom of naming one son after the father, to perpetuate the name, this number of Johns had doubled at least until 1776. Those too, who migrated to Northumberland and Northampton County, also had Johns' they were, however, all related and first cousins, except the descendants of one of that name, who were of the second degree. The record from the War Department states, that, "as the term of all Militia men was not longer than two months, the same men returned several times under other, or the same commands and the records often refer to the same man," hence the duplication of names.)

Servitz, Joseph - Private Capt. George Shriver's 3rd Co., 7th class, Northumberland Co., Vol. 8, p. 357.

Sarby, George - George Peter Zerbe, son of Martin Zerbe. Private, Independent Troop of Horse, Phila. County, 1756. Capt. Edward Jones, Vol. 1, p. 50, French and Indian War. They were of the 3rd Battalion and were known as the Augusta Regiment.

Martin and John Phillip Zerbe (Zerbe History, brothers, were in Queen Anne's War, 1711. (Part 1 and 2.)

Seriver, George - Capt. John Paton, 7th Co., 6th Battalion, Col. Jas. Taylor, Lancaster Co. From the original muster rolls, public records, Harrisburg, April 15, 1783. Vol. 7, p. 619. (Son of George Peter Zerbe, Zerbe History.)

Zehrfass, Capt. - Vol. 8, p. 590; Vol. 6, p. 216.

Zehrfass, Abraham - Vol. 7, p. 245-312.

Zarban, John - Private in Capt. Weaver's Co., Same battalion, Berks County, from April 5, 1779, for a period of 22 days. (Son of George Peter Zerve - Zerbe's History)

Zerben, George - 3rd Series, Vol. 6, pp. 321-'22. Accounts Capt. Phillip Filbert's Co. (8th class.) 39 pounds. (Son of John Zerbe, the miller - Zerbe History.)

Zerbe, Leonard - 5th Vol., p. 230. Ensign, Company 8, 5th Battalion, Mary 17, 1777. 3rd Series, Vol. 6, pp. 321-'22. 6th Battalion, 4th Co., Heidelberg, Capt. Phillip Filbert. (Son of John Zerbe, the miller - Zerbe History.) (Sworn in by Peter Spyker, Justice, with 778 others. Total number enrolled, 1778.)

Zerben, Michael - 3rd Series, Vol. 6, pp. 22-38. 2nd Sergt., Capt. George Miler's Co., from Bethel and Tulpehocken Townships. 29 men, 4 officers. Mustered December 13, 1777. On duty at South Amboy, N.J. (Son of George Peter Zerbe - Zerbe History. Sept. 5, 1776. 5th Series, Vol. 5, p. 152.) Four thousand and fifty eight men.

Zerban, Michael - Account of Capt. Weaver's Co. 4th class. 8 pounds. Vol. 5, p. 151, 152. (Son of John Jacob Zerbe, Bethel Township.)

Zerbe, Christian - Capt. Phillip Filbert's Co. Series 3, Vol. 6, p. 322.

All of the above occur in the Fifth Series, Penna. Archives, unless otherwise credited. The Pennsylvania Militia all served several tours of field duty, but only a few of the company lists have been preserved. The new Fifth Series of fifteen volumes, the sixteenth being the index, contains nearly all of the Pennsylvania Revolutionary records that have been found up to 1906.

(Note 1 - There are many references throughout the 5th Series to the name spelled as above, but as the Christian name is the same as those previously given, spelled with an "S" instead of "Z", for the surname, it is believed that they are in most instances correlative.)

---

Berks and Schuylkill in Revolution
Those included in the following list are from Volume Five, Fifth Series, Pennsylvania Archives.

Baker, David - Second Lieutenant, Capt. George Miller's Co. On duty South Amboy, N.J., September 5, 1776. (Wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Peter Zerbe and Elizabeth Loucks.)

Gruber, Christian - Ensign, 6th Co., 2nd Battalion, Class A. May 10, 1780. Vol. 5, p. 183.

Gruber, Christian - First Co., 6th Battalion Lancaster County Militia, 1783. Vol. 7, p. 609.

Gruber, George - List of "Depreciated Pay," Vol. 4, p. 495.

Gruber, Valentine - Served in Capt. Rieff's Co., December 11, 1777 - February 6, 1778.

Gruber, Albrecht - Capt. Conrad Shirman's Co., 6 Bat., Aug. 10, 1780.

Reber, Conrad - Capt. George Miller's Co., September 5, 1776. (Vol. 5, p. 152.) (Miller-Reber History, Part III.)

Reber, Michael - Capt. Baldy's Co., Militia, September 9, 1780.

(Note) - The name Staudt occurs more than one hundred times in the 5th Series Penna. Archives. It would seem that any one of that name in the United States, who can prove the chronological order of descent, may find among the names of those mentioned an early ancestor.

The Stoudts (Staudts) were numerous in the Revolutionary War. Among those from Berks and Schuylkill Counties are the following: The name Staudt is variously spelled. Stout, George - Ensign, Capt. Jacob Kremer's Co., Co. 7, (A class), 6 Bat., May 17, 1777.

Stout, Daniel - Sergt. Jacob Baldy's Co., August 10, 1780.

Stout, Daniel - Capt. Phillip Filbert's Co., 5 Vol., p. 183.

Stup, John - Capt. Conrad Sherman (brother of Catharine Stup, wife of John Zerbe), Vol. 5, p. 41.

Stout, John - Sergt. Capt. Daniel Rieff's Co., Feb. 6, 1778.

Swartz, Christian - Capt. Jacob Ladig's Co., Feb. 6, 1778.

Stout, John - Capt. Conrad Minnich's Co., May 17, 1777; 3rd Bat., Col. Michael Lindemuth.

Stout, John - Ensign, May 10, 1780, Capt. Anthony Schrader's 3rd Co., 5th Battalion, (brother of Elizabeth Stout, married to Andrew Miller.)

Stout, Daniel - Lieut., May 10, 1780.

Stout, John - Sergt. Capt. Daniel Rieff's Co., Dec., 1777; Jan., 1778; in camp thirty and a half miles below Reading.

Stout, Joseph - Shipmaster, lucia Packet, 1762-1776.

Stout, Capt - Fifth Series, Vol. 3, pp. 534, 568, 574, 575, 582.

Swartz, Jacob - List of Depreciated Pay, Vol. 7, p. 766.

Stout, Abraham - Vol. 5, p. 442

Stout, Daniel - Vol. 5, pp. 373, 378, 167, 234; Vol. 7, p. 766.

(Those above, credited as coming from Lancaster County, lived in Heidelberg Township, near the line dividing Berks and Lancaster Counties. They were in Lancaster County prior to 1752, when part of Heidelberg was legislated to remain in that county. Families in Berks County, near the line, were closely identified with their friends and neighbors on the other side who had not changed their locality but the name.)

The name Merkle under various spellings occurs about eighty times in the Penna. Archives. The Merkles were very numerous in the Revolutionary War. There are also one hundred and sixty mentions of this name in the old Moselem Church records, Richmond Twp., Berks County. (Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, Philadelphia), (Fifth Series Penna. Archives, 5th Vol., p. 183.)

Merkle, Jacob - Capt. John Fulmer's Co., Wayne Township formerly Manheim (Berks), Schuylkill County.

Merkle, Caspar - Capt. Phillip Filbert's Co., Vol. 5, p. 183.

Merkle, (Merky), John - Capt. John Fulmer's Co. (Same).

Merkle, Abraham - 1781, 5th Vol., p. 185.

Merkle, Nicholas -

Mercklin - Vol. 6, pp. 240, 246.

Merckle - Vol. 8, pp, 195, 210.

Merckling - Vol. 6, pp. 240-246.

Merkle - Vol. 5, p. 211.

Merkly - Vol. 4, p. 252.

Merkle, Bernhard - Capt. Baldy's Co., Sept. 9, 1780.

Merkle, George - Capt. Peter Nagle's Co.

Merkle, Christian, Jr. - Capt. Jacob Ladig's Co.

Merkle, John - Capt. Jacob Ladig's Co., October 1, 1781.

Merkle, Christian - Ensign, 5th Co., May 10, 1780, 3rd Co., and 1st Bat. from Trappe.

Marckle, Abraham - Independent troop of horse, Phila., 1756.

Marckle, Michael - Vol. 3, p. 855, Capt. Of the Light Dragoons, came from France with Lafayette and belonged to the Independent corps, Cavalry and Foot, December 28, 1778.

Merkle, Merkel, Merclin, Marckle. Part 2.

The Rieths and Their Records
Rieth, Michael - Capt. John Huling's Co., Commissioned January 5, 1776; November 25,1776. Furloughed from October, 1776, by Gen. Gates, Continental Line. Vol. 2, p. 109.

Rieth, Valentine, Jacob, Phillip, Adam, Caspar, Peter, Christian, John, Samuel, George, Daniel, Michael, Frederick. - The name Rieth is now spelled Reed, Ried and Read. There were fourteen of that name in the Revolutionary War, all sons of the two who came from the Palatinate, 1710, and settled in the Schoharie, subsequently removing to the Tulpehocken, 1723. The two former were ensigns. Jacob died 1821, Valentine, 1825, 75 and 76 years old; both are buried in Rieth's cemetery, Stouchsburg, Berks County.

Rieth, Leonard - 2nd Series, Vol. 3, p. 23, List of Officers, Rev. War, Berks County, Wagon Master, Jan. 8, 1778. Col. Henry Haller, Reading, held same position Feb. 25, 1778. Vol. 3, p. 23. (Leonard, son of George Rieth, wife, Anna Maria, daughter of George Peter Zerbe - Zerbe History.)

Rieth, John (Johannes) Was from Pinegrove Township. He was a brother of Leonard Rieth.

(Note - In the latter part of July, 1777, in anticipation of an invasion by the British, under Gen. Howe, the Executive Council secured wagons to remove the public records, at Philadelphia, to a place of safety and to assist the families of the inhabitants to remove, with the aid of the militia men. The President of the Executive Council ordered three hundred and fifty wagons from the Lieutenant of Berks County. Col. Jacob Morgan made the requisition according to the number of taxables. The Continental Congressional Records and Treasury were moved to Lancaster and Congress met there on the 27th of July. After the enemy left, October 17, 1777, only twenty of the three hundred and fifty wagons were retained.)

---

Family Traditions
Two incidents, in which members of the Rieth family participated, may prove interesting to others than those who have preserved the traditions.

In 1793 when General George Washington visited Womelsdorf, he expressed a desire to see the tomb of Conrad Weiser and asked to be accompanied thither by three of his old body guard who had come to do honor to their old commander-in-chief. Christopher Lechner, Jacob and Valentine Rieth responded and spent an hour in his company. General Washington knelt at the lonely farmside grave for a brief prayer for his former comrade in arms. (Conrad Weiser's tomb is noted elsewhere)

On another occasion General Washington had met some of his officers, for a conference, at the old tavern at Valley Forge. He came out of the hotel rather hastily, unattended. Leonard Rieth, who was loitering outside, seeing his predicament rushed to his assistance and acted as aid-de-camp, or orderly, holding his horse and adjusting his cloak and stirrups, Washington apparently not noticing the omission on the part of his regular attendant.

George Washington Spoke Pennsylvania German
Phillip Schwartz lived in the vicinity of what is now McKeansburg, with the earliest settlers prior to 1776. After the battle of Trenton, in which the Pennsylvania Germans saved the day for their redoubtable leader, Washington reported that the term of service of many having expired, that one-half of the men capable of bearing arms should be called into the field. The order was made October 17, 1777, and January, 1778, one hundred and fifty men were recruited from Berks County, Phillip Schwartz, of Brunswick Township, was one of the number, but prior to this an interesting little episode occurred which has been handed down among the reminiscenses of the family.

When Schwartz heard that he was wanted he said; "I will go, but I must see General Washington first." Schwartz rode to Washington's headquarters on one of a handsome pair of black colts, that he had spent much time and care upon in raising and that were the pride of his heart. Upon inquiring of the sentry for General Washington he was admitted to his presence only upon the plea of most urgent business. ("Ich muss e' in sehnen.")

Schwartz then related to the great commander in the reigning vernacular, that "He wanted to go to the field before, he would go now but there was no one home but his wife and the children. They could manage the farm but they could not care for the colts, they needed his care, they would die without him."

Washington went out and inspected the handsome horse and then said, "Cum yusht! Wier bezallen dich fier die guile was sie ward sin."

Phillip Schwartz went home, brought the remaining colt and received his pay for the pair and served his full time. The horses were used for mounts for the offices and to the end of his time, Schwartz died about 1840, he related this story. He was very proud of his service in the struggle for freedom and on Battalion Day, or any great military participated, old Phillip Schwartz appeared in his Continental uniform, sat upon the platform and was made one of the Vice Presidents of the meeting or an honorary member of a committee. His grandsons were, Joseph and Edward Schwartz, well known citizens of Schuylkill County.


(Note - The city of Washington was founded, 1790, by the first President of the United States, whose name it bears. It became the seat of the Federal Government in 1800. The delegates from the original twelve colonies, fifty-five in number, met in Philadelphia, September 5, 1774. The second Congress met May 10, 1775, and issued the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. The Congress removed to Baltimore toward the end of that year. The first Congress of the United States met in New York in 1789, its sittings were transferred to Philadelphia in 1790, and were removed to Washington in 1800.)

Lancaster, Pennsylvania, county seat of a southeastern county of the same name, adjoining the Maryland line, was the seat of the State government from 1799 to 1812. Many valuable records were burned here, too by the destruction of the court house, 1828, by fire.

---

Source citation: "Blue book of Schuylkill County : who was who and why in interior eastern Pennsylvania, in colonial days, the Huguenots and Palatines, their service in Queen Anne's, French and Indian, and Revolutionary Wars : history of Zerbey, Schwalm, Miller, Merkle, Minnich, Staudt, and many other representative families" by Ella Zerbey Elliott; Pottsville, Pa.: "Republican", 1916

---

HOME

©Genealogy Trails