USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > History of Berks County, Pennsylvania, in the Revolution, from 1774 to 1783 > Part 6
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18
On June II, 1776, Magaw's Battalion, and that of Col. John Shee, (a merchant of Philadelphia) were or- dered to march to New York. They started on the 15th and reached their destination from the 20th to the 25th, and 'on the 29th they were placed under the command of Gen. Thomas Mifflin. They en- camped where Fort Washington was erected-being employed in its construction under Col. Israel Put-
85
REVOLUTION.
nam, and remained there until the fighting of the Battle of Long Island August 27th, when they marched back to New York, reaching that place after the bat- tle was over. On the 28th, they went to Brooklyn, where, annoyed by continual rains, without tents, they lay upon their arms and kept up incessant firing with the British. On the 30th, they were or- dered to retire, and on the 31st, came to re-occupy Fort Washington. These battalions then remained five weeks on the Harlem Heights. On November 16th, the fort was invested by Gen. Howe's army and captured. Then Magaw's battalion, with others, inostly from Pennsylvania, were posted in the lower lines of Harlem Heights. The superiority of the British drove all finally into the fort, when they sur- rendered, and the battalions of Shaw and Shee be- came prisoners almost entirely. Many of them were paroled in December following. The men were re- tained as prisoners until in January, 1777, by which time their term of enlistment had expired. Most of the officers did not secure their release for years after- ward.
A return of May 28, 1776, showed that Spohn's company had 78 men, including officers, of whom 15 were absent on account of sickness ; and Decker's company had 86, of whom 9 were absent, also on ac- count of sickness. On the day before the surrender, (Nov. 15, 1776) the companies were as follows :
Spohn's company-45 men, comprising the first and second lieutenants, 4 sergeants, 20 men fit for duty, and 19 unfit.
Decker's company-52 men, comprising captain, first and sec- ond lieutenants, 4 sergeants, drummer and fifer, 37 men fit for duty, and 6 unfit.
86
REVOLUTION.
In Shee's Battalion, Daniel Brodhead, of Reading, was commis- sioned as Lt .- Col. on October 25, 1776 ; and Peter Scull, also of Reading, as a Capt. January 5, 1776. Scull was appointed Brigade Major on March 23, 1776.
Capt. Peter Decker has been included with the Reg- iment commanded by Lt .- Col. Nicholas Lotz in the "Flying Camp," in the returns and publications that relate to this regiment ; but the services of his com- pany are identified entirely with Col. Magaw's Regi- ment as detailed.
Roll of Christ's Company.
Captain.
Henry Christ, Jr. ; resigned March 19, 1777.
First Lieutenant.
Daniel Topham; captured Aug. 27, 1776; exch. April 20, 1778. Second Lieutenant.
Jacob Maess.
Third Lieutenants.
Abner Davis; resigned Oct. 19, 1776.
George Gyger, from sergt. Oct. 24, 1776. Sergeants.
George Gyger, April 1, 1776.
Matthew Whitlow, April 20, 1776 ; missing since the bat- tle, Aug. 27, 1776.
Sergeants. Jeremiah Geiss, March 29, 1776; missing since the battle, Aug. 27, 1776.
Adam Christ, from private ; wounded, ball passing through his breast at Brandywine.
Joseph Starke.
Drum and Fife.
Samuel Keiser, Nathan Hinkel. Matthias Rehrer.
Privates.
William Albert.
John English.
Henry Alter.
Francis Fisher.
Michael Arnold.
Henry Fisher.
Godfrey Fister.
William Butler ; re- enlisted in 2nd Pa. Adam Christ.
Henry Frederick.
Paul Frederick ; missing since bat- tle of Aug. 27, '76.
Yost Fuchs (Fox) ; missing since the battle.
Herman Geiss. John Green. Peter Groff.
Melcher Close.
Michael Groff.
Godfry Dering.
Valentine Gyger.
87
REVOLUTION.
John Hambright.
Abraham Lantsert.
Jacob Riegle.
Nicholas Hamm.
Henry Leffler.
David Siebold.
William Herbert. Jacob Heckman.
George Lehnig.
Yost Seyler.
Yost Heck.
Emanuel Lippert.
Joseph Stark.
George Heffner.
John Long. Philip Lott.
finger.
Michael Hinterleiter
John Lutz. Gotlieb Mack.
Frederick Struble.
Nathan Hinkel.
Simon Madeira.
Christian Walk.
Dan'l Hausknecht,
George Mengel.
John Weaver.
John Hummel.
Henry Mertz.
John Weidman.
George Jones.
Philip Miller.
Henry Weiss.
Francis Keehl.
Joseph Muffly. Daniel Nitterhaus.
George Whitman.
Christian Kem- merer.
John Nordstein.
Henry Wolf,
Christian Kraemer.
Frederick Poust.
George Zenig.
Philip Zott.
Simon Kreisher.
Charles Reichard. Jacob Reiff.
Adam Streckde-
John Herman.
Isaac Linwill.
Adam Shaffer.
Henry Hill.
Peter Treher.
Michael Wissler.
George Kettner.
Services of Company.
The Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment was embodied strictly for the defense of the Province, at the sugges- tion of the Committee of Safety, on February 20, 1776, when they passed a resolution praying that the House of Representatives order the raising of 2000 men for that purpose. The House acted promptly and on March 4th appointed a committee to estimate the expense of levying a body of 1500 inen, victual- ing and paying them for one year. On March 5th the estimate was reported, and on the same day the levy was made and the men were ordered to be enlisted to serve until January 1, 1778, subject to be discharged at any time. The first two captains were appointed on March 7, 1776 ; the others on the 9th.
88
REVOLUTION.
Daniel Brodhead of Reading was appointed Lieut .- Colonel of the 2nd Battalion on March 13, 1776, and Ennion Williams, of Bethel township, was appointed Major of the Ist Battalion on the same day, both of whom afterward became prominent in the Revolution.
The regiment was raised in about six weeks and rendezvoused at Marcus Hook. On July 2nd it was ordered to Philadelphia, when the number of officers and men in Christ's company reported on duty were 62; on the 4th to Bordentown, on the 5th to Trenton, and thence to Amboy under orders to join General Mercer, which it accomplished by the 16th. On August Ist, a report of the company showed 64 on duty. On August Ioth, the regiment was ordered to New York under the command of Brig .- Gen'1 Lord Sterling. Accord- ing to a general return on the 24th, 867 officers and men of this rifle regiment were present.
The regiment was engaged in the Battle of Long Island on Aug. 27, 1776, where it was stated that the Pennsylvanians got a "drubbing " and were " prettily taken in." The army of about 5000 men was sur- rounded by 15,000 English and Hessians. The num- ber of killed of the latter was large, but of the Con- tinentals very trifling. About 700 Continentals were taken prisoners and among them "more officers than perhaps was ever known in a like number of men." Among the killed was Col. Miles. In this battle the rifle regiment was so badly broken up that Gen'1 Washington ordered the three battalions to be consid- ered as a regiment, and to be placed under the com- mand of Brodhead until further orders.
89
REVOLUTION.
On September 27, 1776, these battalions were in Gen'1 Mifflin's brigade and stationed at Mount Wash- ington. By a rearrangement of October 5th, Christ's company became the 7th in the regiment, which was afterward known as the "Regiment of Foot." At that time the situation of the company was 4 ser- geants, I drummer and 41 privates, with II men ab- sent. Thence it followed the fortunes of the Conti- nental army. It was engaged in the capture of the Hessians at Trenton on December 26, 1776 ; also in the battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777 ; and then lay part of the winter at Philadelphia. The remain- ing service until Jan. 1, 1778, has not been ascertained.
LOTZ'S BATTALION IN FLYING CAMP.
In pursuance of the address to the Associators, Col. Nicholas Lotz, chairman of the Standing Committee, on Thursday, June 27, 1776, issued the following notice for a meeting of the Committee on July 2nd :
" Resolved, That notice be immediately given to the members of the General Committee of this county to meet at the Court House in Reading, on Tuesday next, the second day of July, on affairs of public importance and very interesting at this critical time, especially to choose officers for 666 men ; and that the several members be desired to enquire what officers now in the Associa- tion are willing to go into immediate service on call."
This meeting was held at the time appointed, and from the published record in the Pennsylvania Asso- ciators, vol. 2, p. 776, the following officers were then chosen :
Col., Henry Haller. Lt .- Col., Nicholas Lotz. Maj., Edward Burd.
90
REVOLUTION.
Captains.
Jacob Graul, Read- Jacob Maurer, ing. Maidencreek.
Joseph Heister,
Reading.
John Ludwig, Exe- ter.
John Old, Amity. George Douglass,
Amity. Peter Decker, Reading
The rosters of the several companies have not as yet been found, nor have the names of all the officers of the battalion been ascertained. But a letter, which the Committee of Correspondence addressed to Con- gress on July 13, 1776, indicates that one company more than the quota of the county had been raised. By the notice it would appear that this quota of the 4500 men from the whole Province was 666. The letter was as follows :
Committee Letter to Congress.
READING, July 13, 1776.
Sir : We have received your letter, containing a resolve of Con- gress for the removal of the privates, who are prisoners in this town, to Lancaster, which we shall carry into execution with all the despatch in our power.
We received a letter from the honorable the Delegates of this Province, mentioning that we should be informed by express, or by the gentlemen from our County, then at Lancaster, that all the Militia that could possibly be equipped and armed should be called forth. We also received a letter from the Committee of Lancaster, enclosing copies of letters from a Committee of Congress, and from the Committee of the City of Philadelphia ; in the former of which it is mentioned that the forces from the several Counties should be collected and marched to Brunswick ; in the latter it is mentioned that only the 4500 men ordered to be raised in the Province, as a part of the Flying Camp, were meant by the letter of the Committee of Congress. We, therefore, continued our plan of raising our quota for the Flying Camp, and, indeed, added a company more, to complete the battalion, hoping for the approba- tion of Congress in so doing: since which we have seen in the
91
REVOLUTION.
public prints the proceedings of the Conference of the Delegates of the several Counties, and of the Committee of Safety of the City and Liberties. But as we had nearly raised several com- panies to compose the Flying Camp, (the place of which this Militia is intended to supply) and the others were proceeding with great success, considering the great scarcity of every kind of tol- erable arms among the people to arm such a multitude, we hope our completing the original plan will he approved of, as the men will he more quickly raised and better equipped than if we were to take down the whole Militia. Our conduct is dictated by the warmest attachment to the cause of our country, and we trust it will be considered in that light hy the honorable Congress.
We are, with great respect, sir, your most obedient and very humhle servants,
Henry Haller, John Whitman, Jun., Collinson Read. Edward Burd, Paul Kerper,
To the Honorable John Hancock, Esq.
INTENTIONS OF CONGRESS EXPLAINED.
Notwithstanding the promptness of the county in responding to the call for a "Flying Camp," it seems that some inisrepresentation of the intentions of Con- gress had arisen amongst the Associators of the county and the officers who were appointed to form the "Flying Camp." It was in respect to the march and arrangement of the Associators and militia who were to compose the said camp, and the Standing Commit- tee on that account addressed a letter to the Constitu- tional Convention on July 22, 1776 ; to which the fol- lowing reply was made on the 24th :
"Your letter, 22d Inst., to the Hon'ble B. Franklin Esq'r, Presid't of the Convention, was refered hy the Hon. Convention to the Council of Safety. They must acknowledge the Laudahle zeal with which your Committee has, at all times, carried into execu- tion the recommendation of such powers as acted under the Peo- ple ; But, particularly, your ready & cheerful Obedience to the ordinance of Convention for disarming of non-Associators.
92
REVOLUTION.
"The embarrassments you Labor under in consequence of Resolves of Congress and others, which, from the confused state of the times, appeared somewhat Contradictory, appears to us ex- cusable. In order to render the intentions of Congress more plain & Comprehensive and to their expectations, The Council of Safety have inclosed you their resolution upon the matter, requesting that you will take such Measures to publish it through your dis- trict as will be most Effectual & Expeditious, and that you would encourage the Associators to turn out on this very im- portant Immergency."
The resolution alluded to in the letter was as fol- lows :
"Resolved, That all the Militia who may be furnished and equip'd agreeable to the Resolve of Congress do march to such place as they have been respectively ordered by Congress, and that the persons who have been appointed Captains in the Flying Camp and have not enlisted 25 men for that service, do return them to their respective Corps of Associators to which they formerly be- longed, and continue with them ; the appointment of the officers for the Flying Camp still to continue, and the men already en- listed to be considered as bound by their enlistment, and to be continued in service when the militia may be permitted to return, and subject to further orders of the Convention or this Board. And it is further recommended that those Companies which have been raised to form the Flying Camp, which already consists of 25 privates and upwards, do immedialely proceed to Trenton or Brunswick, as heretofore directed.
" Resolved, That this Board will allow the Officers who were appointed to command the Flying Camp all such reasonable ex- penses as have accrued in the recruiting service."
COUNTY TROOPS AT BETHLEHEM.
The following extracts were taken from the Penn- sylvania Magazine of History, vol. 12, pps. 390-91, having reference particularly to troops from Berks County at Bethlehem in August, 1776 :
93
REVOLUTION.
Capt. Old's company, on the way from Reading to New York arrived at Bethlehem on Aug. 4, 1776, at 9 a. m. He asked the Moravian minister to preach to his men, and came with them to the chapel where the Rev. Ettwein discoursed both in the English and German languages.
On Aug. 16th, four companies of militia from Tulpehocken, with flying colors, drums and fifes, arrived at the same place en route for the Flying Camp at New Brunswick. They lodged over night at the Sun Tavern.
On Aug. 23rd, a company from Reading under Capt. Will, en route for the Jerseys arrived at Bethlehem and lodged over night. They attended evening service.
On Aug. 26th, two companies arrived. One was from Oley, un- der Capt. Daniel DeTurk, and the men attended evening service ; and on Aug. 28th, a company from Reading, under Capt. George May arrived.
On Sept. 1st, the 4th Battalion of Berks County Militia, under the command of Col. Balser Geehr arrived at Bethlehem at noon ; and at four o'clock in the afternoon, Rev. Ettwein preached to them in the chapel.
The companies of Capt. Old and Capt. May are mentioned in connection with Lotz's Battalion, but they evidently were not with Lotz and the battalion in their march to Long Island. The others named are additional to those that were engaged in that battle.
The four companies from Tulpehocken must have been part of the 5th Battalion of County Militia, commanded by Col. John Patton. They were from the Western section of the county. The 4th Battalion, under Col. Geehr, was from the Northern section, and, from the extract given, it would seem that the entire battalion was in actual service.
94
REVOLUTION.
Marching Order to Capt. DeTurck.
The following order was issued by Col. Henry Haller to Capt. Daniel DeTurck, directing him to march his company to Amboy :
By Henry Haller, Esq., Colonel of the Regiment raising in Berks County, to compose part of the quota of the troops which is to be furnished by Pennsylvania for the Flying Camp.
To Daniel Turck, Esq., Captain of a Company in the said Bat- talion :
You are directed to march your company the nearest and best way to Amboy in the Jerseys with all expedition that lies in your power, where you are to join the Pennsylvania forces and then to apply to the Commander in Chief for the time being for further orders.
You are to place guards over the baggage wagons, who are to be furnished with powder and ball, but must not load without neces- sity. The Guards always to be accountable and must deliver over the Ammunition which they have received to the succeeding guard.
The men to be restrained as much as possible from drinking too much strong liquor or committing the least insult on the inhabi- tants of the places through which they march.
Given under my Hand and Seal at Reading ye 23rd August, 1776.
1 SEAL. S. & P. L. S HENRY HALLER.
In pursuance of this order, Capt. DeTurck proceeded with his company from Reading on August 24, 1776. The roll of the company was as follows :
Roll of DeTurck's Company.
Captain. Daniel DeTurck.
First Lieutenant.
Second Lieutenant.
Paul Kerber. Charles Gobin.
95
REVOLUTION.
Sergeants.
Henry Yeager. Henry Wax. John Phillippi. Jacob Briner.
Corporals. John Dippery. John Heebner. Conrad Krafft.
Fifer.
George Phillippi.
Privates.
Christ'r Rightmire.
Deobald Schmidt.
Henry Fisher.
George Brown.
George Miller.
Henry Faust.
Peter Baum.
Caspar Wecht.
Henry Ruth.
Nicholas Scull.
Samuel Homan.
John Hill.
Valentine Seahler.
Nicholas Seitel.
Charles Mell.
Michael Rosch.
Philip Hartman.
Nicholas Eckert.
John Ernst.
Ulrick Kissinger.
John Brown.
Henry Baum. Job Herbey.
William Lewis.
Wm. Shealhiemer.
Christ'r Schneider.
David Betz.
Christian Scheaffer.
Christian Wald-
Henry Hatt.
George Schleer. Henry Leinbach.
schmidt.
John Beck.
Philip Wentzel.
Carl Schucker.
Martin Yung.
Gabriel Gantzer.
Frederick Bechtel.
Philip Hatt.
George Wingert.
Christian Ruth.
David Fox.
Henry Strunk. William Goodhart.
John Hesch.
Benjamin Leinbach. Dieter Miller.
Christian Fisher.
Charles Zent.
George Albert.
Paul Steph.
Deob. Haberacker.
Henry Frymire.
Nicholas Dick.
Michael Bleyler.
George Lawyer.
The foregoing 72 men entered the service on August 26, 1776, for two months, excepting the fol- lowing : Charles Gobin, George Phillippi, Joseph Bil- lings, John Hesch, Christian Fischer and Paul Steph, who joined the company in September. All were dis- charged on October 26th.
The monthly pay of the men was as follows : Captain, £15; Lieutenants, {10, 2sh., 6d. ; Sergeants, £3 ; Corporals and Fifer, {2, 15sh .; and privates £2, 10sh.
Elijah Dewees.
John Kiehn.
Joshua Evans.
Joseph Billing.
Frederick Fernsler.
96
REVOLUTION.
These facts were taken from the original pay roll which I inspected. It was entitled : "A Pay Roll of Capt. Daniel DeTurck's Company of Militia of the Third Class of Berks County, commanded by Col. Michael Lindemuth." Col. Henry Spyker, the Pay- master, paid the men in 1778.
Capt. DeTurck is mentioned as of Oley, but he was from Alsace.
Order to Organize .- His company was slow in organizing, and it may be that the men misunder- stood the resolution of Congress in reference to raising troops for the service. Col. Haller had issued the following order to him :
READING, July 12, 1776.
Dear Sir :- The inhabitants of Berks County being indifferent to organizing a volunteer militia, it becomes necessary that we should take similar action as the other counties, or suffer such disgrace that it will not be forgotten if it do not cause our entire ruin.
In behalf of the good name of Berks County, to avoid any fur- ther delay, and especially to serve the public welfare, we should not neglect the distinct order of the Honorable Congress any longer.
Therefore I direct you to call your company together on next Sunday without fail and then make a proper step forward. Your help in this matter will be expected without fail. An officer from here will be in attendance, but you must let me know as soon as possible the time and place where you propose to meet.
I am, my dear sir, your friend and servant,
HENRY HALLER.
To Captain Daniel Duerck.
This order was written in German. It was evi- dently prepared by some scrivener and issued by Col. Haller as a common form for all the captains.
REVOLUTION. 97
DeTurck's Company having arrived at Bethlehem on August 26, and remained there over night, it is apparent that they did not reach their destination, (over 50 miles farther on) until the last of August.
Battle of Long Island .- Eight battalions of Penn- sylvania troops in the "Flying Camp" were sent to the army at New York. Three of them were incom- plete, and of these, one was composed of Berks County Associators, under the command of Lieut. - Col. Nich- olas Lotz. The colonel, Henry Haller, did not join the army till after the opening of the campaign. The command of Lotz was said to comprise only 200 men. It was in Sterling's brigade. On Aug- ust 24, 1776, Washington was in doubt as to the in- tentions of the enemy. He found the British 16,000 strong, but they had been estimated at only 8000. He ordered more reinforcements over on the Brooklyn side, and among these was Lotz's command. The Battle of Long Island was fought on August 27, 1776. In the engagement, part of Lotz's command, under Major Burd, was stationed at the coast-road, at and around the "Red Lion Tavern." Burd was at the lower road with Hand till he was relieved. In num- bers, the British exceeded the Americans on the island three to one. The advance-guard of the British, un- der Grant, marched up the Narrows and struck the American pickets in the vicinity of the "Red Lion " about two o'clock in the morning. The pickets re- treated before the enemy without checking their march. There was hardly more than an exchange of fire with Major Burd's detachment when he and many others-about 800-were taken prisoners. This skir-
-
98.
REVOLUTION.
inishi took place on the "Narrows Road," between 38th and 40th Streets. The Americans were defeated because the British had completely ontflanked and surprised them on the Jamaica road. Among thie prisoners there were 91 officers. The killed were 6 officers and 50 privates, and less than 16 officers and 150 privates were wounded. The total loss of the British was reported as 367 officers and men. There was no official report of the losses in Lotz's detach- 111ent. He had 6 officers taken from him, all prison- ers, none killed or wounded. The following appeared among the list of prisoners : Lieut .- Col. Nicholas Lotz, Maj. Edward Burd, Capt. Jacob Graul, Capt. Joseph Hiester and Capt. Jacob Maurer. Hiester and Maurer were exchanged in December, 1776. Lotz was admitted to parole within certain bounds on April 16, 1777, and exchanged on September 10, 1779, when he returned to his home in Reading.
The reduction of men from 666 to 200 has not been explained. The companies in the battalion were full, judging from the letter referred to, and the extra com- pany was that of Capt. Peter Decker, which was at- tached to the battalion commanded by Col. Robert Magaw. Taking the notice of Col. Lotz and the letter to Congress together, I am led to say that the battalion was full when it marched to participate in the Long Island campaign, and conflicting statements in the description of the Battle of Long Island by various authors must be considered with hesitation. At least six companies accompanied the battalion, yet only three captains are mentioned as having been taken prisoners, Graul, Hiester and Maurer. What
99
REVOLUTION.
became of the remaining three, Ludwig, Old and Douglass ? From the assumption that the battalion was not complete and had only 200 inen in the en- gageinent, the other three companies must have be- come detached from the battalion, or must not have been in the service at all. Of these three companies, Ludwig's was fromn Exeter, in the central section of the county, but Old's and Douglass's were, I think, from the southern section.
Incidents of Hiester's Company .- Joseph Hiester, a young man only twenty-three years old, was selected as one of the delegates from Berks County to the Provincial Conference which assembled in Carpenters' Hall at Philadelphia during June, 1776, and upon its adjournment he carried the spirit, which had been devel- oped tliere, to Reading and acted promptly in behalf of the provision for troops to constitute part of the " Fly- ing Camp." On July 10, 1776, he called together, by beat of the drum, 25 or 30 of his fellow-citizens and asked them to take into consideration the alarm- ing state of tlie country. He explained the situation and said that there was a necessity for action. Having aroused their patriotism, he expressed a desire to raise a company of volunteers and inarch with them to the assistance of Gen'l Washington, who was then in a perilous situation in New Jersey. He was listened to with great respect, and at the conclusion of his re- marks he said (laying $40 in money on a druin-head) : "I will give this suin as a bounty and the appoint- ment of a sergeant to the first inan who will subscribe the articles of association to form a volunteer company to march forthwith and join the commander-in-chief."
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.