USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > History of Berks county in Pennsylvania > Part 25
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"Any person having wool which he cannot dispose of in the country, may bring it to the house of Mr. Mark Bird, in Reading, who will give fourteen pence per pound for any quantity.
" By Order of the Committee.
"JONATHAN POTTS, Secretary." 1
1 1 American Achives, p. 1144.
139
REVOLUTION AND INDEPENDENCE.
From the patriotic spirit that prevailed, this recommendation was doubtless observed.
BATTLE AT LEXINGTON AWAKENS COUNTY. -The battle of Lexington was fought on the 19th of April, 1775. When the news of the battle reached Reading, about a week afterward, a company of men was formed, who wore crape for a cockade in token of the sorrow for the slanghter of their brethren. Each township in Berks County resolved to raise and discipline its company. On the 25th of April, a town meet- ing was called at Philadelphia, when thousands of the inhabitants assembled, and agreed to associate for the purpose of defending with arms their lives, their property and their liberty.1 This patriotic feeling prevailed at Reading and in the county. The following extract of a let- ter from Reading, dated 26th of April, 1775, presents it forcibly :
" We have raised in this town two companies of foot under proper officers; and such is the spirit of the people of this free county, that in three weeks time there is not a township in it that will not have a company raised and disciplined, ready to assert at the risk of their lives the freedom of America." 2
COMPANIES FROM BERKS COUNTY.
A number of companies from Berks Couuty were enlisted and served in the great struggle of the colonies for independence. A record of their respective services has not been published, and I have not been able to ascertain satisfact- orily what they did or where they served. This will account for the want of an introduc- tory narrative with the several rosters. The companies, so far as I have been able to ascer- tain them, were the following. I made diligent search amongst the records of our county in order to ascertain what companies were fur- nished by the county in this period, but I could not find any statement or evidence of any kind relating to this subject.
Captain George Nagel, Thompson's Battalion of Riflemen.
Captain Jonathan Jones, D. Haas' First Pennsyl- vania Battalion.
Captain Henry Christ, Miles' regiment Pennsyl- vania Riflemen.
14 Bancroft's "Hist. of U. S.," p. 549 (Centenary Ed., 1879.)
2 2 American Archives, p. 400.
Captain John Spohn, Magaw's Fifth Pennsylvania Battalion.
Captain Peter Decker, Magaw's Fifth Pennsylvania Battalion.
Captain John Lesher, Patton's regiment.
Captain Jacob Moser, Harmar's Sixth Regiment Pennsylvania Continental Line.
Captain Jacob Bauer, Von Ottendorff's corps Penn- sylvania Continental Line.
Captain Benjamin Weiser, Hausegger's regiment.
NAGEL'S COMPANY OF RIFLEMEN .- On June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress passed resolutions requiring twelve companies of expert riflemen to be raised for the purpose of joining the army near Boston. Eight of these compa- nies were to be raised in Pennsylvania, formed into a battalion, and commanded by officers recommended by the Assembly or convention of the province. The officers were recom- mended and commissioned; and the command formed of these companies was called "Colonel Thompson's Battalion of Riflemen." Each company consisted of one captain, three lieuten- ants, four sergeants, four corporals, a drummer or trumpeter and sixty-eight privates. The pay was as follows: Captain, $20 a month ; lieutenant, $133; sergeant, $8; corporal, $7}; drummer, $7} ; private, $63.
They supplied their own arms and clothes. The term of enlistment was one year.
One company in this battalion was from Reading. It was Captain George Nagel's.
ROLL OF CAPTAIN GEORGE NAGEL'S COMPANY.3
Captains.
George Nagel, commissioned June 25, 1775 ; promoted major of the Fifth Battalion, Colonel Robert Ma- gaw, January 5, 1776.
Morgan Conner, commissioned January 5, 1776; March 9th called from camp by Congress, and sent into the Southern Department ; afterwards lieutenant- colonel of Colonel Hartley's regiment.
First Lieutenants.
Morgan Conner, commission dated July 17, 1775; promoted captain. David Harris, appointed January 5, 1776.
Second Lieutenants.
Peter Scull, commissioned July 17, 1775; promoted captain of Third Pennsylvania Battalion, Colonel John Shee's, January 5, 1776.
5 Penna. Archives (2d series), vol. x. p. 34
For his - tory of this battalion, see same volume, pp. 3-13.
140
HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
Benjamin Chambers, Sr., from private, Captain Chambers' company, January 5, 1776; subse- quently first lieutenant First Pennsylvania.
Third Lieutenants.
Peter Grubb, com. July Peter Weiser, appointed
17, 1775 ; appointed to January 5, 1776.
Miles' rifle regiment.
Surgeon. Dr. Jonathan Potts.
Sergeants.
Jacob Bower, appointed John McKinty.
quartermaster.
Alexander Brannon.
Hananiah Lincoln, see Philip Gibbons.
Twelfth Pennsylvania.
Corporals.
James Williams.
Henry Senevely. Casper Heiner.
Hugh Hughes.
Drummer.
John Molay.
Thomas Bain.
Privates. Abraham Griffith. John Grow.
Christopher Baldy.
Yost Berger.
Timothy Harris.
Conrad Bourke.
John Huber.
Peter Bowman.
William Jones.
Peter Brough.
James Brown.
George Kemmerling. John Kerner, wounded at Lechmere Pond, Nov. 9, 1775 ; re-enlisted in Sixth Pennsylvania in 1777.
Casper Cool, or Kool, died in Berks County in 1807.
Charles Kleckner, pro- moted ensign of Ger- man Regiment. Nicholas Leasure.
William Crowley.
John Leaman.
Henry Deckert.
Casper Leib.
Christian Derr, re-enlist- ed in old Eleventh, Col. Humpton.
Harmon Leitheiser, en- sign Sixth Pennsylva- nia.
Hugh Dennison.
John Lewis. Samuel McFarland.
John Dombangh. Jacob Duck.
Christopher Martin.
Jacob Elgerts.
Michael Miller.
Jacob Ebright.
Peter Mingle.
Andrew Engel. Peter Felix.
Alexander Mogey [Mc- Gee].
George Fisher.
Adam Moyer.
Christian Fought. Michael Foust.
Lewis Franklinberry.
George Gearhart.
Charles Gordon.
Daniel Gorman.
Daniel Graff. John Grant.
Elias Reiger, discharged George Spotts.
July 1, 1776; resided in Union County in 1820,
Frederick Tueo.
Abraham Umstedd.
Thomas Reilly. John Rewalt.
William Robinson.
pehocken.
Christian Rone.
Nicholas Shanefelt.
Andrew Shirk.
John Weiser.
Joseph Smith.
Isaac Willey.
Henry Senevely, Sr.
-
A return of March, 1776, states the strength of the company as follows: One captain, three lieutenants, four sergeants, four cor- porals, one drummer and sixty-five privates present.
IN MASSACHUSETTS CAMPAIGN .- Within three weeks from the time of their enlistment some of the companies took up their line of march to the Hudson River on their way to the army at Cambridge, Mass. During July and August, 1775, they passed through New Wind- sor-on the Hudson several miles above West Point. Nagel's company, from Reading, re- ported at headquarters, at Cambridge, on the 18th of July.1 The last of the battalion arrived on the 18th of August. The appearance of the men was described as follows :
"They are remarkably stout and hardy men, many of them exceeding six feet in height. They are dressed in white frocks or rifle-shirts and round hats. These men are remarkable for the accuracy of their aim, striking a mark with great certainty at two hun- dred yards distance. At a review, while on a quick advance, a company of them fired their balls into ob- jects of seven inches diameter at the distance of two hundred and fifty yards. They are now stationed in our lines, and their shot have frequently proved fatal to British officers and soldiers who expose themselves to view even at more than double the distance of com- mon musket-shot." 2
" Each man bore a rifle-barreled gun, a toma- hawk or small ax and a long knife, usually called a 'scalping-knife,' which served for all purposes in the woods. His underdress-by no means in military style-was covered by a deep ash-colored hunting-shirt, leggins and moccasins-if the latter
1 A letter, dated July 24, 1775, from the camp at Cam- bridge, stated-" The Reading Company of Rifles got into camp last Tuesday (18th)."
2 Thatcher's " Military Journal of Revolution,'' August, 1775.
Henry Orwig. Samuel Parks, Adam Pickle.
Christian Moyer, or Chris- topher Myer. Michael Moyer. Ernst Nibber [Lawrence ]. Frederick Nipple.
John Stone.
John Streker.
Philip Waggoner, of Tul-
Nicholas Waltman. Christian Wander.
John Bermeter, living in Berks County in 1810. Michael Ceney.
John Cox. Robert Creed.
141
REVOLUTION AND INDEPENDENCE.
could be procured. It was the silly fashion of those times for riflemen to ape the manners of savages." 1
The battalion was first actually eugaged and sustained its first loss in killed and wounded on the 27th of August, whilst covering an intrench- ing party. Captain James Chambers, of Cum- berland County, described the engagement in a letter, dated 29th of August, as follows:
"On the evening of the 26th instant (Saturday) I was ordered to draw fifty men out of each of the Cum- berland companies and to be ready to march at sun- set. I did so, and marched, without beat of drum, to Prospect Hill, and thence proceeded with the riflemeu stationed there (in all about four hundred) to Ploughed Hill and then to the hill within three or four hundred yards of the enemy's strongest works, to cover a party of about two thousand musketmen, who were at the same time to entrench on Ploughed Hill. They la- bored hard all night and atdaybreak had the redoubt nearly completed. The English began a heavy can- nonading, which continued all day. They killed one adjutant and one soldier with cannon and wounded three others with musket-balls. William Simpson, of Paxtou, was struck by a shot and his foot carried away."
Simpson was a young man in Captain Smith's Company, from Lancaster County. During his illness he was visited and consoled by General Washington, in person, and by most of the offi- cers of rank belonging to the army. Every exertion was made to save him, without avail. He died on the 29th of August, 1775, and his death became a theme of common sorrow in an army of twelve or fourteen thousand men. He was the first Pennsylvania soldier who fell in the War of the Revolution.2
JONES' COMPANY .- The campaign for the conquest of Canada was conducted during the year 1776. The company of Captain Jonathan Jones, of Berks County, participated in it. In January, 1776, he and his company, number- ing eighty-three men, set out npon the long march of six hundred miles to Canada, pro- ceeding by way of Easton, the Hudson River and Albany, and arriving at Quebec in the lat- ter part of March. They suffered much cold and sickness and endured many hardships.
After their retreat from Quebec, they returned, at the risk of capture, and secured valuable papers which had been left behind. They par- ticipated in the battle of Three Rivers, on June 8, 1776, and accompanied the army in its dis- astrous retreat to Ticonderoga.
ROLL OF COMPANY. 3 Captain. Jonathan Jones.
Corporals.
- Bean.
- Kelly.
Jacob Candy. Matthew Clark.
Privates.
George Alexander.
Patrick McLaughlin.
John Brown.
Clement Merls.
James Dagley.
Philip O. Miller.
Brice Dunlap.
Robert Murdock.
Joseph Fullerton.
James Murphy.
Robert Gougher.
Albert Pearson.
Daniel Leary. Ezra Shea.
James McCorley. Joseph Skelton.
John McGregor. William Tennent.
Robert McKillup.
William Walker.
Joseph McMullen.
Thomas Walters.
JONATHAN JONES was a son of David Jones, one of the earliest settlers of Caernarvon town- ship. He was born in this township in 1738. Upon the breaking out of the Revolution he raised a company of Associators in that locality, and was appointed a captain in the First Penn- sylvania Regiment of the regular Continental army, October 25, 1775, and ordered with his company to the " British Barracks," at Phila- delphia. He acted as part of the escort of Martha Washington into Philadelphia, and in December was ordered into Northampton Coun- ty, Va., to protect it against Lord Dunmore. The alarming state of affairs in Canada led to the revocation of this order, and, by command of Congress, he marched with his company of cighty-three men for Quebec, over the snow and " frozen lakes." This terrible mid-winter march consumed two months. After the precipitate retreat from Quebec, he voluntarily returned, at the risk of capture, and recovered valuable papers. He was with Arnold in his pursuit of the British, after the battle of the Cedars, and took part in the battle of " Three Rivers," June
1 Description by Judge Henry, of Lancaster, who, when but a boy, was one of the riflemen.
2 " History of Lancaster County " (Everts & Peck, 1883), pp. 39-40.
3 10 Pa. Arch. (2d ser.) 57. Roll incomplete.
142
HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
8, 1776. He shared the terrible and distressing sufferings of the army in its disastrous retreat to Ticonderoga, and underwent at that post the severe and exacting routine of military duty in- cident to its fortification and defense to resist the attack of General Carleton. He wasstationed there from July 9 to November 15, 1776. On October 27th the time of enlistment of his men ran out, but through his exertions they consented to remain as long as the enemy was in their front. After a year's active service he was promoted to the rank of major, October 25, 1776, and to lieutenant-colonel of his regiment, which liad become the second under the new arrangement, March 12, 1777. His constitu- tion was so shattered by the hardships and ex- posure of the campaign against Canada that he was obliged to return home to recruit his health in the winter of 1776-77. Having partially re- covered, he rejoined his regiment in the spring of 1777, the command of which devolved upon him after the resignation of Colonel James Ir- vine, June 1, 1777. Two companies of the regiment were then on duty in Philadelphia and the remainder were guarding the upper ferries of the Delaware. Increasing ill-health, however, obliged him to resign his commission in-the latter part of July. In December, 1778, he was appointed by the Assembly a commis- sioner under the test laws, and he was a member of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania from Berks County from October, 1779, to October, 1780. His health continued steadily to decline, and he was shortly afterward stricken with paralysis, of which he died, after a lingering illness, on September 26, 1782, at the early age of forty-four. He was buried at Bangor Church, Churchtown, of which members of his family had been wardens and vestrymen from its earliest foundation.
CHRIST'S COMPANY .- The following is the roll of Captain Henry Christ's company in Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment, under command of Colonel Samuel Miles :
Captain.
Henry Christ, Jr., Berks County, March 9, 1776 ; resigned March 19, 1777.
First Lieutenant.
Daniel Topham, March 28, 1776 ; captured August 27, 1776; exchanged April 20, 1778.
Second Lieutenant.
Jacob Maess, March 16, 1776.
Third Lieutenants.
Abner Davis, March 28, 1776; resigned October 19, 1776.
George Gyger, from sergeant October 24, 1776.
Sergeants.
George Gyger, April 1, 1776; promoted third lieu- tenant October 24, 1776.
Matthew Whitlow, April 20, 1776; missing since the battle, August 27, 1776.
Jeremiah Geiss, March 29, 1776 ; missing since the battle, August 27, 1776.
Adam Christ, from private; wounded, ball passing through his breast at Brandywine.
Joseph Starke. Drum and Fife.
Samuel Keiser. Matthias Rehrer.
Nathan Hinkel.
Privates.
William Albert, March 29, 1776.
Henry Alter, April 8, 1776.
Michael Arnold.
William Butler, April 12, 1776 ; re-enlisted in Second Pennsylvania.
Adam Christ, March 18, 1776 ; promoted sergeant. Melcher Close.
Godfry Dering, April 11, 1776.
John English, April 22, 1776.
Francis Fisher.
Henry Fisher, April 11, 1776.
Godfrey Fister, April 20, 1776.
Henry Frederick, April 17, 1776.
Paul Frederick, May 4, 1776; missing since the bat- tle, August 27, 1776.
Yost Fuchs [Fox], March 23, 1776 ; missing since the battle, August 27, 1776.
Hermon Geiss, April 11, 1776. John Green, April 9, 1776.
Peter Groff, April 6, 1776.
Michael Groff.
Valentine Gyger, of Shamokin, April 13, 1776.
John Hambright, of Shamokin, April 15, 1776. Nicholas Hamm, March 26, 1776.
William Harbert, March 24, 1776.
Jacob Heckman.
Yost Heck, April 2, 1776.
George Heffner.
John Hermon, April 8, 1776.
Michael Hienerleiter.
Henry Hill, March 25, 1776.
Nathan Hinkel, April 12, 1776.
Daniel Houseknecht, March 23, 1776.
John Hummel, March 23, 1776.
George Jones, April 7, 1776. Francis Keehl.
Jornal Lona Genes
LT. COL. JONATHAN JONES, Second Penna. Regt. Continental Army.
-
143
REVOLUTION AND INDEPENDENCE.
Christian Kemmerer, May 3, 1776. George Kettner, March 25, 1776. Christian Kreamer, April 5, 1776. Simon Kreisher, March 22, 1776. Abraham Lantsert, March 25, 1776. Henry Leffler, March 24, 1776. George Lehuig, April 13, 1776. Isaac Linwill, April 9, 1776.
Emanuel Lippert, April 5, 1776. John Long. Philip Lott, April 22, 1776. John Lutz, April 22, 1776. Gotlieb Mack. Simon Maderia, April 9, 1776. George Mengel, April 13, 1776. Henry Merts, April 14, 1776. Philip Miller.
Joseph Muffly. Daniel Nitterhous, April 8, 1776. John Nothstein.
Frederick Poust [Boust], March 22, 1776.
Matthias Rehrer, April 10, 1776. Charles Reichard, April 3, 1776. Jacob Reiff, March 26, 1776.
Jacob Riegle. David Seebold.
Yost Seyler, April 28, 1776 ; resided in Centre County in 1830.
Adam Shaffer, April 22, 1776.
Joseph Stark, May 14, 1776.
Adam Streckdefinger.
Frederick Struble, April 26, 1776.
Peter Treher, March 25, 1776.
Christian Walk, April 6, 1776.
John Weaver, April 7, 1776; discharged January 1, 1778 ; resided near Germantown in 1821.
John Weidman, April 10, 1776.
Henry Weiss.
George Whitman, March 24, 1776; his wife, Maria, shared with him the fatigues of army life; died in 1823. Michael Wissler. Henry Wolf, April 8, 1776. George Zenig. Philip Zott.
SPOHN'S AND DECKER'S COMPANIES .- In the Fifth Pennsylvania Battalion, under the com- mand of Colonel Robert Magaw, there were two companies from Berks County, one from Reading, Captain John Spohn's;1 and the other, mostly composed of men from the county, Captain Peter Decker's.2
1 Penna. Arch. (2d ser.), vol. x. p. 151.
2 Same, p. 155. For history of battalion, see same volume, pp. 103 and 137.
ROLL OF CAPTAIN JOHN SPOHN'S COMPANY. [This roll is incomplete.]
.
Enlisted at Reading, Pa. On the 28th of May, 1776, his company, officers and men, numbered seventy- eight.
Captain. John Spohn, Reading, commissioned January 5, 1776 ; resigned November 4, 1776.
First Lieutenant.
John Morgan, Philadelphia, commissioned January 6, 1776; taken August 16, 1776; same day pro- moted captain, vice Miller, killed June 1, 1778, became supernumerary ; exchanged August 26, 1778. Second Lieutenant.
William Stanley, commissioned January 8, 1776; taken August 16th; same day promoted first lieut- enant ; exchanged August 25, 1780. Ensign. John Gansel, commissioned January 8, 1776. Sergeant-Major.
Enoch Wright, appointed November 16, 1776. Sergeants. Jacob Vanderslice, Reading, taken November 16, 1776. Adam Ruth. Corporals. Henry Vanderslice, Reading, taken November 16; 1776 ; residing at Sunbury, 1792.
Henry Goodheart, Reading, taken November 16, 1776. James Campbell, Reading, taken November 16, 1776.
Privates.
Jacob Albert, Reading, taken November 16, 1776. John Allison, subsequently sergeant-major of Fourth Pennsylvania.
John Barnhest, taken November 16, 1776; paroled December 26, 1776.
Richard Barington, Cecil County, Md., taken No- vember 16, 1776.
Anthony Bishop, Reading, taken November 16, 1776 ; paroled December 26, 1776.
George Cole, Reading, taken November 16, 1776 ; paroled December 26, 1776; residing in Berks County, 1811.
William Collins, taken November 16, 1776.
Timothy Carney, Cecil County, Md., taken November 16, 1776 ; paroled December 26, 1776.
Dennis Calaghan, enlisted June 1, 1776.
Valentine Dengler, Reading, taken November 16,1776. Peter Duck, Philadelphia, taken November 16, 1776. William Fletcher, Cecil County, Md., taken Novem- ber 16, 1776 ; paroled December 26, 1776.
Henry Goodhart, residing at Sunbury, 1791.
Christopher Havener, Reading, taken November 16, 1776.
George Heilman, Reading, taken November 16, 1776 ; paroled December 27, 1776,
144
HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
1 Christian Holick, Reading, taken November 16, 1776. Jacob Hausknecht, Reading, taken November 16, 1776.
George Hoffner, Reading, taken November 16, 1776; paroled December 27, 1776.
Martin Link, Reading, taken November 16, 1776. Nicholas Mann, Reading, taken November 16, 1776 ; paroled December 26, 1776.
George Marshal, Reading, taken November 16, 1776. Jacob Miller, Reading, taken November 16, 1776; re- enlisted in Colonel Hartley's regiment; discharged 1781 ; died in Walker township, Centre County, 1822, aged sixty-seven.
Peter Miller, Reading, taken November 16, 1776 ; paroled December 26, 1776.
John Nair, Reading, taken November 16, 1776. John Rangler, Reading, taken November 16, 1776. Michael Ranme, Reading, taken November 16, 1776. John Rheam, Reading, taken November 16, 1776. Michael Selser, Reading, taken November 16, 1776. John Shelson, Cecil County, Md., taken November 16, 1776.
Michael Whitmer, taken November 16, 1776 ; residing in Cumberland County, 1809.
George Whitmire, Reading, taken November 16, 1776 ; died in New York, two days before exchange.
Benjamin Ziegler, Reading, taken November 16, 1776.
Michael Zurn, Reading, taken November 16, 1776.
On May 26, 1776, Decker's company num- bered eighty-six officers and men. Decker was from Reading ; commissioned January 5, 1776 ; taken prisoner November 16, 1776 ; broke his parole, and resigned February 1, 1777.
In a return dated October 7, 1776, Spohn's company was reported to have had seventy officers and men, of whom fifteen were sick and absent, and Decker's seventy-four, of whom nine were sick and absent. On November 15th following, Spohn's had one first lieutenant, one second lieutenant, four sergeants, and of rank and file, twenty present fit for duty, and nine- teen sick, present; and Decker's had one captain, first lieutenant and second lieutenant, each, four sergeants, two drum and fife, and rank and file, thirty-seven present fit for duty, and six sick, present.
ROLL OF CAPTAIN PETER DECKER'S COMPANY. [This roll is incomplete. ] Captain.
Peter Decker, Reading, commissioned January 5, 1776; taken November 16, 1776; broke his par- ole; resigned February 2, 1777.
First Lieutenant.
Charles Phile, Philadelphia, commissioned January 6, 1776; taken November 16th; promoted cap- tain February 1, 1777; exchanged August 26, 1778; became supernumerary.
Second Lieutenant.
John Rudolph, Darby, Chester County, commissioned January 8, 1776; taken November 16th ; promoted to first lieutenant February 1, 1777; exchanged October 25, 1780.
Ensign.
James Mulloy, commissioned January 8, 1776.
Sergeants.
James Forsythe, Cumru, Berks County, taken No. vember 16, 1776.
Michael Gabby, New London, Chester County, taken November 16, 1776; paroled December 26, 1776. Christopher Weiser, residing in Buffalo township, Union County, 1792.
Corporal.
Philip Duck, Cocalico, Lancaster County, taken No- vember 16, 1776; paroled December 26, 1776.
Privates.
Abraham Brosious, Cumru, taken November 16, 1776. Michael Burkhart, Cumru, taken November 16, 1776; died in prison.
Jacob Cherchner, Cumru, taken November 16, 1776; died in prison.
Andrew Cook, Darby, taken November 16, 1776.
Leonard Dell, Cumru, taken November 16, 1776; died in Penn township, Snyder County, 1792.
James Finerty, Mildrick, Del., taken November 16, 1776.
Robert Fry, Philadelphia, taken November 16, 1776. George Huber, taken November 16, 1776; residing in Dauphin County, 1806.
George Huber, taken November 16, 1776; residing in Dauphin County, 1807.
Anthony Lehman; Pennsylvania pension, York County, in 1818, aged sixty-five.
Peter Moyer, taken at Fort Washington ; exchanged 1778; re-enlisted in Captain Bankson's company. Matthias Spang, Cumru, taken November 16, 1776; paroled December 26, 1776.
Leonard Strow, Cumru, taken November 16, 1776. Edward Welsh, Cumru, taken November 16, 1776. Jacob Young, Cumru, taken November 16, 1776; paroled December 26, 1776.
Michael Zeller, Cumru, taken November 16, 1776; residing in Dauphin County in 1807.
John Zuier, Cumru, taken November 16, 1776; died in prison.
LESHER'S COMPANY .- The following is a copy of the roster of a company from Berks County which served during the campaign com-
145
REVOLUTION AND INDEPENDENCE.
mencing with the battle of Long Island (dated Perth Amboy, August 27, 1776) :
Colonel. Johu Patton. First Major. Joseph Thornburgh. Second Major.
Christian Lower.
Staff Adjutant.
Henry Spyker.
Quarter-master.
George Lechner. Captain. John Lesher.
First Lieutenant. Jacob Rehrer.
Second Lieutenant. John Anspach. Ensign.
Jacob Bortner.
Sergeants.
Valentine Beuler. Wm. Eichberger. Conrad Sherman.
Francis Zeller.
Corporals.
Philip. Eichberger. Henry Krum.
Peter Weis. Jacob Read.
Fifer.
Andrew Zeller.
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