Monday, June 27, 2011

Next: The Making of Nehemiah Newan(s) or Maybe Newin(s)

Oh, my aching back. When I sit here at the computer too long I get stiff... ever happen to you? I'm a newbie at this so I need to remember to move around more and not keep glued to the next record coming up on my computer screen!

Had the thought to make a timeline of my ancestor who fought in the Revolutionary War so that I could get a feel for the trajectory of his life. Here's what I have so far.

1740-50: Born possibly in Darbyshire UK.

1755: Came to America with General Braddock as a field officer.

1764: Braddock killed.

After Braddock's Defeat: resigns commission and settles in York, PA.

1775: Revolutionary War: serves as captain in the Pennsylvania Line for 4 years, 5 months, 25 days:
General Wayne's Brigade
Captain Finly's Company
Colonel Hartly's Regiment
First regiment commanded by Colonel Butler

1779: Marries Catherine Kepplinger in York PA. Perhaps he got hitched while on recruiting duty in York? Miss K. must have been quite a catch because her father was partners in a good business;)

1780: Son Thomas born.

1781: July. Wounded left knee at battle of Green Springs near the James River VA under General Wayne
Recovered at two hospitals one of which was at Williamsburgh

After recovery from wound ordered to a recruiting post in York PA
After that ordered to rejoin his company then in Lancaster PA.

1783: Discharged September. Received an Honorable Discharge.
After war, receives a Land grant. (Remember that Catherine, his wife, stated that he did not return from the war and was presumed to have been killed at the Battle of Yorktown at the close of the war.)

1796: "removes" to upstate New York at Canandaigue, Ontario County, New York.

1810: in census at Canandaigue.

1818: Applies for pension, papers filed on his behalf by Moses Atwater Esq. in Canandaigue, Ontario County, New York.

1820: in census at Canandaigue.

OK, so my main observation here, based on the face value of the information above, is that this guy is a professional soldier. He's a soldier for Braddock and then Washington. He joins the Revolutionary War at the get-go, seldom returns home, slips the wife and kid after the war and settles far, far away in a territory on the frontier amongst other veterans.

Did he marry again? Did he have another family? How much of the book "Ancestors of Thomas F. Myers" is true? How much of the above is fact and how much is fiction? Perhaps I'll never know. But it sure has been a blast and a half  trying to find out:)

Meanwhile if I have a moment I could check military records in the UK for a list of General Braddocks men. Could also find out more about the war history of the units Nehemiah Newan(s) served in. If you have any other ideas, please help this newbie out and leave a comment! I'd love it if you did:)

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