Revolutionary War Patriots in Allen County, Indiana

Jump to: 1800 Records File, INSSAR Patriot Burials Historic Markers, Revolutionary War Pension Files, Other Information

The patriots : sketches of the known soldiers of the American Revolution buried in Allen County, Indiana by Lower, Dorothy M; Downtown Kiwanis Club (Fort Wayne, Ind.); Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County, Publication date 1976,  login and borrow the book for 14 days from Internet Archive.

Most names link to Indiana Society Sons of the American Revolution Patriot Graves Registry for additional information. Several veterans were killed October 22, 1790 in Harmar's Defeat. ISSAR says those bodies were buried in a trench along the Maumee River, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Indiana Society of the Sons of the American Revolution Register for Nineteen Hundred and Eight with Roll of Members and Their Revolutionary Ancestors and Other Information of Interest to the Society by Charles W. Moores. (Indianapolis: by the Society, 1908). ACPL Call Number GC 973.3406 S6I2INA. at The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana .

Indiana Society Sons of the American Revolution, https://indianasar.org/, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/197346233610554/

Anthony Halberstadt Chapter SAR, is a chapter of the Indiana Society of the Sons of the American Revolution located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Website: http://halberstadt.indianasar.org/, Anthony Halberstadt Chapter SAR (IN0027P) along with Lindenwood Cemetery (INFWLC) at Wreaths Across America.

Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter DAR Maker moved to the Veterans' National Memorial Shrine, 2122 O'Day Road on August 20, 2000. The Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter NSDAR has a list of names with Biographies on their Allen County Indiana Cemetery Project Revolutionary Soldiers page. They include a few names not listed below.

Newspaper article Quiet 4th a chance to reflect on past by Frank Gray of the Journal Gazette July 3, 2012.

Jacques Andre DAR biography.

James Ball - name is on Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter DAR Bronze Marker and DAR has his biography.

William Berry - ISSAR - information, was featured in newspaper articles October 11, 2009 Saluting a Revolutionary War veteran with photos. Though it’s believed that 28 Revolutionary War soldiers are buried in Allen County, Berry’s is one of only a few whose graves have been located, according to one of the ceremony’s speakers, Roger Barnhart, past vice president general of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution. Most of the county’s Revolutionary War soldiers are believed to be buried along the banks of the Eel, Aboite and Maumee rivers, Barnhart said. from Revolutionary soldier saluted at Leo October 11, 2009 by Becky Manley of  The Journal Gazette newspaperin Old Leo Cemetery. The second newspaper article says 28 Revolutionary War veterans are buried in Allen County, Indiana. The DAR has his biography. His name William Berry age 76 is found in the Census of Agriculture Pensioner for Revolutionary and Military Services as Returned Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census, in 1840.

Samuel Bird - ISSAR says died March 1829, buried in Broadway Cemetery now McCulloch Park, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Most graves except Governor Samuel Bigger were moved to Lindenwood Cemetery on Main Street. His name does not appear in the ACPL Lindenwood Cemetery Index which starts in 1860. Name appears on Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter DAR Bronze Marker. A couple of Bird's are in 1840's Obituary Index. The DAR has his biography on their Allen County Indiana Cemetery Project.

David Blair - name appears on Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter DAR DAR Marker.

David Bryant - ISSAR says died August 1835, buried on the East Bank of Eel River, 15 miles Northwest of Fort Wayne and lists children. It is now Noble County, Indiana. Name is on Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter DAR Bronze Marker and has his biography on their Allen County Indiana Cemetery Project.

Grudin Burnham -ISSAR says died October 16, 1844, name is on Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter DAR Bronze Marker

Millett Cardinal DAR biography on the DAR Allen County Indiana Cemetery Project.

Robert Clark - ISSAR says died October 22, 1790 in Harmar's Defeat.

Michael Crants newspaper obituary

Michael Crontz - ISSAR says died March 17, 1841, may have been buried in McCulloch PARK - see Samuel Bird above. Name appears on Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter DAR Bronze Marker who has Michael Crontz on their Allen County Indiana Cemetery Project. Frank Gray says he was moved to an unmarked spot in Lindenwood Cemetery. His obituary is printed in the Fort Wayne Times, Aug. 29, 1840 on page 3 column 1 posted on the Records page of Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana. How early were newspapers? See our Newspapers of Allen County, Indiana page. His name Michael Crance age 97 is found in the Census of Agriculture Pensioner for Revolutionary and Military Services as Returned Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census, in 1840.

Joseph Duplacy - INSSAR information and DAR has his biography on the DAR Allen County Indiana Cemetery Project.

Colonel Alexander Ewing - Patriot Alexander Ewing in the Patriot Graves Registry at INSSAR - Indiana Society of the Sons of the American Revolution shows he died January 1, 1827, buried in Lindenwood Cemetery Fort Wayne where his grave is marked. Name is on a Bronze Marker and his Alexander Ewing biography is on the Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution Fort Wayne, Indiana Allen County Indiana Cemetery Project.

Ebenezer Frothinghom - ISSAR says died October 22, 1790 in Harmar's Defeat. The DAR has his biography on the DAR Allen County Indiana Cemetery Project.

James Fontaine - ISSAR says died October 22, 1790 in Harmar's Defeat.

Zachariah P. Griffis - ISSAR says died 1832, buried along the St Joseph River on a farm 3 miles north of Fort Wayne. The DAR has his biography.

John McMurtrie - ISSAR says died October 22, 1790 in Harmar's Defeat. His family history is online. The DAR has his biography on the DAR Allen County Indiana Cemetery Project.

Antoine Rembault DAR biography on the DAR Allen County Indiana Cemetery Project.

James Saunders - ISSAR says died February 2, 1834. Name is on Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter DAR Bronze Marker and his DAR biography on the DAR Allen County Indiana Cemetery Project.

Timothy Thorp - ISSAR says died October 22, 1790 in Harmar's Defeat.

Thomas Threlkeld - ISSAR says died October 22, 1790 in Harmar's Defeat. The DAR has his biography on the DAR Allen County Indiana Cemetery Project.

William Tucker - ISSAR says died September 30, 1846, burial in Huntertown Cemetery. Stone. The DAR cemetery page says no stone found in their 1932 readings although in the DAR biography it says the first reference is the 1932 cemetery readings.

George Warner - ISSAR says died December 16, 1842, burial in Huntertown Cemetery - DAR has George Warner tombstone photo which says "Blessed are the dead ----- Who die in the Lord. " The DAR has his biography. George Warner in online records. Frank Gray article says "His tombstone is next to a Joseph Warner."

Charles Weeks - ISSAR says died April 2, 1842. Possibly buried in Perry Township or Springfield Township. Obituary in News and Sentinel, 1842, although Obituary Index says obituary is May 13, 1841. Name is on Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter DAR Bronze Marker and his biography on the DAR Allen County Indiana Cemetery Project. His name Charles Weeks age 79 is found in the Census of Agriculture Pensioner for Revolutionary and Military Services as Returned Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census, in 1840.

John Palsgrave Wyllys - ISSAR says died October 22, 1790 in Harmar's Defeat. The DAR has his biography. HMdb.org has photo of his marker and some information. There is a privately printed 1933 book Captain Nathan Hale, 1755-1776, Yale College 1773, Major John Palsgrave Wyllys, 1754-1790, Yale College 1773: friends and Yale classmates, who died in their country's service, one hanged as a spy by the British, the other killed in an Indian ambuscade on the far frontier (now Fort Wayne, IN). A digressive history now told with many antiquarian excursions, genealogical, architectural, social, and controversial: with an account of some members of a great patrician family, their manorial establishment in Hartford, their custody for generations of the Charter of King Charles the Second, and the story of the hiding thereofby George Dudley Seymour. The book is available by subscription at Ancestry.com.

Harmar's Defeat was a battle with the Native Indians in the Northwest Territory. It took place on October 22, 1790 near Maimi Town (now Fort Wayne). It is also known as The Battle of the Pumpkin Fields, because the steam from the scalped skulls reminded the Indians of squash steaming in the autumn air. A large force of Indians defeated several hundred militiamen and 60 regulars commanded by Brigadier General Josiah Harmar.

Frank Gray article says "On Edgewater Avenue is a nearly century-old stone marker, currently obscured by fallen trees, marking the spot where some other veterans were killed during an Indian battle in 1790. John Wyllys is the only man named on the marker (see above), but it is known that a John McMurtrey, Ebenezer Frothingham and Thomas Threlkeld died there along with perhaps 100 other men."

James Curry died September 30, 1790 at Harmer's Defeat Fort Wayne, Indiana, but was not a Revolutionary War veterans from his family history.

Pension application of Thomas McClanahan (McLanahan) W1052 Transcribed by Will Graves also a survivor of Harmer's Defeat.

  1. Indiana Society Son's of the American Revolution
  2. Indiana Society Son's of the American Revolution Patriot Graves Project
  3. Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter DAR - Fort Wayne Patriots
  4. National Society Daughter's of the American Revolution
  5. National Society Son's of the American Revolution
  6. Revolutionary Soldiers Buried in Indiana - Sourcebook on Revolutionary veterans who died in Indiana, lists about 785 soldiers buried in Indiana, with service records and extensive genealogical and biographical data. Also contains information on 352 soldiers who lived in Indiana and either moved to or died in other states. Published as two volumes in one, original volume and 1954 supplement are arranged alphabetically, and followed by a full index. Mrs. Waters' compilation augments Roster of Soldiers and Patriots Buried in Indiana (Ancestry.com), edited by Mrs. Roscoe C. O'Byrne and published under the auspices of the Indiana Daughters of the American Revolution in 1938. Among the sources consulted by Mrs. Waters was the Veterans' Graves Registration, an Indiana American Legion project which attempted to list the burial place of every veteran in Indiana as of 1940 as derived from soldiers' burial claims, section lists, cemetery record books, county rosters, undertakers' records, flags, government markers, etc.
  7. Roster of Soldiers and Patriots of the American Revolution Buried in Indiana compiled by Mrs. Roscoe C. O'Byrne Chairmand Brookville, Indiana published by IN DAR 1938 is available as a pdf at the Bloomfield, Indiana library
  8. Roster of Soldiers and Patriots of the American Revolution Buried in Indiana Volume II compiled by Mrs. Roscoe C. O'Byrne Brookville, Indiana published by IN DAR 1966 is available as a pdf at the Bloomfield, Indiana library
  9. Roster of Soldiers and Patriots of the American Revolution Buried in Indiana Volume III compiled by Mrs. Roscoe C. O'Byrne Brookville, Indiana published by IN DAR 1980 is available as a pdf at the Bloomfield, Indiana library
  10. A 1949 edition with 1954 Supplement as a Google ebook.

20th Century Veterans Honor Roll - "This growing collection of records consists of military veterans who served in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, or served at other times in the 1900s. To submit information to be included in this honor roll, contact John Hannigan by email at naginnahj@yahoo.com."

Faces of the American Revolution on Time.com shows photos of 14 veterans, several lived to be over 100 years old.

21ST Century Allen County Veterans Honor Roll - "If you know of a family within Allen County that has a member who has served in the United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, National Guard, Navy, Marine Corps, or reserves since Jan. 1, 2000, please consider submitting their name(s) and service details for inclusion on this Honor Roll."

Revolutionary War Pension Files

The stories of over 80,000 men and women who lived through the American Revolution are waiting to be told. Will you help us tell them? Go to: Revolutionary War Pension Files Transcription Mission at The National Archives.

June 23, 2023 post by Today's Document on Facebook:

Celebrate Independence Day by transcribing pension files of the first veterans of the United States military.

The National Archives and the National Park Service are collaborating on a special project to transcribe the Revolutionary War Pension Files.

You can help make these important records of the first veterans of the United States military easier to find and read in our online Catalog!

It’s easy to get started, and you can transcribe as much or as little as you like. You can even search by state!

Learn more on the Citizen Archivist webpage Citizen Archivist Missions

***

#RevWarVets #RevolutionaryWar #pensions #archives #cursive #FamilyHistory #genealogy #veterans #NPS @nationalparkservice

September 21, 2023 post by the US National Archives  on Facebook:

The National Archives and the National Park Service are collaborating on a special project to transcribe Revolutionary War pension files.

You can help make these important records of the first veterans of the United States easier to find and read in our online Catalog!

It’s easy to get started, and you can transcribe as much as little as you like. You can even search by state for records to transcribe!

Learn more on the Citizen Archivist webpage: www.archives.gov/citizen-archivist/missions

#RevWarVets #pensions #archives #cursive #genealogy #NPS #ReadingCursiveIsASuperpower

January 10, 2024 post by Fold3 on Facebook:

Pension files are an excellent resource for genealogy. The files often contain records of marriages, births, and the maiden names of widows. Some even include pages from the family bible, like this one for William Kerr from Pennsylvania. He served in the Revolutionary War. US, Revolutionary War Pensions, 1800-1900

Other Information

November 6, 2015 post by The General Society The Sons of the Revolution on Facebook:

Out west.....

Shared November 6, 2015 post by Revolutionary War and Beyond on Facebook:

On this day in history, November 5, 1780, a Revolutionary War battle known as De la Balme's Defeat or De la Balme's Massacre takes place when retired French cavalry officer Augustin de la Balme is killed near present day Fort Wayne, Indiana in a battle with Miami Indians. The officer had been appointed in 1777 as the Continental Army's Inspector of Cavalry, but resigned this position due to his dislike for Polish General Casimir Pulaski, the Commander of the United States Cavalry.

In 1780, De la Balme left on a voyage down the Ohio River on a mission to capture the British Fort Detroit. Historians are uncertain whether he undertook this mission on his own or if he was acting on secret orders from General George Washington. De la Balme gathered Canadian colonists who had been living under British rule along the way in Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes (in what is now Indiana).

De la Balme's men moved north toward Fort Detroit and when they arrived in Kekionga (modern day Fort Wayne, Indiana), they found an unoccupied British and Indian trading post, the British and their Miami Indian allies having left the post, apparently on a hunting mission. De la Balme occupied the post and began to raid other British posts in the area. On the 5th, De la Balme set out for a post along the Eel River.

In the meantime, a group of Miami hunters returned to Kekionga, killed the 20 men De la Balme had left there and spread the word among the local Indians. Chief Little Turtle, who lived on the Eel River nearby, attacked De la Balme's party before he could reach the trading post. de la Balme's men entrenched themselves along the river, but were eventually overcome. De la Balme and most of his men were killed, with only a few escaping to tell the tale.

Chief Little Turtle would go on to become a successful war chief against the Americans in the Northwest Indian Wars of the 1790s and, in spite of De la Balme's failure, the British would post a group of Rangers at Kekionga to protect it from further attack. Fort Detroit would remain in British possession until the signing of the Jay Treaty in 1794.

Learn more about what happened on this day in history during the American Revolution here: On This Day in History

December 4, 2016 post by the National Genealogical Society on Facebook:

Just fascinating, The Revolutionary War Veterans Who Lived Long Enough to Have Their Pictures Taken

The Last Muster Journey April 22, 2019 Maureen Taylor The Photo Detective on YouTube.
This episode focuses on my Last Muster project. Almost two decades ago I started looking for images of individuals who lived during the American Revolution and into the age of photography after 1839. It’s been an amazing journey. Two volumes with a third in the works, two museum exhibits (one permanent at the Museum of the American Revolution) and three films. Thank you for joining me on this journey.

  1. The Last Muster at MaureenTaylor.com.
  2. The Last Muster: Images of the Revolutionary War Generation by Maureen Taylor at the Museum of the American Revolution.
  3. The last muster / painted by Hubert Herkomer ; engraved by Arthur Turrell at The Library of Congress

November 8, 1800: Fire destroys Revolutionary War records in War Department

On this day in history, November 8, 1800, a fire destroys the Revolutionary War records in the War Department building in Washington DC. Most other records of the war were lost during the British invasion of Washington DC during the War of 1812. Because of the fire, few records from the Revolution were in federal custody until 1873 when Secretary of War William Belknap purchased records from several private collections, including those of Timothy Pickering, who had been a member of the Board of War between 1777 and 1785 and Adjutant General and Quartermaster General of the Continental Army, and those of Samuel Hodgdon, who served as Commissary General of Military Stores during some of the war years. In addition, Secretary Belknap purchased several minor collections and individual items from various people. Over the next several decades, records of the American Revolution held by other departments were consolidated and all were transferred to the Department of State. In 1914 and 1915, the War Department made photocopies of Revolutionary War records held in various institutions in North Carolina, Virginia and Massachusetts. The whole collection was transferred to the National Archives in 1938." Copied from a November 8, 2022 post by The Founding of the United Stateson Facebook.

  1. War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records (Record Group 93) 1709-1915 809 cu. ft. at Guide to Federal Records at The National Archives.
  2. Devastating Fire at the War Office! This letter discusses the loss of records that occurred as a result of the fire that consumed the War Department. The accountant saved the principal part of his which were below stairs. Dexter asks Hodgdon to provide copies from his records to assist present business. From Papers of the War Department 1784-1800 is a project of the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media, George Mason University with funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
  3. Numbered Record Books record example Numbered Record Books Records: 179,570 · Complete: 100% at Fold3.
  4. Papers of the War Department 1784-1800 On the night of November 8, 1800, fire devastated the United States War Office, consuming the papers, records, and books stored there. Two weeks later, Secretary of War Samuel Dexter lamented in a letter that “All the papers in my office [have] been destroyed.” For the past two centuries, the official records of the War Department effectively began with Dexter’s letter. Papers of the War Department 1784-1800, an innovative digital editorial project, will change that by making some 55,000 long lost documents of the early War Department available online to scholars, students, and the general public. By providing free and open access to these previously unavailable documents, Papers of the War Department 1784-1800 will offer a unique window into a time when there was no law beyond the Constitution, when the federal government hardly existed outside of the Army and Navy, and when a new nation struggled to define itself at home and abroad. Copied from Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University.
  5. Data Loss and Recovery in the Age of Paper Not all lost federal records can be reconstituted or reconstructed. Some losses of federal records have been devastating. by Sheila A. Brennan posted June 7, 2017 at The Social Science Research Council, an independent, international nonprofit, mobilizes necessary knowledge for the public good by supporting scholars worldwide, generating new research across disciplines, and linking researchers with policymakers and citizens.
  6. January 5, 2024 post by Fold3 on Facebook:

    Have you explored the Final Payment Vouchers Index collection? This index includes cards from 1818-1864 (primarily for Revolutionary War veterans) and shows death dates and sometimes the maiden or birth name of a widow. Explore it here:

    US, Final Payment Vouchers Index for Military Pensions, 1818-1864 Records: 66,741 · Complete: 100%. These slips serve as an index to final and last payments to over 65,000 veterans of the Revolutionary War and some later wars.

Patriot Burials Cemetery Markers

INSSAR Patriot Burials Historic Markers Grant Program

Patriot Burials offers the Historic Marker Grant Program at the INSSAR - Indiana Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.

The pen-and-ink piece is one of the few surviving works of its kind made by an eyewitness.

Posted by Smithsonian Magazine on Sunday, March 31, 2024

Sunday, March 31, 2024 post by the Smithsonian Magazine on Facebook:

The pen-and-ink piece is one of the few surviving works of its kind made by an eyewitness.

Rare Eyewitness Sketch of American Revolutionaries Found Hanging in a Collector’s Bedroom The drawing, which the owner recently donated to a museum, depicts the North Carolina Brigade passing through Philadelphia in 1777 , Sonja Anderson, March 29, 2024.

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