Many Germanna-related individuals served in some capacity as patriots during the Revolutionary War.  This page will contain information about these individuals and will be updated as new information is obtained.

Valuable reference information is followed by Germanna individuals with documented Revolutionary War service. If you provide information regarding an ancestor you must provide documentation for that individual's name to be added to the list on this page.

Send Revolutionary War information to foundation@germanna.org

Documents will be added to this page as they are obtained. Transcriptions of many pension applications of Germanna descendants may be found at http://southerncampaign.org/pen/ 

An important unit to the story of Germanna is the Culpeper Minute Men, organized by recruits from modern-day Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, and Orange counties.  The Culpeper Minute Men Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, is compiling a list of the men who served in this unit and is posting the results of their latest research at www.cmmsar.com.  Read Germanna Foundation President Marc Wheat's July 4th speech on the Culpeper Court House lawn honoring Germanna's patriots at http://www.germanna.org/node/483.

A helpful brochure on the Culpeper Minute Men and the Revolution in Culpeper County is available from the Culpeper Department of Tourism, and can be downloaded at http://www.visitculpeperva.com/documents/MinutemenBrochure.pdf.  Be sure to read about Salubria, Little Fork Church, and the Germanna families of Fishback and Spilman, and don't miss the handy guide for additional reading and resouces.

The Yorktown Victory Center's exhibition entitled "The Legacy of Yorktown: Virginia Beckons" will prove to be of great interest to those researching Germanna families.  On display are portraits of Lt. Gov. Alexander Spotswood and Knight of the Golden Horseshoe John Fontaine, the Germanna Foundation's sketch of Fort Germanna based on Fontaine's description, Woodford Hackley's map from Germanna Record No. 2, and an iron ingot from one of the Spotswood ironworks.  Make your plans to visit while the exhibition runs, and remember the services rendered at Yorktown by Jesse Rector, Christopher Tanner, and John Wilhite.  See http://www.historyisfun.org/virginia-beckons.htm for more information.

Thanks to the work of volunteer researchers, over the course of 2012 this page will grow as more Germanna patriots are recognized for their service to American independence and liberty.  Over time, each patriot listed will have active links to more source material to facilitate evaluation by researchers.  It is our hope that sharing this research will encourage many Americans to meet the documentary requirements for joining patriotic organizations like the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Sons of the Revolution, and the Society of the Cincinnati.

Below is a muster roll for the month of May 1778 of the company formerly commanded by Capt. George Slaughter in the 8th Virginia Regiment of Foot. Note the Germanna names of Philip Huffman, Christopher Moyer and Capt. Slaughter. Click on below image to enlarge it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

To assist in understanding the source records, refer to the following explanations:

Document and Source Abbreviations 

*S1234 – Soldier only pensioned

*S – Soldier only pensioned, no number assigned

*W1234 – Widow only pensioned

*W – Widow only pensioned, no number assigned

S*W1234 – Soldier and widow both pensioned

R1234 – Pension rejected. This does not mean this soldier did not serve. It may indicate he did not serve long enough to qualify for a pension or it may indicate that the last action in the file was a rejected pension, although there may be earlier pensions that were approved in that same file.

R1234v – Pension rejected but service proved from another source

*S R1234 – Soldier pensioned, but pension rejected at a later date

*W R1234 – Widow pensioned, but heirs rejected

*H1234 – Heirs only pensioned

*IP – Soldier had an invalid pension

*NP – Soldier pensioned, but had no papers

Abercrombie and Slatten – Abercrombie, Janice L. and Slatten, Richard, comp. Virginia Revolutionary “Publick” Claims. 3vols. Athens, GA: Iberian Publishing Co, 1992. Transcriptions of court booklets from 69 of the 75 counties then in existence including most of the “burnt counties” in existence at the time. Also references Abercrombie, Janice L. and Slatten, Richard, comp. Index to the Virginia Revolutionary “Publick” Claims County Booklets. Athens, GA: Iberian Publishing Co., 1992.

Aud. Accts – Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts (1776-1928), certificates 1780-1783, state pensions, records, 1777-1787.

Blankenbaker – Blankenbaker, John. The Culpeper Classes: A List of the Classes in Culpeper County for January 1781 for Recruiting this State’s Quota of Troops to serve in the Continental Army. Chadds Ford, PA, 1999.

BLW – Bounty Land Warrant, NARA

CSR – Compiled Service Record or Compiled Military Service Record, NARA.

Eckenrode – Eckenrode, Hamilton J. Virginia Soldiers in the American Revolution. Richmond, VA: Virginia State Library and Archives, 1989, 2 volumes.

Exec. Dept. – Executive Department Office of the Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia, RG #3, titled Land Bounty Warrants.

Gwathmey – Gwathmey, John H. Historical Register of Virginians in the Revolution: Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, 1775-1783. Richmond, VA: Dietz Press, 1938.

Harding – Harding, Margery Heberlin. George Rogers Clark and His Men: Military Records, 1778-1784. Frankfort: Kentucky Historical Society, 1981.

NSDAR – National Society Daughters of the American Revolution database. Sources need independent verification.

NSSAR – National Society, Sons of the American Revolution database. Sources need independent verification.

RWR – Revolutionary War Rolls, NARA.

Important details can be extracted from Revolutionary War pension records.  To get more out of such records, refer to the helpful timeline below.

Timeline and Brief Explanation of Pension Legislation By Continental Congress and the United States:

26 August 1776 - The first pension legislation for the American colonies acting as a group was enacted and provided half pay for officers and enlisted men who were disabled in the service of the United States and who were incapable of earning a living.

15 May 1778 - A resolution provided half pay for 7 years after the conclusion of the war to all military officers who remained in the Continental service through the end of the war. Enlisted men were to receive an $80 gratuity after the war.

24 August 1780 - A Continental Congress resolution offered half pay for 7 years to widows and orphans of officers who met the requirements of 15 May 1778.

Note: Widows and orphans had until 1794 to file for a pension under the resolution of 24 August 1780. After that date, a widow would need a private act of Congress introduced on her behalf to receive a pension. See the Act of 4 July 1836 for further information.

21 October 1780 - The 15 May 1778 resolution was amended to provide half pay for life to officers after the war.

22 March 1783 - The 21 October 1780 resolution was changed from half pay for life to 5 years' full pay.

29 September 1789 - The First Congress of the United States passed an act that provided for the invalid pensions, previously paid by the individual states, should be continued and paid by the Federal Government for 1 year. In subsequent years, legislation extended the time limit.

23 March 1792 - This act permitted veterans who were not already receiving invalid pensions to apply to the Federal Government directly.

10 April 1806 - The invalid pension laws were extended to include veterans of State troops and militia service eligible for Federal pensions. This act superseded all previous Revolutionary War invalid pension legislation.

Note: Prior to 1818 national pension laws concerning veterans of the Revolutionary War (exception 15 May 1778 resolution) specified disability or death of the soldier or sailor as the basis for a pension.

18 March 1818 - The U. S. Congress granted pensions to Revolutionary War veterans for service rendered without injury. The officers and enlisted men were eligible under this Act if they had served in a Continental unit or in the U. S. naval service for 9 months or until the end of the war. These pensions were granted for life.

Note: The above pension act resulted in huge numbers of applications being filed and approved with the resulting financial strain on the U. S. government.

1 May 1820 - A new law required everyone receiving a pension under the 1818 Act, as well as new applicants, to submit a certified schedule of his estate and income to the Secretary of War. The Secretary of War had the authority to remove anyone from the pension list who, in his opinion, was not in need of assistance.

1 May 1823 - An act was passed to restore the pensions to many of those whose names had been removed as a result of the 1 May 1820 legislation.

15 May 1828 - The act passed granted full pay for life to surviving officers and enlisted men of the Revolutionary War who were eligible for benefits under the 15 May 1778 resolution, as amended. Applicants did not have to demonstrate need.

7 June 1832 - This act extended the 15 May 1828 provisions to more people. Every officer or enlisted man, including those who served in the naval service and the marines, who had served at least 2 years in the Continental Line or States troops, volunteer or militia, was eligible for a pension at full pay for life. For those who had served less than 2 years but at least 6 months were eligible for pensions at less than full pay. Money due the pensioner from last payment until the date of his death could be collected by the widow or children. Applicants did not have to prove need.

4 July 1836 - Some widows of Revolutionary War veterans were again permitted, as a class under public law, to apply for pensions. This act provided that the widow of any veteran who had performed service as specified in the 7 June 1832 Act was eligible to receive the pension that might have been allowed to the veteran under the terms of that act, if the widow had married the veteran before the expiration of his last term of service.

7 July 1838 - This act granted 5-year pensions to widows whose marriages had taken place before 1 January 1794.

3 March 1843, 17 June 1844, and 2 February 1848 - These acts continued the pensions granted under the act passed 7 July 1838.

29 July 1848 - Congress provided life pensions for widows of veterans who married before 2 January 1800.

3 February 1853 and 28 February 1855 - All restrictions pertaining to marriage were removed.

9 March 1878 - Widows of Revolutionary War soldiers who served as few as 14 days, or served in any engagement, were declared eligible for life pensions.
 

Revising the list of Germanna Revolutionary War patriots is an ongoing undertaking, thus, more names are expected to be added.  Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Revolutionary War Patriots of Germanna:

Aylor, Henry – PS, Abercrombie and Slatten

Aylor, Jacob – Private, VA, Capts. Buford and Hill, pension, *S8040

Back, John – Private, Gen. George Rogers Clark, pension, *S32103

Barlow, Ambrose – Private, VA, VA line, CSR
 
Barlow, Ephriam – Private, VA, VA line, CSR
 
Barlow, Thomas – Private, VA, VA line, CSR
 
Blankenbaker, Jacob – PS, Abercrombie and Slatten
 
Blankenbaker, Michael – PS, Abercrombie and Slatten

Blankenbaker, Nicholas – Private, VA, VA Regt, Capt. Stokely, pension, *S30872

Broyles, Michael – Private, VA, NC, Capt. Russell, pension, *S3052

Carpenter, George – Soldier, VA, 1st Virginia State Regiment, Land voucher, Exe. Dept.

Carpenter, John – Private, VA, Gist’s Brigade, CSR, deserted 20 Dec 1777 but returned
 
Carpenter, Samuel – Private, VA, pension widow, *W6631, Order book Madison County
 
Carpenter, Solomon – Private, VA, 12th VA Regt, CSR, deserted 20 Dec 1777

Carpenter, William Jr – Private, VA, Culpeper Classes, Culpeper County VA Class List 1781

Carpenter, William Sr – PS, Abercrombie and Slatten
 
Coons, Frederick – Private, VA, Capt. John Gillison, *S

Crim, Joseph – Private, VA, militia, Aud. Accts.

Deer, Andrew – Private, VA, Culpeper militia, pension of brother Martin Deer, *S8311

Deer, Martin – Private, VA, Virginia militia, pension, *S3811

Delph, Daniel – Soldier, VA, 1st Virginia State Regiment, Land voucher, Exe. Dept.

Finks, Mark – Captain, VA, pension rejected, R3551v

Fishback, Harman -- Soldier, VA, VA Culpeper Classes, GRC 1983, S1 Vol 213, 23

Fishback, Jacob – Private, Wagoneer, VA, State Militia, Exec. Dept.
 
Fishback, John – Private, SC, Capt. Winn, *W
 
Fishback, John Frederick – PS, VA, Abercrombie and Slatten, VA Rev Pub Claims, Vol 1, 257, 270, 276

Fishback, Phillip -- PS, VA
 
Fleshman, Moses – Private, VA, Capts. Finks and Kirkley, pension, *S8484
 
Garr/Gaar, Andrew – PS, VA, Abercrombie and Slatten

Garr/Gaar, John – PS, Soldier, VA, Abercrombie and Slatten, Culpeper County VA Class List 1781

Hitt, Peter – Private, VA, Capt. Elias Edmond, pension, W7732

Hoffman, Ambrose – Private, VA, Capt. Posey, 1st VA Regt, pension, *S16420
 
Holtzclaw, Benjamin – PS, VA, Abercrombie and Slatten
 
Holtzclaw, Jacob – Soldier, VA, Capt. Samuel Kirkham, Gen. George Rogers Clark, Harding
 
Holtzclaw, Josiah – PS, VA, Abercrombie and Slatten

Holtzclaw, Nathan – Private, VA, Capt. Elias Edmond’s Co., 1st VA State Regt Artillery, Gwathmey

House, Adam – Soldier, VA, Capt. Bohannon, militia, sub for father, R5260v

Huffman, Jacob – Soldier, VA, paid £30 S17 D4, 7 July 1784, Act of Assembly
 
Huffman, Peter – Private, VA, paid £36, 22 December 1783, Act of Assembly
 
Huffman, Reuben – Private, VA, paid £18 S12 D4, 2 December 1783, Act of Assembly
 
Huffman, Samuel – Private, VA, paid £49 S17 D4, 10 May 1784, Act of Assembly

Jacobey/Jacoba, Daniel – Corporal, VA, Capt. John Syme’s Co., 10th VA Regt (died 8 May 1777), RWR

Kemper, Charles - Private, Sergeant, VA, Capt. Hezekiah Turner, CSR, *W20292

Kemper, Tillman - Private, VA, Capts. Helms and Bowman, Pension, S*W8573

Lightfoot, William - PS, Lieutenant, VA, Creel, pension of Benjamin Butler, *S3096

Martin, Reuben – Private, VA, 4th VA Regiment, Capt. John Brent, deserted from Fort Christianna by April 1777, CSR

Martin, Samuel – Soldier, VA, 4th VA Regiment, Capt. Morton, died in service date unknown, CSR

Moyers (Myers), Adam – Soldier, NC, 1789 Rev. Army Accts Vol. 1
 
Moyers (Myers), Christopher – Soldier, NC, 1789 Rev. Army Accts Vol. 1
 
Nay, John Jacob – Private, VA, pension, *S9438

Rector, Jesse – Private, VA, Capt. Dudley, Yorktown Siege and Gen. Cornwallis’ surrender, R8639v

Rector, Lewis – Private, NC, Capt. Sharp’s Co., Surry Co., NC, *W45

Rector, Uriah – Private, VA, Capt. John Ashby, Col. Thomas Marshall, *W7135
 
Rouse, Jacob – Private, VA, Capts. Rice and Wood, VA militia, *W8558

Rouse, Lewis – Soldier, wounded 1781 Petersburg, state pension, Aud. Accts, Blankenbaker

Rouse, Samuel – Private, VA, Capts. Rucker, Wood, Triplett, Col. Barbour *S14360

Spotswood, John – Captain, VA, Capt. John Spotswood’s Co of Foot, POW 4 Oct 1777, CSR
 
Tanner, Abraham – Private, VA, Capt. Rice, pension, *S6190

Tanner, Christopher – Soldier, VA, Culpeper Classes, Killed at Yorktown, Eckenrode, NSDAR

Tanner, Frederick – Private, VA, Culpeper Classes, 1781 Capt. Mark Finks, Blankenbaker
 
Tanner, Michael – Private, VA, Capt. Rush, pension, *S32004

Thomas, Abraham – Private, VA, PA, Capts. Doherty, Kirkham, Gen. George Rogers Clark, pension, S*W11622

Thomas, Joel – Soldier, NC, Vernon’s Co., RWR

Thomas, Michael – PS, Soldier, NC, Capt. Blair, Regt. Col. Martin, NCMP
 
Utterback, Benjamin – Orderly Sergeant, VA, Capt. Elias Edmonds, pension, *S
 
Utterback, Harman – Private, VA, Capts. McClanahan and Ross, pension, *S31447
 
Utterback, Jacob – PS, VA, Abercrombie and Slatten

Utz, Michael – PS, VA, signed petition 1776 Culpeper Co, copy in NSDAR file

Wayland, Joshua – Drummer and Fifer, VA, 2 VA Brigade, Capt. Gillison 10th VA Regt, CSR

Wilhite, John – Private, VA, Capts. Barbour, Miller, and Johnson, siege of Yorktown, pension, *S14833
 
Wilhite, Tobias – Private, VA, Capt. Reuben, pension, R11542
 
Wilhoit, Gabriel – Soldier, Capt. Gillison, 6th Regt VA, RWR
 
Yager, Adam Jr – Ensign/PS, VA, Culpeper militia, Culpeper Classes 1781
 
Yager, Adam Sr – PS, VA, Abercrombie and Slatten
 
Yager, John H. – Private, VA, militia, heirs received land script
 
Yager, Michael – PS, VA, Abercrombie and Slatten
 
Yeager, Solomon – Private, VA, Capt. Bohannon, Gen. Muhlenberg, pension, S*W2043
 
Yowell, Samuel – Corporal, VA, Capt. John Gillison, 10th VA Regt, CSR

Yowell, Thomas – Private, VA, Capt. John Gillison, 10th VA Regt, CSR

Ziglar/Ziegler, Leonard – Private, VA, Col. Slaughter, *W4107, BLW 29058-160-55

Zimmerman, Frederick – Soldier, VA, Gen. George Rogers Clark, *W8374

Listed below are additional men believed to be Germanna descendants who served the patriots' cause in the American Revolution.  If you have proof of their service, please provide a copy to the Germanna Foundation.  Digital copies are welcome at foundation@germanna.org.

John Amberger, Abraham Aylor, Henry Aylor, Joshua Barlow, Lewis Barlow, William Barlow, Nicholas Blankenbeker, John Camper, Moses Camper, Joseph Carpenter, Michael Carpenter, William Carpenter, Sr., William Carpenter, Jr., George Cook, John Cook, Michael Cook, Jacob Crim, Harman Crim, James Crim, Joseph Crim, Frederick Fishback, Adam Fisher, Stephen Fisher, Samuel Fleshman, John Fray, Lewis Gaar, George Hitt, Mathias Hitt, Nimrod Hitt, Benjamin Hoffman, Joseph Hoffman, Reuben Hoffman, George Holt, Reuben Holt, James Holtzclaw, John Holtzclaw, Adam House, George House, Tillman Huffman, Daniel Kemper, John Kemper, Peter Kemper, Philip Koontz, Paul Leather, Peter Leather, Aaron Martin, Benjamin Martin, John Martin, Adam Manspile, Edmund Manspile, John Millbank, Henry Miller, Jacob Miller, Michael Mayer, Christopher Moyer, Jacob Nay, John Otterback, John Rector, James Rector, Maximilian Rector, John Relsback, Martin Rouse, Michael Smith, Charles Spilman, Henry Spilman, John Spilman, Thomas Spilman, William Spilman, John Snider, Henry Snyder, John Snyder, Alexander Spotswood, John Swindle, Jacob Tanner, John Tanner, William Tanner, Tillman Weaver, Henry Weaver, Jessie Wilhite, Lewis Wilhite, Gabriel Wilhoit, Absalom Yager, Elisha Yager, Godfrey Yager, Moses Yager, Nicholas Yager, Aaron Yeager, Moses Yeager, Samuel Yeager, Samuel Young, William Yowell, John Zimmerman, Christopher, Zimmerman, Reuben Zimmerman. 

Samples of documentation of Revolutionary War service and other instructive images and stories:

Below are two images from a map which represents an area with a very interesting Germanna story. John Back, a Germanna descendant, the grandson of Harman Back who arrived in 1738 and settled in the Little Fork and purchased 100 acres from Jacob Holtzclaw, boasts a most fascinating Revolutionary War experience. John Back was born in Culpeper County, Virginia in 1760 and enlisted in the Army of the United States for twelve months in March 1778 as a private. John Back traveled with George Rogers Clark as part of the group of soldiers sent by Virginia governor Patrick Henry to attack the British at what is now Kaskaskia, Illinois.  In July 1778, Clark and his men captured Kaskaskia and later marched back to Virginia in 1779 where they delivered their captives to then governor Thomas Jefferson. John Back’s experiences with George Rogers Clark, in what was deemed a great victory for Virginia and the patriot cause, is just one example of a Germanna descendant actively participating in the Revolutionary War.  In his pension application affidavit Back describes the end of his Kaskaskia experience thus:  "I was now very unwell & almost naked and resolved to come home as soon as I was able." He stated he was gone altogether 2 years and 3 months. For more details on John Back's service: click here

Below is an affidavit by Hannah Carpenter regarding the Revolutionary War service of Samuel Carpenter.  Hannah Carpenter and Samuel Carpenter were first cousins, their fathers being brothers. Margaret "Peggy" Blankenbaker married Samuel Carpenter. Hannah Carpenter married Solomon Carpenter (so Hannah was Hannah Carpenter Carpenter). Hannah was swearing that Samuel's service was as stated.

 Place your questions or messages on the Germanna Message Board: CLICK HERE