In
my last post, I explained how I discovered that my 5th great-grandfather Thomas Hilyard served during the Revolutionary War in the Pennsylvania militia. Today, I'm going to give all the details and documents I have to support this. (Hint: this one might be a bit dry. Try pretending you're on
Genealogy Roadshow.)
I first found a reference to Mary Hilyard in the "Journal of the Forty-Eighth House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania"
available online at Google Books. This is a snippet of the page:
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| Mary Hilyard seeks pension, above book page 40 |
My cousin Deidre and I traveled to the
Pennsylvania Archives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania over Spring Break 2016. Although the referenced "documents" do not exist, the "petition" referred to does. We were allowed to view this.
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| This is the box containing Mary Hilyard's petition for pension with identifying information |
And the petition itself:
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| Page 1 of Petition |
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| Page 2 of Petition |
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| Outside of Petition |
We already had all of the text of this document, but it was neat to handle the real thing.
Next, we wanted to see the originals of the ledgers recording what Mary Hilyard received as her pension. Those were located on microfilm on these two rolls:
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| Mary Hilyard pension ledger microfilm side view |
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| Mary Hilyard pension ledger microfilm top view |
And the ledger images themselves:
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| Ledger entry for "Mary Hilard" from 1839-1845, screenshot of microfilmed image |
There are two other entries:
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| Ledger entry for "Mary Hillard" from October 1839 |
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| Ledger entry for "Mary Hilard" for 1846-1847, the year she died |
Again, no new info for us here, but we just had to see it for ourselves.
Finally, on to the uncharted territory. We had the index card showing "Thomas Hillert" served in the Revolutionary War:
Using the information on this card, the excellent librarians at the Pennsylvania Archives helped us navigate finding aids. Battalion numbers changed over time, adding to the confusion. This card indicates "N.D." which means the list he is found on is undated. It is found on a roll containing the years 1777-1780.
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| Microfilm box source information for next two images |
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| Full page of Pennsylvania 8th Batallion Captain Frederick Ziegler's Company, 1st Class, including "Thomas Hillert" |
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| Close-up of Thomas Hillert's name |
The next film:
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| Microfilm box source for next five images |
This is the "Return of Jacob Brands Company, Militia Captain of the Lower part of Manor Township, in the County of Lancaster, and State of Pensylvania, May the first 1781 with names and sirnames as follows:"
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Militia roll Lower Manor Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania 1 May 1781
4th Battalion 2nd Company 1st Class |
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| Close-up of previous image showing Thomas Hilliart |
This seems to be the last year (1782) that Thomas served on the Lancaster County militia. The following documents show him listed as not attending from 1783-1785.
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| Microfilm box source for next six images |
"A Return of the none attendents of the Seventh Company and Ninth Battalion of Lancaster County Millitia commanded by Col. Fredrick Zigler for the Year 1783". Note that Md stands for Muster Day and Fd stands for Field Day.
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| Roll of "none attendents" of 7th Company 9th Battalion Lancaster County, Pennsylvania militia 1783 |
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| Close-up of previous image showing Thomas Hillgert |
Next we have "A True and Exact List of the Names of Each and Every male white person inhabiting within my District in the Seventh Company of the Ninth Battalion of Lancaster County, Millitians, who refused to attent the Mustering place, and being being between the Age of Eighteen and fifty three years, Taken for the year 1784"
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| Roll of men who refused to attend mustering Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Militia 1784 |
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| Close-up of previous image showing Thomas Hylliard |
The final list appears to have been made in the Spring of 1784, the same year as the previous one, but it was attested the following year on 12 May 1785. It is "A Return of the none Attendens of the Seventh Company in the Ninth Battalion of Lancaster County Millitia Commanded by Colonel Frederick Ziegler in order of Sevarel of Classes as follows."
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| Roll of none attendants Lancaster County, Pennsylvania 1784-1785 |
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| Close-up of previous image showing Thomas Hyliard |
These are all of the documents I have been able to find regarding the Revolutionary War service of Thomas Hilyard, who served in the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Militia. In my next post I hope to share some of the activities of this militia.
Excellent work, Cousin! What we're looking for next, of course, is the thrilling exploits of Thomas's unit in the Revolution, including standing off against hardened units of British regulars and Hessian mercenaries; long, food-deprived marches; heroic leather-stocking tales of battles against hostile Indian tribes serving their cruel English overlords; and of course, tales of Thomas's individual bravery and sacrifice -- saving comrades in frozen rivers; personally killing an English officer who was about to saber a child; helping innocent civilians; hand-to-hand combat with a British regular or Indian ally; safely conducting a wagon load of women and children across a flooding creek while being chased by a company of Hessian cavalry. Etc. With our luck, it will a single entry about Thomas falling asleep on duty while guarding a storehouse full of cattle feed or being sent to guard a harbor or observe a valley.
ReplyDeleteJust what I was thinking, if we find anything at all, it would be dereliction of duty. Seriously though, he had to have done something for Mary to get the pension. I'd sure appreciate anything you could dig up on his battalion. A quick Google search hasn't turned up anything exciting for me.
DeleteJust what I was thinking, if we find anything at all, it would be dereliction of duty. Seriously though, he had to have done something for Mary to get the pension. I'd sure appreciate anything you could dig up on his battalion. A quick Google search hasn't turned up anything exciting for me.
Delete