| Kevin White's Patriot ancestors... |
| Find out more about the stories of other Revolutionary War patriot ancestors of the Alexander Majors Chapter by clicking here. |
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| S A R Kansas City Alexander Majors Chapter |
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| Peter Finn (1750 - 1841) My father’s, father’s, father’s, father’s, father’s, father’s, father Peter Finn, was born on 2 July 1750 in Baltimore County, Maryland. He completed three tours of duty as a Revolutionary Soldier serving as a Wagoner, Private and First Sergeant respectively. In November 1832, he applied for a pension in Allen Co, Kentucky and was awarded Revolutionary War pension claim # S32244 for his service. “I volunteered for twelve months in my first tour of service. I volunteered also the next three months and also the last three months when I went on King’s Mountain. I was never a substitute for any man nor was I ever drafted, always preferring to be a volunteer in service to my country.” Peter Finn was put on the pension roll 30 July 1834. Following is a description of his Revolutionary service abstracted and quoted verbatim from various pension applications, related interrogatories and documents obtained from the National Archives. Peter first volunteered in the service of the United States for a term of one year with the State Troops of Maryland under the command of Captain John Murry in the County of Baltimore in the State of Maryland on 31 March 1778. He was mustered into service in the city of Baltimore and went by water from thence up some distance from the Point as it was then called and marched to the head of the Elk River in Pennsylvania some times drilling and mustering. He enrolled his name in the wagon department and was transferred to the Company of Captain Thomas H. Potter. His Colonels name was Thompson. They conducted the wagons to headquarters at Valley Forge where the army was under the command of General Washington. “The Marquis de Lafayette was at Valley Forge the short time I stayed there.” He marched with the army across the Schuykill River in pursuit of the enemy to Monmouth court house in New Jersey where they made battle in June 1778. He was present at that battle and was engaged during the action in guarding the baggage wagons. “At the Battle of Monmouth the whole American army and General Washington at their head were present and the soldiers thought General Lee, who commanded the front, acted badly. I believe he was broke or suspended by court martial.” The day after the battle, Peter and other wagoners were detailed in carrying the wounded to Princeton College which was converted into a hospital. From Princeton he went to Egg Harbour for supplies for the army. After returning to Princeton the army moved on to the White Plains in New York and from there Peter went to Fairfield for provisions for the army, “my waggon I recollect was loaded with onions.” After returning to the army, Peter and two or three others went with the troops that guarded the prisoners taken under Burgoine to New Windsor on the North River. The army then went into winter quarters at Middlebrook and Bambrook in New Jersey. Peter got a furlough to go home in January 1779 and was home sick in Baltimore when his term of service expired. He was informed by General Buchanan that he need not return as his tour was over and that he was entitled to a discharge. He never applied for a discharge and lost or mislaid his furlough papers. He states that he was paid $10 per month for the term of duty served. He volunteered again under the following circumstances. His former guardian, Nicholas Hale, hired him to go with him to Lexington, Kentucky, but as the Indians were hostile on the way, they changed their direction and went to Watauga, North Carolina. There in the Summer of 1780, he volunteered at Bundy’s Mill was made a private and marched across the Yellow Mountain through Buncombe County, North Carolina to Ramsours Mill on the waters of Broad River. Battle was had with the Tories here but Peter was not immediately in the action. His Captain’s name was Valentine Sevier. His Colonel’s name was John Sevier. Their Ensign’s name was Thomas Talbot who was slightly wounded in the back of the head. He then returned to Bundy’s Mill on the Watauga River, the place of rendezvous, was disbanded and returned home. Shortly afterward, in September of 1780, Peter volunteered again as there was a call to go against the Tories in North Carolina. He volunteered this time, also for three months, under the same Captain Valentine Sevier and Colonel John Sevier and Colonel Campbell of East Tennessee Troops - then North Carolina - called Holsten troops. He recollects one regiment of Virginia Troops joined afterwards commanded by Col. Cleveland. He was appointed First Sergeant, marched to King’s Mountain and was in that remarkable engagement. They marched from Bundy’s Mill, the place of rendezvous, to King’s Mountain by way of Col. Walkers, where the British and Tories were forted. The enemy had fled before they arrived, “We pursued them to King’s Mountain crossing the Broad River, I recollect in three columns. Discovering the enemy were prepared for battle on the mountain, we were ordered to dismount at the foot of the mountain. Our troops surrounded the mountain and in this order the battle commenced and we defeated theenemy. Our watch word was Bluford. Col. Campbell was the officer of the day.” At the Battle of King’s Mountain, Peter acted as Commander of the company and led them up the hill to the charge. He recollects in the commencement of the action that an Irish soldier, Patrick Murphy, was slightly wounded in the throat. He cried out “They have gulleted me.” “Yes,” an old man said, “but never mind they cannot kill you.” Peter stated he was present when Furgeson was shot down. “The enemy having surrendered themselves prisoners of war we guarded them on the mountain that night. The next day we marched them to what I think was called Colonel Mill’s Old Place on Buffalo Creek. Here eight Tories were hung where I was commanding guard, I think by order of court martial. We then marched back to the place of rendezvous at said Bundy’s Mill where we were disbanded. In neither of the last named campaign did any of the soldiers receive written discharges, it was not thought necessary.” On 20 June 1782 Peter was paid for his service by the State of North Carolina on the order of the Auditors of Washington and Sullivan County, North Carolina. For his first tour with Sevier’s Over Mountain Men he was paid seven pounds, nine shillings and six pence. He was awarded twelve pounds, sixteen and six for his final term and service rendered at King’s Mountain. Peter died on 19 May 1841 in Marion County, Illinois at the home of his daughter, Mary Finn (Mrs. William Lawson). He is buried in the McClelland/Andereck Cemetery located in Sanoval Township, Marion Co, Illinois. (author: Kevin White, September 2001) |
| Johannes Adam Rausch (John Roush) (1736 - ) My gggggg grandfather, Johannes Adam Rausch (John Roush) came to America by way of Rotterdam from the Palatinate and arrived at Philadelphia, PA on October 19, 1736. He left Pennsylvania and following the migration pattern for the time was in the Shenandoah Valley very early. This family is particularly notable as the nine sons, three brothers-in law, and the father all were in service during the American Revolution. John received a grant of 400 acres from Lord Fairfax in 1773 in what was then Dunmore County. This was called the "Mill Creek Farm" and was located near Mount Jackson which is near New Market, both known early settlements in the Shenandoah Valley. Besides the mill, the Rausch's expanded their holdings to include the Forrestville Tanyards and control of the waterways of the area. The tanning business was a very lucrative business at that time as saddles, Army supplies, and other leather goods were in high demand. They purchased land for oak trees as a chemical from the bark was needed for tanning the hides. The land was very fertile and made for excellent farming of grains, vegetables, and for stock. The Rausch’s were against slavery and despite their vast holdings did not own slaves. George Bancroft, the American historian, in "History of the United States of America, Vol. IV," pp 29 & 30, writes "Beyond the Blue Ridge, the emigrants on the banks of the Shenandoah,many of them Germans, met at Woodstock, and with Muhlenberg, then a clergyman, soon to be military chief, devoted themselves to the cause of liberty. "Brethren," he exclaimed, "according to Holy Writ there is a time for all things; there is a time to preach, and a time to pray. There is a time to fight, and that time is now here." He then opened his long silk clerical gown, exposing a colonel's uniform - a warrior girded for the combat. Leaving his ministerial robe in the pulpit he descended, ordering the drums to beat at the church door. Higher up the valley of Virginia, where the plough already vied with the rifle and hardy hunters had begun to till the soil, the summer of the year ripened the wheat fields of the pioneers not for themselves alone. When the sheaves had been harvested, and the corn thrashed and ground in a country as yet poorly provided with barn or mills, the backwoodsmen without any pass through the mountains that could be called roads, delivered 137 barrels of flour as their remittance to the poor of Boston, determined to hold out appeal to the colonists and the world for justice, trusting in God that these things should be overruled for the establishment of liberty, virtue, and happiness in America." Johannes Adam Rausch was owner of one of those mills. There is little doubt that this god fearing man and his wife contributed grain as well as nine sons to the development of this nation. While not in my direct line, it is interesting that sons George and Jonas were in the Battle of Yorktown and saw Cornwallis hand over his sword to George Washington and another son, Jacob survived the horrific battle of Point Pleasant, VA in 1774. The family lived a happy and worthy life on their Mill Creek Farm. On Aug 22, 1936 a large granite monument was erected and dedicated to this family in the cemetery at old Pine Church. John's old monument was encased with glass for preservation and placed at the foot of an S.A.R. Grave Marker. (author: Kevin White September 2001) |
