The Haversack - Sergeant Lawrence Everhart Chapter

Vol. 2 Issue 4
April, 2015
The Haversack
The Newsletter of the Sergeant Lawrence Everhart Chapter
Maryland Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
The spring of 2015 has finally arrived and with it the
pleasurable opportunity to seamlessly transfer the gavel
of Chapter stewardship and responsibility to what is
very possibly the most talented incoming leadership
team our Chapter has assembled since it's founding in
1920.
Wisely, our new leadership team will be heavily populated with Compatriots having served on the current
leadership team -- thus, assuring continuity of focus,
theme, and responsibility while concurrently holding
"the door of next level opportunities and ideas" open to
amplification and perfection of our Chapter's historical,
educational, and patriotic responsibilities, duties, and
accomplishments.
In the fall of 2013 we elected a new Chapter leadership
team to serve for the twelve months. With consent of
the membership, the team stayed for eighteen months;
during which our Chapter initiated necessary bylaw
changes, experienced the smooth realignment of our
business year with that of the MDSSAR, increased
Chapter dues to support ever increasing Chapter community activities, and birthed the Frederick Town Fife
and Drum (the future face of SAR in our community).
Our Chapter led the formation of an unprecedented
SAR/DAR collaborative effort to lead Maryland's celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Repudiation
Act. We expanded our Patriot Grave Marking program,
and realigned the Awards programs, vastly expanding
the potential number of Student Essay Contest participants. Chapter in-house resources were enhanced to
better craft SAR membership applications, and we
honed our brand through outreach and integral involvement in the planning and execution of four highly acclaimed county and state patriotic events celebrating
the War of 1812 and it's linkage to the American Revolution. Concurrently we established a physical SAR
presence in downtown Frederick, instituted a SAR application information flow process, and enhanced the
perpetuity and user availability of Chapter records by
placing many of them "in the cloud". We have enhanced the management and stewardship of our membership, established a uniform awards policy, process,
review and education program, and we have proudly
nurtured the growth of what has become a very dynamic clarion of our patriotic activities, The Haversack.
Governance has been framed by SAR guidelines, trust,
and the principles of informed and empowered execution; decentralizing much of the key Chapter decision
making process and giving the freedom, authority, responsibility, and accountability to make decisions and
execute programs to the Committee Chairmen and individual project leaders. Our Chapter has accomplished its collective and our individual goals on a
framework of accountable committee chairmanship, an
extraordinarily talented Chapter secretary, a stellar
professional Public Relations director, a highly engaged Executive Committee, and the sterling integrity
of our Compatriots.
Because of your involvement our Chapter's brand just
gets better and better every day, and with your increased involvement and your strong support of our
2015-2016 leadership team, I am confident that our
SAR driven historical, educational, and patriotic
achievements will excel at a record setting logarithmic
pace. Continue to Charge.
George Lewis
Compatriot and President
2013-2015
In this issue…
Page 2: Meeting Dates, Essay Contest
Page 3: Fife & Drum News
Page 4: JROTC Candidate and Essay
Page 5: SAR Honor Union Veterans of the
Civil War, SAR Honors MD Guard Soldiers
and Airmen
Page 6: Patriot Bios Request
Page 7: Stamp Act
Page 9: General Lafayette Memorial
Page 10: Tracing Families of Hessian
Soldiers
Page 11: Jane Contee Hanson
1
SAVE THE DATE AND TIMES
STAMP ACT THEME OF SAR ESSAY CONTEST
2015 Annual Meeting of the Sergeant Lawrence Everhart Chapter National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
As a prelude to the region’s 250th anniversary commemoration of The Repudiation Act, the Sergeant Lawrence Everhart Chapter of the Sons of the American
Revolution is sponsoring an essay contest for middle
school students. SAR Compatriot John George, Ed.D,
Associate Professor of Education at Hood College, who
is coordinating the essay contest, announced the essay
topic as: “Explain how the Stamp Act may have led to
the American War of Independence and include information about Repudiation Day in Frederick County”.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Dutch's Daughter Restaurant
581 Himes Avenue
Frederick, MD 21703
5:00PM - 6PMPM (New Member Induction Meeting)
6:00PM - 9:00PM (Business Meeting and Program)
REMAINING 2015 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
MEETINGS:

March 19

April 23

May 21

June 18

July 16th

August 20

September 17

October 15 (subject to change based on scheduling
of semi-annual meeting)

November 19

December 17
Please note, all Chapter members are welcome to attend and encouraged to participate in our Executive
(EC) committee meetings. The meetings are held at 19
East Church Street in the 1st Floor Conference Room.
Our meetings are held on the third Thursday of each
month, commencing promptly at 6pm and ending at
7:30pm. Help us grow and improve the organization
by being part of the process and outcomes.
The SAR essay contest is open to all middle grade students (6,7,8) in Frederick County public and private
schools. Word limits are 300 to 500 words. The contest concludes on April 23, 2015. Submissions are sent
to Dr. John George, Education Department, Hood College, 401 Rosemont Avenue, Frederick, Maryland
21701. Dr. George notes that while the Frederick
County Public Schools are not a sponsor of this contest,
student participation is encouraged to complement the
academic growth and endeavors. All participants receive a certificate, and ten will receive prizes to be
awarded during school assemblies.
The local chapters of the Daughters of the American
Revolution and the Sons of the American Revolution
are organizing the 250th anniversary commemoration of
The Repudiation Act – the act of defiance by “Twelve
Immortal Justices” of the Frederick County Court, effectively refusing to discharge The Stamp Act imposed
on the Colonies by Great Britain’s King George III.
SAR Chapter President Dr. George Lewis states: “On
November 23, 1765 these justices were the first to repudiate the onerous ‘taxation without representation’ (Duties On American Colonies Act of 1765), a
decade before ‘the shot heard ‘round the world’ at the
‘rude bridge that arched the flood’ in Lexington, Massachusetts.” Submitted by Public Relations Chair Richard
Foot
MDSSAR ANNUAL MEETING
Please save the date for the MDSSAR Annual Meeting, which will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2015.
We'll be in the Freight Room of Baldwin's Station
Restaurant located in the historic Victorian railway
station of Sykesville, Maryland. A Continental Breakfast will be served at 8:30. Luncheon at noon will be a
sit-down meal consisting of salad, your choice of
chicken or tilapia, and a cheesecake dessert.
MDSSAR President Doug Favorite presents Certificate of Distinguished Service to MSSDAR State Regent Linda Mistler
during the society's annual state conference.
2
FRANCIS SCOTT KEY MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
SUPPORTS FREDERICK TOWN FIFE AND DRUM
The Francis Scott Key Memorial Foundation has recently
awarded the Frederick Town Fife & Drum Corps a two
thousand four hundred and fourteen dollar ($2,414.00)
grant to fund the purchase of uniforms and musical equipment.
The Francis Scott Key Memorial Foundation provides the
maintenance at Mount Olivet Cemetery, for both the monument, and burial site of the man who penned The StarSpangled Banner. Ronald Pearcey, President of the Francis Scott Key Memorial Foundation, stated: "Our Foundation is dedicated to memorializing the heroic actions of
American patriots. We commend the SAR for bringing to
life an iconic image of military life in the 18th century."
From left to right: SAR Chapter Vice President Donald Deering,
Francis Scott Key Memorial Foundation President Ronald
Pearcey, Fifer Sarah Scrivener, Drummer Daniel Wilson, and
Instructor Claude Bauer. Photo by Ron Harbaugh
The Frederick Town Fife & Drum Corps is a youth program under the auspices of the Sergeant Lawrence Everhart Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. Patterned after Colonial Williamsburg's renowned unit, the
Frederick Town Fife & Drum is outfitted in Revolutionary
period uniforms and performs at both public and private
events.
"Fifers and drummers were an important part of the 18th
century military", states Chapter Vice President Donald
Deering. "Fifers and drummers served with enlisted men
and officers in the field, their music inspiring and guiding
the troops by sounding signals, hours and alarms. These
were also popular tunes that helped assuage the soldiers'
fatigue and discomfort, both in camp and during their arduous marches.”
To ensure its success and sustainment, the Frederick
Town Fife & Drum Corps has assembled a constellation of
community partners, whose members include the Mayor's
Department of Economic Development, Hood College,
Frederick County Public Schools, the Downtown Frederick Partnership, the Tourism Council of Frederick County,
the Frederick City Police Department, the Frederick County Sheriff's Office, the Historical Society of Frederick
County, Mount Olivet Cemetery, the York County, PA,
Middle School Fife and Drum Corps, a Frederick City
business owner and the Colonial Williamsburg's Director
of Revolutionary City Programs.
Contributions, in support of the Frederick Town Fife &
Drum Corps, can be made to the Sergeant Lawrence Everhart Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution
Fund, a component fund of the Community Foundation of
Frederick County.
For more information about the Fife and Drum please contact Chapter Vice President Donald Deering; dadeering@comcast.net or via telephone (301-606-8827).
Performing during First Saturday in Downtown Frederick,
the Frederick Town Fife and Drum (FTFD) unites Revolutionary and Civil War histories of Frederick, MD. Left to
right: FTFD Music Director Claude Bauer, Fifer Sarah
Scrivener and Drummer Daniel Wilson
FTFD members Sarah Scrivener and Daniel Wilson, accompanied by York, PA Middle School’s Colonial Corps members, critique their earlier performance conducted during
the MSDAR 110th Conference. This year’s event was held in
Hunt Valley, MD
3
OUTSTANDING JROTC CANDIDATE
Luke Staley, a junior at Linganore High School, has been
selected to represent the Sergeant Lawrence Everhart
Chapter for the JROTC award. Luke has a 4.2 weighted
GPA and is ranked 47 in a class of 361 students. He is a
member of the National Honor Society. Luke has been
active in the NROTC program for 3 years. He was a Recruit in 9th grade, Petty Officer Third Class in 10th grade,
Second Class and First Class in 11th grade, and next year
he will be Lieutenant Commander. He has completed the
700 word essay included below. He will now compete on
the state level. He will be presented the SAR Bronze
Medal and Certificate at the NROTC Awards Program.
Luke is also an outstanding soccer player, being selected
Captain as a junior, as well as All MVAL this year. He
works part-time for Staley's Landscaping. He is active in
the Key Club, which is a school service club.
THE JROTC CITIZEN
Essay by Luke Staley
When presented with the question, how does a young man
or woman become a better citizen of this great nation?
The first question that should be addressed is why good
citizenship is necessary? Consider an architect, an architect must choose carefully where to build his house. As he
looks for a place for his structure he sees a plateau of
rock, and a plateau of sand. Where should he build his
house? Of course he should build his house upon the
rock, because strong structures can only stand with
strong foundations. What then are the foundations of a
nation? The answer? Its citizens. For a nation is defined
by its citizens, and it will only ever be as good as the people in it, running it, working for it and defending it.
JROTC has taught me many things, lessons are taught to
me by the leaders, and my fellow cadets both in, and outside of the classroom everyday. It has taught me leadership skills, and how to work efficiently with others, it has
awakened in me a desire to serve my country, and it has
taught me about respect, attention to detail, discipline
and maturity. These are the lifeblood and core values of
JROTC, and they have resolutely prepared me to be a
better citizen of the United States of America.
A good citizen of the United States of America will contribute to society. But a great citizen will help lead and
guide others to contribute as well. This requires leadership skills and knowledge of how to work with others.
JROTC has given me a unique opportunity to lead my
peers in an organized setting. As a platoon commander
this year for my unit, I learned two vital lessons about
leadership. The first is that you must have the respect of
your peers, and the best way for a leader to gain respect
is to give respect to the cadets that he leads. The second
lesson is that you should never mistake a position of
authority for leadership. Telling a cadet what to do isn’t
leadership. True leaders set the example for their fellow
cadets through their own actions. I also learned vital
lessons about working with others, every personality is
different. The key to success is being able to interact
with each cadet individually. These lessons have been
taught to me by JROTC in high school, but they will
stick with me for the rest of my life.
I have always been a patriot, I love this country; for all
its flaws, strengths, and values, it is the most free, most
beautiful, and most powerful nation in the world. But
until recently, I have not always known what it means to
serve this country. Recently in a lecture, one of our naval science instructors gave a presentation about his
time in the service, showing of the things he did, and the
friends he lost. I learned that serving our country, is not
about serving a geographical mass of fifty states. It’s
about serving the men and women next to you. Whether
as a member of the service, or as an American civilian,
serving your country is best accomplished by serving
your fellow citizens.
To be an upstanding member of society one must have
good character. Weak values don’t build strong citizens.
The first thing I learned in JROTC was the acronym
RADM, Respect, Attention to detail, Discipline and Maturity. If you possess these values you will be on a path
to strong character. Being taught these lessons in high
school will help me build strong character foundations
for years to come. JROTC will not only help me better
build upon these values, but also help me pass them on
to others to do the same.
To be a JROTC cadet you don’t have to be extraordinary. Just someone looking to be a part of something
bigger than yourself. JROTC has given me many lessons, I believe that they will help me better contribute to
my country, and that they will help me pass those values
on, one citizen at a time.
From left to right: Christopher Smithson, Ron Harbaugh,
Larry Bishop, Dave Hoover, Eugene Moyer, and Dave
Embry. presented the colors during the State DAR Conference in Towson Maryland
4
SAR HONORS UNION VETERANS OF
CIVIL WAR
In ceremonies held Saturday, March 28, at the Maryland Monument at the Antietam National Battlefield
in Sharpsburg, the Sergeant Lawrence Everhart Chapter of the Maryland Society of the Sons of the American Revolution paid tribute to 20 Union soldiers for
their gallant actions of Sept. 17, 1862, leading to the
awarding of the Medal of Honor.
In laying a wreath, SAR Chapter President George
Lewis said, “Our Revolutionary-era patriots today
rest in peace, knowing that those honored this day
preserved the Union they created — a Union that to
this day stands strong because of their sacrifices.” (This article originally appeared in the April 5
edition of the Frederick News-Post.)
award recipients were Army Staff Sgt. Amber Insley,
1st Sgt. Robert Schmidt, Spec. Benjamin Wertz, Air
Force Tech Sgt. Charles Doran, and Senior Master Sgt.
David Herpel. The Maryland 400 Distinguished Service Medal is unique given Maryland is the only State
in the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
that has a specific medal honoring the National Guard.
The Maryland 400 Distinguished Service Medal, first
awarded in 1936 at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., was given to Md. Guardsmen for general excellence based on
dependability, cooperation, leadership, patriotism, and
intelligence. These medals were awarded annually until 1940, when the National Guard was called into active federal service for World War II. It wasn’t until
2009, when the medals were rediscovered, that Maryland National Guardsmen once again began receiving
this award based on conspicuous distinguished service
or achievement.
According to MDSSAR, the medal represents an
American soldier in the uniform of the Continental
Army with musket and bayonet used by the Maryland
400 in the Battle of Long Island pressing forward under the shield of a militant America mantled in the
flowing folds of a star-spangled banner, in her left
hand a shield to protect her children, in her right a
sword for those who would destroy her faith. At the
bottom is, “August – 27 – 1776”, the date of the battle
when Maryland’s 400 saved Washington’s Army at
Gowanus Creek.
“It’s important to the Sons of the American Revolution
to recognize the service of those in uniform today as
they carry on the traditions of service and sacrifice dating back to 1776”, said Maj. Gen. (Retired) James A.
Adkins, former Maryland National Guard adjutant
general.
Leftt o right: Karl Woodcock, commander, Antietam
Camp No. 3 of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil
War; George Lewis, president, Sergeant Lawrence Everhart Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution; the Gettysburg Blues Color Guard, Sons of Veterans Reserve;
Bugler Paul McMillon Gettysburg Blues Sons of Veterans
Reserve; and Rosemary Martin of Frederick, Auxiliary to
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (ASUVCW). Photo by Stuart Younkin
SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
HONORS MD GUARD SOLDIERS AND AIRMEN
Maryland National Guardsmen attended the Annual
George Washington Birthday Luncheon hosted by the
Maryland Society Sons of the American Revolution
today to receive a prestigious award known as the Maryland 400 Distinguished Service Medal. Amongst the
Adkins served as the guest speaker during the ceremony and emphasized the importance of the Maryland
400 at the Battle of Long Island, August 27, 1776.
Douglas Favorite, MDSSAR President, and Brig. Gen.
Jeffrey Kramer, Md. National Guard Director of Joint
Staff, presented the award to each recipient.
“This is critical to the MDSSAR as we recognize our
history is full of people who have fought for our freedom and liberty”, Favorite said. “The people we recognize today are doing the same in a different way and
we must keep the spirit alive and keep it going.”
Staff Sgt. Amber Insley, a training specialist with the
115th Military Police Battalion, reflected on what receiving this award meant to her. Continued on page 6
5
Continued from page 5
“I feel extremely honored to have even been nominated for this award that contains a big part of the Maryland National Guard’s history”, Insley said. “Words
cannot express the honor I feel to receive this medal
and to represent the Maryland National Guard. I am
especially grateful for all those who have mentored
me and those I’ve able to mentor throughout my
years of service. Without them, I would not have this
great honor.”
Lt. Col. Mary Staab and Sgt. First Class Anthony
McGrath were in attendance to show their support for
Staff Sgt. Insley during the award ceremony. (This
article originally appeared in the Defense Video &
Imagery Distribution System website.)
Sergeant Lawrence Everhart Chapter attendees at the George
Washington Birthday Luncheon. Left to right: Sheldon Shealer, Don Deering, Doug Favorite, Larry Bishop, Dr. George
Lewis, Ron Harbaugh, Gene Moyer, Bruce Champion, and
Rick Stup.
PATRIOT BIOS REQUEST
Compatriots,
At the NSSAR Spring Leadership Meeting, the Patriot
Biographies Committee set June 1, 2015 as the deadline for submissions in the 2015 competition for Chapters and State Societies to achieve a 20% submission
rate.
This rate will be determined based on the January 1,
2015 membership count. The number of biographical
submissions will be divided by the 1/1/15 member
count. For an achievement rate of 20% (decreased
from 25%), the Chapter/State will receive a streamer at
the Congress in Louisville in late June.
As of the Spring Leadership Meeting we have received
671 biographies from 30 State Societies.
To reiterate, we ask that you send a biographical sketch
of your ancestor(s) to patriotbios@sar.org. The information should be provided in a file that is Microsoft
WORD compatible. The data will then be merged into
the Patriot and Grave Index. If you have a Patriot
Number assigned (i.e., P-xxxxxx), please include it
with your submission. If not, one will be assigned.
Due to the potential volume and limitations on storage,
it has been requested that we limit the biographical
sketches to approximately 500 words. When you submit your entry, please include your name and SAR
Member number.
While this information should be as accurate as possible, it is not intended for use as primary documentation
material for SAR or DAR applications, therefore, we
are not requiring sourcing of the documentation. We
intend for these biographies to encourage prospective
applicants and provide a reference point from which to
start (or continue) their research. It would also be helpful to identify SAR Compatriots who are descended
from each of the patriots referenced. By including a
name and SAR Member number, additional research
and/or connections may be possible. This is of course,
all voluntary, and not a requirement.
We hope that you will join us in celebrating your patriot ancestor with a submission to this database. Secretary General Tom Lawrence assured me that this endeavor will continue past June 2015. So even if you
are unable to submit a biography prior to the June 1
deadline, please know that we will continue to update
the database.
Please share this with your Chapter and State Society
members.
Fraternally,
Douglas T. Collins
Chairman
Patriot Biographies Committee
Information Web Links NSSAR Web Site: www.s ar.o rg MDSSAR Web
Site: www.mar yla nd sar.o rg Sergeant Lawrence Everhart Chapter Web Page:
h ttp :// l awr en ce -ev er har t.mary la nd sar.o rg /ind ex .html
6
PRELUDE TO REVOLUTION
This article is the first of a two-part series relating
the events in Frederick County, Maryland centered
on the infamous Stamp Act of 1765. The first article
discusses the situation in Maryland prior to the enactment of the Stamp Act. The second will discuss the
Stamp Act and its repudiation by the Frederick County Court and how that decision influenced events in
Maryland leading up to the beginning of the Revolutionary War.
Figure 1: Maryland Counties, c.1750
The American colonies are considered the first experiment in British imperialism and they would also be
the first to declare, and fight for, their independence
from the Crown. One of these colonies, Maryland,
would play a unique role in the process of transforming from English subjects to independent states and
finally to a new nation. Some of the first steps of this
metamorphosis would be taken in Frederick County,
which encompassed the entire western part of Maryland at the time. The legal repudiation of the muchhated Stamp Act of 1765 by the twelve magistrates
who served the county’s court helped lay the foundation for momentous events that would unfold less
than a decade later.
In the first part of the 17th century, the English were
desperate to populate lands on the western side of the
Atlantic Ocean. They knew they were in a contest of
conquest with the French, Dutch and Spanish. The
presence of heavily populated colonies solidified
claims to land and resources and made it easier to
defend them. But by 1630 only Jamestown in Virginia, some scattered colonies in Massachusetts, and a
settlement in New Hampshire had managed to establish and maintain a foothold in the vast wilderness.
During the first twenty-five years of exploration and
colonization more attempts at settlement had failed,
and been abandoned, than had succeeded.
The Maryland colony was originally founded by the
Calvert family who were Catholic. George Calvert, 1st
Lord Baltimore, was the driving force behind the establishment of the Maryland colony. His desire was to establish a colony where people of different faiths could
coexist and he negotiated this precept into the founding
document. His reasons for doing this were probably not
altruistic but certainly essential to getting the blessings
of a Protestant king. Unfortunately, Calvert died while
the Charter was being finalized so the Charter of Maryland, confirmed by King Charles I on 20-Jun-1632, was
issued to his son, Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Lord Baltimore.
The Charter would serve as the underlying governing
document for the colony. It made Maryland the first of
the proprietary colonies and the 2nd Lord Baltimore
was recognized Lord Proprietor. Like many of the colonial Lord Proprietors, Cecilius Calvert never set foot
in the colonies.
Article XX of the Charter
set Maryland apart from
the other North American
colonies. It stated in part,
“Baron of Baltimore, His
Heirs and Assigns, that
We, our Heirs, and Successors, at no Time hereafter, will impose, or make
or cause to be imposed,
any Impositions, Customs,
or other Taxations, Quotas,
or Contributions whatsoever, in or upon the Residents or Inhabitants of the Figure 2: Cecilius Calvert,
Province aforesaid for
their Goods, Lands, or Tenements within the same
Province, or upon any Tenements, Lands, Goods or
Chattels within the Province aforesaid, or in or upon
any Goods or Merchandizes within the Province aforesaid, or within the Ports or Harbors of the said Province.”
This “tax-exempt status” became a primary selling
point for enticing colonists to migrate to Maryland. To
those hardy souls who sailed up the Chesapeake Bay in
1634 on board the “Ark” and the “Dove”, and to all
who followed, the wording and meaning was quite
clear. It was this original charter on which the colony
was founded that would become the “fly in the ointment” when, more than a century later, King and Parliament would attempt to impose the onerous Stamp
Act on the citizens of Maryland.
Maryland was in an interesting geopolitical position
with predominately Quaker Pennsylvania to the north
and Loyalist Virginia to the south. Juxtaposed between
religious tolerance and tobacco-growing capitalism,
7
Maryland tried to be both, generally with success.
The colony found itself in a strategic situation during
the French and Indian War (1754-1763). British
troops and colonial militias traversed Maryland moving men and materials to counter the French and their
Indian allies; the most notable of these efforts being
General Edward Braddock’s ill-fated expedition
against Fort Duquesne in 1755.
Though there were instances of violent encounters
between Indians and White settlers in the western
areas, the colony, in general, was not a major theater
of combat operations. In 1757 at Fort Frederick, located on the upper reaches of the Potomac River,
Maryland officials successfully secured a treaty with
the Cherokee, who in turn, helped to patrol the western reaches of the colony acting as a buffer against
the French and their Indian allies. Continued on page
8
The various Acts of Trade and Navigation, first enacted in 1651, generally prohibited colonists from
manufacturing goods for export. This created a scarcity of hard currency with which to conduct internal
transactions. If a colonist needed to purchase an essential commodity or a luxury item, they either had to
barter for it or sign a debt note. During the second
half of the French and Indian War (1759-1763), Maryland planters accrued a long-term trade deficit with
the mother country; borrowing more than they could
ever hope to pay back. This is turn led to unhappy
“money lenders” in the mother country. A merchant
of the period explained the situation this way. “Every
honest fair trader fail’d more or less on my right hand
and my left...It is madness now to sue for debts. If
people are not able to pay you must let them walk off
or stay to defy you.” So as 1765 approached, many
inhabitants of Maryland found themselves in very
difficult financial straits.
To help defray the immense costs of the French and
Indian War, and to finance a permanent troop presence in the colonies, Parliament decided to tax the
colonies. From the British perspective, this was
deemed to be more than fair. They had just expended
considerable blood and treasure defending their North
American colonies. Great Britain had doubled its national debt during the Seven Year’s War and its own
people were not going to tolerate any additional taxes. It was time for the colonies to ante up. George
Grenville, the Prime Minister was the original architect of this plan. He would be followed by a more
infamous gentleman, Charles Townshend.
The American colonies saw this from a totally differ-
ent point of view. They had also made sacrifices towards the victory over the French and, lacking any
direct representation in Parliament, were not allowed
any say in the matter of taxation. With the combination of colonials believing themselves to be taxexempt based on the Maryland Charter, an overbearing financial debt from the war and the threat of taxes
imposed by a distant and uncaring Parliament, Maryland was set to become a powder keg. Submitted by
Secretary Pat Barron and Compatriot Ryan Bass
Figure 3: Fort Frederick, Maryland
Members of the Color Guard of the Sergeant Lawrence Everhart
Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution participated in
ceremonies for the sign-posting of the Samuel Chase Birthplace in
Princess Anne, Maryland. Pictured are (L-R): Eugene Moyer,
NSSAR Color Guard Vice Commander Dave Hoover, Larry Bishop
and Ron Harbaugh.
Samuel Chase was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and
a Supreme Court Justice (1796). The Captain John Smoot Chapter
of the Maryland Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
organized the sign-posting.
8
OF MONUMENTS AND MEN
General Lafayette: Friend of America and Liberty
HISTORIANS AND PRESERVATION GROUPS
ANNOUNCE LANDMARK NATIONAL
CAMPAIGN TO SAVE REVOLUTIONARY WAR
BATTLEFIELDS
Nearly 240 years after the “shot heard ‘round the
world” signaled the beginning of the journey toward
American independence, historians and preservationists
gathered in Princeton, N.J., to launch the first-ever national initiative to protect and interpret the battlefields
of the Revolutionary War. The new effort, titled
‘Campaign 1776,’ is a project of the Civil War Trust,
the nation’s most successful battlefield preservation
advocate. Campaign 1776 will employ the same proven
strategy of harnessing public-private partnerships to
permanently protect hallowed ground that has made the
Civil War Trust one of the country’s top charitable land
conservation organizations.
This second of a series of profiles of monuments and
plaques dedicated by the Sergeant Lawrence Everhart
Chapter Sons of the American Revolution in Frederick
County features a memorial to General Lafayette, which
stands near the intersection of East Patrick Street and
Bowmans Farm Road, adjacent to the Frederick airport.
The jug-shaped (demijohn – a popular 19th century
whiskey decanter) monument was originally located at
one end of a bridge crossing the Monocacy River in
Frederick. The monument was built in 1808 by Leonard Harbaugh.
The inscription on the bronze tablet at the base of the
statue reads:
General Lafayette
Friend of America and Liberty
Arrived at the bridge nearby
On his way to Frederick
December 29, 1824
______________________
Created by a delegation of citizens
Including the gallant Lawrence Everhart
Who had come to escort him into the city
Lafayette made here an address
Expressing thanks for the hearty welcome
_______________________________
Erected by
Sergeant Lawrence Everhart Chapter
Sons of the American Revolution
September 17, 1926
Submitted by Public Relations Chair Richard Foot
“The patriots who fell during the struggle for American
independence deserve to have their sacrifices remembered and honored just as much as those who took up
arms ‘four score and seven years’ later during the Civil
War,” said Trust president James Lighthizer. “All of
these battlefields are hallowed ground, living memorials
to this nation’s brave soldiers, past, present and future.”
The organization’s chairman, Michael Grainger concurred, saying, “For nearly three decades, the Civil War
Trust has led the charge to protect endangered battlegrounds from this nation’s bloodiest conflict, securing
millions of dollars in private sector donations to preserve these tangible links to our past. Through Campaign 1776, we are lending our expertise in heritage
land preservation to a fuller spectrum of American history.”
Although primarily focused on preservation of
the battlefields of the
Revolutionary
War
(1775–1783), Campaign
1776 will also target battlegrounds
associated
with the War of 1812
(1812–1814) — the conflicts that established and
confirmed
American
independence from Great
Britain. In its 2007 report on the status of
these battlefields, the
National Park Service
found that of the 243 significant engagements of those
conflicts, only 100 retained historic integrity. Those
sites that have endured through more than two centuries
are now facing pressure from residential and other development. (This article originally appeared in the February 2015 edition of SAR Magazine)
9
TRACING LOCAL FAMILIES OF HESSIAN
SOLDIERS FROM THE
REVOLUTIONARY WAR
Do you really know who your ancestors were? If you are
a descendant of a Hessian soldier who was housed in the
historic stone barracks in Frederick during the Revolutionary War, the local chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution would like to know. The Sergeant Lawrence Everhart Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) is embarking on a quest to locate those early
families and create a genealogical listing of the original
soldiers who became citizens.
The historic stone barracks on the campus of the Maryland School for the Deaf in Frederick is currently being
restored. Within its walls will be a museum dedicated to
the many different activities serviced by this historic
structure over the past 240 years. It was the first structure
built by the State of Maryland in 1777 as a prison for
British soldiers and American loyalists (Tories). It was
located here in Frederick after collaboration by both
Thomas Johnson and John Hanson; important local patriots, who prevailed on site selection in their contacts with
the then Maryland General Assembly.
After the Battles of Bennington and Saratoga, captured
soldiers were marched to Frederick where they were
housed. After Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown in October 1781, the Ansbach Regiments, who were taken
prisoners there, arrived in Fredericktown in January
1782, and were housed in the barracks.
It is estimated that over 850 Hessian, Bayreuth and
Ansbach soldiers assimilated after their captivity during
the war. The names are known of at least 181 Hessians
who were confined in Frederick and eventually settled in
the Western Maryland area. Research of military lists,
church and courthouse records, gravestones and other
sources traced locations, marriages, children and avocations. Numerous family names are still familiar in Frederick County. Changes in spellings of family names
could make it difficult to trace families, especially when
the only link is the family of the women who married the
soldiers. The German names and possible translations
into English are noted below. What readers can do if you
recognize your family name is contact the SAR as instructed below.
The Sons of the American Revolution believes it is important to define the historical legacies of the many German soldiers who were prisoners and housed in the stone
barracks in Frederick during those war years. Those German soldiers remaining in the Frederick County area reactivated their non-military skills as farmers, millers,
distillers, masons, bricklayers, carpenters, and coopers.
They set up shops, advertised for business and took apprentices into the trades. Many of these former soldiers
were hired by the farmers in the area. They later married the local women and started families.
Any descendants of these German soldiers who are
certain of their ancestry are urged to contact the SAR,
and add the names to the genealogical list to be placed
in the renovated barracks when the restoration is completed. The list of German soldiers and how to reach
the SAR is listed below:
Henrich Adam -- Johann Georg Adam -- Justus Arnold -- Henrich Aschermann (Ausherman) -- Hennig
Bartels -- Jakob Barthold -- Johann Bauermeister -Johann Bauerreiss -- Lorenz Bauhahn -- Heinrich
Bauschinger -- Christian Becker (Baker) -- Franz
Becker (Baker) -- Henrich Bender -- Christopher
Berghman (Barkman) -- Johannes Bier -- Wilhelm
Bierschenck -- Georg Adam Biller -- Johann Bischoff
-- Conrad Blendinger -- Johannes Bode -- Henrich
Born -- Christoph Bornhaus -- Jakob Bornhaus -Christoph Brand -- Georg Nikolaus Brand – Georg
Brede -- Henrich Crass -- Jakob Dahinten -- Henrich
Dahlhelm -- Christoph Degenhardt (Dagenhart) -Georg Dengler -- Johannes Doberitsch -- Christoph
Dönges -- Simon Duephorn -- Georg Ebbrecht
(Abrecht) -- Georg Ebel -- Joh Henrich Adolph Eickhoff (Eickhof) -- Jeremias Eiffert -- Georg Elias -Johannes Ellenberger -- Johann Engelbrecht -- Georg
Engelhard -- Henrich Fehling (Failing) -- Johann Fick
-- Philipp Fiege (Feaga) -- Johannes Filing -- Johann
Georg Fraas -- Henrich Froelich (Fraley) -- Georg
Frühberger -- Johann Georg Frühe -- Hans Henrich
Fuelling -- Georg Ganso/Janso (Gonso) -- Johann
Georg Christian Gärtner -- Leonhard Gehweyer -Justus Gerecht (Gerecht) -- Johann Gerecke -- Georg
Geriach -- Georg Gier (Gear) -- Henrich Giese
(Geasey) -- Eckhard Gilss (Gilds) -- Andreas Göddecke -- Johann Goll – Henrich Hartman -- Konrad
Heckenmüller -- Justus Henrich Heckerod -- Christoph Heckmann (Heckman) -- Georg Heinemann -Henrich Heiner -- Andreas Helbig/Hilwig -- Johann
Henrich Hempe/Hembe (Hempy) -- Kaspar Henning - Peter Herr -- Carl Hesse -- Johann Wilhelm Heyder
(Heyder) -- Georg Heyl -- Christian Hilke (Hilkey) -Christoph Hille -- Johann Georg Hoehl -- Wilhelm
Hoester -- Henrich Hoffman/Hoffmann Hoffman) -Johann Heinrich Hohberger -- Johannes Kalbfleisch - Johann Kaspar Karrich -- Jakob Kern -- Johann
Philipp Kilian (Kilian) -- Christoph Kirchhoff -- Friedrich Kirchner -- Franz Kleinert (Kleinert) -- Christian Knoph -- Konrad Knott -- Ludwig Kobold -- Johann Koerzdörfer -- Ernst Kohlschein (Coalshine) -Johannes Kolb (Kolb) -- Samuel Kuncke -- Heinrich
Lampe -- John Langmann -- Konrad Lauterbach
(Louderbach) -- Johannes Lentz (Lentz) -- Daniel Lot
Continued on page 11
10
tig/Lottich -- Nikolas Lotz -- Michael Lotzgesell -- Nikolaus Ludewig -- Andreas Heinrich Maagd -- Joh.
Heinr. Maasberg/Massberg -- Jakob Manegold -- Michael Marquardt (Marquert) -- Johannes Mercker -- Peter Meyerhofer/Meyerhoeffer (Myerheffer -- Johann
Jakob Müller -- Konrad Noa -- Konrad Noll -- Johann
Karl Nutzel -- Heinrich Oppermann -- Johann Michael
Ostertag -- Gottlieb Penzer/Bentzer -- Johannes Peter -Georg Karl Poebel -- Georg Preuss -- Johann Putzel/
Butzel -- Andreas Reiding -- Georg Michael Reiss
(Rice) -- Wilhelm Friedrich von Reitzenstein -- Johann
Georg Reuter/Reuder (Rider) -- Henrich Richter
(Richter) -- Adam Riebesam/Ruebesam -- Johannes
Rose -- Peter Rüchert -- Johann Simon Ruckert -- Johann Friedrich von Salzmann -- Adam Schabacker
(Shawbaker) -- Julius Schadt -- Friedrich Jakob
Schaefer -- Konrad Schefer -- Peter Schellhase -- Matthias Schild (Shilt) -- Johann Adam Schindler
(Schindler) -- Johannes Schindler -- Johannes Schmeiss
-- Christian Schneider (Schneider) -- Christian Schnelle
(Schnelle) -- Johann Konrad Schoentag -- Johann Adam
Schübel (Shivel) -- David Schultz (Schultz) -- Christian
Schwend (Schwend) -- Henrich Schwend (Schwend) -Kasoar Schwend (Schwend) -- John Frederick Seiler -Karl Seltzer -- Christoph Daniel Selzam -- Peter
Sentzel/Sensel -- Johann Adam Seyfert -- Nikolaus
Siebert (Siebert) -- Friedrich Sievers -- David Lorenz
Spielmann -- Johann Adam Strickstroh Stricksyrock) -Henrich Stroehlmann (Strailman) -- Wolfgang Thomel/
Tommel -- Jakob Vaupel -- Johannes Vaupel (Faubel) - Kaspar Vaupel (Faubel) -- Henrich Vith (Feete) -Henrich Voegeler (Fogler) -- Jacob Voelcker (Felker) -Henrich Vogeler -- Henrich Waldeck -- John Waldeck
(Waldeck) -- Georg Weber -- Johan Henrich Christoph
Wedekind (Wedekind) -- Ernest Wehe -- Johannes
Weitzel -- Nikolaus Weitzel -- Johann Anton Winckler
-- Christian Wissemueller -- Christoph Zancke (Zanke)
-- Hieronymus Zeiss (Zeiss) -- Ulrich Zeth -- Johannes
Zeuch -- Konrad Zeul -- Wilhelm Ziegeler -- Matthias
Zinner.
Contact the Sergeant Lawrence Everhart Chapter by:
Mail:
Sergeant Lawrence Everhart Chapter
Sons of the American Revolution (SAR)
19 East Church Street, Suite 1776
Frederick, MD. 21701
Phone:
Tom Sherald
301-639-1468
Email:
Hessian.descendant.survey@gmail.com
Submitted by Public Relations Chair Richard Foot
JANE CONTEE HANSON
As a follow up on last month’s Haversack "Monuments and
Men" column that defined President John Hanson, may we
introduce
you
to
Jane
Contee
Hanson?
The woman who was to become the nation's first First Lady
was born into the high gentry Contee family on September
28, 1728 at her parents’ estate in Prince George's County
Maryland. The Contee family arrived wealthy to these
shores. Peter and Catherine Contee emigrated with their
children from Barnstable, Devonshire, England, about
1703, to Charles County before settling in Prince George's
County. The Contees were French Huguenots who immigrated to England before 1643 to escape religious persecution in France.
The Contees would exert a degree of influence in the colony, and then the state of Maryland, nearly equal to that of
the Hanson's. The year following John and Jane Hanson's
marriage in 1743, John Hanson bought from her family the
603 acre Rozer's Refuge. This tract had been granted by
Caecilius Calvert, the second Proprietor of Maryland to
Benjamin Roser in 1672, and later purchased by the Contee
family. Jane Hanson would go on to preside over one of
Maryland's great estates, raise a family of thirteen children,
witness her husband's political ascent to the highest office
in the land, and serve in the first presidential mansion in
Philadelphia as the nation's First Lady.
She would move in midlife to the frontier, Fredricktown,
and have her and her husband's fortune dissipated in wars
of Independence, be a widow for nearly three decades, and
suffer the death of twelve of her children. During those
three decades she lived in the residence at 100 West Patrick
Street in Frederick, in the close care of her son-in-law, Dr.
Philip Thomas, who lived next door, for the rest of her life.
In the twilight of her life, Jane lost the last surviving son,
Alexander Contee Hanson, in 1806 at age 56. Jane lived to
see Alexander cast two presidential elector votes for
George Washington. He also became president of St.
James College and served as chancellor of Maryland, the
second highest legal position in the state.
Jane Hanson died on February 21, 1812 in her 85th year.
She is buried in section MM in Mt. Olivet cemetery in
Frederick next to her daughter Jane Thomas and son-in-law
Dr. Philip Thomas, whose grave was recently decorated by
our Chapter. A recent addition on the Hanson cemetery site
is the Jane Hanson Memorial. This is a grand granite pedestal with bronze bust sculptors of both John and Jane on top.
Note:
Specifics, statistics and dates are credited to
"Remembering John Hanson," a biography of the first president by author Peter Michael. Submitted by Compatriot
Bruce Champion
11