[hoosiermama]

My fifth great grandfathers were German Pennsylvania Farmers who signed the Bradford Accord: Michael Sanior and Daniel Mathius. One served at Fort Pitt the other at Valley Forge.
I have a picture of their grandson (and his family) and a rolling pin the grandson made and gave to my grandmother on her tenth birthday.
Do you have any more information on the gtoups participation in the war?

[marktwain]

Here is a good account about how Timothy Murphey changed the course of the war at Saratoga.

http://www.pajack.com/stories/pennsylvania/timmurphy.html

[Pharmboy]

The German patriot regiments came mainly from PA, NY and MD, although other states had some too. The DAR and other groups would be able to give you much information on this, as well as the local historical societies in PA. The records kept during the RevWar were surprisingly complete and carefully kept.

[silverleaf]

Half of my western PA ancestors were Scots-Irish who fought in the war, and the other half were PA German farmers, most of whom served in the war- difference was they served by keeping the famrs going, raising supplies and defending the homes and families of those away fighting and keeping the settlements going and growing while the fighting men were away.

I’m sure German farmers’ sons actually went to the lines (I had at least one who did) but in western PA, many appeared to serve in the rear- growing food, raising money to buy weapons, smithing, making and storing powder, building block houses, defending the frontier towns and settlers from the Brit-Indian rear guard “war of terror”.

[silverleaf]

You should dig up old copies of the History of Westmoreland County that were published in the late 1800’s- they are wonderful reads

You might find your ancestor’s names mentioned, if lucky maybe even pictures. Your ancestors probably knew and lived near mine

Here is a link to an online copy of Chapter 1 of one of these old histories. My ancestors discussed here were Jack, Lochry and Erwin among others

http://www.pa-roots.com/westmoreland/historyproject/vol1/chap11.html

[ZULU]

The Pennsylvania Rifle was, in large part, a product of those German immigrants - many from the Rhineland-Palatinate area of western Germany. They included gunsmiths in their ranks and target shooting and hunting was a big past time in Germany. Their Jaeger-building skills produced a refined product for eastern forest hunting and warfare, directed by their primary customers - Native American hunters and colonial backwoodsmen.