[silverleaf]

Thanks for the article.
Have not done geneaology for some time but remembered that an ancestor (7 X G grandfather) served in the PA Rifle regiment, Capt Joseph Erwin (ala Irwin) - fought in NJ and re-enlisted and stayed with Washington through Valley Forge, as my memory recalls.

Was among the first from the Western PA frontier (Hannastown) to answer the call and join Washington’s army. He was a fairly old dude when he joined the Rev army, a veteran of the French and Indian campaign, survivor of daily life on the PA frontier from the 1730’s, and probably a good sniper!

I found his name in this document
http://www.neilelvick.com/Book/append_2.htm

[Pharmboy]

Very interesting. General Hugh Mercer (who died a hero's death at Princeton) was a Scot physician who came to PA and went west to fight the Indians on the frontier (he had always been a bit more of a fighter than doctor). He had felt uncomfortable among the Quakers and settled about halfway between Greencastle and what is now Mercersburg.

Mercer joined Washington, Braddock, Daniel Boone and Dan Morgan (among others) for that fateful defeat on the Monangahela in 1755. Perhaps your G7 was there.

Mercer moved to Fredericksburg , VA after that, married an American Scots woman and had 5 children. One of his direct descendants was General Patton.