CHANGING TIMES

REVOLUTIONARY WAR

During the last half of the eighteenth century, events were happening, which would have a profound effect upon the future of the colonies in general and on the Bolender and Shinkle families in particular. Four conditions were major: First: wilderness territory west of Pennsylvania became available. Second: breakthroughs in transportation over land, crossing rivers and navigating the waterways made it possible for settlers to move westward. Third: death in the family ultimately effected changes. Fourth: revolution against the British Crown resulted in a major war for independence and a new government.

First: In 1749 a group of Virginians and Englishmen formed the Ohio Company, chartered by King George II with a grant of 500,000 acres on the upper Ohio River. France maintained colonial control of the territory immediately west of Pennsylvania, calling it New France. The still unbroken wilderness was home to many Native American tribes who were called 'Indians.' A war broke out between the colonies and France. They fought for the control of the Ohio Valley and territory north and south of it. One of the military leaders from the colonies was a young man named George Washington. By 1756 the war had spread to Europe between Britain and France. This was the French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Years War, because of its length of duration.

France drew up a truce with King George II of Britain, ending the war and agreeing to reserve this area, including what is now the state of Ohio, for the Indians. Because of the peaceful policies of William Penn, the colonists of Pennsylvania were not involved in the French and Indian war. After Penn's death, the governing of the colony passed to his sons. By the time of the revolution, they had changed much of Penn's original policies.

Second: Transportation improved. In 1750, Jacob Yoder invented a new design flatboat for traveling down inland waters. In the late 1790's ferryboats began to appear on major waterways, thus making westward travel possible. This resulted in massive migration for many years following. In Lancaster County, the German settlers developed the covered wagon. They began covering their wagons with linen to protect their goods from damage by the sun and rain. The name, 'Conestoga wagon,' derives from their first having been used in the Conestoga Valley of Lancaster County. These wagons played a major part in transportation of supplies during the Revolutionary War. They continued being used in the westward migration well into the 1800's.

Third: Another change of consequence is revealed in a document on record at the Old Lancaster County Courthouse, dated January 7, 1772, giving Barbara Bolender administratix authority concerning her late husband's estate. This indicates that Peter Bolender died late 1771 or early 1772.

I found Orphan's Court records at the courthouse also dated January 7, 1772, stating the decision of the Justices to appoint Henry Achey guardian over the estate of the children. At this time Stephen Bolender, my third great grandfather, was 15 years of age. In court records, dated August 11, 1772, the Justices of the same court, after deducting 12 shillings for court cost, distributed the remainder of the estate of the late Peter Bolender (amounting to 106 pound, 12 shilling, and 3 pence) among the mother Barbara, and the four children.

In another court record dated March 13, 1775, the Justices of the Orphan's Court appointed Charles Schenkel, new guardian over the children's estate and ordered the former guardian, Henry Achey to turn over the monies belonging to the children to the new guardian. This may be a clue* to the possibility that Barbara (Peter's widow) was a sister of Henry Achey. It is also possible she married Charles Schenkel making him the stepfather and thus the logical person to be the new guardian.

Fourth: Tensions built up between the Colonies and Britain, eventually resulting in the Revolutionary War.

Military records show that in 1779, Stephen served in the army as Private 2nd Class, Lancaster Company Military Muster Roll of Captain Geahr's Company 9 Battalion, commanded by Col. John Huber, 1779. Stephen Bolender is listed in the Daughters of the American Revolution Patriot Index, Washington D. C. This indicates Stephen had become a 'Patriot,' disregarding the vow his parents had originally made to the British Crown and transferring his allegiance to the state of Pennsylvania.

Military records also show the three sons of Philip Carl Schenkel, Philip Jacob, Han Philip, and Christian took the oath of allegiance to Pennsylvania and served in the Revolutionary War. They were brothers-in-law and brothers to Stephen and Margreta (Shinkle) Bolender.

Following are some facts about the role of German settlers in the Revolutionary War. Since most had come to America to escape economic and physical oppression by unscrupulous German princes, they were against monarchy and sided with the American Revolution. At the beginning of the war, Germans formed the second largest single nationality in America, after the British. At the beginning of war, several German regiments formed in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Thousands formed into their own regiments, where German was the spoken language. Along with the Irish, Germans were among the toughest troops.

A very interesting situation occurred during the Revolutionary War. The British hired 30,000 mercenary Hession soldiers from Germany to help fight against the Colonies. After the war, around 12,000 of these chose to remain in the Colonies. I found a record of a George Bolender, in 1782 in New York, listed in the Muster Rolls and Prisoner-of-War Lists in American Archival Collections Pertaining to the German Mercenary Troops Who Served with the British Forces during the American Revolution. These muster rolls and prisoner-of-war lists often indicate where deserter-immigrants and prisoners were held during the Revolution and thus where they may have settled after hostilities ended. This means, most likely, that George Bolender fought with the British Loyalists while Stephen Bolender fought with the Colonial Patriots. No doubt, the same thing happened during WWI and WWII when Germany and the United States fought on opposing sides.

On August 29, 1779, Stephen Bolender (aged 22) married Margreta Schenkel (aged 19), daughter of Phillip Carl and Elizabeth Schenkel. Circumstances must have been challenging for Stephen at this stage in his life. He married and served in the military during the same year. He owned 60 acres in Cocolico Township, near the border between Berks and Lancaster Counties. Various accounts of his life state that Stephen was a farmer, a shoemaker, a blacksmith and a Dunkard minister. From a study of the records, one may reasonably conclude that the change from the German Reformed Church to the Dunkards came later. This was a radical change from the Calvinist theology of the German Reformed Church to the Anabaptist beliefs of the German Brethren (Dunkards). The term 'Dunkard' (more properly called 'Dunker'), derives their practice of baptism by immersion ('dunking' the person completely under the water). They share the same theological stream as Mennonites and Amish. Dunkards wore plain clothes, refused to take oaths, did not go to war** nor engage in lawsuits.

A historical account records that Stephen and Margreta, with at least four children, left Lancaster County and moved to Northumberland County (presently called Centre County). John Blair Linn's History of Centre and Clinton Counties, Pennsylvania, states that Stephen Bolender came to Brush Valley about 1791. Phillip Jacob Schenkel and Christian Waldsmith, (brothers-in-law to Stephen) both owned land at present-day Rebersburg. In 1785 Christian Waldsmith (the German Reformed minister's son who married Stephen's sister Cathrine) bought 334 acres from Samuel Miles of Philadelphia. On December 1, 1791, this land was deeded to Stephen Bolender. Philip Schenkel held a patent (deed) for land south of Rebersburg, dated May 15, 1786, and signed by Benjamin Franklin, president of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania.

The wilderness territory west of Pennsylvania was opened to settlement as a result of the Revolutionary War. George Rogers Clark led an expedition into the territory west of Pennsylvania to make a strike against the British outposts that were causing trouble there. Despite Clark's victory in the Northwest during 1778 and 1779, most of the territory remained under British control throughout the Revolutionary War. On September 3, 1783, Britain and the United States signed the Treaty of Paris, formally ending the Revolutionary War. Under the terms of this treaty, the Mississippi River marked the western boundary of the United States territory.

Congress passed the Land Ordinance of 1785, providing for the survey of the northwestern territories. Next, Congress decided how the territories would be governed. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 provided a self-governing territory to be developed and for states to be created. Five states thus emerged from the Northwest Territory: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.

According to Laverne J. Rippley's book, The German Americans, Twayne Pub. Boston, 1976,

"...the settlement in the early part of the nineteenth century involved three classes of people. First came the trapper or trader. This man was not typically a German. Next came the restless opportunist --the hunter, cattle grazer, or road builder. Nor was this man of German descent. Finally there were those who were attracted to farming as a way of life on the frontier. Several authors find that the Germans with their large families were strongly represented in this settler class."

On the Internet I found some Ohio history compiled by Ohio State University. This tells about a large section of land, in what is now Ohio, that was reserved as Virginia Military District, which included present day Clermont and Brown Counties. This Virginia Military District was divided into land warrants for the purpose of rewarding officers who had served in the Revolutionary War.

General George Washington was granted 23,333 acres of Virginia Military Land Warrants for his service in the war. He never exercised his rights to these lands. Instead, he later purchased two warrants totaling 3,100 acres and he completed three surveys in 1787, two in Clermont County and one in Hamilton County. He later died believing he owned these surveys but because he had never filed proper papers for an U.S. Patent (Deed), these lands had been reissued. Thus George Washington's heirs lost a valuable part of the estate and never received compensation.

Frontiersmen, such as Simon Kenton, Daniel Boone and other adventurous settlers, began blazing trails into the new territories. This resulted in more intrusions on Indian lands and increased Indian hostilities against settlers. Principal Ohio Indian tribes were the Miami, the Shawnee, the Delaware, the Wyandot, the Ottawa, and the Mingo of the Iroquois. The Indians were finally defeated at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794.

The Battle of Fallen Timbers took place August 20, 1794, just west of what is now Maumee, Ohio, in the Maumee River Valley. General "Mad" Anthony Wayne's troops fought the Native American troops under the leadership of Miami Chief Little Turtle (Michikinikwa) and Shawnee Chief Blue Jacket (Wayapiersenwah). The battle of Fallen Timbers was so named because it was fought in woodland where the trees had been downed by a storm.

In his book, That Dark and Bloody River, p. 613, Allen W. Eckert mentions a Captain John Arnold fighting in that battle. Captain Arnold led a contingent, from Limestone, Kentucky, where he lived at the time, to the battle. He is believed, by my sister Eleanor Dedek, to be the great great grandfather of Sylvia Elnora Hill Bolender, my grandmother.***

After the battle, the Indians were forced to sign the Treaty of Greenville in 1795, at Fort Greenville, (present day Greenville, Ohio). In the treaty, the Northwest tribes agreed to cede about three fourths of what is now Ohio and a part of Indiana to the United States. The power of the Northwest Indians was finally crushed.

Despite later attempts by Native Americans, under the Shawnee Tecumseh, to halt white settler's encroachment, the loss at Fallen Timbers with the ensuing Treaty of Greenville had opened the lands of the Northwest to white settlement and had effectively closed them to the Native Americans.

An account of this history may be read in a book by Allen W. Eckert, titled, The Frontiersmen, Bantam Books. It is a true saga of brave men and courageous women who won our land. I found it to be fascinating reading and I highly recommend it.

With his parents deceased and new territories opening up, the stage was set for Stephen and Margreta Bolender to join the migration westward.

*According to Ms. Elaine Ache Takahaski of Haworth, New Jersey, Henry Ache was a contemporary of Barbara Bolender (not her father) as he was married in 1760 and had 12 children. Probably Henry Ache was Barbara's brother, and the reason he was replaced as guardian of the children was that Barbara, widow of Peter Bolender, might have married Charles Schenkel. The father of Henry Ache appears to be Johannes Ache, 1702-1763. If Barbara Bolender were a sister of Henry Ache, that would make Johannes Ache her father.

**The fact that Stephen Bolender served in the Revolutionary War leads me to conclude that his change from the German Reformed Church to the German Brethren (Dunkards) came later.

*** John Arnold b. in Wales

Amelia Arnold Hill b. 1785, VA, m. James Kelly Hill, May 1804

John Arnold Hill b. Feb 17, 1806, OH, m. Abi Leach Nov 27, 1832 Warren Brown Hill b. Sep 30, 1847, OH, m. Annie Allen Dec 26, 1866

Sylvia Elnora Hill b. Aug 6, 1868, OH, m. John Jacob Bolender Dec 21, 1887