George Eckert and Samuel Milliken/Milligan

On the hunt for more Revolutionary War ancestors after my visit to Yorktown, VA.  I have now submitted two more on the White side of the family.  They are George Eckert and Samuel Milliken/Milligan.  Now the wait is on for the year it will take before they are reviewed by NSDAR.  In the meantime,  I’m trying to find a woman in my ancestry that may have assisted in the Rev. War.  Always a feather in your cap if you have one of the ladies proven.

Yorktown is a wonderful place to visit.  They have an American Revolution of Yorktown Museum that is worth the trip.  They have an encampment that is very interesting.  This includes a kitchen, medical facility, supply hut and very knowledgeable staff.

Inside of the museum there are many artifacts and movies.  Both are helpful in following the war.  This is a State of Virginia museum.  Kudos to Virginia for such a wonderful asset.  The museum is designed with many areas that flow one into another and they seem to go on forever.  It is truly an amazing place to visit.

Yorktown Victory Monument

The battlefield at Yorktown is also very interesting.  Suggestion – don’t try to drive your motorhome around the battlefield.  We found a couple of areas we couldn’t access because of the bulk of this RV even though it is small by comparison to most.  We saw the redoubts taken by the Patriots, the digs that the soldiers did in the middle of the night to surprise the British, the National Cemetery,  the Yorktown Victory Monument, and lots of wildlife.

The Moore House is especially nice.  It is fully restored and historically is the home where the terms of agreement of surrender were worked out.  It is not the house where the British signed the agreement.  Still worth the visit if you like old homes.

Thomas White, Revolutionary War Patriot

Some time ago Cousin Mark Myers was in to PA for a visit and asked if we had any White’s who fought in the Revolutionary War.  I answered that I thought they came to late, but then questioned if I ever looked.  I set out to look for an ancestor and with little effort found Thomas White.  Actually, Thomas was not a soldier, but pay the Pennsylvania Supply Tax that helped fund the war.  So Mark,  yes we do have an ancestor that makes you eligible for Sons of the American Revolution or Sons of the Revolution.  Two separate organizations.

Well, it finally was approved.  My two submissions for Revolutionary War Patriot, Thomas White, was approved adding two more bars to my NSDAR chest of pins.  Because Thomas’ great grandchildren married, I can apply for two lines for the same patriot.  I recently was approved for a second line of Adam Shafer.

So, all of you White’s who want to join NSDAR, I have paved the way for this line.  Just let me know if you are interested in joining the Daughters of the American Revolution and I can help with your application.

While I’m on the subject of White Descendants, we will be having a White Reunion next July 2016.  I am looking for a place to hold the picnic, but hope to have a Lancaster County, PA site soon.  So stand by and keep checking my blog.  With this much lead time, I’m hoping the Westcoast cousins will try to make it in for the occasion.

Another Revolutionary War Patriot Approved – Thomas Sanford

I have had another Patriot approved by The Daughters of the American Revolution.  Thomas Sanford through his daughter, Polly was approved this past week.  That makes 9 and I have two or three more in the queue to be approved.  Those I’m waiting for approval are Adam Shafer through his grandson, Payne Shoemaker and two for Thomas White through his grandchildren William and Sarah.  These grandchildren of Thomas married each other.  I have already had Adam Shafer approved through his grandson, Malachi.  For you who have similar situations, you can get credit for one patriot twice.

Thomas Sanford fought in the 6th Regiment, Connecticut Line, under Captain Barker and Cols. Douglas and Meigs.  I first found out about the Sanford’s while I was taking a course – Coming Home to New England at the New England Historic Genealogical Society a couple of years ago.  This explains why my grandfather, John Sanford Brown has his middle name.  I was always curious because we never heard about this family.

Thomas’ daughter, Polly, sometimes referred to as Molly married William Beardsley.  They were the parents of Ruth Beardsley who married Ziba Morse.  Ziba’s grandfather also is an approved patriot – Obadiah Morse.  Ruth and Ziba were both born and married in Connecticut, but then migrated to Pennsylvania.  This was probably during the time that Connecticut thought they owned the upper portion of PA.  They stayed on in Bradford County, PA and have many descendants who still live there.

Abraham Hershey Connected and another two White’s to go

As I continue with other prospective member applications to NSDAR, I also find new ancestors for me.  My latest is the connection to Abraham Hershey.  Now I can say I’m a Hershey with a Hershey connection.  My original application, so many years ago, was with Abraham Long.  His son married Catherine Hershey, whose father fought in the revolutionary war.  A quick connection and another ancestor bar for my pins.

Recently, my cousins from Seattle WA were in for a visit.  We had a great conversation about all of our ancestors, when Mark posed the question  “did any of the White’s fight in the war”?  I thought I knew the answer, but then questioned whether I every checked.  Sure enough, Thomas White, born in Rye Twp., Perry County, PA had been proven by a DAR member.  So to the computer to search for all those direct connections.  Actually, I can do two applications for Thomas because down the line first cousins married.  William White’s daughter married Thomas White’s son, generation 6 – grandchildren of the Patriot Thomas.   A couple of more proofs and off to DAR go these supplementals.