Person:Elizabeth Michael (2)

Oral Traditions

When Margaret Brubaker was 3 weeks old she was visited by her grandfather Michael, who was a pack-peddler (Yankee Peddler). He gave the family a length of material from his pack to make a dress for the baby. He would have been 83 years old at this time.

Margaret always told the grandchildren she did not want to live to be 100 as did her Revolutionary War grandfather Michael. (Her wish was granted; she died at 94). Research shows that William Michael died Oct 1855 at the age of 100 years and 4 months, and was buried at Gordon Cemetary, Gordon, Darke County, Ohio. His grave record is in DAR records in Washington, D.C., Graves Registration in the Veteran's Affairs office in Columbus Ohio, and also in "Revolutionary War Soldiers of Ohio". Buried beside William is his second wife, Margaret Drollinger Michael, who died 1855/6 (last digit on gravestone is hard to read) at age 74.

According to lore, William Michael wanted to come to the U.S., but did not have the funds. So he signed on as a mercenary (Hessian?) and once on U.S. soil became a turncoat! He never drew a soldiers pension, and in the 1840 census he did not report a pension in the space provided. He either could not prove need, or could not prove service. He had certainly reached the age for a pension.

One more piece of lore from Margaret Brubaker was how afraid Elizabeth Michael was of the Indian bands that roamed the western counties of Ohio. Elizabeth was visiting a neighbor when Indians came to the door. Each girl grabbed a twin baby, went through the trap door and out through the brambles to the fort (Fort Hamilton?) for protection. The babies seemed to sense the danger and never made a sound.