Person:Michael Kershner (2)

Records

• 12 July 1776 - A Roll of thirty four men enlisted by Captain Philip Graybill in virtue of a warrant issued by the Honorable Council of Safety for that purpose and to him directed bearing date the twelfth day of July in the year of our Lord seventeen hundred and seventy-six.

David Mumma, Adam Earbaugh, Christopher Begel, Jacob Myers, Roland Smith, Frederick Welhelm, Jacob Hardstone, John Moore, Ferdinant Lorance, William Kemmel-stone, John Shryock, Vendell Andrews, Henry Millberger, Joseph Stritter, Michael Kersher, William Libzinger, Jacob Ruturt, George Hyalt, Jacob Frymiller, Martin Lantz, John Shlife, James Caple, Philip Kantz, Abraham Frantz, John Rich, Vendell Lerance, Frederick Wager, Lorance Knery, Matthias Byer, Henry Hartman, Wolfgone Citzinger, Peter Baker, John Shaffer, Rudolph Kromer.

I do hereby certify that I have viewed and examined thirty four men answering to the above names exhibited to me for that purpose by Capt. Philip Graybill and find them effective and fit for duty.

Thomas Jones, 2nd Major, of Baltimore

Town Battalion of Militia.

• 7 Jun 1778 - Muster Roll of Captain John Kershner's Company guarding the Prisoners of War at Fort Frederick can be found in the Maryland Archives. It contains about 50 names and it must be supposed that John Kershner is related to Michael Kershner. Frederick had a prison facility built by Abraham Faw, brother-in-law to Peter Jr. It housed prisoners captured by Continental Army.

• 23 Jan 1816 - "RESOLVED, That the treasurer of the western shore is hereby directed to pay to Michael Kershner, of Allegany county, a private in the revolutionary war, or his order annually, in quarterly payments, a sum of money equal to the half pay of a private, as a further remuneration to him for those services by which his country has been so essentially benefitted." A belated pension for his war service.

• 1818 - Maryland Legislature passed a resolution directing the treasurer to pay Michael Kershner as an agent for settling the claims of Maryland with the general government, eight hundred dollars, &c. It is unclear what kind of agent Michael is functioning as.

Notes

From Rootsweb Message Board:

From the records of his service in the Revolutionary War: Michael Kershner volunteered at Baltimore, Maryland on July 16, 1776. He was listed as a private his entire 3 yr. Enlistment. He was discharged July, 16th 1779. His payroll and muster roll isn't continuous between these dates but some of the slips were not dated. He was assigned to the third vacant company in the German Regiment of the Continental Forces in the Service of the United States, Commanded by Lieut. Com Lewis Weltner. This regiment was designated at various times as Capt. Phillip Greybell`s 3rd vacant and Capt. Christian Myers Company.

This organization was formed in compliance with Resolutions of Congress of May 25, and June 27th, 1776 which provided that a battalion of Germans be raised for the service of the United Colonies, and that four companies be raised in Pennsylvania and four companies in Maryland. The organization was disbanded by Resolution of Congress of October 3rd, 1780, which provided that the non-commissioned officers and the privates be incorporated with the troops of their respective states. Those not belonging to any particular state to be annexed to such Corps as the Commander-in-Chief should direct.

By May of 1777 this regiment was commanded by Col. Baron Arendt and he was assigned to the light Infantry. On Nov of 1777 his regiment was commanded by Lieut. Col. Ludwig Weltner. In April 1778 he was in Valley Forge at headquarters. In June of 1778 he was in Camp Second River and in July was at Camp White Plains. In October he was in Camp Fish Kill. All of these stated he was on command in the light Infantry.

On the 20th day of April 1818 he applied before the Fifth Judicial Dist. of Maryland for pension relief as provided by law. He stated his age as being 67 his wife as 57. He also stated he was a shoemaker by trade but because of Rheumatism he was only able to make 3 pair of shoes a week if he could buy or get the leather. Sometimes because of this he was unable to work when he wanted to. He also said his widowed daughter lived with him and she had four children. He was granted a pension at the rate of 8 dollars a month beginning the 4th of March 1819. There is a record showing he received this pension for three years but I do not know why it was stopped. He stated that he was in the battle of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, and a German town of Monmouth.

May 31, 1814 Michael Kershner purchased Lot 269 c/w buildings for $600.00. On 29th of Sept. 1823 he made a will of his property. He made his wife Mary a life estate and upon her death to his daughter Mary Reid one half of the lot and buildings and one half of the tract called Shades of Death which contained 71 acres. Upon her death the one half share was to go to the Reid Children and were named as George, Ann, Peter, Thomas, James, and Cecelia. The other half was to go to his other daughter's children George L., John, Upton, and Alexander H. Lowdermilk evenly divided. This Will was proved 15th April 1826. Executors were his wife Mary and Martin Rizer. He never listed the property other than the lot when he applied for his pension and this may have been the reason the pension was stopped before his death his stated age on the pension application of 67 it would put his birth at 1751.

Citations

http://engle-family.org/ancestors/mariakershner.htm