Author: John Thomas Parsons
Several months ago I wrote about one of my Patriot Ancestors, a 5th great-grandfather, John Frederick, from Bucks County, PA. John served in the Bucks County Associators. Due to the Quaker influence in the government of Pennsylvania, there was officially no militia at the beginning of the Revolution. The Associators, therefore, were a group of volunteers formed in each county that served as a surrogate sort of militia. The Bucks County Associators helped Washington cross the Delaware in 1776, and I have been proud of my ancestor’s involvement with that action.
As I was doing some additional family history research, I discovered that Joseph Frederick, a grandson of John, served in the Bucks County Militia during the War of 1812 and in October of 1814, his unit was called up to defend against a British invasion of the Delaware Valley. British troops had just captured and burned Washington and laid siege to Fort McHenry in Baltimore, and there was some concern that they might land in Pennsylvania. However, following their defeat at Fort McHenry, the British opted not to try any further incursions, and the Pennsylvania militia were mustered out. Joseph’s service, however, provided me with my qualifications to join the Society of the War of 1812.
I never gave much thought to any potential service of Michael Frederick (Joseph’s father and John’s son) in either the Revolution or War of 1812 due to his age. Michael was born in 1769, so I figured he would have been too young to serve in the Revolution and to old to serve in the War of 1812. However, as I started to delve a bit more into the family history, I saw that Michael was getting a Revolutionary War pension. I couldn’t understand that, because while widows received Revolutionary War pensions for their deceased husbands’ service, children did not. I also discovered a reference to a Michael Frederick who had wintered at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-1778.
Further research into the Pennsylvania Archives (a treasure trove of information) uncovered the fact that Michael had enlisted in the Continental Army as a drummer boy at age 8! What a shock! Michael served in Capt Craig’s Company, formed in Northampton and Bucks Counties. This company became part of the 1st Pennsylvania Line, commanded by Anthony Wayne. Michael served with this unit which saw action at Brandywine, Germantown, and Whitemarsh, wintered at Valley Forge, and later fought at Monmouth Court House in 1778. The 1st Pennsylvania was a highly regarded unit, and served in the thick of the fighting in each of those engagements.
Michael continued in this unit until 1780. Records indicate that while initially serving as drummer, he later was listed as a Private (infantryman), and wintered over at Morristown, New Jersey in 1778 and 1779, before he was mustered out in 1780.
Michael returned to Bucks County after the Revolution, marrying a Catherine Stumpf in 1792. He farmed there for the rest of his days. My Frederick line didn’t stray far from the northern Bucks/southern Northampton County area for the next two centuries. My maternal grandfather John Frederick was born and raised in that area, and when I was a young boy he took me to all the old church cemeteries in the area to look at the tombstones of his forefathers, as well as taking me on my first visit to Valley Forge. When you’re raised in that environment, as I was, history is not merely an academic exercise, but it is up close and personal.
To say that I am extremely proud of Michael would be a gross understatement. It’s tough to try and imagine a young boy like Michael in those battles, much less enduring the harsh winters at Valley Forge and Morristown. Patriots like Michael, as well as his father and son, are a major reason why the United States gained and maintained its independence over the past 230 years.