More information about John "Jack" Keyser, son of William Keyser

"John was only 16 when he joined a party of other pioneers who crossed the Alleghenies to settle in the then "Far West." With oxcarts they followed the Kanawha, or Buffalo Trail, crossing Meadow River, Gauley Mountain into the Kanawha Valley (now the Charleston, WV. area) on into Teays Valley (near present day, Barboursville, WV.). They alighted at Russell Creek, near where the mouth of Guyandotte River flows into the Ohio River. Here they killed a buffalo for their first evening meal there. (This story was told to Doris Warden Redding by a Keyser descendant whose parents were both grandchildren of John Keyser. He also told her that his parents mentioned many times that their grandmother, Elizabeth Hill, spoke only in an Indian language).

"The present area of Huntington, WV., formerly called Guyandotte, was comparatively unsettled until 1796 and 1797 as the banks of the Ohio were almost uninhabited comparatively of hostile Indians. The first settlers on the upper waters of the Big Sandy River, where John settled, arrived in 1799.

"John Keyser is listed twice in Hardesty's book in "The History of Wayne Co., W.Va." vol. 7, pages 157,158, as one of the first settlers.

"The first commerce around this area was measured in thousands of bear skins. It was the only article of merchandise for the first decades of 1800. Bearskins were in great demand at that time by Napoleon's Army, for use in making his grenadier's hats. French traders gathered the furs from the Kanawha, Gyandotte, and Big Sandy Valley hunters and sent them to Europe by way of Pittsburgh, or by the way of the Ohio River route to New Orleans.

"John was evidently a very successful hunter and trapper, as he was able to purchase 1400 acres in Wayne Co. His plantation was built 4 miles south of the mouth of the Big Sandy on the Virginia side of the river. He also bought 450 acres across the Big Sandy on the Kentucky side within the counties of Greenup, Laurence, and Carter counties. (Doris Redding has the original deeds for these 2 purchases) Timber was a big business between 1830 and 1880 in the Sandy Valley and John worked a sawmill and lumber yard between Catlettsburg and Ashland, KY. Owning land on both shores of said river, he operated his own ferry service, with his oldest son, Allen, being his boatman.

"First Order Book of Cabell County, VA, compiled by R. S. Douthat, county clerk, shows in Volume 3, page 329, that, "in 1813 John Keyser, who is by law, authorized to keep a ferry across the Big Sandy River from his land to the Kentucky shore, appeared in court and gave bond thereof." The same record book shows he served jury duty in 1828 and 1830 while court was held in Barboursville.

"Facilities for education were very limited during this period. The first school houses were located on a small point on a hill near Docks Creek Road -- a cut off from Rt. 75. It was in use until the 1890's when it was torn down and the logs were used again to build another school house near the bottom of the hill. The original school was built on Lot #22 of the Savage Grant, which John had purchased from Lewis Shortridge, who had purchased it from Philip Gatewood, who had been given the land through the Savage Grant for his services in the French/Indian War.

"The above research was done to disprove Mr. Iron's claim that it was his ancestors who gave the property for Dock's Creek Cemetery and my (Doris Warden Redding) Keyser-Warden aunt's claimed it was Keyser who donated God's Acre for burial purposes. My grandfather, Emmett Warden, who married Edna Keyser is buried here, along with several of his children who died young.

"John was a slave trader in a pioneer region constantly in need of labor, where land needed clearing, fencing, and homes constructed. A prime slave was readily negotiable. On the frontier, there was no stigma attached to the slave trader. When I visited a granddaughter of John, Ida Keyser Walker Hurley, she made the remark -- John gave each of his children, when they married, 100 acres and a slave!

"The other Keyser descendant, first mentioned, twice escorted me, my brother and sister-in-law to Keyser land, which lined Rt. 75, and pointed out the different homesteads before giving to the various sons. This land has since been subdivided. He also showed us the location where John's plantation had stood and where both John and his first wife Elizabeth Hill, the Indian are buried on this land, with only small, smooth stones, as their markers, which was an Indian custom."

William Keyser's Revolutionary War Service record

The purpose of this proceeding and document was to enable William to receive a pension from his service in the Revolutionary War.  Records were often lost from this period, so a hearing was held to authenticate his claim.  This document is transcribed below.

The following is the transcription of the U.S. National Archive document outlining William’s service record:

"The Commonwealth of Virginia –

Bath County to wit

On this 9th day of October 1832, personally appeared before the Justice of the County Court of Bath now sitting in Court in the State of Virginia, William Keyser, a resident of Bath County in the state aforesaid, aged seventy-seven years, who being first fully sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declarations in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832. He states that he enlisted in the service of the United States in the regular army for a term of three years and served out a second term of three years. He enlisted in the County of Gloucester in the state of VA but the time of his enlistment he does not at this time recollect. He enlisted under Captain Thomas Baytop in Second VA State Regiment. He then marched to Hampton, NJ after he was inoculated for the small pocks. He afterward was marched to the Valley Forge where he joined the army under General Washington at which place he remained all winter. The next summer he was marched after the British and under the command of Colonel Charles Dabney. He overtook the British at Monmouth Church, and was in an engagement with the British one whole day and lay on his arms all night expecting to engage again on the next day, but on that night the British got on board their ships. He further states that he was in a skirmish with the British at Saw Mill River Bridge near Fort Montgomery under the command of Colonel Samuel Griffith and in that skirmish twenty-eight men and two officers were taken by the British. He further states he was in another engagement and was in front of the army in taking Stony Point Fort under the command of General Anthony Wayne at which engagement General Anthony Wayne received a small wound in his temple and then Colonel Febiger took the command. Colonel Fleming was the commander of the vanguard. He received no wounds. He states that he received a discharge in writing, which discharge was deposited in the Auditors Office in Richmond, VA for the purpose of entitling him to draw his back pay. He states that he is known to William McClintic and Richard Brinkley who are his neighbors. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to pension or an annuity except the aforesaid and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. Sworn to and subscribed this day and year aforesaid.

[signed] Wm Keyser

And the said William McClintic and Robert Brinkley here in court states that they are well acquainted with William Keyser who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that they believe him to be seventy seven years of age that he is refuted and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion.  And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after their investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states.

I, Charles L. Francisco, Clerk of the Court of Bath County aforesaid to hereby certify that the foregoing containing the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of William Keyser for a pension.  In testimony whereof I have set my hand and seal of office this 12th day of October in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty two and 57th year of the commonwealth.

C. L. Francisco"

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William Keyser's Revolutionary War Service record page 1

William Keyser's Revolutionary War Service record page 2

William Keyser's Record of his Children's Birthdates

Records of births and deaths were often haphazard in the early days of the formation of our country.  Later in his life, William tried to reconstruct the dates of his children's births, often by comparing them to the dates of the births of the children of his neighbor, Richard Sneed.  Below are copies of the scraps of paper on which William Keyser wrote and calculated these dates in his own hand.

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William Keyser's Record of his Children's Birthdates

William Keyser's Record of his neighbor Richard Sneed's Children's Birthdates

"KEYSER-KEYSOR COUSINS" BY MARY KEYSOR MEYSER

Mary Keysor-Meyer wrote this book in 1957 and she researched to the best of her ability the Keyser-Keysor family genealogy back to our original known ancestor William Keyser (born 1755).  Thank you to Shirley for making me a copy and sending it to me so I could share it with other Keyser cousins.  Pages five and six are missing.  Portions of "Keyser-Keyser Cousins" was excerpted in "Henry's Children," a copy of which is further below.

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"Keyser-Keysor Cousins" by Mary Keysor Meyer

This file is approximately 15 MB, so be prepared for a long download.

"MAGAZINE OF VIRGINIA GENEALOGY" - vOLUME 40, NUMBER 1 - ARTICLE BY WILLIAM W. REYNOLDs

Thank you to Keith for providing me with this additional documentation of William Keyser's revolutionary war record.  Keyser historians will find it fascinating!

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"Magazine of Virginia Genealogy" - Volume 40, # 1 by William W. Reynolds

see text below

Supplementing National Archives Records:

William Keyser’s Revolutionary War Service

Published in the "MAGAZINE OF VIRGINIA GENEALOGY [volume 40, #1]" in 2002

By William W. Reynolds*

Many genealogists know the difficulty of determining the details of an ancestor's Revolutionary War experience based on records typically available from the National Archives.  Pension applications and military service records seldom provide the detail we would like, forcing us to use other sources to determine what our ancestor did or in what actions he participated. The following example indicates how the limited records in the Archives can be supplemented to provide a more comprehensive description of one Revolutionary soldier.

William Keyser, 77, applied for a pension for his Revolutionary War service on 9 October 1832 in Bath County summarizing his service as follows:

He states that he enlisted in the service of the United States in the regular army for a term of three years and served out a second term of three years. He enlisted in the County of Gloucester in the state of VA but the time of his enlistment he does not at this time recollect. He enlisted under Captain Thomas Baytop in Second VA State Regiment. He then marched to Hampton, NJ after he was inoculated for the small pocks. He afterward was marched to the Valley Forge where he joined the army under General Washington at which place he remained all winter. The next summer he was marched after the British and under the command of Colonel Charles Dabney. He overtook the British at Monmouth Church, and was in an engagement with the British one whole day and lay on his arms all night expecting to engage again on the next day, but on that night the British got on board their ships. He further states that he was in a skirmish with the British at Saw Mill River Bridge near Fort Montgomery under the command of Colonel Samuel Griffith and in that skirmish twenty-eight men and two officers were taken by the British. He further states he was in another engagement and was in front of the army in taking Stoney Point Fort under the command of General Anthony Wayne at which engagement General Anthony Wayne received a small wound in his temple and then Colonel Febiger took the command. Colonel Fleming was the commander of the vanguard. He received no wounds.1

This statement is further supplemented by William Keyser's service record which covers the period March 1778 to November 17792 and by a land bounty warrant dated 12 May 1784 which indicates that William Keyser served three years as a private in the Virginia State Line.3 A study of these documents along with other accounts of the Revolution for the period in which Keyser served allows the development of the following more detailed account of his service.

William Keyser enlisted in the 2nd Virginia Regiment in Gloucester County,4 Virginia around 1 March 17755 at the age of 21 or 22. This was one of three such units of regular soldiers authorized by the General Assembly in December 1776 and raised for local (i.e., within the state) defense. The regiments were stationed in the fortifications at Williamsburg, Portsmouth and Yorktown.6 However, as Keyser indicated in his pension application, this unit went first to Hampton for inoculation against smallpox before going on garrison duty.

Despite the fact that the three state regiments were raised for in-state service, within a year of their formation the Virginia General Assembly had to place two of them in the Continental Line. This resulted the capture of most of the 9th Virginia Continental Regiment at Germantown on 4 October 1777, after which the 1st and 2nd Virginia State Regiments were to join Gen. Peter Muhlenberg's Brigade.7 As Keyser noted, the regiment arrived at Valley Forge in time to spend the entire winter there, indicating that they probably arrived in late December.8  Muhlenberg’s Brigade was quartered on the southeast edge of the encampment, a quarter mile south of the Schuylkill.9 Here the 2nd  Virginia Regiment endured the bitter weather and privations described by many writers.

When the British evacuated Philadelphia on 18 June 1778 and moved towards New York, Washington followed with the Continental Army. The Americans caught up with the British army near Freehold in Monmouth County, New Jersey on June 28 and there fought what is now known as the Battle of Monmouth. At the end of that day, the Continental Army was positioned to renew the attack on the British early on June 29. However, as Keyser described, the British army withdrew during the night toward the coast and eventually sailed from Sandy Hook to New York on July 5.10 Following the battle, American troops marched northwest to New Brunswick, New Jersey and then up the Hudson to a point opposite Westchester County, New York. Keyser’s contingent crossed the Hudson and went into camp at White Plains.11

The 2nd Virginia State Regiment remained at White Plains at least until 8 September 1778 during which time William Keyser is shown as being assigned to the light infantry.12 Early in 1778, after a successful experiment with a light infantry brigade under General William Maxwell in 1777, Washington had recommended the formation of light infantry companies in each regiment. They were to be comprised of the best men; the most hardy and active marksmen, commanded by good partisan officers. During a campaign, all the light companies were to be organized into a corps to operate together, as they would at Stony Point in 1779.13  In 1778, a new light infantry organization was created effective June 15. Initially it was placed under command of Gen. Charles Scott, though later Gen. Anthony Wayne took over its command.14 During the July-September period, the infantry was responsible for patrolling the area between the two armies. The skirmish at Saw Mill River was one of many such engagements in Westchester County arising when these patrols resulted in American reconnaissance parties encountering the British.

Early in the morning of 16 September 1778, British Lt. Col. J. G. Simcoe, supported by Lt. Col. Banastre Tarlton and Lt. Col. [Andreas] Emmerick, surprised a Continental force under Col. Mordecai Gist at the bridge over the Saw Mill River near the Hudson in what is today Yonkers, New York.15 This skirmish ended in an American retreat westward across the Saw Mill River with the loss by capture of 35 men, approximately as Keyser recalled the event 54 years later. The British report on this skirmish mentions the presence of 230 “select” Virginia riflemen, undoubtedly the light infantry in which Keyser was serving.16

In preparation for winter, Washington split his army into three parts, with that containing the 2nd Virginia State Regiment going into camp at West Point, where they had located by October 1.17 About this time the regiment received a shipment of clothing from Virginia which allowed the enlisted men to have a uniform of “french-made coats faced red, red waistcoats, breeches of blue, green or red, silver gilt coats and vest buttons, white linen shirts, single and double knit caps, hats, black socks and hose.”18 In November, it moved south to Middlebrook (now the town of Bound Brook19), New Jersey where it spent the winter. Keyser's records indicate that he was at Middlebrook from November 1778 through May 1779,

The British went on the offensive first in 1779, leaving New York on May 28, taking the American forts at Stony Point, New York, on the west side of the Hudson and at Verplancks Point on the opposite side of the river on June 2. The right wing army of Washington’s army was at Smith's Cove, about 14 miles west20 of West Point, where Keyser’s regiment was camped June 2. It was still there on July 9, just six days before Washington launched his daring night raid to retake Stony Point. On July 15, American light infantry under Gen. Anthony Wayne left their camp south of West Point around noon and marched south, paralleling the Hudson River to just west of Stony Point, By 11:30 that evening they were in position and at midnight, using unloaded rifles equipped with bayonets, they stormed the fort successfully. The tactical commander was Col. Christian Febiger, and leading the vanguard on right was a picked force of 150 men, among them William Keyser, led by Lt. Col. Francois Louis de Fleury.21  In 30 minutes the fort was in American hands and Gen. Wayne dispatched the following note to his commander:

“Dear Gen'l: The fort & garrison with Col. Johnston are ours. Our officers & men behaved like men who are determined to be free.”22

Washington came from West Point on July 17 to see the spoils of war and to review the light infantry,23 who were to be "shavd and made clean as circumstances will permit”24 for his visit. Keyser along with the other light infantry troops saw the Commander-in-Chief at close quarters that day.

Stony Point was not a large battle but it was the only American military success of 1779. It provided an enormous morale boost for the Continental Army by proving that Americans soldiers could defeat British regulars in the kind of combat the latter considered their specialty.

The 2nd Virginia State Regiment was at Camp Ramapan on August 3,25 from which it returned to Smith’s Cove by early September. The regiment remained with Washington's army through November, departing with the other Virginia regiments about December 11 for the South. Their route of march was through Trenton, Philadelphia, Lancaster, York, and Frederick, Maryland, to Fredericksburg, Virginia, where they had arrived by early February. Most of the Virginia Continental regiments were being sent to strengthen American forces at Charleston, South Carolina (only to be captured when that city fell to the British on 12 May 1780). The two state regiments, many of whose enlistments would expire by 1 March 1780, were reluctant to go to Charleston and were allowed to remain in Virginia.26 William Keyser’s Revolutionary service ended on or about that date, as did about 280 others in his regiment.27

William Keyser’s whereabouts immediately following his discharge from the 2nd Virginia State Regiment are not definitely known. On 24 May 1782 he was among 116 petitioners of Hanover County who objected to the proposed drafting of militia instead of recruiting for the army by using bounties or other inducements.28 Over half of these men had already served in Continental regiments, or in other state or local units,29 so their objection seems justified.

He lived in Hanover County until he moved to Bath County about 1795.30  He remained in the latter county until his death in December 1837, He left a list of his children and their birth as follows:31

* Orlando, Fla. Mr. Reynolds interest in discovering more than the “bare bones” of his ancestor's military experience led him to a number of interesting and useful supplementary sources.

1  William Keyser (Keziah Keyser, widow) No. W3427, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900. M804, National Archives.

2  William Keyser, 2nd Virginia State Regiment, Compiled Military Service Record of Revolutionary War Soldiers, M881, National Archives.

3  Samuel MacKay Wilson, Catalogue of Revolutionary Soldiers and Sailors of the Commonwealth of Virginia to Whom Land Bounty Warrants Were Granted by Virginia for Military Services in the War for Independence (Baltimore: Southern Book Company, 1953), 43.

4  Research into the few surviving colonial records of Gloucester County, as well as nearby counties, has yielded no additional information on Keyser or his family, No evidence has been found that Thomas Baytop served in this regiment* although John Baytop did, according to the Harriet Dickins Wight Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress. However, Thomas Baytop may have enlisted men in the 2nd Virginia Regiment as well as other regiments.

5  William Keyser, Compiled Military Service Record, Revolutionary War List, dated 8 September 1778 indicates that he was to serve until 1 March 1780, Since he served three years, his enlistment was around 1 March 1777.

6  E. M. Sanchez-Saavedra, A Guide to Virginia Military Organizations in the American Revolution 1774-1787 (Richmond, Va.:  Virginia State Library 1978), 109.

7 Sanchez-Saavedra, A Guide to Virginia Military Organizations, 110-111

8  Washington arrived at Valley Forge on December 19. Keyser’s compiled military service record begins in mid-March 1778, so he was certainly at Valley Forge by then.

9  John F. Reed, Valley Forge Crucible of Victory (Monmouth Beach, NJ: Phillip Freneau Press, 1969), 5, 21 5,21.

10  Samuel S. Smith, The Battle of Monmouth (Monmouth Beach, NJ; Phillip Freneau Press 1964), 5, 24. Keyser’s reference to Monmouth Church was to St. Peter's Anglican Church, which, according to Smith, is the only building still standing in Freehold that was there during the Revolution.

11  William Keyser, Compiled Military Service Record, Revolutionary War, List dated 8 September 1778 at White Plains. The next muster roll is dated 1 October 1778 at West Point.

12 William Keyser, Compiled Military Record, Revolutionary War, Muster Roll for July 1778 which was August 4 at White Plains. Keyser’s record shows that he was definitely in this unit by August 1778 and had probably joined it in July when he is shown as being “on command.”

13  Since Keyser was carried on the muster rolls of the 2nd Virginia throughout this period, the light infantry evidently functioned as a unit only during active campaigning; during the winter months its members encamped with their original regiments.

14  Harry M. Ward, Charles Scott and the "Spirit of 76" (Charlottesville, Va.: University Press of Virginia, 1988), 52-3. Further description of the light infantry is in John W, Wright, “The Corps of Light Infantry in the Continental Army” The American Historical Review, 31 (1926): 454-6.

15  Ward, Charles Scott, 56 and Otto Hufeland, Westchester County During the American Revolution 1775-1783 (New York:  The Knickerbocker Press, 1926), 261-3.  The Virginia troops were on the slope of the hill where Oakland Cemetery is now located.

16  The Col. Samuel Griefs mentioned in Keyser's pension application has not been identified in spite of a search for surnames such as Greaves and phonetic variants.  [Bridget Keyser believes she has identified him as Captain Samuel Griffith.]

17  Keyser's compiled military service record shows he was at White Plains as late as September 9.

18  Military Collector & Historian, 17 (1965): 86.

19  Douglas S. Freeman, George Washington, Vol. 5,(New York: Scribners, 1952), 88 (note 10).

20  Freeman, George Washington, Vol. 5, 109 (note 12).

21  John R. Sellers, The Virginia Continental Line (Williamsburg: The Virginia Independence Bicentennial Commission, 1978), 54.  As can be seen from William Keyser's statement, he correctly recalled the names of his commanding officers, and thereby corroborated his own about being at the head of the troops which took Stony Point.

22  Henry P. Johnston, The Storming of Stony Point on the Hudson, Midnight, July 15, 1779 (New York: Da Capo Press, 1971), 72-85.

23  Freeman, George Washington, Vol. 5, 114.

24  Sons of the American Revolution Museum collections, Unland Diaries, entry for 17 July 1779.

25 William Keyser, Compiled Military Service Record, Revolutionary War, muster roll for August 3 gives this location, which was probably Ramapo, New York, about a dozen miles west of Stony Point.

26  Mrs. Catesby Willis Stewart, The Life of Brigadier General William Woodford of the American Revolution (Richmond: Whittet & Shepperson, 1973), 1122-54

27  Harriett Dickins Wight Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, contains a list of the officers of the 2nd Virginia State Regiment. It states that these men were discharged in April and May, 1780. As noted above, records for Keyser’s service indicate that his service would have expired 1 March 1780.

28  Legislative Petitions, Hanover County, 24 May 1782, Archival and Information Services Division, Library of Virginia.

29  Based on a comparison of the names on the petition with those in John H. Gwathmey, Historical Register of Virginians in the Revolution (1938; reprint, Baltimore:  Genealogical Publishing Company, 1973)

30  Bath County, Virginia, Deed Book 1, pp. 244-5.

31  Revolutionary War Pension Application W3427. This includes a statement by Fleming Keyser that his father had lost the original list of his children's birthdates and had created a new list based on the birthdates of his neighbor’s children.  Hence the approximate nature of these dates.

32  Marriage information was taken from Bath County bonds and ministers' returns.

Marriage bond for elizabeth "Betsy" keyser

Thanks to Martha for forwarding me a copy of this document

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Betsy Keyser Brinkley Marriage Bond - 1805

WILLIAM KEYSER'S WILL, AS TRANSCRIBED FROM "HENRY'S CHILDREN"

This will is recorded in Bath County Deed Book 4, page 396

     I, William Keyser, Sen., of the State of Virginia, county of Bath, having perfect use of my rational powers, do make and ordain this instrument to be my last will and testament in the manner and form following:  that is to say, I give to my son William Keyser, all of my land after his mother's death, to him and his heirs forever.

     I give to my daughter, Sally Carnes, a negro girl named Mary, together with all her increase, to the said Sally Carnes and her heirs, forever.  I give to my beloved wife, Kezia Keyser, all of my household and kitchen furniture, all of my horses, cattle and sheep, which may be found on my place at the time of my death, together with their increase, and I also give to my wife, my negro boy named Armistead and my negro woman named Lucy and my negro girl Adaline, together with the increase of said Lucy and Adaline.  I also give my said wife, my wagon and all of my farming utensils which may be found on my place at the time of my death.  And I hereby privilege and allow said wife to dispose of the aforesaid property herein bequeathed to her, just as she may see cause or think proper at the time of her death.

     In testimony of the foregoing disposition of my estate I hereunto attach my name on this 15th day of November, 1834.

William Keyser (signed)

Witnesses:

Francis Crutchfield

Calvin S. Campbell

John O. Hunter

     I hereby appoint my friend George Mayse, Esq., and my son, Fleming Keyser, as executors of my last Will and Testament, hereby making null and void all other wills heretofore by me made and acknowledging this and this only (or the above written) to be my last Will and Testament.  In testimony of this last part (which is properly a part of my will), I hereunto attach my name on this 15th day of November, 1834.

William Keyser (signed)

Witnesses:

Francis Crutchfield

Calvin S. Campbell

John C. Cooper

James Gay

John Hunter

Benjamin Thompson

Abstracts of the Wills and Inventories of Bath County, Virginia, 1791-1842

by Jean R. Bruns

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Abstracts of the Wills and Inventories of Bath County, Virginia 1791-1842 index

Abstracts of the Wills and Inventories of Bath County, Virginia 1791-1842 page 186

Abstracts of the Wills and Inventories of Bath County, Virginia 1791-1842 page 187

"Kesiah Snead Keyser" - Research and ARTICLE BY Keith vance

Thank you to Keith for sending me his detailed research on William's wife, Kesiah.

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"Kesiah Snead Keyser" by Keith Vance

"List of the Revolutionary Soldiers of Virginia" - BY H. J. Eckenrode (published in 1913)

William Keyser is listed in this book on page 175

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"List of the Revolutionary Soldiers of Virginia" by H. J. Eckenrode

"THE ANNALS OF BATH COUNTY, VIRGINIA" - BY oREN. f. mORTON (published in 1917)

William Keyser is listed in this book on page 99, 124, 195, and 206.

Fleming Keyser is mentioned in this book on page 181 as the first person granted a tavern license in the county.

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"The Annals of Bath County, Virginia" by Oren F. Morton

"VIRGINIA soldiers in the revolution"

William Keyser and his Revolutionary War service is outlined in this book on page 177.

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"Virginia Soldiers in the Revolution"

keyser family Oral history BY shirley KEYSER GLEICHER

I have been lucky enough to correspond with Ms. Shirley Keyser Gleicher, and she was kind enough to share some of her Keyser's family oral history.  These stories really bring the family members to life!

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"Bath County Keysers" by Shirley Keyser Gleicher

 

Portrait of Shirley Keyser Gleicher by her daughter Leighton

"Dreams of Valley Forge" by Shirley Keyser Gleicher   Call to us brave warriors let us hear your voice Calling from the dead land where living was bittersweet Calling to us in muted chorus garbled by the effect of Numbed ears, frozen fingers and feet.   Feet that were shoeless, coats worn thin by time Men huddled in close quarters earning warmth from the human line We answer your lonely prayers and we clearly let you know Your descendants stand at ready to make your history grow.   To tell the children of those years when war swept over the land Of the time when strong brave men left home to fight for them Left home to join George Washington in his quest to set us free A grim pursuit that we all know, defined our liberty.   Those warriors walked and made their way to that legendary place Where von Steuben taught the warring moves that would quell this unequal race Where all these new Americans laid in wait at night Waiting to confront intruders with rural and colonial might   Defy they did those angry hordes From north to south, they made their way In desperate and mighty force From York Town to Cow Pens they forced sweet victories sway   When conquest shown on bandaged heads And soldiers limped to fame The mighty order of our nations will Ended King George's dreams of gains   So we honor you grand warriors of another time The descendants hear your voices and your memories they make shine A mighty glow of pride and fame for all the time that was given For all the valiant battles that we know were bravely driven.   Given to us the people of this land Given by our ancestors who followed an unknown plan Led by men who understood the overpowering stress of war Joined by humble citizens who believed in their right to roar.   We thank our grand ascendants we honor them each day And we salute the Daughters who paved their historical way We want the world to know that truth to country and what that means Was centered and made our nation's name well known by Valley Forge's dreams.

Fleming Keyser's Pension Hearing Records

Fleming Keyser, one of William's sons, was executor of his will and estate, and had to go through court proceedings to enable his mother, Kesiah Keyser, William's widow, to continue to receive William's pension upon his death.  Below are those documents.  These documents reference William's children's birthdate data mentioned above.

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Fleming Keyser Pension Proceeding Page 1

Fleming Keyser Pension Proceeding Page 2

Transcription of Kesiah Keyser Pension Proceeding

"This day Fleming Keyser personally appeared before the undersigned justice of the peace for the said county of Bath sitting in open court who make out that he is the son and executor of William Keyser deceased late a pensioner of the United States; that the paper hereto assessed was found by the applicant among the papers of the said William Keyser deceased after his death carefully filed among his important papers and that the said paper has been in possession of the applicant ever since. The applicant further made oath that the said paper purporting to be a register of the births of his children commencing with “Polly was January 26, 1782” and ending with “Sally was born September 13th, 1806” is the handwriting of the said William Keyser deceased. The applicant further made oath that he has often heard his father say that he had lost the original register of his children’s births and that many years ago he had obtained from his neighbor Richard Sneed a register of the births of his own children which he had set down on a piece of paper and that on the opposite side of the same paper he had made a register of the births of his own (Keyser’s) children which he was only enabled to make out by a comparison between the ages of his own children and those of the said Richard Sneed. The applicant further made oath that his deceased father had the children enumerated in the said paper to wit: Polly, John, William, Elizabeth, Christopher or Kit, Catherine, Fleming, David, James and Sally; that he had often heard his father say that he annexed register of the births of his children having made out many years ago after the children were born in consequence of his having lost the original register that it was not entirely accurate and was only an approximation to the true period of the births of his children. The undersigned further certify that the said Fleming Keyser is a man of truth and that full faith and credit are due to his declaration made on oath. In whereof we have hereinto set our hands and annexed our seals this 12th day of October, 1841."

Letter from James F. Keyser, Son of Fleming Keyser and Grandson of William Keyser

Written to  L.R. Beckner on August 15, 1932

Transcription below

"I never saw my grandfather, John [William] Keyser, since he died before I could remember.  However, I have bad descriptions of him by my father, Fleming Keyser, and uncles which show conclusively his Indian origin.  He was tall, straight, very active, and from a standing start, in three leaps, could cover thirty-six feet. He was of dark complexion, straight hair black as a raven, and eyes that were dark and piercing. He served in the Rev. War after which he migrated to Bath Co., Va. where he pre-empted a tract of land and settled there for life.  His wife's name was Sneed.  They had eight children:  William, James, Fleming, John (called Jack), Christopher Columbus, Sarah, Bettie, and Kate. All these children lived into adulthood.  Two sons and one daughter moved to the Big Sandy Valley region at an early date.  Jack settled on the Big Sandy River 5 miles up from Catlettsburg, Ky., and Christopher settled on Beech Fork of Twelvepole. Kate married Rowland T. Burns, an eminent lawyer and stopped at Catlettsburg.  The others remained in the vicinity where born and married and raised families.

“The original Keyser, John's [William’s] father, immigrated to the Virginia Colony at an unknown date prior to the Revolution.  The name is German, but whether he came directly from Germany or some other European country is not known.  The name is properly pronounced 'Ki-zer' which we have corrupted to 'Kee-zer'.

"This first Keyser married an Indian, but nothing is known about her or her other children, if any, except our ancestor, John [William]."

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Letter from James F. Keyser, Son of Fleming Keyser and Grandson of William Keyser

KESIAH KEYSER'S AFFIDAVIT OF PENSION

In this document, Kesiah acknowledges that she is the widow of William Keyser and marks the document in her own hand.  It is personally signed by Fleming Keyser and Nancy Keyser, Fleming's wife.

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Kesiah Keyser's Affidavit of Pension

KESIAH KEYSER'S CERTIFICATE OF PENSION

This document acknowledges that Kesiah was entitled to a pension of $80 per year as a Revolutionary War pensioner's widow.

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Kesiah Keyser Pension Certificate

Virginia Revolutionary War Pensioner Rolls recording Kesiah Keyser

1790 US CENSUS DOCUMENT

The earliest United States census document I was able to locate is from the 1790 census. Below is the 1790 US Census referencing William Keyser.

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The Title Page of the "Heads of Families at the First Census Taken in the Year 1790" - Virginia

"Heads of Families at the First Census Taken in the Year 1790" - Virginia for Hanover County recording William Keyser

1820 US CENSUS DOCUMENT

Below is the 1820 US Census referencing William Keyser, as well as David and Fleming Keyser.

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1820 US Census Recording William Keyser

1830 US CENSUS DOCUMENT

 Below is the 1830 US Census document I found referencing William Keyser.

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1830 US Census Recording William Keyser

March the 26th, 1812

To the Clerk of Bath County - please to issue out License for Christopher Keyser and Frances Jones to be married.  I hereby do give from under my hand that I am perfectly satisfied for them to be given.

     Frances Jones

Henry [his X mark] Jones

Thomas Stonestreet

Richard Morris

More information about William Preston Keyser, son of Henry Keyser

William Preston Keyser volunteered for Civil War service (certificate 969654) Co. E 20th Infantry on August 12, 1862, and was  sworn in at Council Bluffs, Iowa on November 12, 1862.  He attended the sick at Helena, Arkansas, during the first half of 1863, and returned to guard duty in Helena in July and August, 1863.  He was detached for guard duty on transport to Pine Bluffs, Arkansas in November and December, 1863.

He participated in the Battle of Helena in July of 1863, and additionally participated in the battle of the capture of Little Rock, Arkansas, the Camden expedition, and the siege of Mobile, Alabama during 1865, suffering no wounds or injuries.

After the conclusion of the war, having an urge to roam, he would leave home for irregular periods, leaving his wife Malissa and her 14 children to get on as best as they could.  It is believed he had a "service action casualty."  He passed away on a homestead near Colme, South Dakota in 1917.  Malissa passed away while living in Omaha, Nebraska.

Malissa was a deeply religious woman.  Her trials were many.  Her husband was off to war, leaving her with the small children.  She endured many trials of hardship, hunger, as well as prairie fires, but her steadfast faith in God always prevailed.  In her earlier instructions to the older children, she taught them to revere the Sabbath, restricting their running and playing on that day.

The above is excerpted from a story by Roy Jones

William Harvey Keyser's Obituary:

Harvey Keyser Dies at his Miller Home August 16, 1916

PIONEER GETS CALL AT AN EARLY HOUR

Had nine children and here over thirty years ago Harvey Keyser born June 10, 1854 at Percival, Iowa aged 62 [and] one of the sturdy builders of Buffalo County, Nebraska, and a pioneer of thirty-five years is gone.

Death relieved his suffering yesterday morning shortly after 4:00 at his home in Miller, Nebraska, where surrounded by his sons and daughter and with his wife at the bedside he passed away.

While not of an advanced age, had not been well for three years and had gradually weakened during that time. The last acute illness began about two weeks ago. A nervous breakdown was given as cause of demise.

Harvey Keyser was truly a pioneer of this community, He still owned the homestead which he and his wife helped to make yieldings nearly thirty years ago.

Nine stalwart children have come to this union and all of these children are still living near Miller, Nebraska, or Litchfield, Nebraska, near where the family was raised.

The old homestead is about five miles from Miller in a northern direction and slightly east.

Five years ago Mr. and Mrs. Keyser went to Miller to live from their farm home. They have since resided in that city and it will from their home there that the funeral services will be held August 17, 1916 at 2 o’clock.

Interment will be held in the Miller cemetery.

Besides the wife [Mary F. Keyser], the following nine children survive and mourn the loss of their father: Charles, Jesse, Lester, Harvey, Emmet, Lawrence, Mrs. Nell Brown, Mrs. Gladys Anderson and Mrs. Fern Daugherty.

The deceased had long been prominent in the affairs of his community. He was a good farmer and amassed considerable property during the years of his life. He was considered as wealthy and no one in the county was perhaps better known than he. Members of the family are sharing their grief with their many friends and the sympathy of the community is with them.

Charles Keyser Death Notice:

Charles Russel Keyser Dies After Short Illness

Charles Russel Keyser, son of Harvey and Mary Keyser, born September 29, 1877 at Percival. Iowa, died after a short illness on April,4, 1924, at the age of 47 years at the home of mother Mrs. Mary Keyser in Miller, Nebraska. His wife Scyble [was] also sick at the time and unable to care for him.

Charles Keyser came with his parents to Miller, Nebraska, when he was about 8 years old and grew to manhood in the Miller, Nebraska community.

On September 20, 1899 he was united in marriage to Miss Scyble Norcross at Sartoria, Nebraska. They made their home on his farm a few miles north of Miller.

To this union were born one daughter and seven sons: Maude Ione, James Maxwell, Everett, Erbon, Howard, Harold, Robert and Kenneth Keyser.

Charles Keyser was prominent in community affairs. At the time of his death he was president of the Farmers Cooperative Grocery Store in Miller, Nebraska.

He is survived by his wife, Scyble and daughter Mrs. Maude Morris, and seven sons, James Maxwell, Everett, Erban, Howard, Harold, Robert and Kenneth. Also his mother Mary Keyser and 5 brothers and 5 sisters: Jesse Emmanuel, James Harvey, Emmett, Lawrence, and Lester Keyser, sisters Mrs. Nellie Brown, Mrs. Fern Daugherty, and Mrs. Gladys Anderson.

He was preceded in death by his father and 2 brothers, Claude and Fred and 1 sister Myrtle Keyser.

The entire community extends their sincere sympathy.

Funeral services were held at the Christian Church in Miller, Nebraska. The body was taken from the church to the farm home before burial in the Miller cemetery as his wife was very ill with influenza and could not attend the services.

"The Keyser Family - Descendents of Dirck" - Philadelphia 1889 by Charles Keyser

This book is referred to in "Henry's Children" by Willet Keyser, and is available in its entirety online via the following link:

"The Keyser Family - Descendents of Dirck" - by Charles Keyser - Philadelphia 1889 - Link

It is also available as a PDF via the following link:

"The Keyser Family - Descendents of Dirck" - by Charles Keyser - Philadelphia 1889 - PDF

"The Pennsylvania-German"

This book is devoted to the history, biography, genealogy, poetry, folk-lore and general interests of the Pennsylvania Germans and their descendants.  Its publication date is 1900.

This book is available in its entirety online via the following link:

The Pennsylvania-German - Link

It is also available as a 59 MB PDF via the following link:

"Pennsylvania-German" - PDF

Laura Hatch has done some amazing research on the Keyser family – you can trace your ancestor down the line: http://www.laurahatch.com/Gibson-Orr Web/WC01/WC01_189.HTM

This page is on amrev.org and lists William Keyser, his rank, commanders, and dates of service: http://www.amrev.org/htdocs/html/fm/Centennialreg/ANCKPage6.shtml

Daughters of the American Revolution, founded in 1890 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women's service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America's future through better education for children. As one of the most inclusive genealogical societies in the country, DAR boasts 165,000 members in 3,000 chapters across the United States and internationally. Any woman 18 years or older - regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background - who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution, is eligible for membership.

Visit their website for more information: Daughters of the American Revolution

National Society of the Children of the American Revolution

The National Society of the Children of the American Revolution, founded in 1895, is the oldest patriotic organization for youths in our country. Membership is open to descendents of patriots of the American Revolution. Any boy or girl under the age of twenty-one is eligible for membership in the National Society of the Children of the American Revolution who is lineally descended from a man or woman who, with unfailing loyalty, rendered material aid to the cause of American Independence as a soldier, sailor, civil officer, or recognized patriot in one of the several Colonies or States, or of the United States, provided that the applicant is personally acceptable to the Society.

The age range is birth to twenty-one. Meetings and activities are planned for all ages with special consideration given to younger members.

Members gain invaluable leadership experience in conducting meetings, following parliamentary procedures and standard protocol, serving as delegates and speaking before groups at local, state and national conferences. The responsibility and privilege of selecting officers helps members gain an understanding of the democratic process.

The N.S.C.A.R. has formed a new mission statement to reflect the ideas of the organization: "The National Society of the Children of the American Revolution trains good citizens, develops leaders and promotes love of the United States of America and its heritage among young people."

The N.S.C.A.R. has six primary objectives in its Bylaws; these objectives are the foundation of the organization.

1. To acquire knowledge of American History.

2. To preserve and restore places of Historical importance associated with men and women who forwarded American Independence.

3. To ascertain the deeds and honor the memories of the men, women and children who rendered service to the cause of the American Revolution.

4. To promote the celebration of patriotic anniversaries.

5. To honor and cherish the Flag of the United States of America above every other flag.

6. To love, uphold and extend the principles of American liberty and patriotism.

Rachael Keyser is a proud member of this organization.

Visit their website for more information: National Society of the Children of the American Revolution

Sons of the American Revolution

The SAR is a historical, educational, and patriotic non-profit, United States 501(c)3, corporation that seeks to maintain and extend:

• the institutions of American freedom

• an appreciation for true patriotism

• a respect for our national symbols

• the value of American citizenship

• the unifying force of e pluribus unum that has created, from the people of many nations, one nation and one people.

We do this by perpetuating the stories of patriotism, courage, sacrifice, tragedy, and triumph of the men who achieved the independence of the American people in the belief that these stories are universal ones of man's eternal struggle against tyranny, relevant to all time, and will inspire and strengthen each succeeding generation as it too is called upon to defend our freedoms on the battlefield and in our public institutions.

ORIGINS OF THE SAR

In 1876 there were many celebrations to commemorate the centennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. As part of this patriotic fervor, a group of men in the San Francisco, California, area who were descendants of patriots involved in the American Revolution, formed an organization called the Sons of Revolutionary Sires. Their objective was to have a fraternal and civic society to salute those men and women who pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to the battle for independence from Great Britain. They desired to keep alive their ancestors' story of patriotism and courage in the belief that it is a universal one of man's struggle against tyranny -- a story which would inspire and sustain succeeding generations when they would have to defend and extend our freedoms.

Out of the Sires grew the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, which was organized on April 30, 1889 - the 100th anniversary of the inauguration of George Washington as our nation's first President. We have used the acronym SAR to identify ourselves for over 100 years. The SAR was conceived as a fraternal and civic society composed of lineal descendants of the men who wintered at Valley Forge, signed the Declaration of Independence, fought in the battles of the American Revolution, served in the Continental Congress, or otherwise supported the cause of American Independence. The National Society was chartered by an Act of the United States Congress on June 9, 1906. The charter was signed by President Theodore Roosevelt, who was a member of the SAR. The charter authorizes the granting of charters to societies of the various states and territories and authorizes the state societies to charter chapters within their borders. Federal Legislation established a federal charter for the National Society SAR.

Visit their website for more information:  Sons of the American Revolution

Kenneth Keyser, Jr. and his son Paul Keyser are proud members of this organization.

Find a Grave

This site is a great site to search for grave markers.  It is where I obtained Henry's gravestone photo, as well as many others.