William Keyser, Revolutionary War Soldier

Born 1755 - Died 1837

by Bridget Keyser

In 1755, William Keyser was born in Northampton County, Virginia, then a part of the British American colonies. Nothing is currently known about his early family life, including his parents or siblings. Theories persist that his father may have been Charles Keyser (born 1701, and a veteran of the French-Indian Wars). Reports describe his appearance as tall and straight as an arrow, with straight hair as black as a raven and eyes dark and piercing. He was very physically active and legend says he could, from a standing start, in three leaps cover 36 feet.

In March of 1775, William decided to join the fight for American independence and enlisted in the Continental Army at the age of 21. At this time the Continental Army had begun fighting for their independence from Britain. The ranks of the Patriot forces continued to grow, as more Americans joined their ranks. William enlisted in Gloucester County in the state of Virginia as a private in the 2nd Virginia State Regiment, 1st Virginia brigade as part of the 5th division, commanded at the time by Captain Thomas Baytop. Each soldier who enlisted was promised a complete uniform and regular reissue. But this rarely happened, even though Congress or their home state tried to provide clothes once a year. Every soldier was also issued a musket, bayonet, cartridge box, and tools to keep weapons in working condition. A haversack (bag) held important personal belongings as well as eating utensils. Canteens were often suspended from the haversack or worn over the shoulder on a strap. Small musical instruments, dice, and playing cards made the drudgery and hardship of the war and winter more bearable.

William was first marched to Hampton, New Jersey, where he was inoculated for smallpox. Smallpox inoculations were very new and controversial at this time but General George Washington was a great believer in the inoculations. General Washington had seen the consequences of a smallpox epidemic during the closing months of the failed American attempt to conquer Canada during the years 1775 and 1776. In May of 1776, the British defeated some 1,900 sickly Continental soldiers, who left behind several hundred smallpox cases in their abandoned camps. This disaster prompted George Washington to order inoculations for all new recruits to the Continental Army. But some existing soldiers did not elect to receive the protection from smallpox inoculations, and many would later suffer the consequences of that decision.

On October 6, 1777, William’s regiment, under Colonel Samuel Hawes, defended the unfinished Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton against 2,100 British, Hessian and Loyalist troops attacking from the landward side of the forts. The Americans had placed an iron chain and a boom across the Hudson River and protected the barrier by four warships, in order to stop the British ships. The British sent Lieutenant Colonel Mungo Campbell and several British soldiers to Fort Montgomery with a flag of truce indicating that they wish to avoid “further effusion of blood.” General James Clinton then sent Lieutenant Colonel William S. Livingston to meet the enemy. The British officer requested that the patriots surrender and promised that no harm would come to the Colonial soldiers. The American commander, in turn, invited the British to surrender and promised him and his men good treatment. Fuming at this audacity, the British resumed the battle. While leading his men into battle, British Lieutenant Colonel Campbell was killed in a violent attack north of Fort Montgomery.

After a fierce battle lasting until dark, the British pushed William and the other courageous American soldiers from the forts at the points of their bayonets. The American defenders of the forts were overpowered by the large numbers of British troops and the British gained possession of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton. American casualties numbered about 350 killed, wounded and captured, while the British paid a price of at least 190 killed and wounded.

William knew that twenty-eight men and two officers in his regiment had been taken by the British. He knew that their fate was grim – British prisoners of war were put on prison ships and usually did not survive long. But he knew that there was more work to be done, and he had to keep moving forward.

It was normal for 18th century armies to cease combat during the coldest months and take up "winter quarters”. So on December 12, 1777, William was marched with the other troops to the west bank of the Schuylkill River at Valley Forge. It was a 13 mile march that was delayed and took eight days. The troops crossed the Schuylkill on a wobbly, makeshift bridge in an area called the Gulph. They were forced to camp at the Gulph for several days after a snowstorm and quite a few days of icy rain made roads impassable. On December 18th, the soaked and miserable troops observed a Day of Thanksgiving declared by Congress for the American victory against the British in October at Saratoga, N.Y. On the 19th, William, along with the rest of the famished and exhausted troops, finally marched into Valley Forge. The ragged soldiers might have thought the worst was over, but they were wrong. A cache of American military stores had previously been placed at Valley Forge. After the Battle of Brandywine the British had learned of the cache and raided the village, seizing the goods and burning houses. Arriving American troops found trees in the area but little else – no shelter or supplies.

Christmas arrived, but there were no feasts that winter at Valley Forge. William and the other troops endured a diet of "fire cakes and cold water." A fire cake was simply a flour and water batter fried on a griddle. The morning after Christmas, William awoke to find four additional inches of snow on the ground. He knew he was in for a long, hard winter.

The first priority of the soldiers was keeping warm and dry. The troops faced a typical Delaware Valley winter with temperatures mostly in the 20s and 30s. There were 13 days of rain or snow during the first six weeks. Washington ordered the building of huts to house the soldiers. His orders spelled out the style and size of the small quarters. Every 12 men shared a 16 by 14 foot log hut with walls six and a half feet high. Each would have a stone fireplace. The roof would be of wood boards. Most huts were built in a pit about two-feet below the ground. Generally, there was only a dirt floor and some sort of cloth covering for a door. The huts were drafty, damp, smoky and terribly unhealthy. The primitive shelters were laid out in regular patterns to form streets. Officers built their huts behind the enlisted men's cabins. These were similar in construction but not as crowded, befitting the officer’s rank.

Clothing and feeding the troops was an overwhelming challenge. Transportation of supplies to Valley Forge was the major stumbling block. The supplies were out there, but getting them there seemed impossible. Roads were rutted swamps. It was difficult for the army to recruit wagoneers. Continental money was nearly worthless, so Pennsylvania farmers often hid their horses and wagons rather than contract with the Army and be paid with useless money. The man in charge of military transportation, Quartermaster General Thomas Mifflin hated his job. Mifflin was a wealthy Philadelphia merchant and a born politician who wanted glory on the battlefield not the headaches of transportation. He literally ignored the job. It wasn't until the spring when Washington's most capable general, Nathanael Green, took over the quartermaster's post that supplies began to move in decent quantity.

Once spring came, the weather lightened a little. Many soldiers did not live to see the spring, as smallpox went through the camps, and many of the underfed troops caught the pox and died. Other soldiers died from typhus and dysentery. William had heard that more than one thousand men had died during the difficult winter. He was glad he had gotten a smallpox inoculation when he enlisted – he escaped the smallpox plague untouched. But by spring, William had lost a great deal of weight and needed a new uniform and a pair of good shoes, as did almost all of the troops. They were all very glad to see Quartermaster Green assume his new post – soon adequate supplies began flowing into Valley Forge.

Quartermaster Green arranged for a baking company of some 70 men headed by Philadelphia gingerbread baker Christopher Ludwig to set up at camp. William had been told that the German-born patriot refused to profit from his labor. Once Mr. Ludwig was able to get started, William and the other soldiers got the daily pound of bread promised by Congress. William was so glad to finally get some decent food – hopefully things would keep improving with the weather. Just the smell of the baking bread made him feel better.

Washington issued daily military orders for the Valley Forge troops, but there was little real military discipline in the camp. There were no regular roll calls. Sizes of units that were supposed to be equal varied radically. Orders prohibiting gambling, fighting, selling Army equipment and wandering away from camp were routinely ignored. William tried to stay out of trouble, but he did enjoy an occasional card game with his cabin mates. As he saw it, the trouble was that the men were miserable and bored.

General Washington then contracted with Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin Steuben, who was known as Baron von Steuben. Benjamin Franklin had met the Baron in Paris and recommended to Washington that he may be of use. Washington assigned the Baron the task of training the Valley Forge troops in modern warfare techniques. While brave, Continental troops possessed few skills in the art of 18th century warfare. They didn't know how to march in ranks or maneuver on the battlefield. The bayonet - crucial to battlefield success - was used mostly to cook food over a fire.

Steuben was appalled by what he observed during his first weeks at Valley Forge. Washington asked the German to study the situation and provide reports on camp defenses, troop morale and military readiness. Steuben's reports were detailed and astute. In a short time, Steuben was named acting inspector general. His primary mission involved training, and he attacked the task with dedication and zeal.

William loved his gruff manner, his cursing in broken English and his hands-on-style of demonstrating every move personally. The Baron insisted that officers drill with their men, and he pared down the officers’ staffs of personal servants. William, for the first time, felt like a real soldier, ready to do his duty for his new country. He learned how to use the bayonet, and how to properly use his musket. After he learned what his officers felt he needed to know, William was assigned to train other troop members in these skills, until all of the soldiers were ready for battle. Within weeks, William could see a new proficiency and new pride among the formerly dispirited men.

In March, an extra month's pay was issued to all in camp for having stuck it out through the miseries of the winter. Washington added a ration of rum for each soldier. William felt happy and proud to be a part of the Continental Army. It was time for the war to begin again.

William was then assigned to the 1^st Virginia State Regiment in Continental Service under Colonel Charles Dabney. The Regiment’s first orders were to proceed to Monmouth Courthouse in New Jersey, where they engaged the British army on June 28, 1778. The battle was almost single-handedly lost by an inept and arrogant General Charles Lee. When Washington learned that Lee was retreating instead of advancing, the seemingly stoic commander flew into fury and galloped out to turn the men around himself and lead the attack.

William fought well at Monmouth, and eventually the British retreated and climbed aboard their ships. It was clear to him and the other Continental soldiers that they were now a fair match for the British. The troops celebrated the British retreat and were confident that they were going to win this war. William was happy that he escaped the battle unharmed, and had done his duty well.

William was extremely competent with the musket, so in 1778, William was assigned to the Light Infantry Corps. This was a very prestigious assignment, and William and his fellow infantry soldiers would play an important part in the Battle of Stony Point.

In 1779, General Washington sent Brigadier General Anthony Wayne and his Corps of Light Infantry, which included William, to lead a surprise midnight assault against Stony Point. So on July 15, 1779, William, as part of Wayne's troops, began the march to Stony Point. William still did not know the details of the mission. For eight hours they struggled over narrow mountain trails, arresting civilians they encountered on their way to avoid detection. When the soldiers arrived at Sprintsteel’s farm, two miles from Stony Point, they were told for the first time about their mission. Three columns would be organized for the Continental force. One column of 300 men would wade through the marched of the Hudson River from the north. A second column, led by Wayne, would wade through the waters of Haverstraw Bay and approach from the south. Each of these two columns would consist of three parts: twenty men called "the forlorn hope" would enter the enemy lines first, and overcome sentries; an advance party which would enter the fort and seize its works; and the main body, which would continue around the unfinished back of the fort and approach it from the river. William was part of the third column and proceeded under General Wayne.

William and the other soldiers in these two attacking columns wore pieces of white paper in their hats to avoid confusion in the darkness, and were armed with unloaded muskets and fixed bayonets, so that an accidental shot would not reveal their presence and reduce the element of surprise. When William entered the enemy fort he and the other soldiers were ordered to shout the watchword "the Fort’s our Own" to signal the other Continental soldiers. Finally, twenty-four artillery men would accompany the Light Infantry, so that the captured enemy cannons could be turned against the British ships and their other fort at Verplanck's Point.

The heaviest fighting lasted half an hour. William saw General Wayne wounded in the temple, and Colonel Christian Febiger took command while the General received treatment. By 1:00 AM the British garrison had surrendered. Fifteen Americans had been killed, twenty British had died, and the remaining British were taken prisoner. William again was unhurt after the battle. Three days later, General Washington abandoned Stony Point because he knew it could not be defended against the combined might of the British army and navy.

General Washington was very pleased with his decision to form the infantry corps, so after the Battle of Stony Point, the general traveled from West Point on July 17 to survey the infantry corps. William saw General Washington at close quarters on that day.

William Keyser completed his tour of duty in the Continental Army on approximately March 1, 1780 and received an honorable discharge after one term of three years. In December of 1783, at the age of twenty-eight years, he married Kesiah Sneed (or Snead) in Hanover County, Virginia. He and Kesiah had eight children while they lived in Hanover County – Polly, Christopher (Kit), John (Jack), William, Elizabeth (Bettie), Catherine (Cat), Fleming, and David. In 1799 the family moved to Bath County, Virginia and had two more children, James and Sarah (Sally). William died in Bath County, Virginia, in December of 1837 at the age of eighty-two years. He was survived by his ten children and his widow, Kesiah.

SUMMARY OF WILLIAM'S CHILDREN

Polly Keyser was born on Jan 26 1782 in Hanover County, Virginia. Polly married Robert Silfer. Robert was born about 1782 in Hanover County, Virginia, and died before 1869.

John "Jack" Keyser was born on Oct. 10, 1784 in Hanover County, Virginia, and died on Oct. 4, 1847 in Wayne County, Virginia. Jack married Elizabeth Jane Hill in 1808 in Cabell County, Virginia. Elizabeth was born on Oct. 15, 1789 in Botetourt County, Virginia, and died on Mar. 10, 1842 in Cabell County, Virginia.

William Keyser, Jr. was born on Nov. 20, 1784 in Hanover County, Virginia and died on May 20, 1869 in Bath County, Virginia. William, Jr. participated in the war of 1812 (see here for documentation) and may have participated in the "Battle of New Orleans" in 1815. William Jr. married Rebeckah Stowers on Feb. 9, 1827. Rebeckah was born around 1794 in Peckinpaw, Virginia.

Christopher Columbus "Kit" Keyser was born on May 30, 1789 in Hanover County, Virginia and died in 1865 in Wayne County, West Virginia. Kit married Frances Jones on March 26, 1812 in Bath County, Virginia. They had one son together - Henry. Frances died around 1815 in Virginia. Kit married Margaret "Peggy" Bloss on Jun. 28, 1816 in Cabell County, Virginia. Kit had four children with Peggy - James, Mary, Catherine, and Lucinda.

Elizabeth "Bettie" or "Betsy" Keyser was born on Oct 13, 1789 in Hanover County, Virginia and died in Bath County, Virginia on June 19, 1858. Bettie married Robert Brinkley on Dec. 2, 1805. Robert was born around 1780 in Bath County, Virginia and died sometime before 1876.

Catherine "Kate" Keyser was born on Jan 26, 1792, Hanover County, Virginia and died on Dec 14, 1857 in Lawrence County, Kentucky. Kate married Rowland Tiernan Burns on Dec. 22, 1813. Rowland was born on Jan 25, 1796 in Bath County, Virginia and died on August 19, 1833.

Fleming Keyser was born on Jan. 26, 1794 in Hanover County, Virginia and died on Dec. 4, 1865. Fleming married Nancy Morris on Oct. 15, 1819. Nancy was born in 1802 and died on April 20, 1863. Fleming was the executor of his father's estate.

David Keyser was born on Jul, 30 1796 in Bath County, Virginia and died in Mar. of 1825 in Allegheny County, Virginia. David married Margaret [Margret] Morris on May 12, 1819 in Bath County, Virginia. Margaret was born on April 5, 1802 and died on Jan. 4, 1878.

James Keyser was born in 1799 in Bath County, Virginia and died around 1880 in Kanawha, West Virginia. James married Lucinda [Gillispie - ?] on Jan. 2, 1821. Lucinda was born around 1800 in Virginia and died Oct. 28, 1853 in Kanawha, West Virginia.

Sarah "Sally" Keyser was born on Sep. 13, 1801 in Bath County, Virginia and died around 1860 in Alleghany, Virginia. Sally married Jacob Clark Carnes on Oct. 4, 1821. Jacob was born around 1797 in Botetourt, Virginia and died around 1882 in Bath County, Virginia.

The following is the transcript from 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 Hawes 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"

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 "translated" above.

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.

William Keyser's Record of his Children's Birthdates

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

"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!

"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 Hawes 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

Child	Birth Date	Marriage Information 32
Polly	January 24, 1782	December 3, 1800 to Robert Surber
John	October 10, 1784
William, Jr.	November 20, 1785	February 6, 1827 to Rebeckah Stowers
Elizabeth	October 13, 1787	December 2, 1805 to Robert Brinkley
Christopher	May 30, 1789
Catherine	January 26, 1792	December 22, 1813 to Roland Burns
Fleming	January 26, 1794	October 15, 1819 to Nancy Morris
David	July 30, 1796	May 21, 1819 to Margaret Morris
James	May 1, 1799
Sally	September 13, 1801	September 29, 1821 to Jacob Kames

* 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 sewed 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's 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 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 Col. Samuel Hawes.]

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.

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

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

"Kesiah Snead Keyser" by Keith Vance

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!

"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 dreamed 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 nations 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.

Fleming Keyser Pension Proceeding Page 1

Fleming Keyser Pension Proceeding Page 2

Transcription of Fleming 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."

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.

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.

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.

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 Flemming Keyser.

1820 US Census Recording William Keyser

1830 US CENSUS DOCUMENT

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

1830 US Census Recording William Keyser

Henry Keyser (born 1813)

Son of Christopher "Kit" Columbus Keyser

Henry Keyser was born on Jan. 13, 1813 in Giles County, West Virginia and died on Dec. 22, 1909 in Fremont County, Iowa. Henry married Abigail Clark on July 1, 1830 in Cabell County, Virginia. Abigail was born on Oct. 10, 1813 in Virginia and died on on Jan. 21, 1889 in Fremont County, Iowa.

Henry and Abigail had seven children: Christopher Columbus Keyser (1832-1919), Samuel Keyser b. 1834), James Russell Keyser (1835-1901), William Preston Keyser (1836-1917), Leander J. Keyser (1838-1932), John Barrener Keyser (1840-1923), and Mary Emaline Keyser (1848-1889)

FREMONT, IOWA CENSUS OF 1854

1854 Iowa Census recording both Christopher and his son Henry Keyser

Top: (Left to right) Millard Keyser (infant - son of Floyd Keyser), Floyd Keyser (son of Sam Keyser)

Bottom: (Left to right) Henry Keyser, Christopher Keyser (son of Henry), John Samuel "Sam" Keyser (son of Christopher)

Christopher Columbus Keyser (son of Henry Keyser)

Click on above photo for higher resolution

"The keyser family - henry's children" BY Willet Keyser

I have a copy of this book and have scanned (sometimes a little crookedly) the preface and introduction into one file, and the remainder of the book in another file. The preface and introduction is an approximately 5MB sized PDF, and the remainder of the book is an approximately 15MB sized PDF, so they may take awhile to load and save.

"Henry's Children" Preface and Introduction by Willet Keyser - PDF

"Henry's Children" by Willet Keyser - PDF

FREMONT'S OLDEST CITIZEN DEAD

as published in "The Fremont County Herald", Sidney, Fremont County, Iowa, January 7, 1910

Henry Keyser, familiarly known throughout the county as "Grandpa" Keyser, died Tuesday night at the home of Elder S. S. Orr, in the Brightside neighborhood at the remarkable age of 96 years, 11 months, and 6 days. Death can only be attributed to old age, for up to a comparatively short time ago, the old gentleman was hale and hearty and unusually active for one of his years. He is believed to have been the oldest resident of the county at the time of his death. It is impossible at this time to procure data sufficient to form a fitting history of the life and labors of this venerable centenarian who knew Fremont County long before she was a county, but we expect to be able to do so in the next issue.

Henry's Obituitary

by S.S. Orr, as published in "The Fremont County Herald", Sidney, Fremont County, Iowa, January 10, 1910

"Autobiography of Henry Keyser"

In writing this biographical sketch of the late Henry Keyser of Fremont county, I wish to say, that it is done for the enlightenment of his many grandchildren and friends who have never been acquainted with him, or his past life as I have known it.

Henry Keyser was born early in the nineteenth century, in the Old Dominion, on January 13, 1813, a short distance from the Hot Sulphur Springs, Bath County, Virginia. His father's name was Christopher [Columbus] Keyser, the oldest son of William Keyser, who was said to be of Scotch Irish descent. Christopher Keyser, the father of Henry, married Frances Jones of Bath county, Virginia, and in a short time after Henry was born they moved from Virginia to Greenup county, Kentucky, and settled in the Big Sandy valley. Henry was 8 months old when they came to the new country and they lived there till Henry was about 12 years old, when his mother died leaving him alone with his father, who took him to Babbell county, Virginia, where he married the second time to Peggy Bloss.

They lived at this time on a stream of water called Twelve Pole or one of its tributaries. Here he assisted his father on the farm on Beech Fork in various ways, in cutting away the timber and in rolling logs into heaps and burning them, until he became almost a young man.

During this time his father sent him to school to a man whose name was Tommy Knapper who proved to be so cross and ugly to him that he could not learn anything. This so-called instructor gave him a terrible whipping because he did not bow down to some girls who came to visit his school. So he learned nothing at Knapper's school.

When about 10 years old he was sent to another teacher by the name of Blankenship who was about as cross as Knapper, but he could get along with him better. He spent a little while when about 14 in a school taught by Sammy Clark, which was his last school days. The schoolhouse stood near where Lavalette is situated on Twelve Pole, Wayne County, West Virgina.

What a meager chance a poor boy had in those days to obtain an education! The stories of ghosts and witches told to the younger people were calculated to make cowards of them, rather than to enlighten them, and they could not hope even for better training under such blighting circumstances.

About the time he was 16 he hired to some men by the name of Koontz, who were running a forge, to chop wood. This forge was at the mouth of Buffalo creek some miles from his home. His wages were $8 per month. After he had finished his wood chopping he returned to his father on Beech Fork with the intention of helping his father on the farm. His hopes were blasted, however, as his life was not pleasant because of the treatment received from his step-mother.

He concluded to look for a wife and so on February 18 at Louis Batcher's wedding he began a courtship with Abigail Clark. He was 17 years old at this time. His courtship was after the manner of courtships in that day and was brought to a close July 1, 1830 by a marriage. He and his little wife Abigail (for she was a very small woman) rented a home upon which they lived until 1834 when they bought a small farm on the east fork of Camp creek from Isaac Hatfield at which place they lived until 1845 when they sold their land to John Bailey. In 1846 near the close of the year, they with their six sons, moved to Andrew County, Missouri, another new county.

We now call the attention of our readers to the wisdom manifested by this couple while yet in their teens. Let it be understood that neither the husband or wife could read, but they believed the gospel and in the same year they were married in 1830 they became Christians and united with the Methodist Episcopal church and both of them remained true to their convictions as long as they lived.

In the new home in Andrew County, Missouri, on February 23, 1847, their only daughter was born. Selling their 80 acre farm in Andrew County, they moved in March 1850, with their six sons and daughter to Fremont County, Iowa. Here they lived and saw the county settled and here they enjoyed the friendship of many friends. Henry Keyser had the misfortune to lose his faithful companion on January 22, 1889, after which he tried life alone but being of a turn of mind that was not easily controlled he married the second time. January 2, 1891 Mrs. Martha Alexander became his second wife.

Old age had crept on him and after living together a number of years their friends thought it best they should not try to keep house any longer so broke up housekeeping. She went to California and he remained among his children and grandchildren which numbered at his death near 250 living souls.

Since coming to the State of Iowa he has made four trips to West Virginia and one to California. He plowed the first furrow in the city of Tabor and has seen 96 years 11 months and 6 days pass by as a weaver's shuttle. The children of his youth have become old men. A son and the daughter have been borne to the tomb. He has seen the changes that have taken place during the nineteenth century in the various modes of agriculture. He has had an opportunity of voting for the chief magistrate of the United States 17 times and enjoyed the privilege of voting to the last.

He was a noble man. No man perhaps loved his country more than he but his stay is over. He seemed anxious to go. He bore his sufferings with fortitude and died at this oldest granddaughter's [home] on the morning of December 22, 1909. He was borne to the tomb from the home of S.S. Orr and wife where the body of Henry Keyser will rest with his beloved wife till the morning of the resurrection when they will rise to praise the Father God who gave them their eternal being in His great universe.

Excerpt from

"A Biographical History of Fremont and Mills Counties - Iowa"

published 1901

Christopher Keyser [son of Henry Keyser] is living a retired life on his large farm on section thirty, in Benton township, Fremont County. He was born in Campbell County, West Virginia, February 10, 1832. His father is an octogenarian and is identified with agricultural pursuits in Sidney township, Fremont County. Henry Keyser was reared to farm life in West Virginia until sixteen years of age, when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Missouri in 1848, making the journey by way of the water route. In the family were six sons, and one daughter who were born to them in Missouri. The father purchased a farm in that state and Christopher continued to aid in its cultivation until he had attained his nineteenth year, when in the fall of 1889. he left home and came to Iowa, one hundred miles north of his Missouri home. He worked by the month, hunted, fished and trapped, having become familiar with those lines of work in Virginia. He continued to reside in this locality with his uncles until his father sold his Missouri property and removed to Fremont county, following his two sons, Christopher and his younger brother, Samuel, who had previously come to Iowa, but the latter is now a resident of Kansas.

Christopher Columbus Keyser, of this review, was married on the 10th of October, 1851, to Olivia L. Lambert, of Benton township, Fremont County, who was born in Kentucky, July 13, 1837, and was then fifteen years of age. Their union has been blessed with the following children, of whom nine are now living: Elizabeth, wife of S. S. Orr, an extensive farmer of this locality; S. J., a farmer and business man of Percival, who is married and has eight children and has lost two; Abigail, who died at the age of thirteen years; Elvira, who became the wife of Paul Hineline and died leaving four children ; Emma, who died at the age of eighteen years; C. C, a farmer of Benton township, who is married ; Eddie, who is living on his farm in Benton township and has five children; W. W., who resides on a part of his father's farm and is married and has one daughter, Emma. who died at the age of eighteen years; Louisa, wife of Ambrose Parkerson, a merchant of Percival, by whom she has one son; Hannah J., wife of William Wood, of Benton township. and they have four children; Maggie, wife of Bert O'Connor, who operates a part of his father's farm and by whom she has one son; and Freddie, who is at home unmarried and assists in the operation of the home farm and also carries on business in Percival.

Mr. Keyser is the owner of one thousand acres of the rich bottom land of Fremont County, worth not less than forty dollars per acre, and he keeps stock enough to consume all of the products of the farm, carrying on that line of business on an extensive scale. He raises fine red polled cattle, having a number of thoroughbreds. He also has good grades of horses, mules and jacks to the number of two hundred and has a valuable flock of Shropshire sheep. He has about five hundred acres planted to corn, yielding twenty thousand bushels, and this he feeds to his stock. He is a most enterprising, progressive and practical farmer, and his business has brought to him very gratifying success. He was a man of great strength and endurance and has been actively concerned in the control of his farm until recent years, when rheumatism forced him to relegate the more arduous duties of farm life to others. In 1897 he erected his present large and commodious residence, which stands within twenty rods of the old home in which his marriage was celebrated. He is a Republican in politics and has been township trustee. His wife is a member of the Methodist church. They were the first white people married in the county; Rev. John Todd performing the ceremony. From the period of early pioneer development they have been witnesses of the growth and progress of this portion of the state and have done all in their power to promote its advancement. As highly esteemed people and worthy early settlers they well deserve representation in this volume.

HENRY AND ABIGAIL KEYSER GRAVESTONE

Grandview Cemetery

Sidney, Fremont County, Iowa, USA