This information was researched by someone else and given to me. They have done a lot of work and we thank them very much. Without the help of others it would not be possible to pass on this information for other genealogists. The names in bold print is my family tree, CATHY EDDY WEED.
I. MARTIN MYERS-Martin Meyer was born about 1760 in Hombressen, Germany. Martin died in 1822 at Dimock, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Martin was a Hessian soldier. His children were:
1. SURZARDUS MYERS was born about 1786.
2. Alvin Myers was born about 1789 in Connecticut or New York (both are listed in early census). Alvin married Rhoda??? Their children were:
21. Simon Myers was born about 1815.
22. Zardis Myers was born about 1819.
221. Clarissa Myers was born about 1825 in PA. Clarissa married on April 16, 1856 at Ararat, Susquehanna County, PA to B. J. Bunnell.
3. Clarinda Myers married after 1850 to Henry Leroy Button.
ABOUT HESSIANS-From: German Allied Troops In the American Revolution, J. R. Rosengarten’s Survey of German Archives and Sources, Edited by Don Heinrich Tolzmann, Heritage Books, Inc.
After 1648, Germany consisted of 1,800 states and estates, which constituted the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. By the eighteenth century, two large states, Prussia and Austria, had emerged, so that in West Germany there were mainly numerous medium and small sized states. Many of them were ruled by luxury loving princes who maintained lavish courts in the style of Louis XIV of France. This was supported by heavy taxation, and by the repulsive policy of contracting the services of soldiers out to other states.
When the Revolution began, Great Britain turned to the German states, and concluded contracts with various ones of these petty princes. Since more that half of them came from Hesse-Cassel, the soldiers, who were literally sod into service, were generally referred to as Hessians. The German princes agreed to furnish a specific number of soldiers per year for a certain amount of money. These funds were necessary to maintain their palaces, theater, orchestras, and other extravagant tastes. To German patriots it was considered a scandal.
For $150,000 the British government purchased the service of 30,000 German soldiers; none of these funds went into the pockets of the soldiers, but into the royal coffers of the German princes. Since it was known that they were not particularly interested in the task they had been involuntarily sold into, the Continental Congress approved a plan to lure the Hessians from service to the British.
After a large group was captured at Trenton, New Jersey, Washington wisely provided them with the opportunity to visit the German areas of Pennsylvania, “whereupon a number of them volunteered for service in the American army.”
An especially powerful force in appealing to the German Allied Troops to lay down their arms and join the American cause were the numerous German language broadsides (a large sheet of paper printed on one side with a political message) and pamphlets published by the German-American press. German-Americans warmly addressed the Hessians as “Fellow Brothers” and invited them to lay down their arms in the unjust British cause. In August 1776, Congress issued a German language broadside inviting the German Allied Troops “to lay down their arms and accept U.S. citizenship with land and the basis for founding a home where they may live in happiness rather than face death on the battlefield.” It also bitterly attacked the British Parliament and the German princes “who sell people’s blood for money.” Along with the promise of U.S. citizenship, 50 acres of free land was offered to all German troops who left the British service. “The appeal, cleverly circulated on backs of tobacco wrapper, found resonance among the Hessians, who were not fighting for their own cause, and many soldiers became a farmer within or near a German-American settlement.”
Out of the 30,067 Hessians over 12,562 stayed in America. Martin Myers being one of them. “HETRINA”-“Hessishe Truppen Im Amerikanshen Unabhangigkeitskreig “ (which translates to Hessian Troops in American Independence War) is a series of books listing the Hessian soldiers. A search of this came up with three possible Martin Myers.
Meyer, Martin was born in 1736 in Hineco, Switzerland, private recruited into von Stein Garrison Regiment, appears in unit books from August 1781 m Meyer, Martin was born in 1736 in Hineco, Switzerland, private recruited into von Stein Garrison Regiment, appears in unit books from August 1781 through 1783. (This one would have been about 50 years of age when first child was born).
Meyer, Martin was born in 1760 in Hombressen, Hessen Kassel, private recruited into courier corps and became a prisoner of war. It appears in the unit books beginning in April 1783.
Meyer/Mayer, Martin, no age nor place of origin given was a private recruited into Hesse-Hanau Free Corps. He appears in unit books beginning in March of 1782. (Of the 2,422 troops sent from here, 991 did not return to Germany). The search for MARTIN MEYERS is continuing.
A Martin Myers (spelled Miers) has been found on the 1790 census for Washington Township, Litchfield, Connecticut, with a wife and two sons under the age of ten. This is also a possibility since this is where his son Alvin claimed to be born (he also stated New York on another census) and is being investigated.
Also a Martin “Myres” in 1790 census for Minisink Township, Orange County, New York with a wife, one daughter, and one son. The Orange County Historical Society sent a residence list for 1790, which shows a Martin Miers.
Probably Martin Myers number two above is our Martin. “…I believe it was MARTIN MEYER in Company 6 of the Jaeger Corps of the Hessen-Cassel Troops. He would have been young for a Hessian soldier, having been born in 1760/61 in the town of Zip 34369, Hombressen, a suburb of the city of Hofgeismar, north of Kassel. Unfortunately, the records of the Jaeger Corps, which have survived, are very sparse. HETRINA has only a ‘one liner’, which says that MARTIN MEYERS was listed on the November 1783 muster as a POW. It is my guess that he was a replacement recruit who arrived in New York City in the latter part of the War.”
“The Jaeger Corps was the most active of all the fighting units among the 30,000 plus German Troops brought to North America by the British. Of key importance pointing to MARTIN MEYERS as one of our ancestors is that in late May 1783, after the official end of the War, the Jaeger Corps was moved from Huntington, Long Island to McGowans Pass, about half way up Manhattan and to Kings Ridge at the upper end of Manhattan. These were the two so called ‘outer defenses’ maintained by the British to protect their units and supplies in lower Manhattan prior to embarking their troops back home to Europe. The Jaegers remained there until November 21, 1783, when they left for Manhattan in order to get on board ship bound for home, and turned over those defenses to the Americans.”
“From the relatively few remaining records, it is obvious that the Jaeger Corps tried to clean up their muster rolls prior to departing for home. MARTIN MEYERS was listed as a POW. Based on the thousands of entries in Hetrina, I am convinced that if the Jaeger Company Clerk had reason to believe that MARTIN MEYERS had deserted, he would have been so listed. All one needs to do is to look at the list of deserters included in the musters of the Jaeger Corps for the last six months in America. (During this period, the Hessians as “Deserters” reclassified many Hessian soldiers taken prisoner earlier, and those who could not be accounted for by the American Commissioner of Prisoners.) Rather, MARTIN MEYERS was listed as a POW, which meant he was taken prisoner in some enemy action. At this point what I do not know is: ‘When was he taken prisoner—was it in the first half of November 1783 from either Kings Bridge or McGowans Pass, or had he been taken prisoner earlier and just not reported until the final muster?’ Usually the recorded musters were taken every six months but there were monthly ‘action reports’.”
If MARTIN MEYERS was taken in the period of June 30, 1783, there is another possibility. His unit was stationed on Long Island, most likely in the general vicinity of Huntington. There were numerous instances of the American ‘Commandos’ sailing over from the south shore of Connecticut and making small raids on the British and Loyalists along the north shore of Long Island. The Jaeger Corps were usually the troops on patrol, who were sent out to repulse those nuisance attacks, (up until May 1783 when they were moved to Manhattan per above). It is known that the Americans frequently captured and took a few prisoners back with them to Connecticut. Thus it is entirely possible that MARTIN MEYERS could have been taken of one of these harassment raids and was not previously reported on the surviving Hessian record…”
“…Why did I eliminate the other possible candidates? The Martin Meyer from Hineco, Switzerland who served in the von Stein Garrison Regiment returned home after the War with his unit. He is out of consideration. The Martin Meyer/Mayer who served in the Hessen Hanau Freikorps may never have come to North America. If he did, he may have been sent to Canada as a reserve unit. There is no indication that he did desert. At the same time there is no positive indication that if he did come to America, that he returned home after the War…”
April 26, 1995—The Martin “Myres” listed above found in the 1790 census for Minisink, Orange County, New York has been discounted as our ancestor. Research in Orange County shows this Martin (born in Minisink) with a son John Miers who was an American soldier during the Revolution. This family moved to Wyoming County about 1820, which adds to the confusion when searching for our family who also lived in the county. This leaves the MARTIN MEYERS in Litchfield County, Connecticut. To date no research has turned up and useful information.
NOTES ON TOWNSHIPS: Susquehanna County, PA
Rush was the fifth township erected, organized in 1801. Bridgewater was the seventh township erected, organized in 1806. Middletown was the fourteenth township erected, organized in 1814. Springville was the fifteenth township erected, organized in 1814. Dimock was the nineteenth township erected, organized in 1832 (Dimock was principally included in Springville from 1814 to December 1832).
MARTIN MEYERS was a Hessian soldier during the Revolution War. He left the service before the close of the War. A young woman to avoid being taken back to Germany hid him and she later became his wife. In 1799, MARTIN MEYERS came to Dimock, Pennsylvania. He was one of the first settlers of Dimock.
MARTIN MEYERS appears in the 1800 census for Wyaulsing Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (page 201). He and his wife are shown as age “45 and over” with two males age “10-16” and one female “under 10”. MARTIN MEYERS lived near Daniel Ross, Joseph Chapman, Sr. and Jr., Jonathan West, and Charles and George Morey.
MARTIN MEYERS appears in the 1810 census for Bridgewater Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (page 750). He and his wife are shown as age “45 and over” and one male “under 10”.
Susquehanna County separated from Luzerne County in 1810. The two prior townships are part of Susquehanna County. MARTIN MEYERS could not be located in the 1820 census. The entire Susquehanna County census was searched. According to the tax records at the Courthouse, MARTIN MEYERS and his son Alvin appear in Bridgewater Township (marked as Springville-Dimock and later separated from Springville) in 1813 through 1819 and 1822. Where MARTIN MEYERS was in 1820 is a mystery, but the census taker could have missed him. He probably died after 1822 because he disappears from the tax records at that time. In the Susquehanna County History, his daughter, Clarinda Myers Button, states that he is buried half a mile east of Dimock Corners. According to local history, that cemetery was located on private land and the owner wanted the graves removed. Several graves were moved to the present Dimock Cemetery, but MARTIN MYERS is not listed among the graves. He could be there, but without a marker.
From: “THE HISTORY OF SUQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA”-Page 370
“MARTIN MEYERS was a Hessian soldier in the British army during the Revolution. He came to Pennsylvania from one of the New England States, having left the service before the close of the war, and settled down as a peaceable citizen of the country against which he had been sent to fight. By the contract between the Government of Great Britain and the Prince of Hesse-Cassel, a sum of money was to be paid to the latter for all the Hessians not returned, and they were, at the end of the war, carefully sought for to be taken back. Myers, not wishing to return, sought concealment, and was aided by a young woman with whom he had become acquainted. He was not found, and after the troops had left the country, this woman became his wife. In the fall of 1799 he is said to have carried the following load upon his back from Black’s mill, on the Wyalusing side, up to the forks of the creek, a distance of ten mils, the flour of one bushel of wheat, one bushel of rye, fourteen shad and a gun. At the Forks he added to his load one gallon and a pint of whiskey, a large bake-kettle weighing twenty-five pounds, and a common sized cross-cut saw, all of which he carried without assistance thirteen mile farther to his own residence. These thirteen miles were entirely in the woods, and only a line of marked trees guided Martin. This Samson-like feat was performed by no “Samson in size’.”
From “HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY” page 118, a letter written to J. W. Chapman, Esq.
“We went to Hopbottom by way of a town then called ‘Nine Partners’. When we reached our destination, I was heartsick with the place; but I became more reconcile when I became acquainted with your father and uncles Edward and Isaac, and your aunts Lydia and Polly. Your grandfather had bought a new place about eight miles from there (in Chebur), and wished me to go with him to visit it. He had already built a house on it, and a family named MYERS had moved into it till they could build.”
This book also has Martin Myers listed in the Town of Chebur on May 22, 1801.
ce.weed@gmail.com
