Individual Page

Person Info

• Name: Ebenezer BYERS
• Sex: M
• Birth: 1763 in York (now Adams) Co, Pennsylvania ^b


Parents:

• Father:
  
• Samuel BYERS Birth: 1719 in Chester Co, Pennsylvania Death: Apr 1796 in Washington Co, Pennsylvania
Mother:

• Jane WHITE Birth: 1727 in Northern Ireland or Pennsylvania Death: Nov 1801 in Washington Co, Pennsylvania

Family:
Children:

1. John BYERS Birth: Abt 1791
2. Ebenezer BYERS Birth: Abt 1793
3. Jean BYERS Birth: Abt 1795
4. Samuel BYERS Birth: Abt 1797

Bibliography

Sources for birth and parent Information

date:

[Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p2, Bell BYERS-95 p103]

abt 1762, age 75 in 1837 [Ref: Craig BYERS p23]

age 14 in 1777 [Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p1]

age abt 75 in 1837 [Ref: NARA-M804 BYERS Ebenezer],

place:

[Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p2, Craig BYERS p23]

"Adams Co, then York" [Ref: NARA-M804 BYERS Ebenezer]

Pennsylvania [Ref: Craig BYERS p69],

parents:

[Ref: Beers WashingtonCoPA p233, Bell BYERS-87 p1, Bell BYERS-87 p2, Bell BYERS-95 p103, Craig BYERS p69, Eagleson BYERS p2]

Sources with Information about marriage to unknown

date:

abt 1790 [Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p10],

child:

[Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p11, Bell BYERS-95 p103, Craig BYERS p11, Taylor BYERS p23]

Research Notes:
Place of birth stated as York County, PA, the part that in 1837 was Adams County, PA [Ref: Craig BYERS p23, NARA-M804 BYERS Ebenezer]

Came to East Finley Township in 1777, age 14 [Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p1]

In pension application, Ebenezer says he was also in the militia company of Captain James Buchanan in 1778, and was stationed at Waller's fort. [Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p2, NARA-M804 BYERS Ebenezer]

Service as stated in pension application is likely correct. Ebenezer, age 15 at the time, was too young to be on the official list but was not too young to handle a rifle in defense of the fort. [Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p2]

Served in military forces from Washington County, PA, in 1781 and 1782. His service was spent on the frontier in Western Pennsylvania, scouting and helping protect the settlers from the "ravages of the Indians." During the Revolution, most Indians sided with the British, by whom they were paid and armed. By the time Ebenezer applied for his pension, his type of military service was often difficult to prove; records having been lost and destroyed, and witnesses not available or dead. [Ref: Craig BYERS p23]

Served in militia in 1781, Captains Miller and Swearingen [Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p15, NARA-M804 BYERS Ebenezer]

Served in militia in 1782, Ensign Ruple, Sandusky campaign [Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p15, NARA-M804 BYERS Ebenezer]

Taxed in Donegal 1788: 1 horse, 1 cow [Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p15]

First appeared on the tax lists in 1788 of Donegal Township, and was in Canton Township, Washington Co, PA, in 1793-98. Went to Beaver County, PA before 1800, and to Mercer (now Lawrence) Co before 1810. [Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p1]

Taxed in Finley in 1789: 1 horse, 1 cow [Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p15]

1790 census of Washington County, page 256, shows family of 1 White male over 16, 1 white female. No males under 16, no slaves [Ref: Craig BYERS p18]

Taxed in Finley in 1791: 100 acres, 1 horse, 1 cow [Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p15]
Taxed in Finley in 1792: 1 horse, 1 cow [Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p15]
Taxed in Canton Twp in 1793: 1 cow [Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p15]
Taxed in Canton Twp in 1794: 1 horse, 1 cow [Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p15]
Taxed in Canton Twp in 1796: 1 horse, 1 cow [Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p15]
Taxed in Canton Twp in 1798: 1 cow [Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p15]

1800 Census of Sewickley Township, Beaver County, shows White Males: 3 under age 10, 1 age 26 but under 45; White Females: 1 age 10 but under 16, 1 age 45 and upwards [Ref: Craig BYERS p19]

living in Beaver County, PA in 1800 [Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p10]

of Mercer County [Ref: Beers WashingtonCoPA p233]

living in Mercer (now Lawrence) Co, in 1810 [Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p10]

Children listed in Will of James Byers (1835) [Ref: Craig BYERS p11]

Beginning in 1832, a soldier with proven service in the Revolution could receive a pension upon application. No longer was it necessary to prove service connected disability or financial destitution. Ebenezer Byers applied in 1837, and was living in Mercer County at time of application, and 75 yrs of age. [Ref: Craig BYERS p23]

Jun 26 1837: while living in Mercer County, PA, applied for a Rev War pension [Ref: NARA-M804 BYERS Ebenezer]

Denied a pension by the Federal Government, Ebenezer continued to receivve his $40 state one. The denial was based upon lack of sufficient substantiating proof of service. No one doubts the facts in Ebenezer's declaration, but he needed at least one other person to swear to his service and time on active duty. [Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p28]

----- Rev. War Pension Application of Ebenezer Byers #R1568:
State of Pennsylvania - Mercer County: On the 26 day of June A.D. 1837 personally appeared in open court Ebenezer Byers a resident of Mercer County in the State of Pennsylvania, aged about seventy five years, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed June the 7th 1832. That in the year 1777 he resided in Washington County, Pennsylvania. The Indians there committing such depredations and annoying that settlement, that the inhabitants were forced to protect themselves in forts. That this deponent was stationed in Waller's Fort on the waters of Buffalo in Washington County from the first of May until the first of November 1778, except for three weeks in harvest, of that year under the command of Capt. James Buchanan. During that time was engaged scouting the country. In the year 1781, he served as a volunteer for one month on Robinson's Run, Washington County, under the command of Captain Robert Miller. During this time the company were engaged in protecting the frontier and in the same year served another month under the command of Capt. Van Swearingen in the same neighborhood as above. In the year 1782 he served one month under the command of Ensign David Ruple. This was in the month of April and May of that year and the service performed on the waters of Wheeling Creek, Washington County. In all the above service there were no General of Field Officers. No officer in that service higher than a Captain. In the same spring, deponent volunteered in a company commanded by Capt. Charles Bilderback as a mounted volunteer and went into service under Colonel Crawford, and was in Crawford's defeat on the plains of Sandusky, which took place on the 4th, 5th, and 6th of June 1782. This tour was for two months. In the servies above referred to deponent was discharged by parole and not in writing. Hence he has no written discharge to exhibit.
He was born in Adams County, then York, in the State of Pennsylvania. The year he cannot recall. That he has no record of his age but believes from the best information that he is the age above stated. That he was living in Washington County, Pennsylvania when called into service and that he has lived ever since in Pennsylvania. That in all his service he was a volunteer and served from a sense of duty to protect the country from the ravages of the Indians. That there were no officers, nor iw there any one whose testimony he can procure now living who were in service with him. That he served in no other capacity than a private. There are many whom deponent could name who could testify as to his character for veracity and he will only name Alexander Boyd, a clergyman, and William S. Rankin. He hereby relinquishes every claim whateer to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that this name is not on the pension roll agency of any state except the State of Pennsylvania for forty dollars.
Sworn to and subscribed the day & year above written in open court 26th June 1837. /s/ E. Byers [Ref: Bell BYERS-87 p28, NARA-M804 BYERS Ebenezer]



Pedigree of Ebenezer BYERS
                   /-----Thomas BYERS
          /-----James BYERS
 /-----Samuel BYERS
Ebenezer BYERS
|         /-----Thomas WHITE
 \-----Jane WHITE
          \-----Ann (WHITE)



Descendants of Ebenezer BYERS