Crawford County, Pennsylvania


Military Affairs
MEADVILLE MILITIA 1793–1795
© Thomas L. Yoset

    Volume 5 of the Sixth Series of the Pennsylvania Archives (Harrisburg, Pa., 1907) is devoted to “Muster and Pay Rolls, Pennsylvania Militia, 1790-1800.”  The section covering Allegheny County Militia includes four pay rolls for a company of militia at Cussewago, the original name for what is now Meadville.  These militia rolls provide a partial list of residents prior to the formation of the county and in between the 1790 U.S. Census and the 1798 tax list (published at CCG 5[1982]:100).

    Revolutionary War veteran Cornelius VanHorn (1750-1847) led the company as a Sergeant, then Ensign, and finally Captain.  His command dates from 1793 when “in October Brig. Gen. John Wilkins, Jr. wrote Van Horne to raise a Sergeant’s command of fifteen men for guard duty, which he did, and continued in service until the close of the year.”1  The first two pay rolls correspond to the 1793 enlistments.

    The first roll is captioned at pages 64-65 of the PA Archives as “a return of names and conditions of the men at present who voluntarily signed my inlisement [sic] the 29th day of Oct‘r last at and for the defence of inhabitants of Coswago against the enemy thereof (to wit the Indians) and have continued in readiness to this date Nov’r. 29th 1793. & me Corn’s Van Horn. Sergeant.“  Gen. Wilkins certified at Pittsburgh 2 December 1793 “that the above Sergeant & 12 Men, as Volunteers, from the Allegheny County Militia, were directed by me to protect the infant Settlement at Cassawago, after the failure of the negotiations for peace by the United States with the Hostile Indians, or otherwise the Settlement would have been deserted.”  Id. 6:5:65.
Thomas Ray
James Dickson
Rob’t Randolph
Rorah Frazer
John Welch
Rob’t Finnay
John Wintworth
John Beal
John Clemons
Dan’l McCormac
Luke Hill
David Mead

    Seven of those volunteers were among the dozen men who served under Sgt. Van Horn from 29 November 1793 until discharged 19 December 1793.  This second roll is from page 66 of the PA Archives, captioned “A return of the names of the militia men inrolled in my inlistment since the twenty-ninth of November last to the nineteenth day of December (both days included) 1793 at time discharged”:
Thomas Ray
Robt. Fitz Randolph
James Dickson
Rorah Frazer
Luke Hill
James Cambal
Daniel McCormack
David Mead
Tunis Elson
Aron Right
John Beal
Henry Lickers

    “In the summer of 1794, Gen. Gibson sent [Van Horn] an Ensign’s commission with instructions to enlist forty or fifty men for frontier duty.”2  Fifty-one soldiers were compensated in the third pay roll for service during the latter half of 1794.  This roll has been consolidated here from three lists published at pages 78-80, 84-86, and 92-94 of the Archives, with the names of the privates rearranged alphabetically.  Pages 84-86 indicate that pay was calculated at the rate of $6 per month for privates, $7 for the corporal, $8 for the sergeant, and $15 for Ens. VanHorn.
Name/(variations) Signature on Receipt Period of Service Pay Receipt Date
ENSIGN
Cornelius V’n Horn/VanhornCornl. Vanhorn4 Aug.31 Dec.$73.4513 Oct. 1795
SERGEANT
James F. Randol/RandolphJames F. Randolph4 Aug.31 Dec.39.1812 Jan. 1796
CORPORAL
John BrooksJohn Brooks4 Aug.30 Nov.27.2713 Oct.
PRIVATE
John AnsonJohn Anson21 Dec.31 Dec.2.0029 Sept. 1795
Christopher BairChrist’r Bare24 Oct.30 Nov.7.367 April 1796
Frederick/Fredrick Baumfredric Baum24 Oct.31 Dec.13.362 June 1795
John BaumJohn Baum13 Oct.31 Dec.15.7229 Sept. 1796
John BealJohn Beals4 Aug.30 Sept.11.363 Oct. 1795
Thomas BlackTho. Black4 Aug.31 Dec.29.36[no date]
Thomas Black, Senr.Thomas Black, senr.9 Dec.31 Dec.4.3630 Dec.
William BlackWilliam Black4 Aug.31 Dec.29.3614 Sept. 1795
Thomas Cambal/CampbellWm. Power, Atty.24 Oct.30 Nov.7.3614
William Clemons/Clemmensloose receipt24 Nov.31 Dec.7.36[no date]
Matthias Colsher/Colshic/ColeshierMatt. Colsher4 Aug.31 Dec.29.36[no date]
William DickWilliam Dick4 Aug.20 Sept.9.363 Oct. 1795
James DicksonJames Dickson4 Aug.31 Dec.29.3618 April 1796
Joseph Dickson/DixksonJoseph Dickson21 Dec.31 Dec.2.0011 Nov. 1795
Abner EvansAbner Evens4 Aug.30 Sept.11.3623 Nov.
Robert FinneyRoert [sic] Finney4 Aug.31 Dec.29.3617 Aug. 1795
Edward Fitzrandol/FitzrandolphEdward F. Randolph13 Oct.31 Dec.16.7212 Jan. 1796
Robert Fitzrandol/FitzrandolphRobert F. Randolph4 Aug.31 Dec.29.3612 Jan. 1796
Robert Fitzrandol/Fitzrandolph/Jr.Robert F. Randolph4 Aug.31 Dec.29.3612 Jan. 1796
Taylor Fitzrandol/FitzrandolphTaylor F. Randolph4 Aug.31 Dec.29.3612 Jan. 1796
Roarah/Rearah/Rrorah FraiserRoderick Fraser4 Aug.31 Dec.29.3623 Nov. 1795
John Fredinbach/-inbock/-ingbaughJohn Fredbathe24 Oct.30 Nov.7.362 May 1796
Solomon Ginningssolomon Jennings24 Oct.31 Dec.13.3629 Sept. 1795
Joseph Griffin/GriffenJoseph Griffin4 Aug.31 Dec.29.3614 Sept. 1795
Elisha Harris9 Dec.31 Dec.4.36[no date]
Luke HillLuke Hill13 Oct.30 Nov.9.7214 Sept. 1795
Robert JohnstonRobert Johnston1 Dec.31 Dec.6.0029 Sept. 1795
William JohnstonWilliam Johnston1 Dec.31 Dec.6.0029 Sept. 1795
William JonesWilliam Jones4 Aug.31 Dec.29.3616 Nov. 1795
Matthew Laughlin/LaughlenMathew Laughlen24 Oct.30 Nov.7.3629 Sept. 1795
Nicholas Lord/LloydNicholas Loyd4 Aug.31 Dec.29.3616 Nov. 1795
David Mead/MeedDavid Mead4 Aug.31 Dec.29.36[no date]
John Mead/MeedJohn Mead4 Aug.31 Dec.29.363 Oct.
William Mead/MeedWilliam Mead4 Aug.31 Dec.29.36[no date]
William Mead/Meedmark of William Mead4 Aug.31 Dec.29.3618 Sept. 1796
Joseph Parsonsloose receipt9 Dec.31 Dec.4.36[no date]
Thomas RayThomas Ray4 Aug.31 Dec.29.3623 Nov.
Hen(e)ry Ricard/Richard/RuardHenry Reichard4 Aug.31 Dec.29.36[no date]
Daniel Ringal/Rinegal/Ringalldanial Ringal24 Oct.30 Nov.7.3616 Nov. 1799
Hen(e)ry Ringal/Ringallhenrig Ringal24 Oct.30 Nov.7.3616 Nov. 1799
John Robison/Robinsonmark of John Robinson4 Aug.30 Nov.23.3610 June 1796
David Rolya/RoylaDavid Rolyea24 Oct.30 Nov.7.3629 Sept. 1795
John ShoopJohn Shoop24 Oct.30 Nov.7.3629 Sept. 1795
Matthew Wilson/WillsonMatthew Wilson4 Aug.31 Dec.29.3614 Sept. 1795
Nathaniel Wilson/WillsonNathl. Wilson4 Aug.31 Dec.29.3614 Sept. 1795
John Wilson/Willson, Jur.Sml. McCord, Atty.24 Nov.31 Dec.7.36[no date]
John Wilson/Willson, Senr.John Wilson24 Nov.31 Dec.7.3613 Oct.
Robert Wilson/WillsonRobert Wilson4 Aug.31 Dec.29.3614 Sept. 1795
Aron/Aaron WrightAron Wright4 Aug.30 Sept.11.3623 Nov.
Acknowledged by Cornelius Vanhorn (signed Corns. Van Horn) before Jno. Wilkins

    The fourth pay roll, at PA Archives 6:5:95-96, consists of a single schedule with information on sixty men arranged under the following headings:  name; rank; when received; amount of pay; and witnesses.  The name of the witness—John Ferrea (as to Vanhorn and Clemmens), Fredk. Haymaker, or Saml. Lord (as to Haymaker, only)—has been deleted below.  The roll is mislabeled as receipts “for the pay due me in the state militia … Cornelius Vanhorn, Ensign, Year 1795,” whereas Van Horn is shown to have obtained the rank of captain.  Privates John Beal, Nicholas Lord, Edward FitzRandolph, Robert Johnston, and William Johnston had also been promoted.  The period of service in 1795 is not disclosed.  The 1885 county history, at page 176, recounts that “in 1795, Gen. Gibson forwarded to [Van Horn] a Captain’s commission with orders to raise a company which was to assist in protecting the surveyors and workmen then engaged in laying out and building a road from Waterford to Erie.  This company was on duty in that capacity from June until the close of the year.”  Treaties at Greenville, Ohio, 3 August 1795, and at Canandaigua, New York, 9 November 1795, brought peace with the Indians in Pennsylvania, ending the need for a company of militia stationed in the county.3
<page 95>
CAPTAIN
Cornelius Vanhorn$85.7511 Dec. 1795
ENSIGN
John Baum51.456 May 1795[6?]
SERGEANT
Robert Muzzy16.0023 May 1796
Nicholas Lord11.428 May 1796
James Randolph27.426 May 1796
Edward Randolph16.006 May 1796
John Beal11.427 May 1796
CORPORAL
John Brooks24.032 May 1796
Robert Johnston24.0330 June 1796
William Johnston24.0321 April 1796
PRIVATE
Robert Finney20.5423 May 1796
William Jones20.5428 May 1796
Fredrick Baum, Senr.20.546 May 1796
Daniel Miller8.5419 July 1796
Joseph Griffen20.5427 April 1796
John Willson, Senr.20.5427 April 1796
John Willson, Jur.20.5427 April 1796
Nathaniel Willson20.5427 April 1796
<page 96>
Robert Willson20.54[no date]4
Matthew Willson20.54[no date]4
Andrew Smith20.548 May 1796
William Clemmens20.5411 Dec. 1795
Robert Randolph, Senr.20.546 May 1796
Robert Randolph, Jur.20.546 May 1796
Taylor Randolph20.546 May 1796
Thomas Vanhorn20.5423 June 1796
David Rallay20.5428 June 1796
James Dickson3.72[no date]4
Elisha Harris6.00[no date]4
William Meed20.54[no date]4
John Meed20.54[no date]4
William Dick20.545 Nov. 1796
William Gill20.5416 Sept. 1796
Matthias Colshier20.5423 June 1796
Fredrick Baum, Jur.20.546 May 1796
<page 97>
Henery Reading20.5423 May 1796
John Wintworth20.5423 May 1796
James Dickson20.5428 May 1796
Robert Dickson20.5428 May 1796
Thomas Rea20.5430 May 1796
Solomon Jennings20.5427 April 1796
Fredrick Haymaker20.5427 April
Peter McCartney18.3628 June 1796
Rod’k Frazor18.36[no date]4
Thomas Black6.0020 July 1796
Samuel Williams5.18[no date]4
Luke Hill11.1820 May 1796
John Stewart17.1812 Oct. 1796
Henery Manley13.0023 May 1796
George Letley12.0019 April 1796
John Willson6.5417 June 1796
Charles Sweney12.0028 July 1796
Elesond’r Johnston12.002 July 1796
John Johnston12.0028 May 1796
Isaac Conner6.0017 June 1796
Daniel McCormack5.1817 Jan. 1797
Robert Muzzy8.5423 May 1796
Nicholas Lord12.008 May 1796
James Randolph8.548 May 1796
John Beal10.007 May 1796


1  1885 Crawford Co. History, p. 176; see also id. p. 18.

2  Id., p. 176.

3  See 1885 Crawford Co. History, pp. 169, 190; see generally Paul A.W. Wallace, Indians in Pennsylvania (Harrisburg, 1961).

4  A debit entry in the 1797-1799 account book of Meadville merchant Frederick Haymaker (in the manuscript collection of the Crawford County Historical Society), dated at “MeadVille 18th Septr. 1797,” against the account of Gen. Wilkins for “amt paid militia men 1795,” apparently indicates that at least some of the privates with no date of payment received a credit for goods purchased at Haymaker’s, as follows:  Robert Wilson, $28.27; Mathew Wilson, $23.49; John Mead, $18.71; William Mead, $20.54; Rodorick Frazer, $15.36; Saml. Williams, $5.18.  Annette L. Lnych, under “Corrections & Additions,” Crawford County Genealogy 21(1998):162.