Rockingham County Patriot: George Carpenter (Zimmerman),

Born, ~1725, Germany,Died, 1778, Valley Forge, PA

George Carpenter (Zimmerman) was an early settler of Rockingham County, having arrived by 1749.1 He died in 1778, the year that Rockingham County was formed from Augusta County which waspreviously organized in 1745. He settled about one mile north of modern day Keezletown(Rockingham Co.), and his father-in-law, John Fotch, lived on the Shenandoah River near Elkton(Rockingham Co.) Although most of George Carpenter's adult life was spent within the bounds ofpresent-day Rockingham County, it was at that time Augusta County. Excepting his will of 1778which was entered in Rockingham, virtually all public records mentioning George Carpenter are in theAugusta County records.

The date of his immigration to America is not known, but he was originally from Germany or Switzerland. Married twice, he was the father of eleven children. Two sons were produced in his first marriage, but the mother's name is lost to history. George Carpenter's second wife was Anna Schuelti, and she bore nine children.

It appears that George Carpenter moved quickly to assimilate in America. Most legal documents refer to him with the Anglicization of Zimmerman to Carpenter. He learned to speak English and was once utilized to translate an Augusta County will from German to English. Lastly, and most notably, when George Carpenter was likely past 50 years of age, he volunteered to serve in the American army during the Revolutionary War. He gave his life for this cause, dying in the terrible winter of 1778 at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

George Carpenter's descendants are many. Several of his children remained in Virginia, but a number of them went west around 1780 and were well-known Kentucky pioneers.

Various descendants of George Carpenter have written histories of the family. They include:

Arthur B. Carpenter, 1885-1968, prepared an unpublished, untitled manuscript headed, “ARTHUR

1 George Carpenter died in 1778, the year that Rockingham County was formed from Augusta County which was previously organized in 1745. He settled about one mile north of modern day Keezletown (Rockingham Co.),and his father-in-law, John Fotch, lived on the Shenandoah River near Elkton (Rockingham Co.) Although George Carpenter's life and activities were within the bounds of present-day Rockingham County, it was at that time Augusta County. Excepting his will of 1778 which was entered in Rockingham, virtually all public records mentioning George Carpenter are in the Augusta County records.

BLEDSOE CARPENTER, Great-Great Grandson of GEORGE ZIMMERMAN, Immigrant.” The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society in Dayton, VA has a copy.

Dr. Richard P. Carpenter wrote, “MY CARPENTER BOOK: A History of My Branch of the Zimmerman/Carpenter Family,” published in 1998. A copy is at the Kentucky Historical Society.

Virginia Tyler Carpenter authored a manuscript titled, “The Carpenters of Carpenter Station Kentucky.”It is available on the internet at http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~carpenter/genealogy/manuscript.htmlThe fist edition was dated, 1976, and it was revised in 2001.

These Carpenter family histories draw heavily on the known public records relating to George Carpenter along with various family writings and oral traditions.

It is the purpose of this article to add context, clarification and additional information about George Carpenter's origins and years in colonial America.

Was George Carpenter from Switzerland or Germany?

Previous Carpenter family historians have advanced various reasons and family lore about George Carpenter's origins. Some have proposed Switzerland and others Germany. Reasonable arguments canbe made for either country being his birthplace.

The German surname Zimmerman, meaning “carpenter,” is common in both Switzerland and Germany.

The evidence for Switzerland comes from a German Bible, published in 1773, and belonging to Adam Carpenter (1760-1806). A family member wrote in it after 1852, “Adam Wilson Carpenter, who is a son of George Carpenter, who is a son of Adam Carpenter, who is a son of George Carpenter who migrated from Switzerland was Borned Febuary (sp) the 12th 1852.”2

George Carpenter was in Augusta County, VA by 1749, and this Bible entry was written at least 100 years later, after Adam Wilson Carpenter was born in 1852. This branch of George Carpenter's family,headed by son, Adam, had been in Kentucky since about 1780. It is very possible that this entry in the family Bible was made by Adam Wilson Carpenter's father, George Carpenter (1797-1877), a grandson of George Carpenter, the immigrant. If so, he should be a reasonably reliable source regarding his grandfather's country of origin.

2 The Adam Carpenter family Bible is archived at the Kentucky Historical Society.

On the other hand, that George Carpenter was German rather than Swiss is supported by an earlier reference than the Adam Carpenter family Bible. In October, 1769, William Crow brought suit against George Carpenter for slander. The Augusta County, Virginia Court record states that George Carpenter was born in Germany.3 That he was noted as being “born in Germany” rather than merely being “German” adds some weight to the assertion. Furthermore, George Carpenter understood English as well as German and was, therefore, aware of what was being stated. He could have corrected the record to state “born in Switzerland” rather than “born in Germany” had that been the case.

Based on the limited evidence available, it is difficult to ascertain, with certainty, George Carpenter's country of origin.

When did George Carpenter come to America?

Some writers have maintained that George Carpenter arrived in Philadelphia on the ship Neptune in 1746.

Every adult male landing at Philadelphia, who was not an English citizen, was required to take an Oath of Allegiance. The George Zimmerman who arrived in 1746 was not literate and made his mark “X” rather than writing his signature.4 It is known that George Zimmerman of Rockingham County was literate, and this person does not appear to have been him.

Extant records yield very few George Zimmermans or George Carpenters in Pennsylvania, Maryland orVirginia, prior to 1749.

There was an Andreas Zimmerman who immigrated in 1727 and settled in Montgomery Co., PA. He had a son, Johann Georg who was born in 1714. Johann Georg Zimmerman lived in Frederick County, MD after 1786.5 He was clearly not George Zimmerman of Rockingham who died in 1778.

The only other immigrant possibility discovered is that of a George Zimmerman who was naturalized in Philadelphia County on August 30, 1741.6 There are no further records which confirm or deny that this individual is the George Carpenter of Rockingham County.

Hence, the date of George Carpenter's arrival in America remains unknown, other than it was prior to 1749.

When was George Carpenter born?

No birth or christening record for George Zimmerman has ever been discovered in Europe. Accordingly, his approximate birth date must be deduced from known information about the dates of his children's births and the extant dates recording adult functions of marriage and land purchase.

3 Chalkley, Lyman, “Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia Extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta County, Virginia, 1745-1800” Daughters of the American Revolution, 1912, Volume 1, p. 359

4 Strassburger, Ralph B., & Hinke, William J., “Pennsylvania German Pioneers; A Publication of the Original Lists of Arrivals in the Port of Philadelphia from 1727 to 1808,” Pennsylvania German Society, 1934, Vol. 1, p. 363.

5 Yoder, Don, “Rhineland Emigrants,” Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, MD, 1985, p. 66 Linn, John B., & Egle, William H., “Persons Naturalized in the Province of Pennsylvania, 1740-1773,” Genealogical

Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD., 2007, p. 9.

In November of 1766, George Carpenter and his second wife, Ann(a) Schulti Carpenter, along with her two sisters and their husbands brought suit in Augusta County, VA against the women's step-father, John Fotch/Fudge.7 Their birth father was John Schulti, and the three women were seeking payment oftheir collective inheritance which John Fotch had possessed upon marrying their widowed mother. Thegirl's mother had died soon after marrying Fotch, and he had apparently raised them to adulthood.

The transcript of the suit leaves a helpful, yet incomplete, clue regarding George Carpenter. A witness named Jacob Miller deposed, “That being at the house of John Fotch some time in March, 1749, he heard George Carpenter ask three Gerles (sp), that were heirs to the estate of, if they were satisfied withwhat they had received.”

This record is the first known reference to the subject George Carpenter. It reveals that by 1749 he wasan adult and living in, what was then, Augusta County, VA. Therefore, his date of birth would have been no later than 1730 and probably earlier.

The birth dates for George Carpenter's first two children, who were sons by his first wife, are not known. Accordingly, this data is not available to further deduce a birth date for George Zimmerman astheir father.

There was, however, a John Carpenter who, in 1762, had a survey done for 115 acres of land on “NorthRiver above the mouth of Naked Creek.” on the modern, northern border of Augusta County.8 It cannot be proven that this John Carpenter was the son of George Carpenter. With that said, the writer has not discovered any records of other John Carpenters in Rockingham County or northern Augusta County in the 1760 to 1785 era. The mouth of Naked Creek is about 11 miles south-west of George Carpenter's farm just north of Keezletown. If, in fact, this John Carpenter is the son of George, then he had apparently reached majority by 1762. Subtracting 18 years from 1762 would put John's birth no later than 1744, and probably earlier. Accepting this John Carpenter as George's son, would place George Carpenter, Sr.'s date of birth prior to 1725.

It can be established with certainty that John Carpenter and his brother, George, Jr., had reached majority by 1774. John had a survey done for 110 acres “on a branch of Cub Run beginning at three pines, a corner of his father's land ...”9 A survey was also done for George Jr., stating, “ Survey for George Carpenter, Jun. 150 acres of land in Augusta County lying on the head branches of Cub Run.”10 Both surveys were done on May 24, 1774.

George Carpenter, Sr. was likely born no later than 1735 and possibly as early as 1720. His presence inthe Continental Army in 1778 argues for a later date. Even if born in 1735, he would have been a most senior private at age 43 in 1778.

7 Chalkley, op cit., Vol. 1, p. 495.8 Kaylor, Peter Cline, “Abstract of Land Grant Surveys, 1761-1791,” Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, 1991,

p. 7. The actual survey is in Rockingham County Survey Book O, p. 16. 9 Kaylor op cit., p. 84. The actual survey is in Rockingham County Survey Book O, p. 238.10 Kaylor op cit., p. 84. The actual survey is in Rockingham County Survey Book O, p. 238. Kaylor made a mistake in

transcribing the name on the survey. Kaylor reports it as George Carpenter, Sr. Examination of the Survey Book, itself reveals that the name is George Carpenter Jun.

When did George Carpenter come to the Shenandoah Valley and where did he live?

As noted, above, Jacob Miller deposed in 1766 that George Carpenter was at the home of John Fotch ofAugusta County in 1749, and that is the first known record of his presence in the Valley.

Shenandoah Valley historian, John W. Wayland wrote, “In 1754 George Carpenter, Sr. and George Pence settled in Cub Run between present Keezletown and the Laird farm.”11

The earliest land purchase record for George Carpenter is for 400 acres in the County of Augusta, “on the branches of Cub Run.” This purchase, in 1752, for “the sum of five shillings current money of Virginia” was made from Timothy Croutwait of Orange County.12 Moving upstream, Cub Run branches at the north end of present day Keezletown, and it's headwaters begin a couple of miles north toward Laird's Knob.

An Augusta County land survey was completed for George Carpenter the following year on April 24, 1753 for 170 acres, “lying on a head branch of Cub Run adjoining his own land.”13 The Augusta County Tithables list for the year 1777 includes George Carpenter, and he is taxed on 570 acres of land,the sum of the 1752 and 1753 plats.

Below: Satellite view of George Carpenter's 570 acres which he owned from 1753 to 1777. The northernmost plat is the 170 acres of 1753, and the southern plat is the 400 acres of 1752. The land lies on both sides of the Indian Trail Road (Rt. 717), beginning ½ mile north of Keezletown.14 The Indian Trail Road, long used by the Indians, was the main north-south by-way through this part of the Shenandoah Valley at that time.

11 Wayland, John W., “Virginia Valley Records,” Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, 1985, p. 318.12 Augusta County Deed Book 4, p. 512-515.13 Augusta County Surveyors Record Book 1, 1744-1761, p. 6014 Satellite view from Plat_Plotter program by Jason Rushton.

Below: Photographs of George Carpenter farm of 1752 taken from the Indian Trail Road. Top view is to the north and bottom is to the southwest.

Who were the wives and children of George Carpenter, Sr.?

Conrad Carpenter, who died on September 6, 1829, was a son of George Sr., and he left a will detailing the names of his siblings.15 Key parts of the will are excerpted, below, with bold type added to easily identify family members.

“I Conrad Carpenter of Lincoln County & State of Kentucky do hereby make my last will and testament....

Second it is my further will I desire that all my laded estate shall be sold by my executor herein after named & all the money arising therefrom to be equally divided among my the brothers & sisters & bothreal & personal....

I desire may be equally divided making my half Brothers or their “legate” equally in full with any one of my full Brothers or sisters. Also my half brother George Carpenter, dec., heirs one equal part in full with any one of my full Brothers or sisters, also my half brother John Carpenter dec heirs one equal part in full with my full brothers sisters, also the heirs of my Brother Adam Carpenter dec one equal part in full, also my brother Henry Carpenter an equal part in full also my brother William Carpenter on equal part in full, also my sister Anne Carpenter now Anne Miltenbarger one equal part in full, also my sister Barbary Carpenter now Barbary Pence on equal part in in full, also my sister Elizabeth Carpenter now Kiblinger one equal part in full, also my sister Margaret Carpenternow Margaret Pence one equal share in full, also my sister Sollima Carpenter now Sollima Kiblinger one equal part in full which I give to them their heirs Executors Administrators Assigns forever.

The will confirms that George Carpenter had two sons with his first wife and then four more sons and five daughters with his second wife.

George Carpenter's second wife was Ann(a) Schulti/Schulteli, and they were married by 1761 because their son, Conrad, was listed as a “tithable” in Augusta County in 1777, meaning that he was at least 16years of age.16 Therefore, Conrad was born by 1759. Furthermore, their son, Adam's, date of birth was recorded in his family Bible as April 20, 1760.17

The story of Anna Schulti's passage to America, along with that of her two sisters, is sad but intriguing. Augusta County records record it thus:18

“Carpenter vs. Fonts (Fotch).—Chancery. Writ dated 24th November, 1763. Complainants are George Carpenter and Ann, his wife; Stephen Hantsberger and Ursilla, his wife; Matthew Hearce and Francis, his wife, daughters and co-heirs of John Shitley, deceased; that John Shitley was an inhabitant of the German Empire, where he died, having a small personal estate, leaving behind him your oratrices, then very young, and , his wife, mother of oratrices, and one of the defendants, who by the laws and customs of the empire, possessed herself of the small fortune of her husband. Shortly after the father's death, the widow, thinking to benefit herself and children, transported herself to America, bringing with her your oratrices and what remained of John Shitley's estate, amounting to near £100, Virginia currency, and some time after her arrival married John Fotch, the other defendant, who took

15 Kentucky County Historical Society, Lincoln County, Will Book M, 1828-1837 (Film # 76-69-15), p. 21-2216 Augusta County Tithables, 1777, Library of Virginia, microfilm.17 Kentucky Historical Society, repository of the Bible of Adam Carpenter.18 Chalkley, op cit., Volume 1, p. 495, 496

possession of all the effects. That as your oratrices grew up, they intermarried (as above) and their husbands frequently applied to the said John Fotsch and wife for the parts due their wives, butobtained only £20 Pennsylvania Currency, £7 Virginia Currency, and 2 horses, worth £14, for which they gave receipt to Fotsch, expecting to receive the remainder in a short time, but now so it is, he refuses to pay them anything more.

“John Fotch's answer: He married the widow of John Shitley in Germany and not in America, and that on her passage to America she died at Plymouth. He never possessed himself of any part of Shitley's estate, for he died insolvent, except a few trifling bed clothes made use of by his children on shipboard,but he says the grandfather of oratrices, Malchia Shitley, left them goods and chattels which this defendant, marrying their mother, possessed himself of, and before he came to America sold for as much money as came to £67 Virginia Currency, of which defendant expended £8 for oratrices for provisions and carriage from Switzerland to Holland, where they took shipping, almost 300 miles. He also paid for their passage to America the sum of 16 pistoles, and provisions growing short on shipboard, he was obliged to expend 30 shillings. Having landed in Maryland and intending to settle at Tulpahocken in Pennsylvania, he spent £3,15 for provisions and carriage to that place. That he left Germany in 1744, and about 2 or 3 years after he came to this country he advanced to oratrices £25 in Virginia Currency, and two mares of the price of £14, 10. That lately, on 31st March, 1762, he and complainants came to a final settlement and defendant agreed to settle with them £42.

“Augustine Price deposes before Felix Gilbert: That in March, 1762, in company with George Carpenter, John Fotch and others, Carpenter and Fotch agreed to leave their dispute to Jacob Pershinger, Jacob Nicholas and Daniel Price, but they could not agree, when they came to an agreementthemselves, the only question remaining whether Virginia or Pennsylvania Currency.

“Jacob Miller deposes: That being at the house of John Fotch some time in March, 1749, he heard George Carpenter ask three Gerles, that were heirs to the estate of , if they were satisfied with what they had received.

“Jacob Pershinger deposes like Augustine Price.

“Barbary Miller deposes, that being in company with Usley Shutling in 1750. Usley said she had received a mare and some clothes, and was well satisfied.”

The three Schulti girls lost their father, John Schulti, when they were very young. Evidently, he possessed little estate, being a young man, but his father, Malchia Schulti, later left a legacy to his threegranddaughters.

It is interesting to note the opposing recollections of the three Schulti girls relative to that of their step-father, John Fotch. If we accept his account, it appears that after marrying the widow Schulti in Germany, he set out for America with her and her three daughters. She died en route at Plymouth, England. Fotch, apparently, returned to Switzerland, knowing that the three Schulti girls were heiressesto part of their Grandfather Schulti's estate. After claiming the legacy, Fotch again set out for America in 1744 with his three step-daughters. It is not known if Fotch had re-married in the mean-time. The family landed in Maryland, and Fotch made his way to Pennsylvania where he had hoped to debark, initially.

It can be inferred from the 1749 testimony that Fotch's step-daughters were still living with him and notyet adults, their being referred to as “gerles.” That Fotch had accepted responsibility for the three

young girls and raised them, even though their mother had died shortly after marrying Fotch, is a credit to him. Their Grandfather Schulti's legacy may have been some incentive, but getting them to Americamust have been no small matter for a widower. And, if he had remarried, the addition of a step-mother with no blood relationship to the girls, enhanced the possibility of complications.

It appears that John Fotch kept records of his expenditures in overseeing the Schulti girls' transport to America. He evidently had advanced funds to the three girls when they approached adulthood and/or married. Why the suit was brought is unclear. Perhaps the girls' husbands prodded them to seek additional funds to which they thought they may have been entitled.

The running skirmish among Fotch, his three step-daughters and their spouses, including George Carpenter apparently lasted from 1749 to 1762. According to Augusta County records, “Augustine Price deposes before Felix Gilbert: That in March, 1762, in company with George Carpenter, John Fotch and others, Carpenter and Fotch agree to leave their dispute with Jacob Pershinger, Jacob Nicholas and Daniel Price, but they could not agree, when they came to an agreement themselves, the only question remaining whether Virginia or Pennsylvania currency.”19

John Fotch was in the Shenandoah Valley by 1745 or '46. He sued John and Daniel Maggit in 1749 claiming that he had purchased 300 acres from them in 1745 or '46 on the “South side of the Shendando.”20 Fotch was successful in his suit, and the deed was delivered by the Maggits to George Carpenter in June, 1754 who was, at the least, a trusted acquaintance or a step-son-in-law by this time.21

John Futch/Fotch died in Rockingham County in 1784.22

Anna Schulti Carpenter had a tumultuous childhood. She lost each parent at separate times in her earlyyears. After one aborted attempt to cross the Atlantic, she eventually made it with her step-father and two sisters. Landing in Maryland, they made their way to Pennsylvania, but one year later were on theVirginia frontier. There, around 1758, she married George Carpenter, a widower, who may have been as much as twenty years her senior. She bore nine children with him, most of whom went on to establish large families in Virginia and Kentucky. After George Carpenter died in 1778, Anna Schulti Carpenter remarried in 1783 to Ludwick Stephen.23

Where else does George Carpenter appear in Augusta County records?

George Carpenter appears in the Augusta County Records24 several other times throughout the 1750's, 60's and 70's.

On November 3, 1750, he was designated an executor of Mathew Shaup's will in Augusta County.25

George Carpenter was appointed to appraise the estate of Valentine Pence, along with Archibald Hustonand Jacob Nicholas in September, 1761.26

19 Augusta County, Virginia Chancery Writ dated November 24, 1763 as cited in Chalkley, op cit., Volume 1, p. 49520 Chalkley, op cit., Volume 1, p. 30421 Augusta County Deed Book 3, p. 90 as cited in Chalkley, op cit., Volume 3, p. 291. 22 Rockingham County Will Book 123 Vogt, John & Kethley, Jr., T. William, “Rockingham County Marriages, 1778-1850,” Iberian Publishing Company,

Athens, GA, 1984, p. 265. “Carpenter, Ann & Ludwick Stephen, 1 Feb., 1783; widow of George.”24 The area around Keezletown, VA where George Carpenter lived was part of Augusta County, VA until 1778 when

Rockingham County was formed.25 Chalkley, op cit., Volume III, p. 1826 Augusta County Will Book 3, p. 83 as cited in Chalkley, op cit., Vol. III, p. 66

“Barbara Zimmerman, a daughter of George and Anna,” was baptized at the Peaked Mountain Church in McGayheysville on August 29, 1762. Importantly, George was noted as an Elder in the Reformed Church.27

Thomas Lewis completed a survey of 135 acres on Dry Run and Naked Creek in the far northeastern corner of Augusta County for George Carpenter in 1766.28 Apparently, Carpenter disposed of the property before 1777 because it is not included in his holdings in the Augusta County Tithables list for that year. The property was about sixteen miles from his home and on the other side of the Massanutten Peak. The survey notes that the tract bordered Nicholas Null who is known to have lived in that area of the county. There are no surviving records or indications that George Carpenter may have purchased this farm for one of his children.

In 1763, a Captain Crow of Staunton, Virginia undertook to drive a herd of some 131 cattle from there to Pennsylvania. The route took them down the present-day Keezletown Pike, which was the Valley's main north-south thorofare. At that time most livestock were allowed to roam free, there being little fencing to contain them. Crow and his drover, Simon Robinson, claimed to be vigilant in keeping unpenned cows along the way from joining his herd. Regardless, George Carpenter and others believed that Crow's herd gained members from their stock.

Carpenter brought suit against Crow for two head of cattle in August, 1767. After completing the drive,Crow visited George Carpenter regarding his claim of lost cattle. Carpenter asserted his loss of two animals, and Crow said that he would pay Carpenter if he could prove the loss. When the time came toprove the claim, George Carpenter did not appear. In October, 1763, James Bruster, who also complained of having lost cattle, went along with George Carpenter to Capt. Crow's home at Staunton, apparently to seek reimbursement.29 It was a journey of 25 miles each way. Evidently, the men felt strongly about their case.

Two years later, in October, 1769, Crow counter-sued George Carpenter for slander. The court record is particularly useful because it states that, “George was born in Germany.”30 The reason for a delay of four years between the alleged incident and the suits is not known, nor is the ultimate resolution of either suit recorded.

At least three of George and Anna Schulti Carpenter's children were born in the 1770's. “Salome Zimmerman” was born 08/22/1771, “William Zimmerman” on 05/28/1775 and “Henry Zimmerman” on May 12, 1778. The latter, Henry, was born after his father's death at Valley Forge. All three were baptized at the Peaked Mountain Church in McGaheysville on 07/13/1783. The entry for each child in the church's records stated that he/she was the child of “George Zimmerman, Sr. and Anna.”31

27 Wright, F. Edward, “Early Church Records of Rockingham County Virginia,” Family Line Publications, Westminster, MD, 1998, p. 14. The Reformed Church originated in Switzerland under the leadership of Huldrych Zwingli, a contemporary of Martin Luther. The sect spread from Switzerland to southern Germany, and many of its members emigrated to Pennsylvania in the eighteenth century.

28 Library of Virginia, microfilm, “Augusta County Surveyors Record Book #2, 1761-1774,” p. 4429 Chalkley, op cit., p. 45930 Chalkley, op cit., p. 35931 Wright, op cit., p. 19. It is interesting to note that in German circles, the name was still spelled Zimmerman rather than

being Anglicized to Carpenter.

On March 17, 1776, a will for Jacob Conrad was proven in the Augusta County Court. The record states that the will was translated by George Carpenter.32 Evidently his mastery of the English languagewas sufficient for official purposes such as this one.

What is George Carpenter's record in the American Revolution?

Apparently, the fervor for American independence smoldered in the Carpenter family. Although most Continental infantrymen were in their late teens and twenties, George Carpenter enlisted in 1777 and was well over forty years of age when doing so. In addition, his two older sons fought for independence.

Official Records for George Carpenter show that he, “served in the Revolutionary War as a private in Captain Thomas Hamilton's Company, 1st Virginia Regiment, commanded by Col. George Gibson. His name is first borne on a company pay roll covering the period from September 14 to October 1, 1777, and it is also borne on the pay rolls for October and November, 1777. On an account dated March 1778, he was reported as 'dead', and it is shown that on April 24, 1784, one James Barbour received the sum £ 20, 7s, 2d, as balance of full pay for the services of the soldier in question.”33 George Carpenter had enlisted for a three year term.

The Battle of Germantown (Pennsylvania) was fought on October 4, 1777, and George Carpenter's 1st VA was present. He likely participated having enlisted several weeks earlier on September 14th.

The Valley Forge Legacy MusterRoll Project further indicates thatGeorge Carpenter of the 1st

Virginia was present Dec., '77,Jan., '78, Feb., '78 and that hedied in March,, 1778.34 Theregiment had entered ValleyForge with 237 men assigned butonly 94 fit for duty.35

Right: Map of the Valley Forgeencampment showing where the1st Virginia Regiment waslocated.

32 Augusta County Will Book 5, page 479 as cited in Chalkley, op cit., Vol. III, p. 14633 War Department, Adjutant General's Office, Washington, May 16, 1912, letter to Mr. G. C. Jones, Atlanta, GA.

Document No. 190002534 “Valley Forge Legacy – The Muster Roll Project. http://valleyforgemusterroll.org/muster.asp?id=VA2927935 Internet - “Valley Forge Legacy – The Muster Roll Project” http://valleyforgemusterroll.org/regiments/val.asp

George's son, John Carpenter, served three years as Sgt. of the Virginia State Line and fought in the Battles of Brandywine and Yorktown. He moved to Kentucky and was the progenitor of a large clan ofCarpenters in that state.

George Carpenter, Jr. remained in Virginia after the Revolutionary War. In March, 1782, George Jr. was awarded by the Commonwealth of Virginia £ 5 5s for “one gun, shot poutch and powder horn lost in the year '81 in the Battle at Jamestown Ford.”36 This battle also known as the Battle of Green Springs was fought just a few miles west of Williamsburg, VA on July 6, 1781. “British General Cornwallis failed to destroy a force of Continentals led by Lafayette. He then abandoned Williamsburg and prepared to cross the James River. An advance guard consisting of 900 men led by General “Mad” Anthony Wayne attempted to engage a vastly superior British force of approximately 7,000 soldiers.

Upon realizing the size of the British force, the Americans retreated in good order. American loses were28 killed, 99 wounded, and 12 missing. British losses totaled 75 killed and wounded.”37

“George Zimmerman's” will was proved in Rockingham County, VA in 1779. His wife “Ann Zimmerman”, son “George Zimmerman” and son, “Adam Zimmerman” were named executors of the estate on July 26, 1779. They posted a bond of 10,000 pounds, indicating that he left a sizable estate.38

In summary, George Carpenter was, no doubt, a brave and resourceful man. Not only did he hazard thedangerous trans-Atlantic voyage from Europe to America, he chose to settle on the western frontier in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia whose first white settlers arrived only twenty-five years before he did.

Shortly after his settlement near modern day Keezletown, the French and Indian War (1754-1763) broke out. There is no record of his having fought in the war, but deadly Indian raids terrorized the Valley for almost a decade.

After losing his first wife, George Carpenter remarried and eventually raised eleven children. His 570 acres of land along the Valley's primary thorofare were among the largest holdings in northern Augusta County.

George Carpenter may have had something of a contentious disposition given his several civil suits in the Augusta County. Perhaps it was this willingness to enter a fray that prompted him to join the Continental Army at an advanced age.

The desperate trials of the American soldier at Valley Forge are the lore of the Revolution. Of the 11,000 Continentals who encamped there in December, 1777, 2,000 died by the spring. Influenza, typhoid and dysentery took two-thirds of them, exposure and starvation the rest. That George Carpenter voluntarily endured this ordeal is a testament to his devotion. He was a great Valley patriot. So, too, was his pregnant widow, left to lead and care for her large family after his death.

36 Carpenter, Virginia Tyler, “The Carpenters of Carpenter Station Kentucky,” self-published, 2000, page 3. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~carpenter/manuscript.html

37 National Park Service, “Revolutionary War, Day-By_Day”, http://www.nps.gov/revwar/revolution_day_by_day/1781_main.html

38 Library of Virginia, microfilm, Rockingham County Minute Book, 1778-1786, p. 42 July 26, 1779 as cited in Priode, Marguerite, “Abstracts of Executor, Administrator, and Guardian Bonds of Rockingham County Virginia 1778-1864,” Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society, Harrisonburg, VA, 1978, p. 1.

Family of George Carpenter, Sr.39

George Carpenter, Sr., b. bef. 1735, Germany, – d. March, 1778, Valley Forge, PA. Parents unknown.

Married first, unknown, b. ? - d. bef. 1760.Children:1 George Carpenter, Jr., b. abt. 1750, - d. bef. 1818. He married Elizabeth Boyer, b. ? - d. 1818, Rockingham County, VA.

a. John Capenter m. Sally Warnerb. Jacob Carpenter m. Leah Fryec. Pollie Carpenter d. Elizabeth Carpenter m. Sylvester Fuller

2 John Carpenter, b. bef. 1750, - d. 1785 in Kentucky. He married Elizabeth Spears.a. Mary (Polly) Carpenter m. James Pattonb. Margaret (Betsy) Carpenter m. Lindsey Powellc. George Carpenter m. Jane Logan

Married second, bef. 1759, Ann(a) Schulteli/Schulti, b. abt. 1740 – d. aft. 1783. She remarried to Ludwick Stephen in Rockingham County on February 1, 1783. Children:3 Adam Carpenter, b. 04/20/1760 – d. 01/11/1806 in KY. He married Catherine Spears Frye, widow.

a. William Carpenter m. Mary Warrenb. Christina Carpenter m. 1., Nathaniel Shraggins (sp?), 2., Daniel Funkc. Sarah (Sally) Carpenter m. Ephraim Cunninghamd. Mary Carpentere. Margaret Carpenter m. Shadrach Blount Anderson Carterf. George Carpenter m. Rachel Wilson Jonesg. Henry Carpenter m. Amanda Powellh. Conrad Carpenter (twin to Henry, above,) m. Catherine Emaline SharpI. Catherine Carpenter m. William Dinwiddiej. Adam Carpenter, m. Mary Ann (Polly) Jones

4 Conrad Carpenter b. ? - d. 09/06/1829 in KY. Unmarried.

5 William Carpenter b. 05/28/1775 – d. 02/19/1833. He married Margaret Wheelbarger.Three sons and one daughter – names unknown.

6 Henry Carpenter b. 05/12/1778 – d. 1847. He married Catherin Sellars.a. Jacob Carpenter m. Nancy Russellb. Mary (Polly) Carpenter m. Hutchinsonc. Aletha Carpenter m. J. T. Russelld. Conrad Carpenter m. Priscilla Russelle. Malinda Carpenter m. William Gibsonf. George Washington Carpenter m. Mary Ann Bottomg. Margaret Carpenter m. Clayton Carterh. Amanda Carpenter m. James Bentley

39 Carpenter, Virginia, “Master Chart Revision, 1980”, Bettendorf, IA at Kentucky Historical Society,

7 Anna Carpenter b. ? - d. bef. 1830. She married John Miltenbarger in 1779. a. Barbara Miltenbarger b. ~1780 – d. ?. Married Joseph Gochenauerb. Anna Miltenbarger b. ~1782 – d. ?. Married John Perkeyc. William Miltenbarger b. 03/25/1784 – d. ? in Warren Co., OHd. George Miltenbarger b. 1785 – d. 11/13/1842. Married 1st Mary Null, 2nd Catherine Harmone. John Miltenbarger b. 1786 – d. 1843. Married Elizabeth Blosef. Margaret Miltenbarger b.~1789 – d. ?. Married Leonard Null in 1810.g. Conrad Miltenbarger b. ? - d. ?. Married Elizabeth Trobaugh

8 Barbara Carpenter bap. 08/29/1762 – d. ?. Married John Pence and moved to Shelby Co., KYa. Conrad Penceb. Jacob Pencec. John Penced. George Pencee. Elizabeth Pencef. Adam Pence g. Margaret Penceh. Anne PenceI. Sarah Pencej. Frances Pence

9 Margaret Carpenter b. ~1764 – d. 08/13/1828. Married George Pence.a. Anna Barbara Pence b. 1783 – d. 1855. Married George Kerns, moved to Clermont Co. OHb. Nancy Pence b. 1785 – d. 1853. Married John Traney, moved to Bartholomew Co., INc. Sarah (Sally) Pence b. 1786 – d. 1857. Married Jacob Cook. TN then to OHd. Lydia Pence b. ~1790 – d. 1804e. Jacob Pence b. 1793 – d. 1873. Married Anna Roller.f. William Pence b. 1795 – d. 1865. Married Priscilla Poorg. David Pence b. 1798 – d. 1868. Married Elizabeth Gotth. Joab Pence b. 1800 – d. 1860. Married Mary GottI. Jonathan Pence b. 1803 – d. 1824

10 Elizabeth Carpenter b. ~1767 – d. 1822. Married Keblingera. Margaret Keblinger married ? Nicholasb. John Keblingerc. Anna Keblinger married Lewis Kellerd. Jacob Keblingere. Mary Keblinger

11 Solema Carpenter b. 08/22/1771 – d. ? married Peter Keblinger

Appendix – Plats of various Carpenter land holdings using Plat_Plotter program by Jason Rushton.

Plat of George Carpenter, Sr., 1766, 135 acres, about 3 miles northeast of Elkton, VA. Situated on Dry Run and near Naked Creek. Augusta County Land Survey Book 2, page 44.

Below: Plat of 113 acres surveyed for John Carpenter in 1762 on Naked Creek at its mouth on North River. This Naked Creek is in present day Augusta County and is about 11 miles southwest of George Carpenter, Sr.'s properties. Augusta County Survey Record Book 2, page 16, Library of Virginia microfilm.

The writer's descent from George Carpenter, Sr. is through his daughter, Anna, who married John Miltenbarger. Daughter, Margaret (Peggy) Miltenbarger married Leonard Null, and their son, George Henry Null married Diana Catherine Evers. Their daughter, Josepha Ann married Isaac Newton BrownSaufley, and their son, Thomas Jefferson Saufley married Ada Floss Dennett. Daughter, Lorena Virginia Saufley married Henry Sipe, whose daughter Mildred Jane, married I. W. Diehl, parents of the writer.

Researched and compiled by Wayne Diehl, Montpelier, VA, April 2019diehlwp@yahoo.com