For those who don't know, following the victories of 1775, Washington had too many militia volunteers to productively use.  He sent many of the units 25-50 miles outside of New York City so as to spread out the forage consumption of the greater army.  These reserves were to be ready to march upon a moment's notice, hence the name "Flying Camp" Since these are going into the archives - I'll offer my corrections to the original transcription to facilitate folks searching by the more common spellings of their ancestors. Based on Pennsylvania Archives and family records: * I believe the John McDowell was James McDowell, husband of Elizabeth Loughead  - he was known to have been captain of the 4th batallion under Montgomery during the Fall/Winter campaigns of 1776 - reports of his unit's service during the campaign suggests that he was part of the Flying Camp during the battles on Long Island and Manhattan. * Joseph Strasbridge is actually Joseph Strawbridge.  James McDowell bought a farm in Upper Oxford from Dr. Thos. Ruston in 1798 next to Strawbridge's residence - McDowell and Strawbridge children both married into the Boyd family and were neighbors through the late 1800's. * Allen Cunningham is actually Allen or Alan Cuningham with one 'n' - in 1894 a descendant, Alan Cuningham, would marry Ethel Pusey, sister-in-law to Thomas Rankin McDowell, son of James Boyd McDowell and gr-gr-grandson of James McDowell. * Lasarus Rinney is likely the 25 year old single Lazarus Finney, son of Robert Finney and Diana Spencer - he later served as First Lieutenant in Evan Evans' Second Batallion of Chester County Militia.  His aunt, Catherine Simonton Finney, was married to James McDowell's brother-in-law, James Loughead, Infantry Colonel in 1776 and a dispatch-bearer for Washington to frontier Pennsylvania forces, Philadelphia City Paymaster in 1777 and Assistant Paymaster-General  of the Pennsylvania militia in 1778.  When the British occupied Philadelphia in late 1777, Col. Loughead sent his family to live with his brother-in-law, James McDowell in what is now Lincoln Station, outside of Oxford. The McDowells, Finneys, and Cuninghams were all members of the New London Presbyterian Church where McDowell and Cuningham were buried.  I believe Lazarus is buried up in Northumberland county where he and his wife, Elizabeth (Fulton?) settled some time in the mid/late 1780's - also where some of James Loughead's children settled about the same time.  Not sure about the Strawbridges... - John McDowell Morris ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sandra Ferguson" <[email protected]> To: [email protected], "cyndie eckman" <[email protected]>, [email protected] Sent: Friday, September 4, 2009 9:47:48 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [PaOldC] appt. officers batallion of  Chester Co Flying Camp. Military officers appointed by the County Committee, 1776  (Chester Co Flying Camp) Captains - Joseph Gardner, Samuel Wallace, Samuel Culbinson, James Boyline, John McDowell, John Shaw, Matthew Boyd, John Beaton 1st Lieut - William Henry, Andrew Dunwoody, Thomas Henry, Benjamin Culbinson, Samuel Lindsay, Allen Cunningham, Joseph Strasbridge, Joseph Bartholomew 2nd Lieut - Robert Filson, William Lockard, Thomas Davis, Samuel Hamill, Jeremiah Cloud, Joseph Wherry, David Curry, Alexander McCarragher Ensigns - Wm Cunningham, John Bradtrensher, John Filling, Andrew Curry, Thomas James, Lasarus Rinney, Archibald Desart, John Llewellyn Field-officers appointed - Col Wm Montgomery. Lieut Col Thomas Bull, Maj John Bartholomew. Wm Price was appointed in place of John Shaw, resigned.   ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message