The author's father, Benjamin Esbenshade was a small boy at the time of the death of his grandfather, Peter Espenschied. He frequently mentioned that he remembered him quite well. It is significant that he claimed the three brothers Joh. Valentine, Joh. Peter, and Joh. Daniel Espenschied came to America at the same time. The author's father when 75 years of age, left a prepared statement, in which he wrote there were three brothers who did not come to America. This part of his statement is confirmed by the data given in the Siefersheim Church record. The Joh. preceding the brother's names of these immigrant forefathers is an abbreviation for Johan and was used as a prefix name. Valentine Espenschied settled in the vicinity of Harrisburg, Dauphin Co., Pa. in 1798. He was known to the author's father as "Felty" or "Velty" Espenshade. When Valentine makes his first real estate transaction in 1798 he uses the nickname Velty; when his estate is settled in 1826 it was administered as Valentine Espenshade. He was drafted into the Pennsylvania militia, 1790-1800, to serve in Col. Thomas Forster's Regiment No. 1, Capt. Sam Sherer's Company and received his pay under the name of Valentine Aspenshade. P.A., s.6, V.5,P. 274 None of the three immigrant brothers are listed in the first U.S. census (1790) and, of course, this indicates that they were not heads of families until later. That is all there is on Valentine. I hoped it helped. Care to explore the Bowman's?? Yvonne

On the chance that this is a dumb question, what on earth was going on that they were drafting militia in 1790? I've checked out a bunch of history sites and just have no idea. Dawn MarkleVon@aol.com wrote: > He was drafted into the Pennsylvania > militia, 1790-1800, to serve in Col. Thomas Forster's Regiment No. 1, Capt. > Sam Sherer's Company and received his pay under the name of Valentine > Aspenshade. P.A., s.6, V.5,P. 274 Digging up: Bowman, Brandt, Dohner, Doutrick, Emmerich, Ensminger, Espenshade, Etter, Fretz, Gabriel, Gingrich, Gloniger, Groff, Hart, Hoover, Hostetter, Kline, Koons, Kreider, Landis, Lavely, Lendel, Longnecker, Moyer, Nye, Oberholtzer, Philippi, Riffle, Shunk, Snavely, Stauffer, Strohminger, Thann