David & Kathy, Got some info for you from head of PA USGenWeb Archives - see Joe Patterson's note to me below your query. Has to do with pre-war militia vs. Rev. War Pennsylvania Line. The mailing list Joe's referring to is PENNSYLVANIA, a RootsWeb list. Link to it is on this page, first one listed. http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/usa/PA/misc.html (It's a great list, but generates a lot of mail.) Judy >----- Original Message ----- >From: "David & Kathy Wells" <[email protected]> >To: <[email protected]> >Sent: Saturday, August 19, 2006 10:40 AM >Subject: [PAHUNTIN] Rev War Dummer Boy Question > > >I am in hopes someone with Military 'know how' can help me with this question. >Most counties had their own Militia in the REv. War. I am particularly >interested in the two listed below. There is a Joshua Brown that is a >Captain in one County Militia, and a Joshua Brown is listed in the Lancaster >Militia as an '8th class'. In other words you have the officers, then you >have 1st class with about 20 men listed, then 2nd class with about 20 men >listed.....on down to the 8th class with about 10 men listed. Someone years >ago quoted that the 8th class meant 'drummer boy'. There are 10 men in that >8th class, did they have 10 drummer boys?? In one of the Bedford Co. units >they have 'drummer boy' listed seperately, not under one of the classes. >This >may seem trivial, but it is important in that many old researchers referred to >our Joshua Brown as a 'drummer boy' just because he was listed as an 8th class >in his Battalion. > Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Kathy Wells. > We have the following examples of military units: > >----- 1780, 1781, 1782 - Cumberland Co. - Pennsylvania Archives", 3rd series, >vol 23, pg 806 (also in 5th Series, Vol 6, pg 562) shows Cumberland County, PA >Militia, Capt. Joshua Brown's company, return of his class roll for 8th battn. >, commanded by Col. Alexander Brown for 1780-1781-1782. Also is 2nd class >James Brown & John Brown in that Cumberland Battln. > > -----1780, 1781 - Lancaster Co. - "Pennsylvania Archives" 5th Series, Vol >7, pg 566,567 shows 3rd Company of 6th Battn. of Lancaster Co. Militia >commanded >by Capt. John Duncan in 1780 - pg 568 Jeremiah Brown is a 3rd class, Joshua >Brown is 8th Class; pg 579 also shows same for 1781, but pg 580 now lists >also >Joshua Brown Jr. under 8th class. > Am not an expert on that either...... and hardly an authority.... HOWEVER..... do have an insight or two. Likely better place to ask the question would be on the Pennsylvania mail list..... As I understand it, the "classes" had nothing to do with rank or position. They were subdivisions of a company for purposes of managing the unit. Certain classes might be called up for duty and that responsibility was rotated.... Might have called two or three classes at a time so all the males of an area were not called away from home at once. Not sure that all colonies used the same system...... Obviously this would not apply to units raised for the war, in PA, called the PA Line.
Joe & Judy, Thank you guys also for giving me information on my question. This is about the 3rd answer I have gotten, and I appreciate the professional opinions. Thanks a bunch, Kathy. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Judy Banja" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, August 19, 2006 5:42 PM Subject: Re: Fw: [PAHUNTIN] Rev War Dummer Boy Question > David & Kathy, > > Got some info for you from head of PA USGenWeb Archives - see Joe > Patterson's > note to me below your query. Has to do with pre-war militia vs. Rev. War > Pennsylvania Line. The mailing list Joe's referring to is PENNSYLVANIA, a > RootsWeb list. Link to it is on this page, first one listed. > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/usa/PA/misc.html (It's a great list, but > generates a lot of mail.) > > Judy > > >>----- Original Message ----- >>From: "David & Kathy Wells" <[email protected]> >>To: <[email protected]> >>Sent: Saturday, August 19, 2006 10:40 AM >>Subject: [PAHUNTIN] Rev War Dummer Boy Question >> >> >>I am in hopes someone with Military 'know how' can help me with this >>question. >>Most counties had their own Militia in the REv. War. I am particularly >>interested in the two listed below. There is a Joshua Brown that is a >>Captain in one County Militia, and a Joshua Brown is listed in the >>Lancaster >>Militia as an '8th class'. In other words you have the officers, >>then you >>have 1st class with about 20 men listed, then 2nd class with about 20 men >>listed.....on down to the 8th class with about 10 men listed. Someone >>years >>ago quoted that the 8th class meant 'drummer boy'. There are 10 men in >>that >>8th class, did they have 10 drummer boys?? In one of the Bedford Co. >>units >>they have 'drummer boy' listed seperately, not under one of the classes. >>This >>may seem trivial, but it is important in that many old researchers >>referred to >>our Joshua Brown as a 'drummer boy' just because he was listed as an 8th >>class >>in his Battalion. >> Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Kathy Wells. >> We have the following examples of military units: >> >>----- 1780, 1781, 1782 - Cumberland Co. - Pennsylvania Archives", 3rd >>series, >>vol 23, pg 806 (also in 5th Series, Vol 6, pg 562) shows Cumberland >>County, PA >>Militia, Capt. Joshua Brown's company, return of his class roll for 8th >>battn. >>, commanded by Col. Alexander Brown for 1780-1781-1782. Also is 2nd >>class >>James Brown & John Brown in that Cumberland Battln. >> >> -----1780, 1781 - Lancaster Co. - "Pennsylvania Archives" 5th >> Series, Vol >>7, pg 566,567 shows 3rd Company of 6th Battn. of Lancaster Co. Militia >>commanded >>by Capt. John Duncan in 1780 - pg 568 Jeremiah Brown is a 3rd class, >>Joshua >>Brown is 8th Class; pg 579 also shows same for 1781, but pg 580 now >>lists >>also >>Joshua Brown Jr. under 8th class. >> > > > > Am not an expert on that either...... and hardly an authority.... > > HOWEVER..... do have an insight or two. > > Likely better place to ask the question would be on the Pennsylvania > mail list..... > > As I understand it, the "classes" had nothing to do with rank or > position. They were subdivisions of a company for purposes of managing > the unit. > > Certain classes might be called up for duty and that responsibility was > rotated.... Might have called two or three classes at a time so all the > males of an area were not called away from home at once. Not sure that > all colonies used the same system...... > > Obviously this would not apply to units raised for the war, in PA, > called the PA Line. > > > > > > ==== PAHUNTIN Mailing List ==== > Visit the Huntingdon county PaGenWeb site at > http://www.rootsweb.com/~pahuntin for information on county resources, > cemeteries and other research information. > > ============================== > Jumpstart your genealogy with OneWorldTree. Search not only for > ancestors, but entire generations. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.ashx > >