The Republican., 1937-08-12

,
Dewitt. However, it is thought he
moved with his family several years
later to Clarke county, KY, where on
. October 18, 1888, he made oath to an
, application for pension. In this appli-
cation he states that on June Is, 1775,
he volunteered in Capt. Michael Cres-
APPS company, and giving in some de-
tail his experiences while on duty as a
private soldier, ranger and spy, in an
enemy's country filled with Tories and
Indians. Several incidents mentioned
in the application are confirmed in
Lowdermilk's History of Cumberland.
Signed in his own hand, Peter De-
: Witt, follows the affidavit OF Thomas
Boon. On an old envelope it is record
: ed Peter Dewitt, who was a private in
| the company commanded by Col Nc
, Donald, in the Virginia Line months.
Children of Peter and Rebecca Dewitt
Barney, listed in Lowdermilk' s
= History of Cumberland as a settler
west of Fort Cumberland;
2-William, married (du) Casteel.
3-John, born May 2, 1893; d. Octo-
ber 7, 1869;
4-Peter, born alb. 1895; married S.
: Casteel;
: Samuel, married (du) Casteel,
1880;
| 6-Susan, married Archibald Cas-
, teel, Sang Run;
Henry, born about 1896, Preston
county;
S-Richard, born Preston county;
soldier of 1872;
9-Joseph, born alb. 1904; d. 1865;
Sang Run.
John Dewitt, at the age of nineteen,
and his brother Henry probably seven
teen, served as private soldiers during
; the War of 1912 in Capt. Matthew Nc
Gowns 4th Reg. Va. Militia, June 20,
1714, until their company was mus
: tered out at Lambert Point, near Nor
folk, Va.
John Dewitt, ST., son of Peter, came
back from Virginia about 1928; mar
!. ried (1) Sarah, dau. Of John Hartman;
(2) Louisa Casteel, dau. of Shadrack
Casteel, Jr. For 5000 he bought of the
: heirs of James H. McFadon, of Balti-
. more, Military Lots Nos. 1864, 1865,
1880 and 1852, at the cross roads, later
known as Johnstown, in honor of pio-
neer John Dewitt, now Hoyes, Gar
rett county. His log house, now COM
i. pletely demolished, was on the road
!. leading to Friendsville. This house
!; should have been preserved as mon
ument (as should others) to those who
braved the dangers of an unsettled
country, fighting off wild animals, In
, dians, the warning French, in blazing
: new trail. The home of the late D. o.
Dewitt is built near the site of the old
log house.
Children of John and Sarah Dewitt
were: Rebecca, married Samuel Mar
: tin; Christina m. Elijah Matheny;
+ Susan, m. Michael Kalbaugh; Joseph,
m. (D Jane Thayer; (2) Julia Robin
!, son.
Children of John and his second
!. wife, Louisa: Sarah Ann m. Browning;
Louisa m. Cook; John m. Harriet Col
| lier, and Archibald m. Mary Browning.
Rebecca and Samuel We're the grand
parents of Robert ("Bob") Martin
Fighting Bob, A. E. F. king, who
= lost his only bout, one out OF sixty, to
Gene Tunney. Bob retired from the
, ring due to i'll health. He was cham
pion of the A. E. F. during the World
War in the International Games in
; 1919, held in Pershing Stadium, in
, France. In the year 1920 he married
the charming and altogether-lovely
Mary Elizabeth Bird. Their engage
: ment and wedding was international
news. Notice of the wedding was also
published in France. Pictures of the
, young couple were taken by Under
wood & Underwood for publication in
, the nations press.
Mo,,- ;e n
descendant of Col. William Byrd, who
, built the stately home, "Westover,' y
, one of the first Colonial mansions of
, Virginia, in 1884.
> The rift in the spelling of the family
name came during the War of '76,
, when the family took sides, the Byrds
true to the English ruler, were called
Tories, and the Birds cast their lot by
fighting for the freedom of America,
remaining loyal to their new home
sharing danger and hardship with
countless others.
Joseph Dewitt, son of John, Sr.,
was a well-known Methodist preacher
and a judge of the first Orphans Court
of Garrett county, serving from 1873
1879.
John Dewitt, Jr., born 182S-1912,
succeeded his father on the Johnstown
farm. On July II, 1855, John, Jr.,
consideration $3.50 decided to William
Casteel, Truman West, John Wag-
goner, Jonathan Friend and Nathan
; Casteel, trustees, Lot No. in Johns
town on which to build house or place
of worship. On this lot was built a log
church probably erected with the help
of Martin, Barney, Peter and Henry.
The DeWitts were strong mem. Long
since torn down, and on its site a new
M. E. church has been built. In the
cemetery close by is the grave of
John, ST., and the burial ground of
other DeWitts.
) Henry Dewitt (seventh child of
Peter and Rebecca) married Elizabeth
Jackson, a descendant of Ephriam
Jackson, who was born (1658-1732)
one of the oldest and most prominent
Quaker families of Pennsylvania.
: The children were Samuel, William
m. Sarah Dewitt; George, Nancy m.
Thomas Dewitt; James, Richard, b.
1885 m. (1) Mary Ellen Whetsell; (2)
Mary Price Burns. He was war vet
eran of 1864, and the father of seven
teen children, his first wife giving birth
to triplets in 1865, of whom one is
still living.
Another son, Robert, born 1872, m.
n,--lo, O,o eo1oe Gon