52 Ancestors: Week 8: The Shinkle Brothers in the Revolutionary War

Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze

The Shinkles have been in America since 1752. They have had 6 children: 3 girls (1 died as an infant, and the other may have died as a child) and 3 boys:  Philip Jacob (b. 1747 in Edenkoben, Germany), Han and Christian (b. 1753 and 1756 in Heidelberg, PA).

We are related to both Philip Jacob AND Christian.

click image to enlarge

In early 1775, because it was founded by Quakers, Pennsylvania did not have a military.  However, some of its citizens organized themselves into local volunteer “associations” that were eventually sanctioned by the State of Pennsylvania and formed into 53 battalions that fought in the Revolutionary War.  All three Shinkle boys joined one of these associations: they were privates in the 1775 Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Militia, Heidelberg Company under Captain George Hudson. Their ages were 28, 22 and 19.

“The Heidelberg Company of Associators, commanded by George Hudson was called into actual service and was paid for such service by Pennsylvania.  (However), the company did not participate in any engagements.” (1)

After this service, Philip Jacob got married and started a family.  Han and Christian continued their military service and took the oath of allegiance to the State of Pennsylvania in Heidelberg on June 22, 1778.

Christian was part of the Pennsylvania Third Battalion that “took part in the pursuit of the British army across New Jersey, fighting at the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778, where it was with the advance wing of the army, but was in limited contact with the enemy, and lost only one man wounded.” (2)

“Battle of Monmouth Courthouse:  The Continental Army under General George Washington attacked the rear of the British Army column commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton as they left Monmouth Court House.  Washington had fought his opponent to a standstill after a pitched and prolonged engagement; the first time that Washington's army had achieved such a result. The battle demonstrated the growing effectiveness of the Continental Army after its six month encampment at Valley Forge, where constant drilling had greatly improved army discipline and morale.“ (3)

“Not long afterward, the Third Battalion was detached from Washington's immediate command to be based on Schoharie, New York, from which it would help defend the frontiers in upstate New York against Indian attacks.” (2)

Christian Shenkle is a confirmed patriot of the American Revolution: DAR Ancestor #A102857.

All three brothers survived the war, although their parents died in 1778 and 1784. In about 1796, they (ages 49, 43, and 40), along with their younger married sister (37), moved to the recently opened Northwest Territory.  They settled in an area on the Ohio River, 45 miles southeast of Cincinnati.

Philip Jacob and family moved to Feesburg, Ohio and eventually bought 600 acres on 29 Mar 1805 for $1500. He and his wife Julia had 9 children, 6 boys and 3 girls. Three of his sons married cousins.  He died in Brown County and is buried in Shinkle’s Ridge Cemetery.

“Christian moved to Ohio, crossing the Alleghenies in wagons to Pittsburgh, thence by flatboat down the Ohio River, landing at Maysville, KY, where he left his family to seek a location.  On June 15, 1805 he purchased of RC Jacobs, 1000 acres on Bullskin Creek for $2000. His ownership of this tract gave the name of Shinkle’s Ridge to the section of country lying north of Higginsport.  Land was donated by him for a church, cemetery and schoolhouse.” (4)

Christian had 7 girls and 3 boys with his first wife Maria Magdalena.  Four of his daughters married cousins. His wife died in 1814 and he married Elizabeth in 1817 and had 3 more sons. He died 1833 and is buried in Shinkle’s Ridge Cemetery.

Shinkle's Ridge Church and Cemetery

Sources:
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/revolutionary_war_militia_overview/4125

(1) (4) Letter of Wm H Egle, State Librarian, Harriburg, PA, Sept 24, 1896.

(3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Monmouth

https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE189994

http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/ohio-adjutant-generals-dept-from-old-catalog/the-official-roster-of-the-soldiers-of-the-american-revolution-buried-in-the-sta-hci/page-39-the-official-roster-of-the-soldiers-of-the-american-revolution-buried-in-the-sta-hci.shtml

(2) https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE189994

(4) The Shinkle Geneology:  https://archive.org/stream/shinklegenealogy00abbo#page/12/mode/2up