Note: This lineage was sent to us recently and is included here as it may indicate relationship to the early families in the Hildebrand Saga.
Born 30 Dec 1598 in Langensalza, Thuringa, Germany. There are three known children: Hans Heinrich, Michael, and Peter.
Born 10 March 1628. He is said to have married five times and to have nine children. The only record of children is one, Henry. Hans H. landed in America at New Amsterdam, New York in 1690.
Born 1655 in Hanover, Germany (another record has Minnesink, PA). His known children were Christian, Johan, and Jacob.
The third known child of Peter Hildebrand of Hanover, Germany or Minnesink, PA. Jacob was b. about 1680 in Hanover, Germany. He has one known child: Jacob b. abt 1705 in Pennsylvania.
Notes from Richard: Jacob is the first Hildebrand of whom we have any family record. We do not have birth or death dates for him.
Jacob, the son of Jacob was b. about 1705 in Pennsylvania. He married Margaret Garlock about 1757 in Monongahela, Washington, Pennsylvania. He had two known sons: John b. 1733 in PA and Stephen b. 1744 in Pennsylvania.
We know that he was with General Braddock's army fighting the French and Indians in 1755. He told his children and grandchildren about seeing General Braddock carried off the battlefield after he was mortally wounded. Jacob also told about being wounded himself. This was how he lost his eye.
These two stories have come down through the generations to us. Jacob told his granddaughter, Rachel Hildebrand McFekly, who told her granddaughter, who was a second cousin of John Henry's children: Reuben, David, George, et al.
When Howard Hildebrand was living in Florida, he told someone about Jacob. That individual said, "Then your ancestor knew George Washington, because he took command when Braddock was wounded." Howard was stunned. This fact had never been in the family stories.
I checked the encyclopedias and read Weem's Life of George Washington. The young Major Washington had been sent north with a Virginia regiment when the French began pouring down from Canada. He started the building of Fort Necessity and defended it brilliantly in a battle with the French and Indians. He returned to Virginia, was promoted to Colonel (age 23); and when the British General Edward Braddock was gathering an Army to head for Western Pennsylvania, he requested that young Colonel Washington accompany him. Washington discussed the French and Indian method of fighting by ambush; but the experienced Braddock could not believe that the Frenchy would fight in any but a gentlemanly manner whereby the two forces would line up and march toward each other.
After crossing the Monongahela, and against Colonel Washington's advice, Braddock was leading his men through a "narrow Defile", which became a scene of ambush. His 2,000 men were overwhelmed by the French and Indians pouring from behind every rock and tree. Washington helped carry the wounded Braddock to a tumbril (small cart). Jacob apparently observed this. According to Weems, Braddock asked the Colonel what should be done and Washington advised "Retreat!" which they began immediately. The Indians chose to stay and plunder the hundreds of dead soldiers rather than follow those in retreat. This occurred July 7, 1755.
Note: The PBS TV series on the Life of George Washington represented Jacob Hildebrand as a Sergeant aide to General Braddock. We have no way of verifying this. It just may have been a TV writer's license. It does not appear to be from Jacob's memory of the action.
Since Jacob's stories to his descendants seemed to occur near the same time, it may be presumed that Jacob received his injury in the ambush fighting, probably after he saw the General carried from the battlefield. To have an injury that would result in losing an eye would have been a very painful wound. It is reasonable to think that suffering much pain would be cause enough for not remembering the name of a young officer who took charge.
If Jacob was still alive in 1775, he apparently did not connect the Revolutionary Commander - in-Chief with the young Colonel who had led the troops in 1755.
Howard Hildebrand had always been interested in the family history. Much of the material from Jacob to, and including John Henry's family, was filed in Howard's memory. I had written much of this down from discussions with him.
Later, he met a Harold Hildebrand of Sharpsville, PA who wa descended from Hans Henrich. In talking with Harold, Howard came to the conclusion that Peter was probably our immigrant ancestor. He sent this material to his grandson, Doug Hildebrand of Richland, WA, who has it in his computer.
Stephen was a Private 2nd Class in the Revolutionary War. He served in the 4th Co., 3rd battalion of the Cumberland Co. Militia.
Stephen married Hanna Beales 23 Sept 1767 in the German Reformed church near Carlisle, PA. (Information from PA Vital Records, Vol, II, Marriages performed by John conrad Bucher, who was the Pastor of a German Reformed church somewhere near Carlisle, PA, between 1763-1769).
Hannah was b. 1744 and died 1828. They had four known children: James (1765-1870); Elizabeth who md a Swisher; Mary who md a Shields; Rachel who md McFekly.
Note: Richard J. Hildebrand brings his line down from James through his son, John Henry who had 12 children. John Henry's children spread out after the civil war but this family appears to have stayed in Pennsylvania until then.