According to Pennsylvania in the War of the Revolution, Battalions and Line, edited by John Blair Linn and William H. Egle and published by the State Printer in Harrisburg in 1880. von Heer's Light Dragoons were organized under a resolution of Congress May 27, 1778 and their duties were to apprehend deserters, rioters, and stragglers. That is to act as military police. The corps was called the Troop of Marechauses. An article in the Altoona Tribune on Dec. 31, 1937, states that von Heer's "Independent Troop of Horse" served as the bodyguard of Gen. Washington and had been recruited from "men of property" of "German" areas such as Berks County.

Roll of Captain von Heer's Dragoons State of a troop of light dragoons, having been raised in the Pennsylvania State, and commanded by Capt. von Heer, September 16, 1780, (at Tappan, New York.)"

Captain von Heer, Bartholomew Reading, from captain in Procter's artillery.

First Lieutenant

Jacob Mytinger

Second Lieutenant

Philip Strubeng

Sergeants

Harker, Franz

November 1, 1778

Hess, George

Philadelphia, September 1, 1778

Mutter (Nutter), John

July 1 1778; promoted lieutenant Trumpeters

Wolf, Lewis

Pottsgrove, July 1, 1778; Died in Philadelphia, August 20, 1830, aged 83.; Reading, January 1, 1778; resided in Jonestown, Lebanon Co., in 1632.

Corporals

Ekstine, David

Philadelphia, July 12, 1778.

Effingar, John Ignatius

Pottsgrove, August 1, 1778; discharged July 1783:resided in Woodstock, Shenandoah Co., VA in 1834.

Wachter, Anthony

Philadelphia, July 10, 1778.

Shafer, Jacob

Philadelphia, July 1, 1778.

Smith, Philip

Philadelphia, July 10, 1778: resided in Berks Co., in 1835, aged 81.

Privates

Adam, John

Philadelphia, July 12, 1778.

Barth (Bard), Stephen

Lancaster, May 15, 1779; resided in Berks Co., in 1835, aged 81.

Bauman, John

Philadelphia, September 1, 1779.

Curutz, Sebastian

Reading, April 1, 1780.

Dareler, Christian

Hessen, Philadelphia, September 1, 1778; died July 20, 1821, Lebanon Co., aged 71.

Durie, John

Philadelphia, September 1, 1778.

Eicholtz, John

Somerset, February 15, 1778.

Engelhaupt, John

Mt. Pleasant, July 1, 1779; promoted corporal.

Frank, Henry

Hessen, November 15, 1778.

Franforter, Henry

Lancaster, August 31, 1778; resided in Dauphin Co., in 1838, aged 81.

Gerlach, John

Pottsgrove, July 1, 1778.

Green, Casper

Philadelphia, August 1, 1778.

Gruber, Valentine

Pottsgrove, March 16, 1779; resided in Bedford Co., in 1835, aged 83.

Grulich, Philip

Pottsgrove, August 12, 1778.

Hauser, Casper

Philadelphia, August 27, 1778.

Howe, William

November 1, 1778.

Kaiser, Lewis

Pottsgrove, March 16, 1779.

Kratzer, John

Philadelphia, September 1, 1778.

Mueller, Frederick

Reading, August 1, 1780.

Mueller, Jacob

Pottsgrove, August 1 1778.

Newman, Philip

Pottsgrove, August 16, 1776.

Pfaffenbach, Andres

Hessen, November 1, 1778.

Picard, Philip

Philadelphia, September 1, 1778.

Reiss, Henry

Hessen, Pottsgrove, August 1, 1778.

Shumann, Charles

Reading, April 1, 1780.

Swartz, Leonard

Pottsgrove, July 24, 1778.

Slevoigt, John

Somerset, February 1, 1779.

Stadeiman, John

Philadelphia, September 1, 1778.

Stapper, Andres

Lancaster, August 20, 1778.

Strauss, Diedrich

Pottsgrove, July 24, 1778.

Titius (Tecius), Frederick

Reading, March 15, 1780.

Turk, John

Jersey, July 1, 1780.

Ullick, John

Philadelphia, September 1, 1778.

Wilheim, Baitser

Hessen, October 15, 1778.

Willhauser, Henry

Reading, April 1, 1780.

Woolsey, Isac

Philadelphia, August 1, 1778.

Zabern, David

Philadelphia, July 20, 1778.

Zapz, John

October 1,1778.

Ziegler, Henry

Reading, May 1, 1780.

Zink, Abraham

Pottsgrove, August 1, 1778.

Zullick, Henry

Hessen, Philadelphia, August 1, 1778.

WAR OFFICE, January 12, 1781

I certify that the above return is exactly conformable to a return of Capt. von Heer's Corps, filed in this office, under the resolution of Congress, of March 15, 1779, by which it appears that one lieutenant and fortytwo noncommissioned officers and privates belong to the State of Pennsylvania. BEN. STODDERT, Secretary.

Return of a troop of Light Dragoons raised by Capt. Bartholomew von Heer, agreeable to the old establishment, in 1778, for the American Service: One captain, four lieutenants, one clerk, three sergeants, five corporals, two trumpets, forty-three privates.

Men whose time will expire before the 1st of November 1782.

Brath, Henry

July 1, 1782.

Brath, Stephen

May 15, 1782.

Engelhaupt, John corporal,

July 1, 1782.

Gruber, Valentine

March 16, 1782.

Howe, William

expired and not reenlisted.

Saugarat, Josephclerk,

May 15, 1782.

Slevoight, John

Feb. 1, 1782.

Men remaining in the troop.

Buob, Joseph

Curutz, Sebastian

Hiller, John George, trumpeter

Kratzer, John

Mueller, Frederick

Titius (Tecius), Frederick

Ziegler, Henry

Men enlisted who have not received their bounty.

Laffelof, Henry

Morris, John

Pape, Robert

Reiss, Henry

Robert, George

Roster, Frederick

Strouss, Diedrich

Thurn, Peter

August 1, 1778, resided in Ross Co., OH., 1834.

Weikell, John

Wilheim, Balser

Yachter, John

To the above establishment to complete the Troop are wanting 47, whereof are eleven enlisted, but not received bounty. For the complement, are forty-five horses wanting as the horses having been deliver'd to the Quart. Mr., By order of the Board of war, when the men had been discharged last year. March 1, 1782

BARTH'W VON HEER,

Capt. L Dr.

Names of Soldiers of von Heer's Dragoons, Taken from Pension Papers Privates

Anthony, George

died in Jackson Co., OH, August 15, 1833, aged 79.

Baclet, Jacob

[Barlet according to pension and Order, GGG Gs Barry Wetherington 1/20/2001]

Boyer, Lewis

resided in Miami Co., OH, 1843; died 1842.

Burkhardt, John

November 1, 1778.

Brown, Peter

Campbell, Alexander

Cryobck, Peter

died June 21, 1822, Berks Co., aged 81.

Eisnack, Andrew

Fox, Andrew

resided in Berks Co., in 1835.

Fox (Fuchs), David

Reading, 1778, trumpeter, resided in Berks Co., in 1835, aged 69.

Fox (Fuchs), Jacob

Reading, 1778; resided in Pleasant Twp., Fairfield Co., OH in 1834.

Fox (Fuchs), Frederick

1779; brother of Jacob, resided in Shenandoah Co., VA in 1829.

Fricker, George

resided in Reading in 1787.

Fricker, Peter

died December 26, 1827 in Berks Co., 62.

Ginser, Henry

Graff, Frederick

resided in Berks Co., in 1786.

Koch, Adam

died May 27, 1827, Berks Co. O'Bryan, Andrew

Ox, Peter

1782, resided in Huntingdon Co., in 1818.

Richtmeyer, Daniel

Reading, 1778.

Ruppert, Jacob

August 1, 1778; resided Berks Co., in 1831.

Sechier, Michael

1781; discharged at Philadelphia, December31, 1783; residing in Lycoming Co., 1825.

Sheyman, Philip

Taylor, Marthew

died in Baltimore Co., MD in 1818, aged 67.

Trisher, Thomas

August 1, 1780.

Wagner, John

resided in Sanduski Co., OH in 1834.

Wolf, Ludwig

Zopple, Peter

Scan of the Roster

Lynda Troutt Murphy
 

Last Updated 08/12/2007