Francis Lewis Ditto, Pvt PA
Declaration for Revolutionary War Soldier Benefits
Compatriot Arlen B. Clark
The State of Ohio} Seneca County ss} On this 3 day of October, 1833
personally appeared in open Court before the Court of Common Pleas
(being a Court of Record) now sitting, “Frandz Dido” a resident of the
township of Clinton said county aged more than seventy five years as he
thinks, and he believes he is nearer eighty than seventy five years old,
who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath aforesaid
make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the
act of congress passed June 7, 1832
That he entered the sirvice [sic] of the United States under
the following named officers and served as herein stated - - - - - - - -
- - - -
In the winter of 1777-8, I think about the middle of January
at McCollister Town York County Pa. I enlisted into the 2d Regiment
of Pa. troops commanded by Col. Stewart Lieut. Col. or Major _______
Murray My company commanded by Capt Rob afterward by Capt. Koby – then
Capt. Jacob Stoy ----- the name of the recruiting officer was was [sic]
Robert Peeling I believe
When I enlisted I was told by the recruiter that I should be
a sergeant of Horse but I was soon undeceived for I served on foot, and
as a private My twin brother of the name Jacob, with several others,
enlisted at the same time and and [sic] under similar representations,
from the recruiting sergeant, but when they found out that they had been
gulled they deserted, and earnestly requested me to do the same but I
concluded that my services were so much needed at the time that I would
serve my time which was three years—Gen. Wayne was our principal officer
under Washington and La Faytte [sic] was with us some times.
Soon after my enlistment I joined the army at Valley Forge, where we remained during the winter ---
I was in the Battle of Monmouth and the next day helped to
bury the dead, heat killed more that day than sword pistol or musket
I was with about 30 others taken prisoner at Newark, ( and I
think it was the second winter of my service) we were taken to New York
on the ice where we were put into the sugar house—Nights we were
generally locked up in a Church, I think a Quaker church—We were
prisoners about three months, while in the church we undertook to make
our escape—We dug a hole under the wall of the church and under the
pavement, (I remember I worked with a hog’s jaw bone) when we had all
things ready waiting for a dark night a hessian boy who had deserted
from the British and joined the Americans, and had been taken prisoner
by the British (I suppose to make his peace) discovered to the British
our wood chuck’s hole-------Soon after we were exchanged, when we
rejoined the Army I think at Fredericksburgh.------
At the time Gen. Wayne took Stony Point I was working at West Point at the large fort on the hill -----
Some of the cannon which Wayne took at Stony Point, we
mounted at West Point --- The largest I think was drawn up the hill by
26 yoke of oxen and about 60 men with drag ropes -----
I wintered at White Plains one winter, and at Fredericksburgh the remainder I believe -------
While in the service and near the close a baggage wagon
upset which I at the lower side was endeavoring to hold up. I slipped
and my hip was severely injured, however I was verry [sic] soon on duty
again. ----- But the consequence to me has been verry [sic] serious, It
was always lame, and more than thirty years ago I became and have ever
since remained a cripple, the joint being completely destroyed, all
which my physician told me was caused by the original injury
A short time before my term expired there was a violent
tumult among the soldiers, because they could not get discharged when
their terms expired, Col. Stewart was driven out of camp at the point of
the bayonet ---- The soldiers marched towards Philladilphia [sic] to
address their grievances, ----Gen. Wayne was with us – I saw him
repeatedly in much apparent danger, the soldiers pointing and crying
shoot the Dan-d [sic] raskol[sic] &c.– I took no part in the revolt.
– My time had not yet quite expired, - However when we got to Princeton
(as I believe) and the difficulty was settled by common sense, it was
found of the men whose terms had expired were getting their discharges,
that I myself had but about two weeks more to serve, and thinking at
that point the two weeks would be of little service.
Capt. Whitemon and an other officer gave me a certifficate
[sic] with the rest and we went to the Printing Office and got
discharges – I think my own was signed by Gen. Wayne but as I hardly
remember of seeing it since, it having been a long time lost, that I
cannot tell for certainty who signed it – I believe it was a printed
discharge – I remember the hanging of the spies who had been sent to us
by the British-
I know of no person whose evidence I can procure that can testify to me services
I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or an
annuity except the present, and declare that my name is not on the
pension roll of the agency of any State/s Frandz Dido
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year first above written in open court Oct 3 1833/s
Jas. Hamond Clerk
Mr. Andrew Maine and Allen Campbell residing in the neighborhood of said
Frandz Dido hereby declare that there is no clergyman residing in the
neighborhood of said applicant, that we are well acquainted with the
said Francis Ditto or in German “Frandz Dido” who has subscribed and
sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be of the age
which he has above sworn that he is, that he is reputed and believed in
the neighborhood when he resides to have been a soldier of the
Revolution and that we concur in that opinion.
Allen Campbell
His Mark Andrew X Maine
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year first Above written in open court
Joseph Howard, Clerk
Here follows the questions put by the court as directed by the War
Department with the several answers of the said Francis Ditto or “Frandz
Dido” on his oath
Q1: Where and in what year were you born? A: I was born near Harrisburgh
Pa. in the county of York, I cannot tell in what year but not far aside
of 1758 as I believe I am now believe I am about 75 or 80 years old.
Q2: Have you any record of your age and if so what is it? A: My parents
died when I was a small boy and I never saw any record of my age. I
never kept any myself---
Q3: Where were you living when called into service? Where have you lived
after the Revolutionary War, and where do you now live? A: When called
into service I lived at McCollister Town, York County, Pa. When I left
the service as above I went to Northumberton, Pickaway County, Ohio
where I lived about 30 years – thence to Washington Township. Pickaway
County, Ohio where I lived about 15 – 16 or 17 years thence to Clinton
Township, Seneca County, Ohio where I now live.
Q4: How were you called into service, were you drafted, did you
volunteer or were you a substitute, and if a substitute for whom? A: I
was called into service by enlistment as above stated.
Q5: State the names of some of the Regular Officers who were with the
troops when you served: such continental and Militia Regiments as you
may recollect and the names and the general circumstances of your
service, A: I will refer you to my statement above
Q6: Did you ever receive a discharge from the service, and if so by whom
was it given and what has become of it? A: I will refer to my statement
above and further will say that I have a faint recollection of having a
discharge with me when I subsequently went for my back pay as per
agreement
Q7: State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present
neighborhood, and who can testify [sic] to your present character for
truth and veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the
Revolution. A: John Briner, John Wolf, John Sekrist [sic], Jacob Mumi
[sic], Andrew Maine, John Lilly, Henry Keller, Allen Campbell, John
Druge
Frandz Dido
The above answers sworn to and subscribed the date and year first above written in open court Oct 3, 1833.
Joseph Howard, Clerk
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the
investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogation
presented by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a
Revolutionary soldier and served as he states--- and the Court further
certifies that it appears to him that Allen Campbell and Andrew Maine
are residents o the Township of Clinton aforesaid and that they both are
credible persons and that their statement is intitled [sic] to audit.
D. Higgins Presd Judge 2nd Circuit
seal Sedies Godney}
} Associates
Benjn Petteson}
I Joseph Howard Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of
Seneca and the State of Ohio do hereby certify that the foregoing
contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the
application of Francis Ditto, or otherwise in German as he signs his
name “Frandz Ditto” for a pension.---
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office the day and year first above written
Joseph Howard
Clerk
In
my research, I very much enjoy finding interesting facts and digging
deeper into them. As I was looking at my Jamestown families, I found a
ship’s captain by the name of James Davis or Davies from whom I am
descended. In the notes about his life, it mentioned that he had also
delivered colonists to the Popham Plantation, and that he had captained a
pinnace that had been built there (the first English ship built in
North America). Pretty cool, I thought.
Interestingly,
the colony, which was principally a commercial enterprise, was
abandoned a year later. Such presence of Europeans in North America was
enough that by the time the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth, the indigenous
people had some knowledge of the English. This helps to explain the
comfort with which Squanto and Massasoit could communicate with the
colonists.
I’m
a numbers guy. I still know the phone numbers of my home, my best
friend’s home and my dad’s office AND my driver’s license number, from
1969. But, I have a hard time remembering the names of the people I met
with the night before, even though I can tell you what we talked about
and what we ate for dinner. I had a really hard time in some of my
classes in law school because I couldn’t remember the names of the cases
that set the precedence for arguments, even though I could describe the
cases in detail! But, I could remember codified statutes and
regulations by number. I did fine in the tax and bankruptcy codes. So,
with tens of thousands of names in my Ancestry account, I rely heavily
on the matching functions provided by the software!
decided
to do a face-to-face transaction at my bank. I had to walk a distance
to get to a branch, since the combination of riots and COVID have
resulted in the closure of most of the banks downtown. It was GREAT to
get out of my apartment! The teller (behind two thick layers of
Plexiglas) was new at his job, so the adjacent teller and his supervisor
were close by to help. The bank wasn’t busy, so I asked him how he was
doing, and he, in turn asked me what I was doing to keep busy. I told
him I was working on my genealogy, and he didn’t offer any particular
response. So, I continued, “Yep, I found that Charlemagne was my
ancestor.” Everyone laughed.
of Finland (2nd Century)…and others. By the time y’all hit 37th Great Grandfather there are two probable truths if you believe the statistics: 1) You probably are related to that person, and 2) the tree details that got you there are probably not accurate.
