George Balser Hess (1747 - 1806)

Born 25 May 1747 in York, York, Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Eve (Hensel) Hess — married 1782 in Bedford Co., PA

Descendants

Died 27 Dec 1806 at age 59 in Columbus, Ohio, County of Franklin, United States

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Biography

Capt. George Hess performed Patriotic Service in Pennsylvania in the American Revolution.

George Hess is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A054585.

Birth: May 25, 1747, York, York County, Pennsylvania Death: Dec. 27, 1806, Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, USA Burial: Union Cemetery, Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, USA

Born in York, PA, Hess was born into a family of German immigrants who came to America from Wurtemburg Germany. Prior to the war they were successful tradesman so that when Hess enlisted in the Continental Army he had sufficient standing in his community to be given an officer status.

It was claimed by Hess' descendants that during the war he distinguished himself serving General Washington. He supposedly crossed the Delaware with him to attack the Hessians and was involved in several other escapades,in one of which he was captured and imprisoned in an infamous British POW camp on Long Island. Hess was said to have been one of a handful of men who survived interment there.

After the war, Hess returned to Pennsylvania where he married young Mary Eve Hansel with whom he had several children.

In settling into life as a citizen of a new country Hess became embroiled in the growing pains of his community as it reacted to the establishment of the new nation. Finding himself not as comfortable in Pennsylvania as he had once been, Hess decided to join his friend Michael Krieder in making a new life for his family in Ohio. Hess came to Ohio in the late 1790s and eventually settled in the what is now Union township in Columbus. Ohio. He and his sons were credited with the first county improvements in Franklin County when they built a road out his farm. The farm was across the Olentangy River from the present day site of The Ohio State University.

When Hess passed away, he was the first adult to be buried in what is now the Union Cemetery. The burying ground was bought from the Hess family in 1847. His stone calls him "Bolser". He is variously listed in old records as "Balser", "George Balser", and "Baltzer". The stone monument was erected by his grandson Daniel in memory of a man who was said to be among the founding fathers of Columbus and a true pioneer. The original stone lays in the grass (having sunk partially into the ground) and is barely readable at this time.

Family links: Spouse: Mary Eve Hensell Hess (1763 - 1855)*

Children: Daniel D Hess (1783 - 1862)* Mary Ann Hess Cryder (1784 - 1857)* Balser Hess (1786 - 1856)* Mary Eve Hess Cryder (1788 - 1861)* Mary Salome Hess Carpenter (1794 - 1872)*

Sources

Find a grave http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10922985 Web: Columbus, Ohio, Union Cemetery Index, 1847-2012, George Balser Hess and Mary Eve Hensel

Birth: May 25, 1747, York, York County, Pennsylvania Death: Dec. 27, 1806, Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, USA

Revolutionary War Service from DAR Records: HESS, GEORGE BALTZER Ancestor A054585 Service: Pennsylvania Rank: PATRIOTIC SERVICE Service Description: 1) SUFFERED DEPREDATION. Service Source: PA HIST & MUS COMM, RG 4.61, ROLL # 317 Birth: 3-25-1747 YORK LANCASTER CO Pennsylvania Death: 12-27-1806 FRANKLINTON Franklin County, Ohio

History of Franklin County, Ohio Volume one. Chapter III, p. 97. First white men and early settlers

Inaccessible link: Captain in Revolutionary War. Extended biography can be found here http://www.theorangewheelbarrow.com/MyFamily/1834.html